Vehicle Route Verification Using Environmental Model Consistency Checks

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional concepts for autonomous driving do not effectively handle false information in exceptional traffic situations, lacking a robust mechanism for verifying external route proposals, which can be manipulated and unreliable.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method within a vehicle and network component that uses an environmental model determined by the vehicle's sensors to verify external route proposals by performing consistency checks, improving the quality of the environmental model through network feedback and adapting it based on confidence levels, ensuring the proposed route is reliable and secure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If external route proposals are used to resolve exceptional traffic situations, then the vehicle can obtain alternative routing information, but the reliability of the route information may be compromised due to potential manipulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to resolve exceptional traffic situationsVSAvoidreliability of external route information

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary consistency checks on external route proposals by comparing them against the environmental model before accepting and executing the route. This advance verification prevents manipulation from compromising safety, while still allowing external information to be utilized for resolving exceptional situations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the external source about the consistency verification results of route proposals. This feedback mechanism enables the system to identify and reject manipulated information while maintaining the ability to accept valid external routing suggestions, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If consistency checks are performed on external route proposals, then the security and reliability of routing decisions are improved, but the processing time and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity of routing decisionsVSAvoidprocessing time for route verification

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs partial consistency checks by comparing only critical elements of the external route proposal against the environmental model, rather than conducting a complete exhaustive verification. This approach maintains security for critical routing decisions while reducing processing time through selective verification of essential route parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If the environmental model is continuously updated with network feedback, then the accuracy and quality of the model improves, but the risk of introducing manipulated information increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of environmental modelVSAvoidrisk of manipulated information

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary consistency checks on external route proposals by comparing them against the environmental model before accepting and executing the route. This advance verification prevents manipulation from compromising safety, while still allowing external information to be utilized for resolving exceptional situations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the external source about the consistency verification results of route proposals. This feedback mechanism enables the system to identify and reject manipulated information while maintaining the ability to accept valid external routing suggestions, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3696786B1System, vehicle, network component, apparatuses, methods, and computer programs for a vehicle and a network component

Publication Date: 2023.12.13 VOLKSWAGEN AG

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

Embodiments relate to a system, a vehicle, a network component, apparatuses, methods, and computer programs for a vehicle and a network component. The method (10) for a vehicle (100) and for verifying a proposed route comprises determining (12) an exceptional traffic situation based on an environmental model for the vehicle (100), and transmitting (14) information related to the exceptional traffic situation to a network component (200) using a mobile communication system (400). The method (10) further comprises receiving (16) information related to a proposed route from a network component (200), and verifying (18) the proposed route based on the environmental model of the vehicle (100).