IP Library Granted Patent US 11,340,082
Granted Patent B2
US 11,340,082 · App. 16/919,150 · Granted May 24, 2022

Determining localization confidence of vehicles based on convergence ranges

Inventors: Mark Wheeler (Saratoga, CA); Derik Schroeter (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: NVIDIA CORPORATION
G01C21/32B60W60/001G01C21/30G01C21/3605G06F16/29G06V20/56B60W60/0025B60W2420/52G05D1/0088G05D1/0274G05D2201/0213
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,340,082
App. No.
16/919,150
Granted
May 24, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to an aspect of an embodiment, operations may comprise for each of the set of geographic X-positions, accessing an HD map of a geographical region surrounding the geographic X-position, determining a convergence range for the geographic X-position, and storing the convergence range for the geographic X-position in the HD map. The operations may also comprise accessing the HD map, predicting a next geographic X-position of a target vehicle, predicting a covariance of the predicted next geographic X-position, accessing the convergence range for the geographic X-position in the HD map closest to the predicted next geographic X-position, estimating a current geographic X-position of the target vehicle by performing a localization algorithm, and determining a confidence value for the estimated current geographic X-position of the target vehicle based on the predicted next geographic X-position, the predicted covariance, and the accessed convergence range.

Claims (44)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing a set of geographic X-positions associated with one or more vehicles, wherein each geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions is associated with a respective vehicle of the one or more vehicles;

for each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions:

accessing a high definition (HD) map of a geographical region surrounding the respective geographic X-position, the HD map comprising a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the geographical region, and

determining a convergence range for the respective geographic X-position;

predicting a geographic X-position of a target vehicle and a covariance of the predicted geographic X-position, the predicted geographic X-position being separate from each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions;

estimating a geographic X-position of the target vehicle by performing a localization algorithm, the estimated geographic X-position being separate from the predicted geographic X-position and being separate from each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions;

determining a confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle based on the predicted geographic X-position, the predicted covariance, and a particular convergence range, the particular convergence range being associated with a particular geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions that is closest to the predicted geographic X-position relative to each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions; and

causing performance of one or more driving operations by the target vehicle based on the confidence value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle indicates a level of confidence that the target vehicle is actually located at the estimated geographic X-position.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle comprises calculating an integral area between minimum and maximum values of the particular convergence range of a Gaussian function of the predicted geographic X-position.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising employing the particular convergence range along with a predicted uncertainty distribution for the estimated geographic X-position to compute a new estimate of the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position that is used to update a Kalman Filter (KF).

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the particular convergence range is specified relative to a convergence error with respect to each respect geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein multiple convergence ranges are stored in the HD map for each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions, with each of the multiple convergence ranges being relative to a specific convergence error tolerance, and with each specific convergence error tolerance configured to be used to compute confidence of a localization result relative to the specific convergence error tolerance.

7. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions that, in response to being executed by one or more processors, cause a computer system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

accessing a set of geographic X-positions associated with one or more vehicles wherein each geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions is associated with a respective vehicle of the one or more vehicles;

for each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions:

accessing a high definition (HD) map of a geographical region surrounding the respective geographic X-position, the HD map comprising a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the geographical region, and

determining a convergence range for the respective geographic X-position;

predicting a geographic X-position of a target vehicle and a covariance of the predicted geographic X-position, the predicted geographic X-position being separate from each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions;

estimating a geographic X-position of the target vehicle by performing a localization algorithm, the estimated geographic X-position being separate from the predicted geographic X-position and being separate from each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions;

determining a confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle based on the predicted geographic X-position, the predicted covariance, and a particular convergence range, the particular convergence range being associated with a particular geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions that is closest to the predicted geographic X-position relative to each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions; and

causing performance of one or more driving operations by the target vehicle based on the confidence value.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle indicates a level of confidence that the target vehicle is actually located at the estimated geographic X-position.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein the determining of the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle comprises calculating an integral area between minimum and maximum values of the particular convergence range of a Gaussian function of the predicted geographic X-position.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise employing the particular convergence range along with a predicted uncertainty distribution for the estimated geographic X-position to compute a new estimate of the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position that is used to update a Kalman Filter (KF).

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein the particular convergence range is specified relative to a convergence error with respect to each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 7 , wherein multiple convergence ranges are stored in the HD map for each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions, with each of the multiple convergence ranges being relative to a specific convergence error tolerance, and with each specific convergence error tolerance configured to be used to compute confidence of a localization result relative to the specific convergence error tolerance.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that in response to being executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

accessing a set of geographic X-positions associated with one or more vehicles, wherein each geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions is associated with a respective vehicle of the one or more vehicles;

for each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions:

accessing a high definition (HD) map of a geographical region surrounding the respective geographic X-position, the HD map comprising a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the geographical region, and

determining a convergence range for the respective geographic X-position;

predicting a geographic X-position of a target vehicle and a covariance of the predicted geographic X-position, the predicted geographic X-position being separate from each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions;

estimating a geographic X-position of the target vehicle by performing a localization algorithm, the estimated geographic X-position being separate from the predicted geographic X-position and being separate from each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions;

determining a confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle based on the predicted geographic X-position, the predicted covariance, and a particular convergence range, the particular convergence range being associated with a particular geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions that is closest to the predicted geographic X-position relative to each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions; and

causing performance of one or more driving operations by the target vehicle based on the confidence value.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle indicates a level of confidence that the target vehicle is actually located at the estimated geographic X-position.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the determining of the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position of the target vehicle comprises calculating an integral area between minimum and maximum values of the particular convergence range of a Gaussian function of the predicted geographic X-position.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise employing the particular convergence range along with a predicted uncertainty distribution for the estimated geographic X-position to compute a new estimate of the confidence value for the estimated geographic X-position that is used to update a Kalman Filter (KF).

17. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the particular convergence range is specified relative to a convergence error with respect to each respective geographic X-position of the set of geographic X-positions.

18. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein multiple convergence ranges are stored in the HD map for each respective geographic X-position, with each of the multiple convergence ranges being relative to a specific convergence error tolerance, and with each specific convergence error tolerance configured to be used to compute confidence of a localization result relative to the specific convergence error tolerance.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2022
From: DEEPMAP INC.
To: NVIDIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061038/0311 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2020
From: WHEELER, MARK; SCHROETER, DERIK
To: DEEPMAP INC.
Reel/Frame 053245/0098 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62869951 · Jul 2, 2019
Related Publication 20210003403A1 · Jan 7, 2021