METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TERRAIN-BASED LOCALIZATION OF A VEHICLE

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method of estimating a number of tracks in a road segment, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of measured road profiles, wherein each measured road profile of the plurality of measured road profiles corresponds to a different traversal of the road segment; and

upon determining that a number of measured road profiles exceeds a predetermined threshold:

identifying, using a clustering algorithm, one or more clusters within the plurality of measured road profiles, wherein each cluster of the one or more clusters comprises one or more measured road profiles, and wherein each road profile within a given cluster is more similar to road profiles in the given cluster as compared to road profiles in other clusters of the one or more clusters.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

for each cluster of the one or more clusters:

merging each road profile within the respective cluster to obtain a merged road profile associated with the respective cluster; and

storing the merged road profile associated with the respective cluster.

4 . A method for localizing a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting at least a first merged road profile and a second merged road profile to a vehicle;

comparing a measured road profile with the first merged road profile and the second merged road profile; and

based on the comparisons of the measured road profile with the first merged road profile and the second merged road profile, determining that the vehicle is travelling in a first track associated with the first merged road profile.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining that the vehicle is travelling in a first track associated with the first merged road profile comprises:

determining a first degree of similarity between the measured road profile and the first merged road profile;

determining a second degree of similarity between the measured road profile and the second merged road profile; and

determining that the first degree of similarity exceeds the second degree of similarity.

6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

based on one or more features of the first merged road profile, adjusting one or more parameters of a system of the vehicle.

7 . A method of mapping a road segment for terrain-based localization, the method comprising:

obtaining road profiles associated with the road segment;

determining if a number of the road profiles exceeds a threshold number of road profiles; and

upon determining the number of the road profiles associated with the road segment exceeds the threshold number of road profiles:

identifying two or more most similar road profiles of the road profiles;

determining if a degree of similarity between the two or more most similar road profiles exceeds a similarity threshold; and

upon determining the degree of similarity exceeds the similarity threshold, merging the two or more most similar road profiles to form a merged road profile.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising storing the merged road profile.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising, upon determining the degree of similarity does not exceed the similarity threshold, discarding an oldest road profile.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the threshold number of road profiles is between 4 and 64 road profiles.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the degree of similarity is determined by a cross-correlation function applied to the two or more most similar road profiles, and wherein the degree of similarity is between 0 and 1.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the similarity threshold is between 0.5 and 1.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the road profiles have a length between 20 m and 120 m.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein obtaining the road profiles includes measuring a road profile while traversing the road segment with a vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, upon determining the number of the road profiles associated with the road segment does not exceed the threshold number of road profiles, storing the measured road profile.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring the road profile comprises measuring vertical motion of one or more portions of the vehicle as the vehicle traverses the road segment.

17 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising transmitting the merged road profile to a vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a track of the vehicle based at least in part on the merged road profile.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising controlling one or more systems of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined track.