Volvo Car Corporation

Joakim Lin Sorstedt

Mattias Brannstrom

Nasser Mohammadiha

Ghazaleh Panahandeh

Peter Harda

Jonas Nilsson

Mohammad Ali

Erik Stenborg

Lars Hammarstrand

Malin Lundgren

Daniel Svensson

Peter Karlsson

Alexander Schafer

Lennart Svensson

Niklas Carlsson

A method for utilizing a trip history of a vehicle during a trip from an original position to a destination includes: (a) determining the original position; (b) comparing the original position to a mapping database covering the trip; (c) determining a road segment of the mapping database associated to the original position; (d) determining a current position during the trip; (e) comparing the current position to the mapping database; (f) determining a road segment of the mapping database associated to the current position; (g) setting the road segment as a link of the trip; (h) repeating (e)-(g) until the destination is reached; (i) determining the destination; (j) comparing the destination to the mapping database; (k) determining a road segment of the mapping database associated to the destination; and (l) representing the trip as connected links between the original position and destination, each link corresponding to a road segment.

Method and system for utilizing a trip history to predict a destination

A system for adjusting a road boundary of a two dimensional virtual representation of a road for path planning of an autonomous vehicle includes a retrieval unit to retrieve a measured position and measured heading angle of the vehicle with respect to a reference. The system also includes an uncertainty unit to receive the measured position, the measured heading angle and map data of the road, and to determine a position uncertainty value and a heading angle uncertainty value representing an amount of uncertainty in the vehicle position and heading angle, respectively, on the road based on the input. The system also includes an adjustment unit to adjust a width and a heading angle of a drivable portion of the two dimensional virtual representation of the road, wherein the adjustment of the width and heading angle is based on the position uncertainty value and the heading angle uncertainty value, respectively.

System and method for adjusting a road boundary

Disclosed herein is a method and arrangement for monitoring and adapting the performance of a fusion system of an autonomous road vehicle. A drivable area is determined by combining a localization function and high density map data. Information on surrounding objects is determined, comprising determining the localization and classifying the surrounding objects, estimating their physical property states, and assigning them extension descriptions. Information on the drivable area and surrounding objects is condensed into observed areas, monitored by sensors of the environmental perception function with a predetermined degree of certainty, and prioritized objects, represented by classes, state estimates and extension descriptions. Having the fusion system monitor itself retrospectively by evaluating its current determinations of drivable area, prioritized objects and observed areas against its previous determinations thereof, and if a previous determination differ more than a predetermined amount from a current determination, adapting the fusion system to account for that discrepancy.

Method and arrangement for monitoring and adapting the performance of a fusion system of an autonomous vehicle

A method for generating navigation data for a vehicle using a vehicle and a navigation device, said vehicle comprising a set of sensors, said method comprising the steps of: travelling along a road, detecting at least one landmark, determining if said at least one landmark has a shape correlating to the main direction of said road. Approving the at least one landmark as a landmark for landmark navigation or approving an associated section of the road for landmark navigation.

Method for generating navigation data and a navigation device for performing the method

The present disclosure relates to estimated road geometries used in vehicles, and in particular to a method and a control unit in a vehicle for determining a confidence level of an estimated road geometry. A method for determining a confidence level of an estimated road geometry is disclosed, the road geometry being estimated at least partly based on a position of a road object. The method comprises obtaining a reference position of the road object relative to the vehicle, updating a reach of a confidence zone of the vehicle, wherein a part of the estimated road geometry comprised within the confidence zone is associated with one or more reference confidence levels, and determining the confidence level of the estimated road geometry based on whether the reference position is comprised in the confidence zone.

Confidence level determination for estimated road geometries

A method performed by a database managing system for maintaining a database comprising reported traffic-affecting events is provided. The system derives a position of a first vehicle supporting detection of vehicle surroundings and determines by comparing the vehicle position to positions of reported traffic-affecting events comprised in the database, that the first vehicle is approaching at least a first traffic-affecting event. The system prompts the first vehicle to attempt to detect the first traffic-affecting event, which prompting comprises providing to the first vehicle an expected position of the first traffic-affecting event. The system receives a response from the first vehicle, which response indicates whether or not the expected position was at least partly unobstructedly observable by the first vehicle. The response further indicates&#x2014;if the expected position was at least partly unobstructedly observable&#x2014;whether or not the first traffic-affecting event was at least partly detected by the first vehicle.

Method and system for maintaining a database comprising reported traffic-affecting events

A method and arrangement for determining safe vehicle trajectories for a vehicle equipped with sensors for monitoring a surrounding environment, taking into account sensing limitations, as well as a vehicle including such an arrangement. The method includes detecting observable obstacles, detecting unobservable areas, adding virtual obstacles in unobservable areas, associating each observable obstacle and each virtual obstacle with one or more hypothetical events and assigning an occurrence probability to each combination of obstacle and one or more events, and determining safe vehicle trajectories based on both observable obstacles and virtual obstacles and the occurrence probability of each combination of obstacle and one or more events.

Method and arrangement for determining safe vehicle trajectories

An object detecting arrangement is configured to detect objects in a field surrounding a vehicle hosting the arrangement. The arrangement comprises an imaging unit configured to capture images of the field. The imaging unit is arranged at the vehicle such that the field is in a direction of at least one of a side of the vehicle, and a rear of the vehicle. The arrangement further comprises a processing unit configured to detect objects in the field. The processing unit is configured to determine an object detecting capability. In addition, the arrangement comprises an illumination unit configured to illuminate the field when the object detecting capability is lower than a first predetermined threshold value. The present disclosure also relates to a lane keeping arrangement, a positioning arrangement and a method of detecting objects.

Object detecting arrangement

A method performed by an object size mapping system is described for enabling improved positioning of a vehicle. The object size mapping system includes a first reference camera adapted to be arranged on-board a reference vehicle. The object size mapping system determines a current reference position of the reference vehicle. The system captures by the first reference camera, at the current reference position of the reference vehicle, a current reference image of a stationary physical reference object situated in the surroundings of the reference vehicle. The object size mapping system then determines a current reference size value of at least a portion of the stationary physical reference object, in the current reference image. The object size mapping system stores the current reference size value to be associated with the current reference position of the reference vehicle and a mapped digital reference object corresponding to the stationary physical reference object.

Methods and systems for enabling improved positioning of a vehicle

A unit for improving positioning accuracy of an autonomous vehicle driving on a road includes a first computation unit configured to compute a first position of the vehicle at a time Tusing data from at least an inertial measurement unit (IMU); a second computation unit configured to compute a second position of the vehicle at the time Tusing data from at least one external sensor and a map; a comparison unit configured to compute a position difference between the computed first and second positions; a correction unit configured to correct an error parameter of the IMU, wherein the error parameter is used for correcting a third position of the vehicle computed by the first computation unit at a time Twith the computed position difference at time T, if the second computation unit is unable to compute a fourth position of the vehicle at the time T

Unit and method for improving positioning accuracy

A method performed by a positioning system of a vehicle is disclosed for determining a position of the vehicle along a road including one or several road markings arranged on a surface of the road. The positioning system detects road markings, matches detected road markings with mapped road markings of stored map data based on comparing characteristics of the detected road markings with mapped characteristics of the mapped road markings. The positioning system furthermore identifies a mapped identified road marking determined to correspond with a detected identified road marking, and determines a positioning estimate of the vehicle along the road based on a mapped road marking position associated with the mapped identified road marking. A positioning system, a vehicle including such a positioning system, and a mapping unit and a mapping method performed therein for creating map data to be utilized by the above mentioned positioning system are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Gothenburg, Sweden

Joakim Lin Sorstedt