Algorithm and infrastructure for robust and efficient vehicle localization
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of determining an accurate location of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) with respect to a high-definition (HD) map representing a real-world environment surrounding the ADV and operating the ADV, the method comprising:
- determining an approximate location of the ADV using a global positioning system (GPS location of the ADV);
obtaining a section of the HD map having the GPS location of the ADV substantially at the center of the section of the HD map;
determining a first set of a plurality of candidate cells of an ADV feature space of cells surrounding the ADV, the first set representing a coarse search space of the ADV feature space, each candidate cell in the coarse search space having a median intensity and a variance in elevation, the ADV feature space determined using one or more sensors of the ADV;
for each candidate cell in the coarse search space, determining a similarity score between a feature space that surrounds the candidate cell (candidate cell feature space), and a feature space of the section of the HD map surrounding the GPS location of the ADV, using a similarity metric, wherein the similarity metric is based at least in part on the candidate cell median intensity and the candidate cell variance in elevation, wherein the similarity metric represents, for the candidate cell, a similarity of the candidate cell feature space to the HD map feature space surrounding the GPS location of the ADV;
determining a location of the ADV with respect to the HD map feature space based at least in part on the candidate cell having the highest similarity score among the candidate cells of the coarse search space; and
navigating the ADV based at least in part on the determined location of the ADV with respect to the HD map.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Location of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) is determined with respect to a high definition map. On-boards sensors of the ADV obtain a 3D point cloud of objects surrounding the ADV. The 3D point cloud is organized into an ADV feature space of cells. Each cell has a median intensity value and a variance in elevation. To determine the ADV location, a coarse search of a subset of cells in the ADV feature space performed with respect to the high definition map, using a similarity metric that is based on the median intensity and variance in elevation of the candidate cell. When similarity of the first candidate cell is determined, a lookup table of similarity scores is generated and used for determining the similarity score for subsequent candidate cells. Then a fine search is performed on a small subset of candidate cells surrounding the highest similarity score cell.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method of determining an accurate location of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) with respect to a high-definition (HD) map representing a real-world environment surrounding the ADV and operating the ADV, the method comprising:
-
determining an approximate location of the ADV using a global positioning system (GPS location of the ADV); obtaining a section of the HD map having the GPS location of the ADV substantially at the center of the section of the HD map; determining a first set of a plurality of candidate cells of an ADV feature space of cells surrounding the ADV, the first set representing a coarse search space of the ADV feature space, each candidate cell in the coarse search space having a median intensity and a variance in elevation, the ADV feature space determined using one or more sensors of the ADV; for each candidate cell in the coarse search space, determining a similarity score between a feature space that surrounds the candidate cell (candidate cell feature space), and a feature space of the section of the HD map surrounding the GPS location of the ADV, using a similarity metric, wherein the similarity metric is based at least in part on the candidate cell median intensity and the candidate cell variance in elevation, wherein the similarity metric represents, for the candidate cell, a similarity of the candidate cell feature space to the HD map feature space surrounding the GPS location of the ADV; determining a location of the ADV with respect to the HD map feature space based at least in part on the candidate cell having the highest similarity score among the candidate cells of the coarse search space; and navigating the ADV based at least in part on the determined location of the ADV with respect to the HD map. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations that determine an accurate location of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) with respect to a high-definition (HD) map representing a real-world environment surrounding the ADV, the operations comprising:
-
determining an approximate location of the ADV using a global positioning system (GPS location of the ADV); obtaining a section of the HD map having the GPS location of the ADV substantially at the center of the section of the HD map; determining a first set of a plurality of candidate cells of an ADV feature space of cells surrounding the ADV, the first set representing a coarse search space of the ADV feature space, each candidate cell in the coarse search space having a median intensity and a variance in elevation, the ADV feature space determined using one or more sensors of the ADV; for each candidate cell in the coarse search space, determining a similarity score between a feature space that surrounds the candidate cell (candidate cell feature spacer), and a feature space of the section of HD map surrounding the GPS location of the ADV, using a similarity metric, wherein the similarity metric is based at least in part of on the candidate cell median intensity and the candidate cell variance in elevation, wherein the similarity metric represents, for the candidate cell, a similarity of the candidate cell feature space to the HD map feature space surrounding the GPS location of the ADV; determining a location of the ADV with respect to the HD map feature space based at least in part on the candidate cell having the highest similarity score among the candidate cells of the coarse search space; and navigating the ADV based at least in part on the determined location of the ADV with respect to the HD map. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A data processing system, comprising:
-
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations that determine an accurate location of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) with respect to a high-definition (HD) map representing a real-world environment surrounding the ADV, the operations including; determining an approximate location of the ADV using a global positioning system (GPS location of the ADV); obtaining a section of the HD map having the GPS location of the ADV substantially at the center of the section of the HD map; determining a first set of a plurality of candidate cells of an ADV feature space of cells surrounding the ADV, the first set representing a coarse search space of the ADV feature space, each candidate cell in the coarse search space having a median intensity and a variance in elevation, the ADV feature space determined using one or more sensors of the ADV; for each candidate cell in the coarse search space, determining a similarity score between a feature space that surrounds the candidate cell (candidate cell feature spacer), and a feature space of the section of the HD map surrounding the GPS location of the ADV, using a similarity metric, wherein the similarity metric is based at least in part on the candidate cell median intensity and the candidate cell variance in elevation, wherein the similarity score represents, for the candidate cell, a similarity of the candidate cell feature space to the HD map feature space surrounding the GPS location of the ADV; determining a location of the ADV with respect to the HD map feature space based at least in part on the candidate cell having the highest similarity score among the candidate cells of the coarse search space; and navigating the ADV based at least in part on the determined location of the ADV with respect to the HD map. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification