METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING SOFTWARE FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

• US 20170132118A1
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: STEFAN, Frederic, CHEVALIER, Alain Marie Roger, MARBAIX, Michael, BITSANIS, Evangelos
• Granted Patent: US 10,579,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for testing software for autonomous vehicles by means of a loop simulation involves hardware in the form of one or more real autonomous vehicles able to carry out autonomous test drives in the real world. In response to a work order given by a user, a check is automatically carried out in order to determine which vehicles, among a plurality of real autonomous vehicles which are able to carry out autonomous test drives on globally distributed test tracks in the real world, are currently available for one or more tests defined in the work order. The performance of the software tests and the test drives is then automatically planned and coordinated.

Claims

1. A method for testing software for autonomous vehicles comprising:

in response to a work order, checking for an autonomous vehicle among a plurality of autonomous vehicles being configured to perform autonomous test drives on globally distributed test tracks, wherein the test drives are defined on the work order, planning a performance of the autonomous test drives, and coordinating the performance of the autonomous test drives.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising planning and coordinating the performance of the autonomous test drives via a global data communication network.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the work order comprises one or more of configuration instructions, environment instructions, operating instructions, data acquisition instructions and test condition and reporting instructions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising identifying and booking suitable autonomous vehicles and suitable test tracks in different testing facilities on different continents.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising planning software tests for the autonomous vehicle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising uploading software and test instructions at a planned time to simulation terminals belonging to the autonomous vehicles.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

downloading data from the autonomous vehicles and simulation terminals during the tests; and

generating a test report after the tests have been concluded.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the simulation terminals are X-“

in-the-Loop”

(XiL) or Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) devices.

9. An apparatus for testing software for autonomous vehicles comprising:

a client device configured to transmits a work order;

a cloud server configured to process the work order to select an autonomous vehicle from a set of globally available autonomous vehicles; and

a simulation terminal in communication with an autonomous vehicle having an interface that enables a remote configuration planned by the cloud server and defined by the work order such that the autonomous vehicle performs tests defined by the work order, wherein a test report is output to the client device.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cloud server is configured to:

plan the tests; and

book the autonomous vehicle from the set of globally available autonomous vehicles; and

book a test track located in proximity of the autonomous vehicle for a duration of the tests.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cloud server is configured to upload the work order to the autonomous vehicle at a planned time.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cloud server is configured to download data from the autonomous vehicle during the tests and generate the test report.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the work order for the tests is stored in the autonomous vehicle in a dedicated memory.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a global data communication network configured to plan and coordinate the tests.

15. A method for testing software for autonomous vehicles comprising:

in response to a work order input to a client device, checking for an autonomous vehicle, via a cloud server, remotely configured to perform autonomous test drives defined by the work order on globally distributed test tracks;

planning, via the cloud server, a performance of the autonomous test drives;

coordinating, via a simulation terminal, the performance of the autonomous test drives; and

generating a report of the performance and the autonomous test drives to the client device.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the work order includes configuration instructions that describe the hardware needed to process a work order and the calibration required for this hardware.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the work order includes environment instructions that describe a simulation environment in which the work order is intended to be processed.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the work order includes operating instructions that describe a route intended to be followed by the autonomous vehicle in the defined environment.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the work order includes data acquisition instructions that describe a set of information recorded while the work order is being processed.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the work order includes test condition and reporting instructions that describe test conditions during the entire test, further comprising outputting the report to summarize the result of the test according to the test condition and reporting instructions.