Automatic collection of quality control statistics for maps used in autonomous driving

• US 8,527,199 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waymo LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Burnette, Donald Jason, Chatham, Andrew Hughes, McNaughton, Matthew Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAYNE, ROBERT T
• Application Number:
  US13/474,591
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 701/26, 701/23, 701/28, 701/409, 701/532, 701/301, 701/423, 382/104, 700/250
• US Class Current: 701/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3822 Road feature data, e.g. slope data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for generating accurate maps for autonomous vehicles. A map is stored at a computing device associated with a vehicle. The vehicle can be operated in a partially-autonomous mode, where the computing device can generate driving directions for manual execution along a route based on the map. The computing device can be configured to receive and store information related to features and a quality of driving along the route. The map can be updated and quality control statistics can be determined based on the stored information. The updated map can be promoted based on the quality control statistics. In response to promoting the updated map, the computing device can store the promoted map and enable the vehicle to operate in the autonomous-operation mode using the promoted map.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing a map at a computing device associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a non-autonomous mode, a partially-autonomous mode, and an autonomous-operation mode, and wherein the map comprises information about a plurality of roads and a plurality of features;

operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode, wherein operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode comprises;

(i) generating driving directions for manual execution along a route based on the map, (ii) receiving information related to features of the route and to a quality of driving along the route, the plurality of features including at least some of the features of the route, and (iii) storing the information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

updating the map based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

determining one or more quality control statistics based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics; and

in response to determining to publish the updated map;

storing the published map in the computing device, and

enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map comprises enabling operation of the vehicle without a human driver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics comprises:

operating the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode, wherein operating the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode comprises;

generating driving directions for automatic execution based on the map and

receiving safety-driver feedback on the automatic execution from a trained safety driver in the vehicle; and

determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics and the safety-driver feedback.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of features comprise a lane-center-location feature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of features comprise a speed-limit feature, and wherein the speed-limit feature specifies a maximum speed for at least part of the route.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the speed-limit feature further specifies a minimum speed for the at least part of the route.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of features comprises a feature related to allowing or inhibiting changes in direction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the map comprises imagery of at least part of the route.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information related to the features of the route and the quality of driving along the route comprises an annotation about the quality of driving along the route.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the annotation comprises an indication that a lane marker was violated.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the annotation comprises an indication that a traffic control signal was ignored.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one traversal of the route is N miles long with N>

0, wherein during one traversal of the route A annotations are added to the stored information related to features of the route and related to the quality of driving along the route with A≧

0, and wherein the one or more quality control statistics comprise a quality control statistic based on A/N.

13. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform functions comprising:

storing a map at a computing device associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a non-autonomous mode, a partially-autonomous mode, and an autonomous-operation mode, and wherein the map comprises information about a plurality of roads and a plurality of features;

operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode, wherein operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode comprises;

(i) generating driving directions for manual execution along a route based on the map, (ii) receiving information related to features of the route and to a quality of driving along the route, the plurality of features including at least some of the features of the route, and (iii) storing the information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

updating the map based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

determining one or more quality control statistics based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics; and

in response to determining to publish the updated map;

storing the published map in the computing device, and

enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map comprises enabling operation of the vehicle without a human driver.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the plurality of features comprise a lane-center-location feature, and wherein the lane-center-location feature is based on one or more lane-edge features.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the plurality of features comprise a speed-limit feature, and wherein the speed-limit feature specifies a maximum speed for at least part of the route.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the plurality of features comprises one or more images of the route.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the stored information comprises an annotation about the quality of driving along the route, and wherein the annotation comprises an indication that a lane marker was violated and/or comprises an indication that a traffic control signal was ignored.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein one traversal of the route is N miles long with N>

0, wherein during one traversal of the route A annotations are added to the stored information related to features of the route and related to the quality of driving along the route with A≧

0, and wherein the one or more quality control statistics comprise a quality control statistic based on A/N.

20. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform functions, comprising;

select a map for a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a non-autonomous mode, a partially-autonomous mode, and an autonomous-operation mode, and wherein the map comprises information about a plurality of roads and a plurality of features,

operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode, wherein operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode comprises;

(i) generating driving directions for manual execution along a route based on the map, (ii) receiving information related to features of the route and to a quality of driving along the route, the plurality of features including at least some of the features of the route, and (iii) storing the information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;

updating the map based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route,

determining one or more quality control statistics based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route,

determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics, and

in response to determining to publish the updated map;

storing the published map in the computing device, and

enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the map comprises imagery of at least part of the route.