Using behavior of objects to infer changes in a driving environment

摘要

An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to a detailed map stored by an autonomous vehicle. An autonomous driving computer system of the autonomous vehicle may determine whether the driving environment has probably changed based on the location of one or more objects detected in the driving environment. The autonomous driving computer system may include various object models, each object model being associated with an object type, and where each object model defines one or more probability values that a given object type is expected (or not expected) to be found at a given location. By aggregating the various probability values resulting from the detection of objects in the driving environment, and then comparing the aggregated probability values with one or more probability threshold values, the autonomous driving computer system may predict or determine whether the driving environment has probably changed.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store map information for a driving environment of a vehicle and a plurality of object models, each object model being associated with a particular type of vehicle and defining probabilities of not detecting a vehicle of the particular type at various map locations in the driving environment of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the plurality of object models include models associated with particular types of objects including—a passenger vehicle object type; and one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors configured to:
receiving the map information from a map provider;maneuver the vehicle in the driving environment using the map information;while maneuvering the vehicle, obtain sensor information corresponding to a detected object in the driving environment from one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle;determine characteristics of the detected object based on the obtained sensor information;determine a location of the detected object based on the obtained sensor information;select an object model from the plurality of object models associated with a particular type of vehicle corresponding to the determined characteristics of the detected object such that the selected object model is the object model associated with the passenger vehicles object type;use the defined probabilities of the selected object model to determine a probability value defining a likelihood of a vehicle of the determined type of vehicle appearing at the determined location, wherein the location of the detected object corresponds to a shoulder of a particular highway in the map information, and the probability value further defines a likelihood of a vehicle of the determined type of vehicle appearing on a shoulder of a generic highway;compare the probability value with a probability threshold value; andidentify that the driving environment has changed from the map information when the probability value is less than the probability threshold value.