US 12,467,768 B2
Method to create online vectorized maps for autonomous vehicles
Lihao Wang, Troy, MI (US); Xinhua Xiao, Troy, MI (US); Thomas Heitzmann, Bietigheim-Bissingen (DE); Damien Bouges, Troy, MI (US); He Huang, Troy, MI (US); and Peter Groth, Troy, MI (US)
Assigned to CONNAUGHT ELECTRONICS Ltd., Tuam (IE)
Filed by CONNAUGHT ELECTRONICS Ltd., Tuan (IE)
Filed on Jan. 5, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/405,672.
Prior Publication US 2025/0224250 A1, Jul. 10, 2025
Int. Cl. G01C 21/00 (2006.01); G06V 10/44 (2022.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01)
CPC G01C 21/3841 (2020.08) [G01C 21/3896 (2020.08); G06V 10/44 (2022.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01); B60W 60/001 (2020.02); B60W 2556/40 (2020.02); B60W 2556/45 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for creating online vectorized maps for autonomous vehicles, the system comprising:
at least one image sensor configured to capture a series of image frames that include a view comprising a plurality of features disposed in an external environment of a vehicle; and
an electronic control unit (ECU), the ECU comprising:
a memory configured to store computer readable code, the computer readable code comprising:
a semantic segmentation deep learning model; and
a vectorization post-processing module;
a central processing unit (CPU) configured to execute the computer readable code forming the semantic segmentation deep learning model and the vectorization post-processing module, where the computer readable code causes the CPU to:
output, with the semantic segmentation deep learning model, a Bird's Eye View (BEV) map of the external environment of the vehicle with semantic masks superimposed on digital replicas of the plurality of features that appear in the BEV map;
extract, with the vectorization post-processing module, polygon contours for all the semantic masks in the BEV map;
extract, with the vectorization post-processing module, center polylines of polyline objects from the polygon contours; and
output, with the vectorization post-processing module, the vectorized map of the external environment of the vehicle; and
a transceiver configured to upload the vectorized map to a server such that the vectorized map can be accessed by a second vehicle that uses the vectorized map to traverse the external environment.