In a method for operating a vehicle which has a communication interface, a position-determining unit and at least one road data set-determining unit, a database road data set is received by the communication interface, which data set is presumably made available by the database which is arranged externally with respect to the vehicle and which is representative of the position-dependent, road-related property. Depending on the database road data set and a vehicle road data set which is assigned thereto in terms of position, a trust characteristic value is determined which is representative of the level of trust in further database road datasets which relate to predefinable positions of the vehicle.

Various embodiments include methods and systems for autonomous driving systems for using map data in performing an autonomous driving function. Various embodiments may include accessing map data regarding an object or feature in the vicinity of the vehicle, accessing confidence information associated with the map data, and using the confidence information in performing an autonomous or semi-autonomous driving action by the processor. The confidence information may be stored in the map database or in a separate data structure accessible by the processor. Methods of generating map safety and confidence information may include receiving information regarding a map object or feature including a measure of confidence in the information, using the received measure of confidence to generate safety and confidence information regarding the object or feature, and storing the safety and confidence information for access by vehicle autonomous and semi-autonomous driving systems.

Techniques and methods associated with performing monitoring associated with operations of autonomous vehicles. For instance, the vehicle may capture sensor data using one or more sensors. The vehicle may then analyze the sensor data using systems in order to determine estimated locations associated with the vehicle and estimated locations associated with situations that may result in a potential unsafe scenario represented by the sensor data. Additionally, the vehicle may determine a distribution of estimated locations associated with the vehicle and using the distributions of estimated locations, the vehicle may determine risk probabilities associated with operations of the vehicle. The vehicle may then redefine or update a route or maneuver to perform when the risk probability exceeds a threshold.

Example implementations may relate to sun-aware vehicle routing. In particular, a computing system of a vehicle may determine an expected position of the sun relative to a geographic area. Based on the expected position, the computing system may make a determination that travel of the vehicle through certain location(s) within the geographic area is expected to result in the sun being proximate to an object within a field of view of the vehicle's image capture device. Responsively, the computing system may generate a route for the vehicle in the geographic area based at least on the route avoiding travel of the vehicle through these certain location(s), and may then operate the vehicle to travel in accordance with the generated route. Ultimately, this may help reduce or prevent situations where quality of image(s) degrades due to sunlight, which may allow for use of these image(s) as basis for operating the vehicle.

Devices, systems, and methods are provided for enhanced sensor cleaning validation. A device may receive a signal from a sensor indicative of an obstruction on the sensor. The device may activate a cleaning system at a degree of actuation responsive to the obstruction. The device may then obtain a first post-clean performance measurement of the sensor. The device may then adjust the degree of actuation of the cleaning system based on a degradation measurement between a baseline performance measurement associated with a clean performance baseline of the sensor and the first post-clean performance measurement.

A method, apparatus and computer program product for determining a rain event warning are described herein. In the context of a method, an indication of the rain event warning for one or more locations may be received. The method may obtain, for a respective rain event warning, sensor data corresponding to a weather condition within a region that includes the location with which the respective rain event warning is associated. The method may evaluate the sensor data to determine whether the sensor data is indicative of the weather condition (e.g., rain). The method may determine a rain event warning confidence based at least in part on evaluation of the sensor data. The method may cause the rain event warning to be published in an instance in which the rain event warning confidence satisfies a confidence threshold.

An illustrative example embodiment of a system for controlling a vehicle includes at least one sensor configured to detect at least one localization reference and at least one processor configured to determine a location of the vehicle with a first precision based on an indication from the at least one sensor while the vehicle is traveling in a first lane of a roadway. The processor is configured to determine that at least one characteristic of the first precision is below a threshold and, based on the at least one characteristic being below the threshold, maneuver the vehicle to a second lane of the roadway.

To correct an axis deviation of a sensor. An aiming device, which calculates correction amounts of detection results of two or more sensors using the detection results of the sensors, includes: a sensor coordinate conversion unit that converts sensor data detected by the sensor from a coordinate system unique to the sensor into a predetermined unified coordinate system; a target selection unit that selects predetermined features from the sensor data detected by each of the sensors; a function fitting unit that defines functions each approximating an array state of the selected features for the respective sensors; a fitting result comparison unit that compares the functions each approximating the array state of the features detected by each of the sensors; and a correction value calculation unit that calculates a correction amount for converting coordinates of the features detected by the sensors from a result of the comparison of the functions.

Devices, systems, and methods are provided for enhanced sensor cleaning validation. A device may determine a baseline performance measurement associated with a clean performance baseline of a sensor. The device may actuate a cleaning mechanism to remove at least a portion of an obstruction deposited on the sensor. The device may determine a first post-clean performance measurement associated with the sensor. The device may determine a degradation measurement between the baseline performance measurement and the first post-clean performance measurement, wherein the degradation measurement indicates an effectiveness of the cleaning mechanism.

A parking assist device capable of parking assistance that ensures high accuracy of a parking location is provided. A parking assist device that assists in performing an operation of parking a vehicle includes a parking-allowing location calculation unit that before the vehicle stops at a parking-allowing location, calculates and updates the parking-allowing location a plurality of times, and a parking route calculation unit that calculates a parking route. The parking route calculation unit sets a minimum turning radius for calculating the parking route, based on the amount of a shift between the parking-allowing location not updated and the parking-allowing location having been updated, and calculates the parking route, using the minimum turning radius. The minimum turning radius is set larger than the minimum value of a turning radius unique to the vehicle.