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

Claim 3

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.

Claim 4

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.

Claim 5

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

Claim 6

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.

Claim 7

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

Claim 8

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

Claim 9

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

Claim 10

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.

Claim 11

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

Claim 12

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

Claim 13

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.

Claim 14

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.

Claim 15

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.

Claim 16

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.

Claim 17

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.

Claim 18

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.

Claim 19

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

Claim 20

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.

Claim 21

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.

Claim 22

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.

Claim 23

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.

Claim 24

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