Claims:WE CLAIM
1. A method for positioning an autonomous vehicle on a navigation map, the method comprising:
receiving, by a navigation device, the navigation map, an approximate position and an approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle on the navigation map, and an environmental field of view (FOV) of the autonomous vehicle;
determining, by the navigation device, a first road boundary based on the navigation map and the approximate position of the autonomous vehicle, and a second road boundary based on the environmental FOV and the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle;
determining, by the navigation device, at least one of an angular deviation and a lateral deviation between the first road boundary and the second road boundary; and
positioning, by the navigation device, the autonomous vehicle on the navigation map by minimizing at least one the angular deviation and the lateral deviation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation map is a pre-generated light detection and ranging (LIDAR) map, wherein the approximate position of the autonomous vehicle is received from a GPS sensor, wherein the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle is received from an inertia measurement unit (IMU), and wherein the environmental FOV is received from a LIDAR scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first road boundary comprises determining a pre-identified road boundary from the navigation map in a direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the direction of movement is determined based on the approximate position of the autonomous vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second road boundary comprises determining a road boundary from the environmental FOV with respect to the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second road boundary comprises:
determining a region in the environmental FOV in a vicinity of at least a portion of the first road boundary;
determining a plurality of data points ordered in a substantially straight line within the region and with respect to the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle; and
determining a road boundary based one the plurality of data points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the angular deviation comprises determining an angle and an angular direction between the first road boundary and the second road boundary.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein positioning the autonomous vehicle by minimizing the angular deviation comprises aligning the autonomous vehicle in parallel to the first road boundary in a plurality of maneuverability sequences based on the angle and the angular direction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the lateral deviation comprises determining a distance and a shift direction between the first road boundary and the second road boundary, and wherein the first road boundary is substantially parallel to the second road boundary.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein positioning the autonomous vehicle by minimizing the lateral deviation comprises shifting the autonomous vehicle in a plurality of maneuverability sequences based on the distance and the shift direction.

10. A system for positioning an autonomous vehicle on a navigation map, the system comprising:
a navigation device comprising at least one processor and a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving the navigation map, an approximate position and an approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle on the navigation map, and an environmental field of view (FOV) of the autonomous vehicle;
determining a first road boundary based on the navigation map and the approximate position of the autonomous vehicle, and a second road boundary based on the environmental FOV and the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle;
determining at least one of an angular deviation and a lateral deviation between the first road boundary and the second road boundary;
positioning the autonomous vehicle on the navigation map by minimizing at least one the angular deviation and the lateral deviation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the navigation map is a pre-generated light detection and ranging (LIDAR) map, wherein the approximate position of the autonomous vehicle is received from a GPS sensor, wherein the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle is received from an inertia measurement unit (IMU), and wherein the environmental FOV is received from a LIDAR scanner.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the first road boundary comprises determining a pre-identified road boundary from the navigation map in a direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the direction of movement is determined based on the approximate position of the autonomous vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the second road boundary comprises determining a road boundary from the environmental FOV with respect to the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle by:
determining a region in the environmental FOV in a vicinity of at least a portion of the first road boundary;
determining a plurality of data points ordered in a substantially straight line within the region and with respect to the approximate orientation of the autonomous vehicle; and
determining a road boundary based one the plurality of data points.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the angular deviation comprises determining an angle and an angular direction between the first road boundary and the second road boundary, and wherein positioning the autonomous vehicle by minimizing the angular deviation comprises aligning the autonomous vehicle in parallel to the first road boundary in a plurality of maneuverability sequences based on the angle and the angular direction.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the lateral deviation comprises determining a distance and a shift direction between the first road boundary and the second road boundary, wherein the first road boundary is substantially parallel to the second road boundary, and wherein positioning the autonomous vehicle by minimizing the lateral deviation comprises shifting the autonomous vehicle in a plurality of maneuverability sequences based on the distance and the shift direction.

Dated this 31st day of August, 2017

Swetha SN
Of K&S Partners
Agent for the Applicant , Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicle, and more particularly to method and system for positioning an autonomous vehicle on a navigation map.