Abstract: A method and system is provided for generating a perception scene graph (PSG) having a focus region for a motor vehicle. Information is collected about a volume of space including surrounding areas adjacent a motor vehicle by a plurality of external sensors. The information is processed by a perception controller to generate the PSG having a virtual three-dimensional (3-D) model of the volume of space and area adjacent the motor vehicle. The perception controller is configured to allocate variable processing power to process selected portions of the collected sensor information. At least one focus region is defined. A focus region is a sub-set of the volume of space and/or area adjacent the motor vehicle. Processing power is increased by the perception controller to process the portions of the collected information relating to the focus region such that a high fidelity 3-D model of the focus region is generated.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for prioritizing sensors for a perception system for a motor vehicle. A plurality of sensors collects sensor information about a surrounding area of the vehicle. A perception scene graph (PSG) is generated by a perception controller based on the collected sensor information. A primary focus region and a secondary focus region is defined in the virtual map of the surrounding area within the PSG. Overlapping regions between the focus regions are identified. A high-level priority is assigned to the sensors collecting information contributing to the primary focus region. A low-level priority is assigned to the sensors collecting information contributing to the secondary focus region. A mid-level priority is assigned to the sensors collecting information contributing to an overlapping focus region. Information collected by the high-level priority sensors is allocated a greater processing power than the information collected by low-level priority sensors.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for generating a wide-area perception scene graph (PSG) for a motor vehicle. The method and system include collecting sensor information by at least one external sensor having an effective sensor range; processing the sensor information by a perception controller to generate a host perception scene graph (Host PSG); receiving a remote perception scene graph (Remote PSG) transmitted from at least one remote unit proximal to the host vehicle; and fusing the Host PSG with the Remote PSG by the perception controller to generate a Wide-Area perception scene graph (Wide-Area PSG). The Wide-Area PSG may be extended to a portable electronic device by utilizing short-range wireless communications and/or communicated to a remote vehicle by vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. The V2X communications may include autonomous driving instructions for the remote vehicle to navigate the geographic area represented by the Wide-Area PSG.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for generating a perception scene graph (PSG) for use in a motor vehicle. External sensor information and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) information are collected on a volume of space surrounding the vehicle. The sensor information and V2X information are fused to increase the fidelity of the information. The fused information is analyzed to detect, classify, and locate objects present in the volume of space surrounding the vehicle. A perception controller generates and publishes the PSG, which includes a virtual 3-D model of the volume of space containing the classified and located objects. At least one vehicle controller subscribes to the PSG and extracts information from the PSG for use as an input for a software application to generate instructions for use in execution of a vehicle application routine. The vehicle controller may also publish a real time copy of the PSG.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for generating a perception scene graph (PSG) having a focus region for a motor vehicle. Information is collected about a volume of space including surrounding areas adjacent a motor vehicle by a plurality of external sensors. The information is processed by a perception controller to generate the PSG having a virtual three-dimensional (3-D) model of the volume of space and area adjacent the motor vehicle. The perception controller is configured to allocate variable processing power to process selected portions of the collected sensor information. At least one focus region is defined. A focus region is a sub-set of the volume of space and/or area adjacent the motor vehicle. Processing power is increased by the perception controller to process the portions of the collected information relating to the focus region such that a high fidelity 3-D model of the focus region is generated.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for using a scene detection schema for classifying objects in a perception scene graph for a motor vehicle. The scene detection schema includes collecting sensor information about an area surrounding the vehicle, including capturing an image of the area; processing the sensor information to generate a perception scene graph (PSG); detecting a plurality of objects by analyzing the captured image; comparing the detected objects with reference objects; classifying the detected objects based on matching reference objects; and assigning a priority to each of the classified objects. The steps of detecting and classifying objects having higher priorities are reiterated with a greater frequency than objects having lower priorities. An object is assigned a higher priority level if the object is in a focus region of the PSG. The fidelity of the focus region is increased by updating the classification of the objects after each reiteration.