Method of classifying a road surface object, method of training an artificial neural network, and method of operating a driver warning function or an automated driving function

A system comprising:

• a first vehicle of a vehicle;
• and
• a backend comprising a computing device that is in communication with the first vehicle;
• wherein the computing device of the backend is configured to:
• receive, via a wireless upstream connection, sensor data from a second vehicle of the vehicle fleet, the sensor data characterizing each of a vertical motion and a horizontal motion performed by the second vehicle when driving over a road surface object;
• classify, with the computing device, the road surface object based on a set of data points corresponding to the received sensor data, wherein to classify the road surface, the computing device is configured to:
• provide a set of data points that is attributable to a same road surface object, each data point specifying a first variable and a second variable, wherein for each data point:
• the first variable characterizes the horizontal motion exhibited by a second vehicle when driving over the road surface object;
• and
• the second variable characterizes the vertical motion exhibited by the second vehicle when driving over the road surface object;
• and
• classify the set of data points using an artificial neural network based on a relevance of the road surface object to a driver warning function or an automated driving function;
• wherein the set of data points is provided to the artificial neural network in a form of an image data file that depicts the data points in the form of a scatter plot;
• wherein the set of data points comprises:
• a first subset with data points specifying, as the second variable, an amplitude measured at a right side of the second vehicle;
• and
• a second subset with data points specifying, as the second variable, an amplitude measured at a left side of the second vehicle;
• and
• wherein the scatter plot depicts the first subset of data points and the second subset of data points with different marker symbols and/or with different marker shapes;
• provide the result of the classification of the road surface object to the first vehicle;
• and
• wherein the first vehicle is configured to operate a driving warning function or an automated driving function in dependence on the result of the classification of the road surface object, where to operate the automated driving function or the driving warning function, the first vehicle is configured to:
• receive information with regard to a relevance of a road surface object for an automated driving function or a driver warning function, wherein the information results from the classification of the road surface;
• and
• generate a control command for controlling the automated driving function or the driver warning function in dependence on the received information.