Method of and system for generating reference path of self driving car (SDC)

An electronic device for amending a reference path associated with a vehicle, the reference path being a path along a road segment that the vehicle is estimated to follow, the electronic device comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory storing executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:

• acquire road segment data and reference path data,
• the road segment data being indicative of constraints of the road segment,
• the reference path data having a plurality of anchor points defining the reference path along the road segment;
• use the road segment data and the reference path data to determine a respective safe deviation interval for each one of the plurality of anchor points, by:
• generating a simulated representation of the vehicle for a respective anchor point from the plurality of anchor points on a simulated representation of the road segment, the generating comprising:
• generating a bounding box occupying a substantially same area on the simulated representation of the road segment as a surface occupied by the vehicle;
• generating a simulated representation of a rear axle of the vehicle within the bounding box;
• determining a rotation axis of the vehicle as an axis extending through a midpoint of the simulated representation of the rear axle in the bounding box,
• the rotation axis extending upwardly and perpendicular to a ground surface on which the vehicle is travelling:
• rotating, at each one of the plurality of anchor points, the bounding box around the rotation axis by a pre-determined angle to generate an enlarged projection of the vehicle onto the road segment;
• determining the simulated representation of the vehicle as the enlarged projection thereof;
• and
• determining the respective safe deviation intervals of the respective anchor points from the plurality of anchor points based on the simulated representation of the vehicle on the simulated representation of the road segment,
• a given safe deviation interval for the respective anchor point of the plurality of anchor points being an interval within which the respective anchor point is to be located in order for the vehicle to fall within the constraints of the road segment when passing the respective anchor point;
• determine whether any anchor points of the plurality of anchor points fall outside of the respective safe deviation intervals;
• in response to determining that one or more anchor points of the plurality of anchor points fall outside of their respective safe deviation intervals:
• move each of the one or more anchor points that fall outside of their respective safe deviation intervals to within their respective safe deviation interval;
• and
• generate an amended path as a path extending through the plurality of anchor points after the moving.