Identifying characteristics of a scene, with high level of safety integrity, by comparing sensor data with an expectation

A method for evaluating spatially resolved actual sensor data acquired using at least one sensor, the method comprising the following steps:

• ascertaining a location and an orientation of the sensor at a time of acquiring the actual sensor data;
• retrieving a spatially resolved expectation from a spatially resolved map based on the location and the orientation of the sensor;
• checking to what extent the actual sensor data are consistent with the expectation;
• and
• at least with respect to locations for which the actual sensor data are consistent with the expectation, determining that a scene observed by the sensor has a characteristic stored in the spatially resolved map in conjunction with the expectation.

A non-transitory machine-readable data carrier on which is stored a computer program for evaluating spatially resolved actual sensor data acquired using at least one sensor, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

• ascertaining a location and an orientation of the sensor at a time of acquiring the actual sensor data;
• retrieving a spatially resolved expectation from a spatially resolved map based on the location and the orientation of the sensor;
• checking to what extent the actual sensor data are consistent with the expectation;
• and
• at least with respect to locations for which the actual sensor data are consistent with the expectation, determining that a scene observed by the sensor has a characteristic stored in the spatially resolved map in conjunction with the expectation.

One or more computers comprising a non-transitory machine-readable data carrier on which is stored a computer program for evaluating spatially resolved actual sensor data acquired using at least one sensor, the computer program, when executed by the one or more computers, causing the one or more computers to perform the following steps:

• ascertaining a location and an orientation of the sensor at a time of acquiring the actual sensor data;
• retrieving a spatially resolved expectation from a spatially resolved map based on the location and the orientation of the sensor;
• checking to what extent the actual sensor data are consistent with the expectation;
• and
• at least with respect to locations for which the actual sensor data are consistent with the expectation, determining that a scene observed by the sensor has a characteristic stored in the spatially resolved map in conjunction with the expectation.