Automatic collection of quality control statistics for maps used in autonomous driving

An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform functions comprising:

• storing a map at a computing device associated with a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a non-autonomous mode, a partially-autonomous mode, and an autonomous-operation mode, and wherein the map comprises information about a plurality of roads and a plurality of features;
• operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode, wherein operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode comprises:
• (i) generating driving directions for manual execution along a route based on the map, (ii) receiving information related to features of the route and to a quality of driving along the route, the plurality of features including at least some of the features of the route, and (iii) storing the information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;
• updating the map based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;
• determining one or more quality control statistics based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;
• determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics;
• and
• in response to determining to publish the updated map:
• storing the published map in the computing device, and
• enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map.

A computing device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform functions, comprising:
• select a map for a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a non-autonomous mode, a partially-autonomous mode, and an autonomous-operation mode, and wherein the map comprises information about a plurality of roads and a plurality of features,
• operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode, wherein operating the vehicle in the partially-autonomous mode comprises:
• (i) generating driving directions for manual execution along a route based on the map, (ii) receiving information related to features of the route and to a quality of driving along the route, the plurality of features including at least some of the features of the route, and (iii) storing the information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route;
• updating the map based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route,
• determining one or more quality control statistics based on the stored information related to the features of the route and to the quality of driving along the route,
• determining whether to publish the updated map based on the one or more quality control statistics, and
• in response to determining to publish the updated map:
• storing the published map in the computing device, and
• enabling operation of the vehicle in the autonomous-operation mode using the published map.