DE102014011121A1 - Motor vehicle with a collision protection system for at least one door - Google Patents

Abstract

Motor vehicle (1) with a collision protection system (2) for at least one door (4) of the motor vehicle (1) and at least one sensor data of an opening area (22), in which the door (4) is moved when opening, detecting environmental sensor, wherein the collision protection system (2) at least one control unit (3, 6, 26), which for the evaluation of the sensor data collision-prone objects and at a detected risk of collision for performing at least one occupant of the motor vehicle (1) informing and / or avoiding the collision and / or The proximity sensor for monitoring the opening area (22) is a radar sensor (5) with a radar transceiver (14) realized by a semiconductor chip (13), in particular a CMOS chip.

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle having a collision protection system for at least one door of the motor vehicle and at least one sensor data of an opening region in which the door is moved during opening, detecting environmental sensor, wherein the collision protection system has at least one control unit for evaluating the sensor data collision-prone objects and is formed at a detected risk of collision for performing at least one informing an occupant of the motor vehicle and / or avoiding the collision and / or reducing the collision consequences measure.

Recently, safety systems and / or collision protection systems for motor vehicles have increasingly been proposed, some of which also aim to avoid collisions on vehicle parts and resulting damage to the motor vehicle. A situation in which damage may occur to doors of the motor vehicle is when they are opened, although in its opening area there is an object with which the door collides and which may result in damage to the door. Particularly unfavorable here are static and / or moving objects, which are located in one of the door opening the occupant invisible, vertical angle range.

In the prior art collision protection systems for doors of motor vehicles have been proposed, however, on the one hand often on the monitoring of the side space of the motor vehicle on approaching objects, such as pedestrians, aiming, on the other hand but in the opening area of doors use a less suitable sensors. Here, the opening area of doors here and in the further course of this description is understood as the volume that is traversed by the door when the door is completely opened.

DE 195 37 619 A1 relates to a monitoring device for the opening of (motor vehicle) doors, wherein the traffic area is monitored for the approach of persons or vehicles, and if there is a danger of collision, at least a warning signal is given and / or the opening of the door of the motor vehicle is to be prevented or prevented. Thus, a hazard to the environment / road traffic or a risk of damage to the door should be eliminated. As sensors for monitoring the space behind the vehicle to the left or right there are proposed ultrasonic devices or microwave sensors ("radar").

DE 10 2007 036 079 A1 relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle and a control device. It should be monitored by means of an environmental monitoring system, the immediate environment of the vehicle to check a collision with any opening vehicle doors, in addition, it is checked whether the corresponding vehicle seats are occupied. There are lateral detection areas next to the motor vehicle, which overlap with the opening areas of the doors to be monitored by cameras. For the front and rear ultrasonic sensors are used.

While the first mentioned document deals only with moving, the motor vehicle still approaching targets or objects, the lateral area is detected by cameras in the exterior mirrors in the second document, but on the one hand covers the opening area of the doors only very incomplete On the other hand, a very complex image processing is needed to determine whether there are actually objects entering or penetrating into the three-dimensional opening area.

The invention is therefore based on the object to improve a collision protection system for motor vehicle doors with respect to a more accurate monitoring of the opening range of the doors.

To solve this problem, it is provided according to the invention in a motor vehicle of the type mentioned that the environmental sensor for monitoring the opening area is a radar sensor with a radar transceiver realized by a semiconductor chip, in particular a CMOS chip.

The invention therefore proposes to use radar sensors based on semiconductor technology for monitoring the opening range of the doors as a result of new developments. The monitoring of the opening area of a door, that is, the volume that is traversed by the door during a complete opening operation, requires the inclusion of sensor data in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. Such environmental data have been provided today by ultrasonic sensors and / or optical imaging sensors, in particular cameras, which, however, have disadvantages not only in terms of accuracy, but also in that they must be installed visibly. Radar sensors currently used for other purposes in motor vehicles are usually medium- or long-range radar sensors, which would be unsuitable for such an application.

Thus, the present invention proposes a special embodiment of a radar sensor as an environmental sensor for a The use of collision avoidance systems for doors exploits the fact that recent progress in the design of radar sensors has resulted in the availability of lower-cost radar sensors that perform significantly better on the requirements for door opening environment sensors than conventional ultrasonic sensors or optical imaging sensors. Such high-resolution radar sensors, which are also suitable for shorter ranges, with which excellent separation of individual targets are possible, are based on semiconductor technology, in particular a CMOS technique, and can be realized in an extremely compact and cost-effective manner.

The realization of semiconductor-based radar components has long proved difficult, as expensive specialty semiconductors, particularly GaAs, have been required. Smaller radar sensors have been proposed, whose entire radar frontend is realized on a single chip in SiGe technology before solutions in CMOS technology became known. Such solutions are the result of extending CMOS technology to high frequency applications, often referred to as RF CMOS. Such a CMOS radar chip is realized extremely compact and does not use expensive special semiconductors, thus offers significant advantages over other semiconductor technologies, especially in the production. An exemplary implementation of a 77 GHz radar transceiver as a CMOS chip is disclosed in US Pat Article by Jri Lee et al., "A Fully Integrated 77-GHz FMCW Radar Transceiver in 65-nm CMOS Technology", IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits 45 (2010), pp. 2746-2755 , described.

After it has also been proposed to realize the chip and the antenna in a common package, a very low cost small radar sensor is possible, which can meet the space requirements significantly better and due to the short signal paths also has a very low signal-to-noise ratio and for high frequencies and larger, variable frequency bandwidths is suitable. Therefore, such small-sized radar sensors can also be used for short-range applications, for example in the range of 30 cm to 10 m.

It has also been proposed to provide such a CMOS transceiver chip and / or a package with CMOS transceiver chip and antenna on a common circuit board with a digital signal processing processor (DSP processor) or the functions of the signal processing processor in the CMOS Integrate transceiver chip. Similar integration is possible for control functions.

It also follows that a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention provides that a digital signal processing component and / or a control unit of the radar sensor are realized by the semiconductor chip and / or the semiconductor chip is formed together with an antenna arrangement of the radar sensor as a package. In this way, all previously discrete radar components of the radar front-end are integrated in a single high-frequency CMOS. In particular, there is therefore the possibility of integrating also the antenna arrangement of the radar sensor, the digital signal processing component (DSP) and / or a control unit in a single package.

As a result of the high integration possibilities described in this way, in particular in CMOS technology, shorter signal paths within the radar front end are possible in an impedance-controlled manner. The parasitic effects and losses are minimized. As a result, the internal signal noise in the radar sensor is drastically reduced, so that an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is obtained. This, in turn, allows for better detection of the standing and weakly reflecting obstacles as well as the moving obstacles, for example up to a minimum distance of 10 cm or less with a separation capability (spatial resolution) of 5 cm or less.

The integration of all radar key components in a chip package also creates a cost-effective variant of a radar sensor for a collision protection system.

Thus, therefore, an excellent monitoring of the opening areas of the individual doors by radar sensors, which are preferably concealed installed, possible, whereby even during an opening operation of the radar sensor can continue to operate and its sensor data can be evaluated. This results in that, in combination with appropriate measures, the comfort for the occupant is increased, and possible damage to the vehicle doors can be avoided or reduced. In this case, the detection of possible obstacles / objects in the opening area can be subdivided into several measuring phases, after a scan can already be made during the entry into the object scene by means of the radar sensors, then the state of the opening area of the doors can be monitored in accordance with the viewing areas of the radar sensor system can, wherein in a third phase, the opening area of the doors can also be done during the door opening, taking into account the opening angle. It is particularly advantageous if the control unit evaluates the sensor data of the radar sensors already in the approach to a stop position, since then Objects can be detected, which are not in the other detection range of preferably designed as a wide-angle radar sensors radar sensors when the standing position is reached. Frequently, it is also already known or can be concluded whether a parking / holding position is being approached, wherein, for example, the evaluation of the sensor data of the radar sensors with respect to the opening areas can always be carried out even with a moving vehicle if a parking assistance system is active and / or one a limit speed, for example, 10 km / h, below speed is present. A correct location assignment is possible via the odometry data usually recorded in today's motor vehicles and describing the proper motion.

The evaluation of the sensor data can also include a subdivision of detected objects into static objects and dynamic objects, after waiting for dynamic objects, for example, if they leave the opening area again, so that an opening of the door may need to be delayed and / or a warning is issued only temporarily to a driver.

Of course, the opening areas of at least the side doors are of course all monitored, training may also include the monitoring of tailgates or the like.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention provides that the radar sensor is installed in the respective door. This means that the radar sensors are integrated in the doors themselves and thus housed invisibly from the outside, so that no negative viewing impression is created. The extremely small-scale, based on semiconductor technology radar sensors are therefore hidden by the vehicle body, with such a configuration is also possible if the door is made of metal, which is basically not permeable to radar radiation.

It can then be provided that, when installed in a door made of metal, there is at least one passage opening through the metal which can be irradiated through the antenna arrangement of the radar sensor and which is filled with a material permeable to radar radiation. Consequently, a small window, the passage opening, is cut out in the metal of the doors, which is expediently closed by material permeable to radar radiation. In this case, for example, plastic can be used to close the passage opening again, so that there is a uniform, continuous surface with the metal of the vehicle door. Therefore, it is possible to paint the body portion of the door entirely, so that no holes can be seen from the outside. It is advantageous that the radar sensors used can be realized with an extremely small antenna, in particular if the antenna arrangement of the radar sensor is realized in the package with the semiconductor chip. Then antenna surfaces are feasible, which are smaller than 1 cm ² , so that the cut window can be correspondingly small. The size of the passage opening is therefore chosen so that the extremely small antenna arrangement can radiate through the window with the radar transmission permeable material, in particular plastic, covered window.

It should be noted at this point that it may be sufficient to use a single radar sensor for each door to be monitored, which can be placed centrally on the inside of the door outer surface. At least the side doors of the motor vehicle, as already mentioned, preferably all have such a radar sensor integrated into the door.

An advantageous development of the present invention provides that the radar sensor has an antenna arrangement which permits an angular resolution in at least two mutually perpendicular planes. Thus, a three-dimensional detection of objects in the opening region of the doors is ultimately possible after two measurements in mutually perpendicular planes are obtained in addition to a measurement of the distance and the relative speed of a detected object. Such antenna arrangements are already fundamentally known in the prior art, so that, for example, for the azimuth angle, three antenna elements in the antenna arrangement which follow each other horizontally in one direction can be provided, at least one further in a direction perpendicular thereto for detecting the angle in the elevation Antenna element connects. Since, as already mentioned, preferred wide-angle radar sensors are used, for example, opening angles of 160 ° in the azimuth and 90 ° in the elevation can be realized and used in the context of the present invention.

The semiconductor technology used also makes it possible to improve the accuracy and resolution of the radar sensor in other areas, so that preferably the radar sensor has a frequency bandwidth greater than 3 GHz, in particular 4 GHz, and / or a range of 76 GHz to 81 GHz Frequency band has. A larger frequency bandwidth leads to a better distance separating capability and angular separation capability, so that objects detected by the radar sensor can be better distinguished. Thus, the Accuracy of detection further improved. The result is a short-range radar sensor, which is ideally suited for detection in the near range and can reliably detect objects from a distance of 10 cm, for example.

Expediently, it may be provided that the control unit is designed to determine a preferably three-dimensional environment model describing at least the opening region from the sensor data, in particular the distance, the relative speed and at least one angle. The determination of environmental models from sensor data is already known in principle in the prior art. Such an environment model is useful if, for example, the control unit would like to check whether objects detected in the path of movement of the door are located during the opening process or up to which maximum opening angle the door can be opened without a collision with an object. In particular, such an environment model for the opening area can, of course, also be made available to supplement data structures for other vehicle systems, for example parking systems and the like.

A development of the motor vehicle provides that a detection device for the opening angle of the door is provided, wherein the control device is designed to take into account the opening angle in the implementation of the measures. This makes it possible, for example, to issue a warning only when the opening angle of the door approaches a critical opening angle at which a collision could occur, and the like. It is therefore a more decent output of information or controls the operation of the door itself possible.

In this context, it is also extremely expedient if the door is associated with an actuator, in particular a motor, which in particular also serves an automatic opening and closing operation, the control device being designed to control the actuator for carrying out at least one measure. Such an actuator thus makes it possible, for example, to block the door in order to reliably avoid a collision with an object in the opening area, or to make the opening of the door more difficult for a user, for example as a kind of haptic information transmission, the closer one approaches a critical angle or derived therefrom maximum permissible opening angle device. It can therefore be provided, even if a detection device for the opening angle of the door is present, that the control unit for braking the door, in particular to a standstill, when approaching the detected opening angle to a maximum opening angle, which is less than or equal to a critical, too a collision leading opening angle is formed. In particular, in this way an embodiment is conceivable in which whenever a collision risk has been detected for a door, which is possible via corresponding collision criteria, for example by evaluating collision probabilities, to set a maximum opening angle up to which a collision does not occur , From this maximum opening angle, for example, a further opening angle can be derived as the critical angle, which is lower and from which an artificial resistance is generated by the actuator, which indicates to the user that there is a risk of damage. The resistance generated can then increase with a higher opening angle until the maximum permissible opening angle is reached and further opening of the door is preferably completely prevented by the actuator.

When using more than one control unit for the collision protection system can now be provided, for example, that a maximum possible opening angle is determined in a central control unit for each door and is passed to a door control unit, which, for example, the control of the actuator assumes such that the Do not allow doors to be opened beyond the maximum possible opening angle or be automatically opened only so far. The control of other, for example, optical and / or acoustic output means, can be done by such a door control unit.

For optical and / or acoustic information output as a measure, it is also possible to provide corresponding acoustic and / or optical output means. As an optical output means, it is advisable to provide a corresponding display device on the inside of the door itself, for example in the form of a colored light, which, for example, yellow at medium risk of collision, red at high risk of collision and green light in any collision hazard, which incidentally also from a detected opening angle of the door can be made dependent.

It should also be noted at this point that the collision protection system according to the invention can of course be extended in its functionality, for example, if additional sensors, in particular further radar sensors are provided, which monitor the rear space and / or the apron of the motor vehicle to detect moving objects , whose trajectory can be calculated in advance, so that in this respect a risk of collision with a door that opens, results. Such is in the beginning mentioned prior art and therefore will not be explained in detail here; Nevertheless, it forms an advantageous supplement to the one described here.

Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below and with reference to the drawing. Showing:

1 a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention,

2 the structure of a radar sensor used,

3 an antenna arrangement of the radar sensor,

4 a schematic diagram for the installation of a radar sensor in the door,

5 Opening areas and detection areas on one side of the motor vehicle,

6 a system representation of the collision protection system, and

7 an actuator associated with a door.

1 shows a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention 1 , This has a collision protection system 2 on which initially a central control unit 3 assigned. The central control unit 3 takes the sensor data of four each in the side doors 4 of the motor vehicle 1 arranged radar sensors 5 opposite. The radar sensors 5 In each case, monitor the opening area of the doors as completely as possible 4 , so that objects or obstacles located in it can be detected. For this purpose, in the control unit 4 the sensor data to a respective environment model for the doors 4 evaluated, with a common environment model for all doors 4 can be provided. After in the control unit 3 Also known is how the doors open 4 open, thus as they cross the opening area, can be in the control unit 3 also determine if there is a risk of collision. For this purpose, suitable collision criteria can be provided, which in particular evaluate a collision probability with detected objects.

In particular, the controller determines 3 from this maximum possible opening angle for each door 4 , to which the here pivoting doors 4 can be opened without causing a collision with an object, that is, the maximum possible opening angle below a critical opening angle at which a collision is inevitable.

In the currently shown embodiment of the present invention, the maximum opening angle then to a door control unit 6 passed, which, however, as a common control unit with the control unit 3 can be realized. However, it is conceivable in any other embodiment, every door 4 a separate door control unit 6 assigned. It can be seen in the collision protection system 2 implemented logic to be distributed to different numbers of control devices.

In the background is each of the doors 4 also an actor 7 via which an automatic opening and closing of the doors 4 is possible, the actuator 7 for example, may be formed as an electric motor. So that the current opening angle of the doors 4 is known, these also have an angle sensor as a detection device 8th on.

The collision protection system 2 can perform various actions to collisions of the doors 4 and thus also damage to the doors 4 to avoid as much as possible. For this purpose, it is conceivable, on the one hand, optical and / or acoustic outputs via corresponding optical output means 9 or acoustic output means 10 in which, for example, the danger of opening certain doors is warned. The dispensing means are preferred 9 . 10 doing the corresponding doors 5 assigned, in particular also installed in this. For example, an optical output device 9 be designed as a display device that glows green when there is no danger when opening the door, yellow lights when there is some danger, and red lights when a collision is imminent or appears to be avoidable, including the data of the detection devices 8th (Angle sensors) can be used.

However, it is preferred if a haptic feedback to the corresponding occupant of the motor vehicle 1 which can also be used to protect the door here by actively blocking it from colliding with a detected object. For this purpose, the actuators 7 , which may also have their own, associated with them control devices are controlled accordingly, so that they, for example, the automatic opening of doors 4 open them only up to the maximum possible opening angle or when opening doors manually 4 the doors 4 block as soon as the maximum possible opening angle is reached. In this case, from a lying below the maximum possible opening angle limit angle to bring the risk to the driver's attention, a constantly increasing with the opening angle counterforce by the actuators 7 be generated, so that the Inmate holding the door 4 wants to open, feels a resistance.

Core element of the motor vehicle according to the invention are those in the doors 4 installed radar sensors 5 which are based on a semiconductor technology, here a CMOS technology. The structure of the small-scale radar sensors 5 should by the outline of the 2 be explained in more detail. There it can be seen that each of the radar sensors 5 through a package 11 is formed, in which the antenna assembly 12 and a semiconductor chip 13 , here a CMOS chip, are included. Through the semiconductor chip 13 are the radar transceivers 14 , a digital signal processing component 15 and a control unit 16 of the radar sensor 5 realized. The radar sensor 5 is therefore extremely small, for example smaller than 5 × 5 cm, in particular smaller than 2 × 2 cm, so that incidentally, the antenna arrangement 12 small can be realized, in particular less than 1 cm ² . On the other hand, short signal paths are given, so that results in a very high signal-to-noise ratio, so that a total of a high-accuracy short-range radar sensor 5 is created.

3 shows the structure of the antenna arrangement 12 more accurate. This clearly shows three successive in one direction antenna elements 17 on, with another antenna element 17 adjoins in a direction perpendicular thereto. This makes it possible to resolve angles in two mutually perpendicular planes. The radar sensor 5 is as a wide-angle radar sensor 5 realized in the present case covers a detection range of 160 ° in the azimuth and 90 ° in the elevation.

The small-scale realization of the radar sensor 5 allows a simple and concealed integration of the radar sensor 5 in the doors 4 , These consist of a body part, cf. 4 , made of a metal structure 18 in the area where the antenna array 12 to radiate to the outside, a through hole 19 , so a window, which has been cut out of the metal structure. This passage opening 19 is extremely small after the antenna assembly 12 is less than 1 cm ² in area. The passage opening 19 is with a material 20 , here a plastic filled, which is permeable to radar radiation. This also applies to the paint 21 who has the metal structure 18 closes to the outside and also the passage opening 19 with the material 20 covered.

Thus, the radar sensor 5 not visible from the outside, but can still the opening area of the doors 4 scan.

5 shows for a side of the motor vehicle 1 for comparison, the opening areas 22 the doors there 4 together with the coverage areas 23 the radar sensors 5 , Obviously, these capture the respective opening areas 22 almost complete. Since, in addition to the distance in the relative velocity of detected objects, angles in mutually perpendicular planes are also measured, it is also possible to judge whether an object is located vertically in the opening area 22 located.

6 finally shows again the function of the collision protection system 2 explanatory drawing. In the field of data acquisition are the small-scale, based on CMOS technology radar sensors 5 indicated their data according to the arrow 24 to the control unit 3 Deliver by taking the sensor data by using different algorithms 25 are evaluated to generate the environmental model and to determine the maximum aperture angles as described. These maximum opening angles are then sent to the door control unit 6 or optionally, if present, to the actuator control device 26 passed, which then the appropriate measures by controlling the respective actuator 7 and / or the output means 9 . 10 trigger.

7 finally shows more exactly the integration of the here as electric motor 27 trained actor 7 in the present case as part of a hinge 28 is installed.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 19537619 A1 [0004]
• DE 102007036079 A1 [0005]

Cited non-patent literature

• Article by Jri Lee et al., "A Fully Integrated 77GHz FMCW Radar Transceiver in 65nm CMOS Technology", IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits 45 (2010), pp. 2746-2755 [0011]

Claims (11)

Motor vehicle ( 1 ) with a collision protection system ( 2 ) for at least one door ( 4 ) of the motor vehicle ( 1 ) and at least one sensor data of an opening area ( 22 ), in which the door ( 4 ) is moved when opening, detecting environmental sensor, the collision protection system ( 2 ) at least one control unit ( 3 . 6 . 26 ), which is used for evaluating the sensor data with regard to collision-endangering objects and at a detected risk of collision for carrying out at least one of an occupant of the motor vehicle ( 1 ) is designed to inform and / or prevent the collision and / or reduce the collision consequences, characterized in that the environmental sensor for monitoring the opening range ( 22 ) a radar sensor ( 5 ) with a through a semiconductor chip ( 13 ), in particular a CMOS chip, realized radar transceiver ( 14 ). Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that by the semiconductor chip ( 13 ) also a digital signal processing component ( 15 ) and / or a control unit ( 16 ) of the radar sensor ( 5 ) and / or the semiconductor chip ( 13 ) together with an antenna arrangement ( 12 ) of the radar sensor ( 5 ) as a package ( 11 ) is trained. Motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the radar sensor ( 5 ) in the respective door ( 4 ) is installed. Motor vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that when installed in a metal ( 18 ) existing door ( 4 ) at least one through the antenna arrangement ( 12 ) of the radar sensor ( 5 ) durchstrahlbare passage opening ( 19 ) through the metal ( 18 ) provided with a radar-transmissive material ( 20 ) is filled up. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radar sensor ( 5 ) an antenna arrangement permitting angular resolution in at least two mutually perpendicular planes ( 12 ) having. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the radar sensor ( 5 ) has a frequency bandwidth greater than 3 GHz, in particular of 4 GHz, and / or a frequency band lying in the range of 76 GHz to 81 GHz. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a detection device ( 8th ) for the opening angle of the door ( 4 ) is provided, wherein the control unit ( 3 . 6 . 26 ) is designed to take account of the opening angle in the implementation of the measures. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door ( 4 ) an actuator which also serves in particular for an automatic opening and closing operation ( 7 ), in particular an engine ( 27 ), wherein the control unit ( 3 . 6 . 26 ) for controlling the actuator ( 7 ) is designed to carry out at least one measure. Motor vehicle according to claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the control unit ( 3 . 6 . 26 ) by controlling the actuator ( 7 ) to slow down the door ( 4 ), in particular to a standstill, when approaching the detected opening angle to a maximum opening angle which is less than or equal to a critical, leading to a collision opening angle is formed. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least all the side doors ( 4 ) a their opening area ( 22 ) associated radar sensor ( 5 ), wherein the control device ( 3 . 6 . 26 ) is designed for door-specific evaluation of the sensor data. Motor vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit ( 3 . 6 . 26 ) for determining at least the opening area ( 22 ), preferably three-dimensional environment model of the particular the distance, the relative speed and at least one angle containing sensor data is formed.

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