FR3088039A1 - METHOD FOR DETERMINING A FAVORABLE NAVIGATION AREA NEAR A MOTOR VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle, as well as to an associated system, program, support and land motor vehicle.

Description

Description

Title of the invention: Method for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle The present invention relates to the field of driving assistance systems for land motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to a method for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle. The invention is particularly applicable to motor vehicles.

We know that driving assistance systems, in particular those intended for assistance for autonomous driving, use a set of sensors to detect the environment and provide behavioral adaptation functionalities depending on the situations. (eg emergency braking, side avoidance, lane departure, etc.). Generally, these features rely on the use of a front camera to follow the road by detecting the elements of markings on the ground.

However, the perception of a traffic environment based solely on the use of a camera necessarily suffers from the limitations inherent in any camera (i.e. light conditions, weather conditions, dirt on the optics, etc.). In addition, the quality of the markings on the ground is not necessarily uniform (erased markings, non-existent, work on the track, etc.). Furthermore, the ground marking elements, when they are present, are only useful in connection with lane-keeping functionalities. On the other hand, when it is necessary to perform unusual maneuvers, in particular maneuvers which impose a lane departure trajectory, for example an obstacle avoidance maneuver, the elements of markings on the ground are no longer sufficient to manage such trajectories. As a result, current driver assistance systems are unable to effectively manage certain maneuvers that a vehicle may be required to perform, including obstacle avoidance maneuvers.

The invention aims to provide a method to overcome these drawbacks. More particularly, the invention aims to provide a method and a system which improve the management capacity of a driving assistance system, in particular for the management of maneuvers which impose lane departure trajectories. In addition, the invention aims to provide a system and a method which support functionalities to allow a driving assistance system to operate in the absence of marking elements on the ground, in particular to allow the implementation obstacle avoidance features.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a method for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

[0006] - obtaining data characteristic of a traffic environment, said data characteristic of a traffic environment being generated following the emission of at least one signal by at least one detection device arranged in the vehicle,

- determine at least one displacement component in connection with a circulating entity on the basis of said data characteristic of a circulation environment, and

- Determine said favorable navigation space as a function of said displacement component.

Alternatively, the detection device can be selected from the group comprising cameras, laser remote sensing devices, radiosensing devices, sound wave detection devices and ultrasonic sensors.

In another variant, said displacement component can comprise a displacement speed and / or an orientation.

According to another variant, the step of determining said favorable navigation space can include a step of using a predictive model established by a machine learning module to determine at least one future trajectory of the circulating entity. as a function of said displacement component.

According to another variant, the step of determining said favorable navigation space may include a step of determining a space occupied by the circulating entity as a function of said future trajectory.

The invention further relates to a computer system for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle, the system comprising means for implementing a method as defined above.

Alternatively, the system may include at least one computer and storage means in which are stored at least one program for the execution of steps according to the determination process implemented by the system.

The invention further relates to a computer program comprising instructions for the execution of the steps of a method as defined above.

The invention further relates to a medium usable in a computer on which is recorded a program as defined above.

The invention further relates to a land motor vehicle comprising a system as defined above.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawings, in which:

[Fig.l] is a block diagram of a determination system according to the invention, and [0018] [fig.2] is a flow diagram illustrating certain steps of a determination method according to the invention.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the system 100 for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle according to the present invention comprises an information processing unit 101, comprising one or more processors, a data storage medium 102, input and output means 103 and an oracle 104 including a module intended to establish a predictive model by implementing, for example, a method of automatic learning or by using a network of artificial neurons.

According to certain embodiments, the system 100 is on board a land motor vehicle, for example a motor vehicle, and is distributed among one or more computers. According to other embodiments of the invention, the system 100 comprises one or more computers, one or more servers, one or more supercomputers and / or any combination comprising one of these computer systems. It is also possible to envisage certain embodiments in which certain elements of the system 100 are partially hosted on board a land motor vehicle, on one or more computers, while other elements are distributed on one or more remote servers.

According to the preferred embodiment, the system 100 is an integral part of a computer of a vehicle driving assistance system which relies on a plurality of detection devices arranged in the vehicle. Preferably, the detection devices include a camera, a laser remote sensing device, a radiosensing device, a sound wave detection device, an ultrasonic sensor and / or any other equivalent detection means used in the automobile.

Conventionally, the driving assistance system comprises one or more computers which, according to established roles, control, depending on the situation, the operation of certain components of the vehicle to provide various driving assistance functionalities (eg emergency braking assistance, obstacle avoidance, lane departure). Alternatively, or cumulatively, the driver assistance system further includes additional elements adapted and configured to interact within an intelligent transport system.

Advantageously, the driving assistance system generates data characteristic of the vehicle's traffic environment on the basis of signals which are emitted by all of its detection devices. Thus, the driving assistance system generates, for example, certain data characteristic of the traffic environment by using the signals emitted by the camera, capable of providing information on the presence of distant vehicles or of road signaling elements (eg elements ground marking, traffic signs). In addition, other data characteristic of the traffic environment are generated following the emission of signals by other detection devices, for example by using the signals emitted by a laser remote sensing device to determine the presence of obstacles. within the traffic environment.

Alternatively, according to another particular embodiment, the system 100 is hosted by an independent computer and interacts with a computer of the vehicle driving assistance system to obtain the signals emitted by the detection devices and to extrapolate therefrom the characteristic data of the traffic environment. Alternatively, the characteristic data of the traffic environment are generated by the driving assistance system and stored by the latter in the storage medium 102 of the system 100.

All the elements described above contribute to allow the system 100 to implement a method for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle, as described below.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, according to a step 201, the system 100 obtains, i.e. recovers, extracts or receives, data characteristic of a traffic environment. As already mentioned, said characteristic data of the traffic environment are preferably generated by a computer of the vehicle driving assistance system following the emission of at least one signal by at least one detection device arranged in the vehicle. These data are automatically stored on the storage medium 102 from which they are extracted on demand. Alternatively, the characteristic data of the traffic environment are generated by the system 100 on the basis of the signals emitted by the detection devices of the driving assistance system, or on the basis of signals generated by the assistance system. driving according to the signals emitted by the detection devices. In any case, the system 100 has access to data which is characteristic of a traffic environment. Certain data characteristic of the traffic environment relate for example to marking elements on the ground and are preferably generated on the basis of signals transmitted by a camera. Other data characteristic of the traffic environment relate to the presence of other vehicles, in particular in the frontal zone, and are generated on the basis of signals transmitted by a laser remote sensing device, a radiosensing device, a detection device. by sound waves and / or an ultrasonic sensor.

According to another step 202, the system 100 determines at least one displacement component in connection with a circulating entity on the basis of said data characteristic of a circulation environment. Within the meaning of the present invention, the expression “circulating entity” obviously includes any land motor vehicle, mobile or in movement, but also pedestrians or cyclists, mobile or in movement, which are considered to be circulating entities and can also be detected by one or more vehicle detection devices or by additional elements of the driving assistance system allowing the implementation of interactions with an intelligent transport system. Advantageously, the system 100 therefore uses the data characteristic of the circulation environment to determine displacement components - preferably instantaneous displacement speeds, orientations or headings - relating to all the circulating entities which are detected by the vehicle detection devices. In other words, the system determines useful parameters in connection with an estimate of the present, and therefore future, trajectories of a plurality of circulating entities which are located near the vehicle.

According to another step 203, the system 100 determines the favorable navigation space as a function of the displacement components of the previously established circulating entities. To do this, the system 100 for example implements a step during which it determines, on the basis of the data characteristic of the traffic environment, the presence of a free circulation space near the vehicle, ie, a space empty of any circulating entity. To do this, the system uses the characteristic data of the circulation environment to determine one or more spaces occupied by the detected circulating entities. The system 100 then uses the predictive model established by the oracle 104 to estimate the future trajectories of the circulating entities located nearby as a function of the displacement components relating to these entities. Then, during another additional step, the system 100 uses the future trajectories previously established opposite the circulating entities located nearby to determine the favorable circulation space, ie a space which goes beyond the free space while also being empty of any circulating entity. In other words, the favorable traffic space thus determined can extend over one or more traffic lanes, which is particularly advantageous in the context of autonomous driving and obstacle avoidance maneuvers. According to an alternative, the favorable navigation space is determined on the basis of spaces occupied by circulating entities established taking into account future trajectories.

In a final step, the system 100 provides data relating to the favorable navigation space which adapts the driving assistance functions as a function of this data. Alternatively, or cumulatively, the system 100 autonomously assumes the implementation of driving assistance functionalities by transmitting, during an additional step, commands to organs for managing the operation of the vehicle which take account of the favorable navigation space. Within an intelligent transport system, it can be envisaged that the system communicates the favorable navigation space to other circulating entities by means of communication of radio frequency signals arranged in the vehicle.

Therefore, under the method and the system according to the invention described above, the functional bricks are provided to allow a driving aid system to better manage maneuvers which impose lane departure trajectories. In addition, the method and system according to the invention provide the necessary elements which allow better adaptability of the driving assistance systems in situations where the markings on the ground are lacking.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, presented only by way of examples, but extends to other embodiments, in particular those formed by combining certain characteristics described in connection with certain embodiments with other characteristics described in connection with other embodiments, which are within the reach of those skilled in the art.

Claims (1)

Claims [Claim 1] Method for determining by a computer system (100) a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: obtaining data characteristic of a traffic environment, said characteristic data of a traffic environment being generated following the emission of at least one signal by at least one detection device arranged in the vehicle, determining at least one displacement component in connection with a circulating entity on the basis said data characteristic of a traffic environment, and determining said favorable navigation space as a function of said displacement component. [Claim 2] Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection device is chosen from the group comprising cameras, laser remote sensing devices, radiation detection devices, sound wave detection devices and ultrasonic sensors. [Claim 3] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said displacement component comprises a displacement speed and / or an orientation. [Claim 4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the step of determining said favorable navigation space comprises a step of using a predictive model established by a module implementing a method of automatic learning to determine at minus a future trajectory of the circulating entity as a function of said displacement component. [Claim 5] Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the step of determining said favorable navigation space comprises a step of determining a space occupied by the circulating entity as a function of said future trajectory. [Claim 6] Computer system (100) for determining a favorable navigation space located near a land motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises means (101, 102, 103, 104) for implementing a method according to any one of the preceding claims. [Claim 7] System according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one computer (101) and storage means (102) in which are stored at least one program for the execution of steps [Claim 8] according to the determination method implemented by the system. Computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of a process according to any one of Claims 1 to 5. [Claim 9] [Claim 10] Support usable in a computer and on which a program according to claim 8 is recorded. Land motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a system according to one of claims 6 or 7.