KR20200139407A - Apparatus for controlling vehicle based on reliablity of multi lidar and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling a vehicle based on a reliability of a lidar sensor. The device for controlling the vehicle according to the reliability of the lidar sensor according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a navigation unit incorporating a digital map and outputting the current location of a vehicle and surrounding information related to the vehicle by receiving a GPS signal based on the digital map information; a sensor unit including at least one sensor measuring the speed, direction, gravity, and acceleration information on the vehicle; first and second lidar sensors mounted at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the vehicle and having the same performance in an error range; and a control unit correcting the distortions of the first and second lidar sensors based on the information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit and sensing information detected in the overlapping detection region of the first and second lidar sensors, calculating a first reliability value depending on the distortion correction, detecting the blockages of the first and second lidar sensors based on the sensing information detected in the overlapping detection region, calculating a second reliability value depending on the detected blockage, and selecting a vehicle control mode based on the first and second reliability values.

Description

Vehicle control device and method according to the reliability of the lidar sensor {APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE BASED ON RELIABLITY OF MULTI LIDAR AND METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a vehicle according to the reliability of a lidar sensor, and more specifically, correction of errors between lidar sensors when a plurality of lidar sensors are installed in a vehicle to simultaneously detect objects around the vehicle. It relates to a vehicle control apparatus and method according to the reliability of a lidar sensor capable of performing (auto calibration) and blockage detection, and thereby changing a vehicle driving mode.

In general, the Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor is a sensor that measures distance and detects objects using light, and the radar has a principle similar to that of radar.

However, the radar emits electromagnetic waves to the outside and checks the distance and direction with the re-received electromagnetic waves, but the difference is that the radar emits a pulsed laser. In other words, since a laser with a short wavelength is used, precision and resolution are high, and three-dimensional grasp is possible depending on objects.

For example, a lidar sensor is mounted on a bumper of a vehicle to sense the front/rear of the vehicle to detect objects or structures.

Meanwhile, the lidar sensor is mainly mounted on the front bumper and must be exposed to the outside. Because putting the lidar sensor into another structure such as glass or a vehicle body can significantly degrade the sensing performance of the sensor, so it is exposed to the outside and mounted.

In addition, the lidar sensor measures the distance to the object by transmitting the laser from the transmitter and receiving the laser signal (i.e., the reception signal) returned by the object and measuring the time at this time.

In addition, the lidar sensor has a relatively high object detection rate and distance accuracy compared to the camera, but the detection reliability is low. Therefore, a number of lidar sensors are installed in the vehicle to improve the reliability of detection.

However, when multiple lidar sensors are installed in the vehicle as described above, differences (or errors) may occur in information detected for the same object (object) due to differences in positions where each lidar sensor is mounted. There is a problem in that the lidar sensor may be undetected due to contamination (eg, snow, rain, dust, etc.) of the lidar sensor exposed to.

Therefore, when detecting the same object around the vehicle simultaneously through multiple lidar sensors mounted on the vehicle, auto calibration and blockage detection between each lidar sensor are performed, and the vehicle driving mode is changed through this. There is a need for technology development that can be used.

Background art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2015-0009177 (registered on January 26, 2015, title of the invention: lidar sensor system).

The present invention was devised to improve the above problems, and when a vehicle is equipped with a plurality of lidar sensors to simultaneously detect objects around the vehicle, error correction between lidar sensors and blockage detection are performed. And, it is an object to provide a vehicle control apparatus and method according to the reliability of a lidar sensor capable of changing a vehicle driving mode through this.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the problem(s) mentioned above, and another problem(s) not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A vehicle control device according to the reliability of a lidar sensor according to an aspect of the present invention includes a digital map, receives a GPS signal based on the digital map information, and outputs the current location of the vehicle and the surrounding information of the vehicle. Part, a sensor unit including at least one sensor for measuring the speed and direction of the vehicle, gravity, and acceleration information, the first and second lidar mounted at the left and right symmetrical positions of the vehicle and having the same performance within an error range Correcting the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors based on the information detected through the sensor, the navigation part, and the sensor part, and sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area of the first and second lidar sensors, and the shifting Calculate a first reliability value according to the correction, detect blockage of the first and second lidar sensors based on sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area, and calculate a second reliability value according to the detected blockage And a controller for selecting a vehicle control mode based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value.

In the present invention, the control unit performs absolute error correction using a world coordinate system for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and detects in the overlap detection area based on information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit. A relative error correction to match the obtained sensing information is performed, and a first reliability value may be calculated based on the absolute error correction and a distortion correction result according to the relative error correction.

In the present invention, the control unit collects information detected through the sensor unit, detects ground information and fixed object information from information detected through the first and second lidar sensors, and detects the information detected through the sensor unit. By reflecting at least one or more of information, the extracted ground information, the detected fixed object information, information output from the navigation unit, and initial information previously stored in the internal memory, the absolute error correction of each lidar sensor is performed. I can.

In the present invention, the control unit performs a relative error correction using information extracted from the overlap detection area of the lidar sensors determined to be in a normal state through absolute error correction for each of the first and second lidar sensors. , Selecting a reference lidar sensor in a predetermined manner among the first and second lidar sensors in the normal state, and ground information of another lidar sensor based on the ground information among information detected through the selected reference lidar sensor Correction to match is performed, and the relative error correction may be performed by performing a correction to match fixed object information of another lidar sensor based on fixed object information among information detected through the reference lidar sensor.

In the present invention, the control unit may compare the distortion correction result with a reference angle and determine a first reliability value according to the comparison result.

In the present invention, the control unit determines a first blockage based on whether a signal is detected for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and compares a distance value and a contamination pattern in the overlap detection area to determine a second blockage. It is determined, and a second reliability value according to the first blockage and the second blockage may be calculated.

In the present invention, the control unit, based on at least one of a point cloud signal, signal intensity, and detection distance, detects contamination of the surface of the first and second radar sensors, respectively, and The first blockage can be determined according to the width and shape.

A vehicle control method according to the reliability of a lidar sensor according to another aspect of the present invention includes: receiving, by a control unit, information about a current position of the vehicle and surrounding information of the vehicle through a navigation unit, and Receiving direction, gravity, and acceleration information, receiving sensing information through first and second lidar sensors, wherein the control unit is mounted at a position symmetrical to the left and right of the vehicle and has the same performance within an error range, the The control unit corrects the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors based on the information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit and the sensing information detected in the overlap detection area of the first and second lidar sensors, and the overlapping Detecting blockage of the first and second lidar sensors based on sensing information detected in the sensing area, the control unit calculating a first reliability value according to the distortion correction and a second reliability value according to the detected blockage Calculating, the controller selecting a vehicle control mode based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value.

In the present invention, in order to correct the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors, the control unit performs absolute error correction using a world coordinate system for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and the navigation unit and Based on the information detected through the sensor unit, the relative error correction may be performed to match the sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area.

In the present invention, in order to perform the absolute error correction, the control unit collects the information detected through the sensor unit, and converts the ground information and the fixed object information from the information detected through the first and second lidar sensors. And reflects at least one of information detected through the sensor unit, the extracted ground information, the detected fixed object information, information output from the navigation unit, and initial information previously stored in the internal memory, It is possible to perform absolute error correction of the sensor.

In the present invention, in order to perform the relative error correction, the control unit, through absolute error correction for each of the first and second lidar sensors, is extracted from the overlapping detection region of lidar sensors determined to be in a normal state. A relative error correction is performed using information, but a reference lidar sensor is selected in a predetermined manner from among the first and second lidar sensors in a normal state, and ground information among the information detected through the selected reference lidar sensor is It performs correction to match the ground information of other lidar sensors as a reference, and performs correction to match fixed object information of other lidar sensors based on the fixed object information among the information detected through the reference lidar sensor. Error correction can be performed.

In the present invention, in order to calculate the first reliability value, the controller may compare the distortion correction result with a reference angle, and calculate a first reliability value according to the comparison result.

In the present invention, for the second reliability value, the control unit determines a first blockage based on whether a signal is detected for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and a distance value and contamination in the overlap detection area. A second blockage is determined by comparing patterns, and a second reliability value according to the first and second blockages may be calculated.

In the present invention, in order to determine the first blockage, the control unit determines the contamination of the first and second radar sensor surfaces based on at least one of a point cloud signal, a signal intensity, and a detection distance. Each of them may be detected, and the first blockage may be determined according to the extent and type of the detected contamination.

The present invention performs auto calibration and blockage detection between lidar sensors when multiple lidar sensors are installed in a vehicle to detect objects around the vehicle at the same time, and lidar sensors through error correction and blockage detection It is possible to calculate the reliability value of the vehicles, and since the vehicle control mode can be selected based on the reliability value, it is possible to change to the optimal vehicle driving mode.

Meanwhile, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and various effects may be included within a range that will be apparent to a person skilled in the art from the contents to be described below.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control apparatus according to reliability of a lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an overlapping detection area generated when a multi-LIDAR sensor is mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle control method according to reliability of a lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating an error correction method of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing absolute error correction of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of correcting a relative error of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an apparatus and method for controlling a vehicle according to reliability of a lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this process, the thickness of the lines or the size of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description.

In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention and may vary according to the intention or custom of users or operators. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout the present specification.

In addition, the implementation described herein may be implemented in, for example, a method or process, an apparatus, a software program, a data stream or a signal. Although discussed only in the context of a single form of implementation (eg, only as a method), the implementation of the discussed features may also be implemented in other forms (eg, an apparatus or program). The device may be implemented with appropriate hardware, software and firmware. The method may be implemented in an apparatus such as a processor, which generally refers to a processing device including, for example, a computer, microprocessor, integrated circuit or programmable logic device, or the like. Processors also include communication devices such as computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants ("PDAs") and other devices that facilitate communication of information between end-users.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control apparatus according to the reliability of a lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overlap generated when a multi-lidar sensor is mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an exemplary diagram shown to describe the sensing area.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle control apparatus according to reliability of a lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a navigation unit 110, a sensor unit 120, a first lidar sensor 130, and a second lidar. It includes a sensor 140, and a control unit 150.

The navigation unit 110 embeds a digital map (eg, a precision digital map, a high-precision digital map), receives a GPS signal based on the digital map information, and outputs the current location of the vehicle and surrounding information of the vehicle. In this case, the information included in the digital map includes road information, and fixed object information (eg, coordinates of the fixed object) installed on the road as the surrounding information of the vehicle.

The sensor unit 120 includes an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), and includes at least one sensor that measures the speed and direction, gravity, and acceleration of the vehicle. For example, the sensor unit 120 includes a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis angular velocity meter, and it is possible to measure the acceleration in the traveling direction, the lateral direction, and the height direction and the angular velocity of rolling, pitching, and yaw And, it is possible to calculate the vehicle speed and attitude angle by integrating the detected acceleration and angular speed.

The sensor unit 120 may further include a camera sensor.

The first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 are mounted at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the vehicle, and are implemented as products having the same performance within an error range.

Accordingly, the sensing regions (or sensing regions) of the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 generate overlapping (overlapping) sensing regions (overlapping sensing regions) as illustrated in FIG. 2. Information (ie, sensing information) detected through the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 in the overlapping detection area may not match.

Accordingly, it is necessary to improve the detection accuracy of an object by matching information (ie, sensing information) detected through the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 in the overlapping detection area. At this time, the lidar sensor mounted on the vehicle is distorted due to the aging and shaking of the vehicle. Therefore, there is a need for a function to automatically correct this in a road driving situation. In addition, while driving a vehicle, the LiDAR sensor exposed to the outside may be undetected due to external contamination (eg, snow, rain, dust, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to detect contamination of the surface of the lidar sensor and, when contamination is detected, operate a cleaning system to remove contamination of the sensor surface.

Accordingly, the control unit 150 calculates a first reliability value and a second reliability value by performing auto calibration and blockage detection of the lidar sensors 130 and 140, and calculates the calculated first and second reliability values. The vehicle control mode is selected based on the reliability value. Here, the automatic correction includes absolute error correction and relative error correction, and the absolute error correction is correction using a world coordinate (ie, a coordinate system used as a reference when expressing the position of an object) in a single lidar sensor, The relative error correction may mean correction performed using information extracted from an overlapping detection area between multi-lidar sensors. Blockage detection detects contamination of the lidar sensor's window cover for a single lidar sensor, and determines the first bockage according to the extent or shape of the detected pollution, and information of the overlap detection area between the multi lidar sensors. It may mean performing more precise second blockage detection through comparison.

That is, the control unit 150 is based on the information detected through the navigation unit 110 and the sensor unit 120 and the sensing information detected in the overlap detection area of the first and second lidar sensors 130, 140. Correcting the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140, calculating a first reliability value according to the distortion correction, and the first and second lidar sensors based on sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area Blockages of (130, 140) are detected, a second reliability value according to the detected blockage is calculated, and a vehicle control mode is selected based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value.

Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 150 will be described in detail.

First, a method for the control unit 150 to perform automatic correction will be described.

The controller 150 performs relative error correction to match information (ie, sensing information) detected through the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 in the overlapping detection area.

To this end, the control unit 150 performs individual correction (ie, absolute error correction) of the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140, through which the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 It is determined whether the correction is possible in a normal state If the lidar sensor in a state that cannot be cured through individual correction (ie, absolute error correction) can be determined as a faulty state.

In addition, after performing absolute error correction, the controller 150 performs relative error correction using information extracted from the overlapping detection regions of the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 determined to be in a normal state.

When the relative error correction is completed, the controller 150 calculates a first reliability value based on the absolute error correction and the distortion correction result according to the relative error correction. In this case, the control unit 150 may compare the distortion correction result with the reference angle and calculate a first reliability value according to the comparison result. That is, the controller 150 may compare the distortion correction result with the reference angle to determine whether the distortion correction has been properly performed, and calculate the difference between the comparison result and the reference angle as the first reliability value. For example, when the distortion correction result is the same as the reference angle, the first reliability value is 100, when the distortion correction result is 0-20% different from the reference angle, the first reliability value is 80-100, and the distortion correction result is 40 compared to the reference angle. When there is a difference of ~80%, the first reliability value may be calculated as 40~80, and when the distortion correction result is 80~100% different from the reference angle, the first reliability value may be calculated as 0~40. The first reliability value according to the difference between the distortion correction result and the reference angle may be preset.

5 and FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 and FIGS. It will be described in detail with reference to 6.

Next, a method of detecting blockage by the control unit 150 will be described.

The controller 150 determines the first blockage based on whether a signal is detected for each of the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140. That is, the control unit 150 detects contamination on the surfaces of the first and second radar sensors 130 and 140, respectively, based on a point cloud signal, signal intensity, and detection distance, and The first blockage can be determined according to the width and shape. Here, the point cloud signal may be a distance value for each point.

In the case of slight contamination, since the value of the signal returned to the radar sensors 130 and 140 is small, the size of the received signal pulse decreases, so that the signal intensity value is low and the detection distance becomes inaccurate. In the case of large contamination, the signal is not detected because the signal is not transmitted/received to the radar sensors 130 and 140. Accordingly, the control unit 150 determines the first blockage by combining the point cloud signal, the signal intensity, and the detection distance.

When the first blockage is determined, the control unit 150 determines the second blockage by comparing the distance value and the contamination pattern in the overlap detection area of the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140. That is, the control unit 150 compares whether or not the overlapping sensing region has the same distance value, and compares whether or not the overlapping sensing region has a similar contamination pattern. In the overlapping detection area, since the same view is being viewed, the same distance value should be obtained. If the distance value is not the same through data comparison between the lidar sensors 130 and 140, there is a high possibility that only one lidar sensor is contaminated. On the other hand, if you ran the same road section, the LiDAR sensors are more likely to have the same pollution pattern. In other words, since only one lidar sensor is unlikely to be contaminated, it is possible to help determine contamination by comparing contamination patterns between lidar sensors.

When the second blockage is determined, the controller 150 calculates a second reliability value according to the first blockage and the second blockage. In this case, the control unit 150 may calculate a second reliability value based on the weight of the blockage according to the combination of the first blockage and the second blockage on the entire surface of the lidar sensor. That is, the control unit 150 may calculate the second reliability value based on the proportion of the level of contamination of the lidar sensor surface occupied by the entire surface of the lidar sensor. For example, if the pollution degree is 0, the second reliability value is 100, if the pollution degree ratio is 0 to 20%, the second reliability value is 80 to 100, and if the pollution degree ratio is 40 to 80%, the second reliability value When the ratio is 40 to 80 and the degree of contamination is 80 to 100%, the second reliability value can be calculated as 0 to 40. The second reliability value according to the ratio of the degree of contamination may be set in advance.

7 for a method in which the control unit 150 detects an individual first blockage of the multi lidar sensors 130 and 140 and determines the second blockage of the multi lidar sensors 130 and 140 in which the individual first blockage is completed. It will be described in detail with reference to.

Next, a method of selecting a vehicle control mode based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value calculated through automatic correction and blockage detection by the controller 150 will be described.

The vehicle control mode according to the first reliability value and the second reliability value may be preset. For example, a plurality of first sections are set based on a first reliability value, each first section is set as a plurality of second sections based on a second reliability value, and vehicles corresponding to the first section and the second section Control mode can be set. The vehicle control mode may include a first automatic mode, a second automatic mode, a third automatic mode, and a manual mode. The first automatic mode may be a mode in which vertical/horizontal vehicle control is possible, all convenient functions are enabled (on), and autonomous driving is possible. The second automatic mode may be a mode in which LDW and LKAS (lateral convenience function) cannot be used (OFF), a safety distance can be extended, and a vertical convenience function can be used (ON). The third automatic mode may be a mode in which only emergency braking (AEB) can be used and other convenient functions cannot be used, and the manual mode may be a mode in which the use of the lidar sensor is impossible.

Accordingly, the controller 150 may select a vehicle control mode according to the first reliability value and the second reliability value.

For example, a vehicle control mode table in which a vehicle control mode according to a first reliability value and a second reliability value is set may be as shown in Table 1 below.

[Table 1]

Referring to Table 1, a vehicle control mode is set in the vehicle control mode table according to a first reliability value and a second reliability value.

For example, the first reliability value is divided into 0 to 40 (low), 40 to 80 (medium), and 80 to 100 (high) intervals according to the difference between the correction result and the reference angle, and the second reliability value corresponds to the degree of contamination. According to this, the case where it is divided into 0~40 (low), 40~80 (medium), and 80~100 (high) sections will be described.

In this case, when the first reliability value is 0 to 40%, the second reliability value may be divided into 0 to 40%, 40 to 80%, and 80 to 100% intervals, and the first reliability value is 40 to 80%. In case, the second reliability value can be divided into 0~40%, 40~80%, and 80~100% intervals.If the first reliability value is 80~100%, the second reliability value is 0~40%, 40~ It can be divided into 80% and 80-100% sections. Therefore, in the vehicle control mode table, the vehicle control mode (manual mode) when the first reliability value is 0-40% and the second reliability value is 0-40%, the first reliability value is 0-40%, and the second reliability value is 0-40%. Vehicle control mode when the value is 40 to 80% (2nd to 3rd automatic mode), vehicle control mode when the first reliability value is 0 to 40% and the second reliability value is 80 to 100% ~3 automatic mode) is set respectively. In addition, in the vehicle control mode table, the vehicle control mode (manual mode) when the first reliability value is 40 to 80% and the second reliability value is 0 to 40%, the first reliability value is 40 to 80%, and the second reliability value is Vehicle control mode when the value is 40 to 80% (second automatic mode), and vehicle control mode when the first reliability value is 40 to 80% and the second reliability value is 80 to 100% (second to third Automatic mode) is set respectively. Also, in the vehicle control mode table, the vehicle control mode (manual mode) when the first reliability value is 80-100% and the second reliability value is 0-40%, the first reliability value is 80-100%, and the second reliability Vehicle control mode when the value is 40 to 80% (second to third automatic mode), and vehicle control mode when the first reliability value is 80 to 100% and the second reliability value is 80 to 100% (the first Automatic mode) is set respectively.

Accordingly, when the first reliability value is 40 to 80% and the second reliability value is 0 to 40%, the controller 150 may select the vehicle control mode as the manual mode. In addition, when the first reliability value is 40 to 80% and the second reliability value is 40 to 80%, the controller 150 may select the vehicle control mode as the second control mode. In this case, when the first reliability value or the second reliability value decreases, the controller 150 may change from the first automatic mode to the second to third automatic modes. In the second automatic mode, the speed of the vehicle is lowered and a safer distance from other vehicles is maintained, and in the third automatic mode, an option of changing to a manual operation mode may be provided.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle control method according to reliability of a lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the vehicle control apparatus performs automatic correction and blockage detection of the lidar sensor (S310).

When step S310 is performed, the vehicle control mode conversion apparatus calculates a first reliability value according to automatic correction and a second reliability value according to blockage detection (S320). Here, the automatic correction is to correct the misaligned angle of the lidar sensor, and the vehicle control apparatus may calculate a first reliability value by comparing the misaligned angle with a preset reference angle. Blockage detection is to detect the level of contamination on the surface of the lidar sensor, and a second reliability value may be calculated based on the level of contamination.

When step S320 is performed, the vehicle control device selects a vehicle control mode based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value (S330). That is, the vehicle control apparatus may select the vehicle control mode using the vehicle control mode table in which the vehicle control mode is set according to the first reliability value and the second reliability value.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an error correction method of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the vehicle control apparatus performs absolute error correction using a world coordinate system for each lidar sensor (S410). For a detailed description of a method of performing absolute error correction, refer to FIG. 5.

When step S410 is performed, the vehicle control device performs a relative error correction based on the sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area of the lidar sensors (S420). For a detailed description of the relative error correction, refer to FIG. 6.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing absolute error correction of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the controller 150 collects information detected through the sensor unit 110 (eg, a sensor of an IMU) (S510).

In addition, the control unit 150 extracts ground information from information detected through the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 (ie, lidar sensing information) (S520).

For example, the ground information may include horizontal angle information and vertical angle information of the ground detected through the lidar sensor. In other words, it is possible to detect pitch and roll information.

In addition, the controller 150 may detect fixed object information from information detected through the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 (ie, lidar sensing information) (S530).

For example, the fixed object information may include coordinate information on a fixed object around a road detected through a lidar sensor (ie, coordinate information calculated by distance and orientation information from the lidar sensor to the fixed object).

In addition, the control unit 150 includes information detected through the sensor unit 120, the extracted ground information, the detected fixed object information, information output from the navigation unit 110, and an internal memory (not shown). The output values of each lidar sensor 130 and 140 are corrected by reflecting at least one or more of the previously stored initial information (or default information) (S540).

In other words, the control unit 150 performs individual correction for each lidar sensor.

If an irreparable error occurs through individual correction (ie, absolute error correction), the controller 150 may determine that the corresponding lidar sensor is in a faulty state.

As described above, the controller 150 may correct an absolute error, which is a difference from the world coordinate, for each of the lidar sensors 130 and 140. To this end, the control unit 150 can determine the distortion with the outside by using the ground and fixed object (object) detection information, IMU information, etc., and determine that it is flat on the ground while driving (ie, based on sensor and map information). Ground information is extracted from an area where it is determined to travel straight on a flat ground), and through this, error information such as pitch and roll can be easily obtained and corrected. In addition, the error can be corrected by comparing the motion information with the vehicle by using the detection information of the fixed object (object) (for example, detection information of an object such as a vehicle placed parallel to the ground), and if IMU information is used, the sensor It is possible to easily correct the error because all three directions of error can be known, and the accuracy of error correction in a place where the ground is flat can be improved by using the map information of the navigation.

In this case, the individual correction method of the lidar sensor described with reference to FIG. 5 is not described to limit it, and individual correction may be performed using another lidar sensor correction method known through the medium. However, when performing individual calibration of the lidar sensor, ground information and fixed object information must be detected.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of correcting a relative error of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the controller 150 performs individual absolute error correction of information (ie, sensing information) detected through the first and second lidar sensors 130 and 140 and individual absolute error corrections of the lidar sensors 130 and 140. The result information is received (S610).

For example, the control unit 150 may determine whether a failure occurs when the absolute error is corrected through individual corrections of the lidar sensors 130 and 140.

Accordingly, when it is assumed that all of the multi-lidar sensors 130 and 140 are normal, one designated lidar sensor 130 is selected and set as a reference (S620). Alternatively, any one of the reference lidar sensors 130 may be selected in a random manner.

In addition, the control unit 150 performs correction to match the ground information of the other lidar sensor 140 based on the ground information among the information (ie, sensing information) detected through the reference lidar sensor 130 (S630). .

In addition, the controller 150 performs correction to match fixed object information of other lidar sensors 140 based on fixed object information among information (ie, sensing information) detected through the reference lidar sensor 130 ( S640).

For example, the multi lidar sensors 130 and 140 do not have a large difference in detection information (that is, sensing information) through individual absolute error correction, but a small difference in the value in the overlapping area (redundant sensing area) Can occur. Accordingly, the control unit 150 performs correction (ie, additional precision correction) for a difference that may occur in the overlapping area (redundant sensing area).

At this time, in order to match the information of the multi lidar sensors 130 and 140, only the lidar sensor 140 that is not set as the reference by the difference value between the two lidar sensors 130 and 140 may be calibrated. , It is also possible to calibrate all of the two lidar sensors 130 and 140 by a value calculated by dividing the difference between the two lidar sensors 130 and 140 by two.

When the multi-lidar sensors 130 and 140 are mounted on the vehicle as described above, even if the absolute correction of each lidar sensor is performed, a relative error may occur between the lidar sensors. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to correct the relative error as described above, detection accuracy is improved by performing additional correction using information on the overlapping sensing area between the multi-lidar sensors.

That is, by performing correction to match information that can be calculated using the ground information and fixed object information extracted from the overlapping detection area, for example, it is possible to precisely correct the 3-axis translation and 3-axis rotation. .

As described above, the present embodiment improves the detection accuracy by correcting the relative error between the lidar sensors based on the ground information and the detection result of the fixed object.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a blockage of a multi-LIDAR sensor mounted in a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the control unit 150 determines a first blockage by detecting contamination of a surface in each of the first and second lidar sensors (S710). At this time, the control unit detects contamination on the surface of the first and second radar sensors, respectively, based on at least one of a point cloud signal, signal intensity, and detection distance, and determines the extent and shape of the detected contamination. Accordingly, the first blockage can be determined.

When step S710 is performed, the controller compares the distance value and the contamination pattern in the overlapping detection area of the first and second lidar sensors and determines whether they are similar (S720). That is, the control unit compares whether the overlapping detection area has the same distance value, and compares whether it has a similar contamination pattern.

When step S720 is performed, the controller determines a second blockage based on the similarity determination result and the first blockage (S730).

As described above, in the vehicle control apparatus and method according to the reliability of the Ram lidar sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a vehicle is equipped with a plurality of lidar sensors to simultaneously detect objects around the vehicle, the lidar sensors Auto calibration and blockage detection are performed, reliability values of lidar sensors can be calculated through error correction and blockage detection, and vehicle control mode can be selected based on the reliability value. You can change the mode.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is only illustrative, and those of ordinary skill in the field to which the technology pertains, various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible. I will understand.

Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims.

110: navigation unit
120: sensor unit
130: control unit
140: first lidar sensor
150: second lidar sensor

Claims (14)

A navigation unit having a built-in digital map, receiving a GPS signal based on the digital map information, and outputting information about a current location of the vehicle and surrounding the vehicle;
A sensor unit including at least one sensor for measuring speed and direction of the vehicle, gravity, and acceleration information;
First and second lidar sensors mounted at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the vehicle and having the same performance within an error range; And
Based on the information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit and the sensing information detected in the overlap detection area of the first and second lidar sensors, the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors is corrected, and the distortion correction is performed. A first reliability value is calculated according to, and a blockage of the first and second lidar sensors is detected based on sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area, and a second reliability value according to the detected blockage is calculated, A controller for selecting a vehicle control mode based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value;
Vehicle control device according to the reliability of the lidar sensor comprising a.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
A relative error of performing absolute error correction using a world coordinate system for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and matching sensing information detected in the overlapping detection region based on information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit A vehicle control apparatus according to reliability of a lidar sensor, characterized in that the correction is performed and a first reliability value is calculated based on a distortion correction result according to the absolute error correction and the relative error correction.
The method of claim 2,
The control unit,
Collects information detected through the sensor unit, detects ground information and fixed object information from information detected through the first and second lidar sensors, information detected through the sensor unit, the extracted ground information, By reflecting at least one or more of the detected fixed object information, information output from the navigation unit, and initial information previously stored in an internal memory, the absolute error correction of each lidar sensor is performed. Vehicle control device according to reliability.
The method of claim 2,
The control unit,
Compensating for a relative error using information extracted from the overlapping detection areas of the lidar sensors determined to be in a normal state through absolute error correction for each of the first and second lidar sensors,
A reference lidar sensor is selected from among the first and second lidar sensors in a normal state in a predetermined manner, and ground information of another lidar sensor is selected based on the ground information among information detected through the selected standard lidar sensor. It characterized in that it performs a matching correction, and performs a relative error correction by performing a correction to match fixed object information of another lidar sensor based on fixed object information among information detected through the reference lidar sensor. It is the vehicle control device according to the reliability of the sensor.
The method of claim 2,
The control unit compares the distortion correction result with a reference angle, and determines a first reliability value according to the comparison result.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
A first blockage is determined based on whether a signal is detected for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and a second blockage is determined by comparing a distance value and a contamination pattern in the overlapping detection area, and the first blockage and A vehicle control device according to reliability of a lidar sensor, characterized in that calculating a second reliability value according to the second blockage.
The method of claim 6,
The control unit,
Each of the contamination on the surface of the first and second radar sensors is detected based on at least one of a point cloud signal, a signal intensity, and a detection distance, and a first blockage according to the area and shape of the detected contamination. Vehicle control device according to the reliability of the lidar sensor, characterized in that to determine.
Receiving, by the controller, the current location of the vehicle and information on the surroundings of the vehicle through the navigation unit;
Receiving, by the control unit, information on a vehicle speed, direction, gravity, and acceleration measured through a sensor unit;
Receiving sensing information through first and second lidar sensors, wherein the control unit is mounted at a position symmetrical to the left and right of the vehicle and has the same performance within an error range;
The control unit corrects the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors based on the information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit and sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area of the first and second lidar sensors, and the Detecting blockage of the first and second lidar sensors based on the sensing information detected in the overlapping detection area;
Calculating, by the controller, a first reliability value according to the distortion correction and a second reliability value according to the detected blockage; And
Selecting, by the controller, a vehicle control mode based on the first reliability value and the second reliability value;
Vehicle control method according to the reliability of the lidar sensor comprising a.
The method of claim 8,
In order to correct the distortion of the first and second lidar sensors,
The control unit,
A relative error of performing absolute error correction using a world coordinate system for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and matching sensing information detected in the overlapping detection region based on information detected through the navigation unit and the sensor unit Vehicle control method according to the reliability of the lidar sensor, characterized in that performing correction.
The method of claim 9,
In order to perform the absolute error correction,
The control unit,
Collects information detected through the sensor unit, detects ground information and fixed object information from information detected through the first and second lidar sensors, information detected through the sensor unit, the extracted ground information, By reflecting at least one or more of the detected fixed object information, information output from the navigation unit, and initial information previously stored in an internal memory, the absolute error correction of each lidar sensor is performed. Vehicle control method according to reliability.
The method of claim 9,
In order to perform the relative error correction,
The control unit,
Compensating for a relative error using information extracted from the overlapping detection areas of the lidar sensors determined to be in a normal state through absolute error correction for each of the first and second lidar sensors,
A reference lidar sensor is selected from among the first and second lidar sensors in a normal state in a predetermined manner, and ground information of another lidar sensor is selected based on the ground information among information detected through the selected standard lidar sensor. It characterized in that it performs a matching correction, and performs a relative error correction by performing a correction to match fixed object information of another lidar sensor based on fixed object information among information detected through the reference lidar sensor. It is a vehicle control method according to the reliability of the sensor.
The method of claim 9,
In order to calculate the first reliability value,
The control unit,
The vehicle control method according to the reliability of the lidar sensor, characterized in that comparing the distortion correction result with a reference angle, and calculating a first reliability value according to the comparison result.
The method of claim 9,
For the second reliability value,
The control unit,
A first blockage is determined based on whether a signal is detected for each of the first and second lidar sensors, and a second blockage is determined by comparing a distance value and a contamination pattern in the overlapping detection area, and the first blockage and Vehicle control method according to reliability of a lidar sensor, characterized in that calculating a second reliability value according to the second blockage.
The method of claim 13,
To determine the first blockage,
The control unit,
Each of the contamination on the surface of the first and second radar sensors is detected based on at least one of a point cloud signal, a signal intensity, and a detection distance, and a first blockage according to the area and shape of the detected contamination. Vehicle control method according to the reliability of the lidar sensor, characterized in that to determine.

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