DE102015214243A1 - Method and device for enlarging a rear view area for a vehicle in front - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for increasing a rear view range for a preceding vehicle is provided. The method comprises recognizing a following vehicle with a sensor system, a query as to whether information about an area behind the following vehicle (2) is retrievable, wherein the area is preferably an area that is not from the driver of the preceding vehicle and / or can be viewed by sensors of the vehicle ahead and a provision of information from the area to the driver or a data processing unit of the preceding vehicle.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for enlarging a viewing area or monitoring area for a vehicle in front

Newer vehicles have a number of driver assistance systems that assist the driver in his driving tasks. In addition to a gain in security, the assistance of an assistance system also means a comfort increase for the driver.

Driver assistance systems are generally based on environmental sensing sensor systems installed in the vehicle. Typical sensors are camera, lidar, radar and ultrasonic sensor systems.

A trend of future vehicle generation is towards autonomous (piloted / highly automatic) driving. The driver serves only as a "fallback level" and the vehicle is automatically controlled depending on the ambient conditions in a longitudinal and transverse guidance.

Another trend is vehicle-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, where environmental data is provided not via the above-mentioned sensor systems but via a radio link. The radio link is configured to adjacent vehicles and / or a radio link to an external processing unit in the so-called backend.

The term "lateral guidance" is here to be understood not only as an avoidance of an obstacle, but also, for example, an independent lane change on a multi-lane roadway. Currently available lane change assistants assist the driver with blind spot monitoring and issue a warning to the driver when other vehicles are in the surveillance area. A development would be an automatically initiated lane change, for example. in the context of autonomous driving.

For many driver assistance functions and in particular a safe lane change, it is advantageous to have as comprehensive information about a vehicle environment.

It is the object of the invention presented here to provide a method and a device for improved information about a vehicle environment.

The object is solved by the features of the independent claims.

• – Erkennen eines nachfolgenden Fahrzeugs (2) mit einem Sensorsystem,
• – Abfrage, ob Informationen über einen Bereich (5) hinter dem nachfolgenden Fahrzeug (2) abrufbar sind, wobei es sich bei dem Bereich vorzugsweise um einem Bereich handelt, der nicht von dem Fahrzeugführer des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs (1) und/oder von Sensoren des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs einsehbar ist,
• – Bereitstellung von Informationen aus dem Bereich an den Fahrzeugführer oder eine Datenverarbeitungseinheit des vorausfahrenden Fahrzeugs (1).

A method is proposed for enlarging a rear view area for a preceding vehicle ( 1 ). The method comprises the steps

• - Detecting a following vehicle ( 2 ) with a sensor system,
• - query whether information about an area ( 5 ) behind the following vehicle ( 2 ), wherein the area is preferably an area that is not accessible to the driver of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ) and / or can be viewed by sensors of the vehicle in front,
• Provision of information from the field to the vehicle driver or a data processing unit of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ).

In particular, it is proposed that upon detection of a subsequent vehicle 2 in the rearward coverage of vehicle 1 , a car-to-car communication between the two vehicles ( 1 . 2 ) is activated to exchange appropriate information.

A positive embodiment of the invention provides that a lane change of the vehicle for the case of a subsequent vehicle is only released when information is available from the area and this can conclude a safe lane change.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the query for information from the area by means of a wireless sensor, which is designed in particular as a sensor for a vehicle-to-vehicle communication or as a radio link to an external processing unit. The latter is especially arranged outside of vehicles and is provided as an infrastructure for a road network. Such an external arithmetic unit in the backend may e.g. also map data, traffic information or similar for a vehicle.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that upon release of a lane change, a lane change is automatically initiated by the vehicle or a warning to the driver is omitted when it initiates a lane change.

Preferably, after providing information from the field ( 5 ) to a data processing unit of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ) a summary of environmental data, on the one hand the information from the area ( 5 ) and data from a camera, lidar or radar sensor system of the vehicle ( 1 ) are stored in a common environment model.

It claims a data processing unit for a vehicle with an electronic memory, on which a method according to one of the preceding claims is stored. The data processing unit is equipped with a camera, lidar or radar sensor system of the vehicle ( 1 ) and a unit for receiving radio data connectable. Furthermore, the data processing unit with units for vehicle control, in particular for longitudinal and transverse control of a vehicle connectable.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures and embodiments.

The 1 shows a situation where the ego vehicle 1 the preceding vehicle 4 on a multi-lane roadway 6 follows.

The vehicle 1 follows another vehicle 2 on the same middle lane, this vehicle 2 from vehicle 1 from behind a shaded area 5 generated so that the vehicle in the fast lane 3 from the environment detection system in the vehicle 1 , difficult or impossible to recognize.

To the preceding vehicle 2 to overtake would have vehicle 1 change to the third lane. At a lane change of vehicle 1 on the third lane, could depending on the differential speed to the vehicle 3 a certain danger, since the vehicle 3 from the perspective of the vehicle 1 and therefore can not be recorded correctly.

The by vehicle 2 shaded area 5 , is by a sensor system of vehicle 2 recorded, and the information from the detection area 2.1 gets via car-to-car communication from vehicle 2 to vehicle 1 transferred to the vehicle 1 by data fusion eg sensor technology 1.1 With 2.1 the area 5 behind the vehicle can still be displayed.

This will also be the vehicle 2 shaded area 5 , for the assistance system in the vehicle 1 "Visible" (can be displayed / evaluated) and can be in the vehicle 1 be considered accordingly.

In particular, it is proposed that upon detection of a subsequent vehicle 2 in the rearward coverage of vehicle 1 , a vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the two vehicles 1 . 2 is activated to exchange appropriate information.

2 shows a simple diagram to illustrate an embodiment of the inventive concept, which is used as part of a lane change release application.

If a following vehicle is detected, the following steps are performed before the lane change is released

Upon detection of shading by the subsequent vehicle, a car-to-car communication between the vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 if it does not already exist. vehicle 1 receives environmental data from vehicle 2 and it may be done by merging environmental data from the vehicle 1 and 2 the shaded area 5 for the assistance system in the vehicle 1 "Visible" (can be displayed / evaluated) and can be in the vehicle 1 be considered accordingly. Only if the data base for the detection of the shaded area is sufficient for the assessment of the dangerous situation, ie if the vehicle 2 via a functional detection sensor for the rear area 2.1 and this meaningful data by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication to vehicle 1 have been transferred, and threatens no danger from behind, a lane change is released.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 Ego vehicle

1.1

Detection range of a sensor system of vehicle 1

2

 Subsequent vehicle

2.1

Detection range of a sensor system of vehicle 2

3

 Reconditioning vehicle

4

 Prevailing vehicle

5

 Shaded area

6

 Multilane roadway

Claims (6)

Method for increasing a rearward viewing range for a preceding vehicle ( 1 ) comprising the steps of - detecting a following vehicle ( 2 ) with a sensor system - query whether information about an area ( 5 ) behind the following vehicle ( 2 ), whereby the area ( 5 ) is preferably an area that is not accessible to the driver of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ) and / or sensors of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ) is visible, - Provision of information from the field ( 5 ) to the vehicle driver or a data processing unit of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that if a following vehicle ( 2 ), a lane change of the vehicle ( 1 ) is released only if information from the field ( 5 ) to conclude a safe lane change. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the query for information from the field ( 5 ) is carried out by means of a radio sensor, which is configured in particular as a sensor for a vehicle-to-vehicle communication or as a radio link to an external computing unit. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that when releasing a lane change a lane change automatically from the vehicle ( 1 ) is initiated or a warning to the driver is omitted when it initiates a lane change. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after provision of information from the field ( 5 ) to a data processing unit of the preceding vehicle ( 1 ) a fusion of environmental data takes place. Data processing unit for a vehicle with an electronic memory, on which a method according to one of the preceding claims is stored.

Images