DE102018217254A1 - Procedure for the removal of interfering objects on traffic routes - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a method for eliminating interfering bodies (102) on traffic routes (103), comprising the steps: • receiving environmental data, • detecting an interfering body (102) located on or on a traffic route (103) based on the captured environmental data; • Determining a position of the interfering body; • Outputting a signal to an interface for sending information about the detected interfering body (102), including its position, for automated removal, in particular collection, of the interfering body (102).

Description

State of the art

The invention relates to a method for eliminating interfering objects on traffic routes, a device set up for executing the method, a computer program for executing the method, and a machine-readable storage medium on which this computer program is stored.

Methods for the automated control of vehicles are known from the prior art. In addition, methods are known in which objects are detected and this information is uploaded to a server.

In the DE 10 2017 113 752 A1 For example, a vehicle is disclosed that includes sensors and processors that are configured to perform primary detection of objects. In addition, the vehicle is able to select networked vehicles and to instruct the networked vehicles to record partially identified objects, in particular noises generated by the objects, and to deliver the records electronically to an address

• • Empfangen von Umfelddaten;
• • Detektieren eines sich auf oder an einem Verkehrsweg befindlichen Störkörpers basierend auf den erfassten Umfelddaten;
• • Ermitteln einer Position des Störkörpers;
• • Ausgeben eines Signals an eine Schnittstelle zum Aussenden von Informationen über den detektierten Störkörper, umfassend dessen Position, zur automatisierten Beseitigung, insbesondere Abholung, des Störkörpers.

The invention describes a method for eliminating interfering bodies on traffic routes, comprising the steps:

• • receiving environmental data;
• • Detection of an interfering body located on or on a traffic route based on the recorded surroundings data;
• • determining a position of the interfering body;
• Outputting a signal to an interface for sending information about the detected interfering body, including its position, for automated removal, in particular collection, of the interfering body.

The environment data can in particular be environment data acquired by environment sensors installed in a vehicle. The environment data can be recorded, for example, by vehicle sensors, such as external cameras, NFC, radar, lidar and / or ultrasonic sensors. This data can then be received, for example, by a control device, on which the method on which this application is based, can be received via appropriate interfaces. The environment data can also represent data from sensors of other vehicles and / or infrastructure devices.

The disruptive body can be, for example, a squared timber, an exhaust pipe, a blanket, a sofa, a stone, a bicycle, a shopping cart, a tire, sand or the like.

The interference body can be detected using known image processing algorithms. In particular, specially trained neural networks can be used for this. Classification methods can also be applied to the environment data received. The interfering bodies can be interfering bodies located on or along traffic routes. Interference bodies located on traffic routes are understood to mean interference bodies which are in the immediate vicinity of a traffic route, but not yet on this traffic route. These disruptive bodies have the potential to cause a disability in the future or already partially protrude onto a traffic route (e.g. individual branches of a fallen tree). These interfering bodies located on the traffic routes include in particular interfering bodies which are less than 1 m, in particular less than 50 cm, further in particular less than 20 cm, further in particular less than 10 cm from a lane marking of the traffic route.

The position of the interference body or its georeferencing can be determined on the basis of recorded GPS or GNSS signals, which are evaluated together with the received environmental data. Depending on the position of the vehicle and the distance of the vehicle to the object or interfering body, its exact position can be determined.

In the step of outputting, the signals determined via the interference body are output to an interface for transmitting these signals. This information, in particular the position of the interfering body, is sent out via the interface to a receiving unit which initiates automated removal, in particular collection, of the interfering body.

For this purpose, the information can, for example, be transmitted directly to a service provider who takes over the automated removal of the interfering body. Such a service provider can be a known construction yard service or an automated vehicle. The automated vehicle or vehicles suitable for this method can be specially equipped automated vehicles which, for example, have a loading area and means suitable for receiving the detected object, for example a crane, a shovel, a robot arm or the like.

In order for this service provider to be informed or a corresponding vehicle to be activated, an interference body in the above sense can first be detected and georeferenced using this method and this information can be transmitted to a backend service. The latter can then in turn activate downstream services. Alternatively, the transmission can take place directly to a corresponding vehicle or beforehand to the service provider.

This method makes it possible, for example, to detect lost cargo by means of environmental sensors of a vehicle, which can be operated in a partially, highly, or fully automated manner, to transmit this information to a suitable location and to activate a downstream service provider, which is to eliminate it of the interfering body. By automating this process, human intervention is no longer necessary, which means that resources, effort and the time to remove the interfering body can be reduced.

This procedure also has other advantages. On the one hand, a rapid detection of danger spots can be guaranteed and based on this detection an automated targeted removal of this danger spot can take place. In addition, the method provides a value-added function for driver assistance systems and systems for automated driving, which are carried out on vehicles with very high-performance environment sensors and, due to their scope of performance, are able to carry out such a detection, especially in parallel during operation.

In a further embodiment of the method, the interference body is classified and the determined class is output as information.

In a further embodiment of the method, the size and / or mass and / or material of the interfering body are estimated or ascertained and this information is output.

These embodiments of the method offer the advantage that further details about the disruptive body are available for the subsequent process of eliminating the disruptive body. Depending on the information about the disturbing body, appropriate decisions can be made, for example the choice of the machine or the vehicle for removing the disturbing body.

• • Empfangen von Informationen über einen sich auf oder an einem Verkehrsweg befindlichen Störkörper, wobei die Informationen die Position des Störkörpers umfassen;
• • Automatisierte Ansteuerung eines Fahrzeugs zur automatisieren Beseitigung des Störkörpers basierend auf den empfangenen Informationen.

Furthermore, we claim a method for the automated removal of a disturbing body from a traffic route, which comprises the following steps:

• Receiving information about an interfering body located on or along a traffic route, the information including the position of the interfering body;
• • Automated control of a vehicle for the automated removal of the interference body based on the information received.

The vehicles suitable for this method can be specially equipped automated vehicles which, for example, have a loading area and means suitable for receiving the detected disruptive body, for example a crane, a shovel, a robot arm or the like. The vehicles can in particular be operated in an automated manner and carry out an independent elimination of the interfering body based on the information received.

In a further embodiment of the method, this comprises the additional step of selecting a suitable vehicle for the automated removal of the interference body based on the received information, the suitable vehicle for automated removal of the interference body being controlled automatically based on the received information.

This additional step has the advantage that a vehicle that is optimally suitable or positioned for the disturbing body is controlled for the automated removal of the disturbing body. This can ensure that the removal is carried out as promptly as possible or that the removal attempt is carried out successfully by selecting the right vehicle.

In this method, the information received can in particular have been generated and / or transmitted by the above-described method for detecting the interference body.

The approach presented here also creates a device which is designed to carry out, control or implement the steps of a variant of a method presented here in corresponding devices. This embodiment of the invention in the form of a device can also quickly and efficiently solve the problem of eliminating interfering bodies on traffic routes.

For this purpose, the device can provide at least one computing unit for processing signals or data, at least one storage unit for storing signals or data, at least one interface to a sensor or an actuator for reading sensor signals from the sensor or for outputting data or control signals have the actuator and / or at least one communication interface for reading in or outputting data which are embedded in a communication protocol. The computing unit can be, for example, a signal processor, a microcontroller or the like, and the storage unit can be a flash memory, an EEPROM or a magnetic storage unit. The communication interface can be designed to read or output data wirelessly and / or line-bound, wherein a communication interface that can read or output line-bound data can read this data, for example electrically or optically, from a corresponding data transmission line or can output it to a corresponding data transmission line.

In the present case, a device can be understood to mean an electrical device that processes sensor signals and outputs control and / or data signals as a function thereof. The device can have an interface that can be designed in terms of hardware and / or software. In the case of a hardware configuration, the interfaces can be part of a so-called system ASIC, for example, which contains a wide variety of functions of the device. However, it is also possible that the interfaces are separate, integrated circuits or at least partially consist of discrete components. In the case of software training, the interfaces can be software modules that are present, for example, on a microcontroller in addition to other software modules.

Also advantageous is a computer program product or computer program with program code, which can be stored on a machine-readable carrier or storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk memory or an optical memory and for carrying out, implementing and / or controlling the steps of the method according to one of the embodiments described above is used, in particular if the program product or program is executed on a computer or a device.

Accordingly, a corresponding computer program and a machine-readable storage medium are also claimed, on which the computer program is stored.

Figure list

• 1 visualizes the detection of a disturbing body on a street.
• 2nd shows a schematic process diagram.

Embodiments

In 1 is shown a first embodiment in which a vehicle 101 one on a street 103 located interfering body 102 detected. The vehicle 101 has several sensors, including several cameras, radar and lidar sensors. The vehicle also points 101 Interfaces by means of which the environmental signals detected by the sensors are received on a control device.

In the vehicle 101 does that run in 2nd schematically illustrated method, which in step 201 starts.

In step 202 the environmental data are recorded.

Based on the recorded environment data, step occurs 203 a detection of yourself on the street 103 located interfering body 102 . In this embodiment there are two different interfering bodies 102 , a stone and a branch. Using the receiving environment data and an image processing algorithm, raised bodies located on the street or on the street can be detected.

The interfering body or the interfering bodies can optionally 102 in an optional step 203a can also be classified using an appropriate algorithm.

In another optional step 203b can the dimensions and / or the weight and / or the material of the interfering body 102 can be estimated or determined.

In step 204 becomes the position of the interfering body 102 determined. For this, the distance and direction of the interfering body to the vehicle 101 determined and based on the current position of the vehicle 101 , which is detected by a GPS sensor, the position of the interfering body 102 calculated.

In step 205 a signal is output to an interface of the vehicle, which sends the determined information, including its position. The transmission takes place in such a way that, based on the transmitted information, automated removal of the interfering bodies 102 he follows.

The process ends in step 206 .

In this exemplary embodiment, the transmitted information is received by a server which is designed for the automated control of a plurality of disposal vehicles. Of the The server receives information about the locations and properties of several disposal vehicles at regular intervals. Based on the information received about the interfering objects 102 this one selects itself near the position of the interfering body 102 disposal vehicle. If the information contains further details about the interfering body, a disposal vehicle is selected based on these details to remove a corresponding interfering body 102 is designed. In this embodiment, the interference body 102 the street 103 assigned and the server is already on the road 103 located disposal vehicle activated by sending appropriate data so that this automates the disturbance body 102 eliminated.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is only included 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.

Patent literature cited

• DE 102017113752 A1 [0003]

Claims (9)

Method for eliminating interfering bodies (102) on traffic routes (103), comprising the steps: • receiving (202) environment data, in particular environment data acquired by means of environment sensors installed in a vehicle; • Detecting (203) an interfering body (102) located on or on a traffic route based on the detected surroundings data; • determining (204) a position of the disturbing body (102); • Outputting (205) a signal to an interface for sending information about the detected interference body (102), including its position, for automated removal, in particular collection, of the interference body (102). Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the interference body (102) is classified and the determined class is output as information. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the size and / or mass and / or material of the interfering body (102) are estimated or ascertained and this information is output. Method for the automated removal of a disturbing body (102) from a traffic route (103), comprising the steps: • Receiving information about an interference body (102) located on or on a traffic route (103), the information including the position of the interference body (102); • Automated control of a vehicle for the automated removal of the interference body (102) based on the information received. Procedure according to Claim 4 , comprising the additional step of selecting a suitable vehicle for the automated removal of the interference body (102) based on the received information, the suitable vehicle for automated removal of the interference body (102) being controlled automatically based on the received information. Procedure according to one of the Claims 4 or 5 , characterized in that the received information by means of a method according to one of the Claims 1 to 3rd be determined. Device that is set up all the steps of the method according to one of the Claims 1 to 6 to execute. Computer program, comprising commands which cause the computer program to be executed by a computer, a method according to one of the Claims 1 to 6 to execute. Machine-readable storage medium on which the computer program according Claim 8 is saved.

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