DE102019202177A1 - Sensor positioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a sensor positioning device (P) for a vehicle (F), the sensor positioning device (P) is capable of changing a position of at least one vehicle sensor when the sensor positioning device (P) is mounted on the vehicle (F).

Description

The invention relates to a sensor positioning device according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a vehicle, a method and a computer-readable medium according to the independent claims.

Many vehicles nowadays have sensors in order to be able to detect obstacles that are around the vehicle. Such sensors are particularly important in autonomous vehicles, because the safety of autonomous driving can only be guaranteed if obstacles are reliably detected, because otherwise there is a risk of collisions. These requirements for the detection of obstacles exist not only in road traffic, but also in agricultural applications, for example when tractors, combine harvesters or the like are on the road without a driver on agricultural areas, such as fields with vegetation.

In such cases, in particular, the detection of obstacles can be a challenge, since obstacles can, for example, be partially covered by the vegetation or vegetation of a field. For example, animals or people can be out and about in overgrown fields and only partially protrude from the vegetation. In addition, there may be power poles, fence posts or trees in overgrown fields. All of these obstacles must be reliably recognized when cultivating agricultural land with autonomously driving agricultural vehicles.

A problem here is that the height of the vegetation, for example the height of the grain in a grain field, is not always constant. If, for example, an agricultural vehicle has radar sensors which are used to detect obstacles in front of the vehicle, it can happen that these sensors are arranged so low on the vehicle that the vegetation of the agricultural area being driven over them dominates them. If, for example, a radar sensor is arranged at a height of 80 cm on a tractor, but the height of vegetation in the field traveled is 120 cm, then the radar sensor is ineffective.

To do this, one must also bear in mind that such 3D sensors, as they are typically used in vehicle technology, usually have a very limited viewing angle in the vertical direction. This leads to the disadvantage that conventional sensors for detecting obstacles typically have to be installed at the height where the obstacles typically occur. Since the height of the vegetation often changes in agricultural vehicles, as described, a selected sensor installation height does not always lead to reliable detection of obstacles.

The object of the invention is to eliminate or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art.

The object is achieved by a sensor positioning device for a vehicle, the sensor positioning device being suitable for changing a position of at least one vehicle sensor when the sensor positioning device is mounted on the vehicle. In principle, a vehicle can be any type of vehicle, but in particular an agricultural vehicle, such as a combine harvester, a tractor or the like. The vehicle can also be another off-road vehicle or a military vehicle. The term “vehicle sensor” is typically understood to mean a 3D sensor such as a radar sensor or a lidar sensor. Such vehicle sensors are also a camera or an ultrasonic sensor.

The invention makes it possible to flexibly position one or more vehicle sensors for detecting obstacles around the vehicle, so that the position of the vehicle sensors is optimally matched to a current height of vegetation on an agricultural area. This makes it possible to arrange the sensors so high that their field of view is not covered by the vegetation of the agricultural area. In this way, obstacles that are located on the agricultural area and protrude from the vegetation can be reliably detected.

In typical embodiments, the sensor positioning device comprises a guide device and a sensor carrier, the sensor carrier being suitable for being displaced along the guide device. The guide device comprises, for. B. a rail on which the sensor carrier can move back and forth. A sensor carrier is to be understood as a device which is suitable for carrying or receiving one or more vehicle sensors, for example a plate, a frame or the like. Typically, the guide device is suitable to be attached to the vehicle. This ultimately enables a relative movement between the vehicle and the sensor carrier - and thus also the vehicle sensors mounted on the sensor carrier. As an alternative to a guide device and a sensor carrier, however, it is also possible for the vehicle sensor or sensors to be moved directly, wherein the sensor positioning device can then comprise, for example, one or more rods, for example telescopic rods.

In typical embodiments, the guide device is suitable for being attached to the vehicle in such a way that the sensor carrier can be displaced in the vertical direction. The term “vertical direction” means the direction that is perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the wheel axles of the vehicle. The vertical direction typically points upwards when the vehicle is on its wheels. One possibility is that the guide device comprises a rail which runs in the vertical direction when it is mounted on the vehicle, so that the sensor carrier is displaceable in the vertical direction, that is to say can move up and down.

In typical embodiments, the sensor positioning device has a maximum displacement path between 400 cm and 250 cm, preferably between 350 cm and 250 cm, advantageously between 300 cm and 250 cm, typically at least 250 cm. The term “maximum displacement path” is to be understood as the path by which the vehicle sensor or sensors can typically be displaced in one direction, in particular in the vertical direction. In particular, the maximum displacement path corresponds to an effective length of the guide device, that is to say the maximum path that the sensor carrier can cover on the guide device, or a distance between a highest position and a lowest position of the sensor carrier. The inventors have found that such a maximum displacement path is particularly advantageous because the height of vegetation on agricultural areas often varies between 10 cm and 250 cm. Alternatively, however, smaller or larger displacement distances are also possible.

In typical embodiments, the sensor positioning device includes a height reading device. A height reading device is to be understood as a device which makes it possible to determine a current height of the vehicle sensor and / or a current height of the sensor carrier. This height reading device is typically a mechanical height reading device or an electronic height reading device. A mechanical height reading device typically includes a pointer or the like and a scale. An electronic height reading device is typically suitable for electronically detecting a height of the sensor carrier and / or the vehicle sensor or the vehicle sensors and forwards the determined value, for example to a vehicle controller. A height reading device has the advantage that it is possible, for example, to generate reference values which can then be used later for comparison purposes. As an alternative to a height reading device, however, it is also possible for the vehicle sensors or at least one or more of them themselves to estimate the respective height of the sensors and / or the sensor carrier.

In typical embodiments, the sensor positioning device comprises a radar sensor and / or a lidar sensor and / or a camera as the vehicle sensor (s). Such sensors are particularly advantageous in order to detect obstacles in the area of the vehicle. In principle, however, other types of sensors, for example ultrasonic sensors, are also possible.

In one embodiment of the invention, a vehicle comprises an aforementioned sensor positioning device according to at least one aforementioned exemplary embodiment. The vehicle is preferably an agricultural vehicle. An agricultural vehicle is to be understood as a combine harvester or a tractor or the like.

• - einen Startschritt, bei welchem der Fahrzeugsensor an einer höchsten Position positioniert wird,
• - einen Herunterfahrschritt, bei welchem der Fahrzeugsensor so lange kontinuierlich heruntergefahren wird, bis eine Vegetations-Oberkante detektiert wird, und
• - einen Stoppschritt, bei welchem der Fahrzeugsensor an einer Betriebsposition fixiert wird.

A method for positioning a vehicle sensor by means of a sensor positioning device according to one of the aforementioned exemplary embodiments comprises the following steps:

• - a starting step in which the vehicle sensor is positioned at a highest position,
• a shutdown step in which the vehicle sensor is continuously shut down until an upper edge of vegetation is detected, and
• a stop step in which the vehicle sensor is fixed in an operating position.

The “highest position” is typically understood to mean an upper end of the displacement path of the sensor positioning device. If at the beginning of the starting step the vehicle sensor or the sensor carrier is already in the highest position, then of course it does not have to be positioned there first, but is considered to be positioned there. As part of the shutdown step, the vehicle sensor is then typically continuously shut down, with sensor data from the vehicle sensor being continuously analyzed in order to find out when the upper edge of the vegetation is being detected. The upper edge of the vegetation is to be understood as the upper end of vegetation on an agricultural area, for example the upper ends of maize plants, ears of corn or stalks. As soon as this top edge of vegetation is detected, the vehicle sensor is fixed in an operating position in the stopping step. It is possible that the operating position is a little higher than the height of the upper edge of the vegetation, for example a few centimeters higher, e.g. B. approx. 10 cm, approx. 20 cm, approx. 30 cm or approx. 40 cm. For this purpose, the vehicle sensor and / or the sensor carrier is then typically moved up a few centimeters again in the stop step and locked there. In typical embodiments, the sensor carrier is positioned at a highest position during the starting step, then the sensor carrier is continuously lowered in the shutdown step until an upper edge of vegetation is detected, and then the sensor carrier is fixed in an operating position in the stopping step.

In typical embodiments, the method comprises a checking step which is carried out between the shutdown step and the stopping step, wherein in the checking step it is checked whether the detected upper edge of the vegetation has a height which falls within an expected height range. Such a test step can secure the positioning of the vehicle sensor or the sensor carrier. For example, it is possible that certain typical height ranges of the vegetation top edge are preset for certain field types and / or that earlier height ranges of the vegetation top edge of a special field are stored in the vehicle. If the detected height of the upper edge of the vegetation does not fall within the expected height range, this can indicate that an error has occurred in the positioning of the vehicle sensor or the sensor carrier, which may be safety-relevant. This error can then be corrected if necessary.

In typical embodiments of the method, a correction step is carried out if it was established during the test step that the detected upper edge of the vegetation has a height which does not fall within the expected height range. In principle, different types of correction steps are conceivable. A possible correction step is that the procedure returns to the starting step and is then carried out again. Another possible correction step is that a coordination center, from which the agricultural vehicle is controlled, is informed of the result of the test step, so that the coordination center can then check whether the vehicle sensor or the sensor carrier is correctly positioned.

In one embodiment of the invention, a computer-readable medium comprises computer program code for performing a method according to at least one aforementioned embodiment. The term “computer-readable medium” includes e.g. B. hard drives and / or servers and / or memory sticks and / or flash memory and / or DVDs and / or Bluerays and / or CDs. In addition, the term “computer-readable medium” is also to be understood as a data stream such as is created, for example, when a computer program product is downloaded from the Internet.

• 1: eine schematische Darstellung eines Fahrzeugs mit Sensor-Positionierungsvorrichtung in Seitenansicht,
• 2: eine schematische Darstellung des Fahrzeugs mit Sensor-Positionierungsvorrichtung aus 1 in Draufsicht,
• 3: ein Flussdiagramm eines erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens gemäss eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels, und
• 4: ein Flussdiagramm eines erfindungsgemässen Verfahrens gemäss eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels.

The invention is briefly explained below with reference to drawings, which show:

• 1 : a schematic representation of a vehicle with sensor positioning device in side view,
• 2 : a schematic representation of the vehicle with sensor positioning device 1 in plan view,
• 3 : a flow diagram of a method according to the invention according to a first embodiment, and
• 4th : a flow diagram of a method according to the invention according to a second embodiment.

1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle F. with sensor positioning device P in side view. The vehicle F. in 1 is an agricultural vehicle, e.g. B. a tractor, which is in a field 4th Is on the way. On the field 4th there is vegetation 5 , which can also be referred to as vegetation. The upper side of the vegetation 5 is called the vegetation top 6th designated. At a front of the vehicle F. is the sensor positioning device P appropriate. The sensor positioning device P comprises a guide device 1 and a sensor carrier 2 . The guiding device 1 is aligned in such a way that the sensor carrier 2 can be moved up and down when passing along the guide device 1 is moved. In other words, it is the sensor carrier 2 along the guide device 1 can be moved vertically.

Here the sensor carrier has 2 a maximum displacement path 3 , which runs in the vertical direction. If the sensor carrier 2 at the upper end of the maximum displacement path 3 is arranged, then there is the sensor carrier 2 in its highest position. The sensor carrier is located accordingly 2 at its lowest position when it is at the lower end of the maximum displacement path 3 is arranged. In the in 1 The embodiment shown is the sensor carrier 2 arranged slightly above its lowest position. The sensor carrier 2 includes a vehicle sensor (in 1 not explicitly shown), which has a field of view 7th Has. 1 it can be seen that the sensor carrier 2 is positioned such that a current operating position of the vehicle sensor is just above the Vegetation top edge 6th is located. How out 1 is recognizable, the field of view is 7th of the vehicle sensor at each point at least partially above the upper edge of the vegetation 6th . Hence, there can be obstacles emerging from the vegetation 5 protrude with a sensor carrier positioned in this way 2 can be safely recognized.

2 shows a schematic representation of the vehicle F. with sensor positioning device P out 1 in plan view. Also in 2 it can be seen that the sensor positioning device P on a front of the vehicle F. is arranged. Also are in 2 again the guide device 1 as well as the sensor carrier 2 recognizable. Furthermore, in 2 recognizable that the guide device 1 is rail-shaped. Also is in 2 turn the field of view 7th of the vehicle sensor not shown separately, the vehicle sensor on the sensor carrier 2 is mounted. The comparison between the field of view 7th in 2 and the field of view 7th in 1 shows that a horizontal field of view angle (see 2 ) with the vehicle sensor used is significantly larger than a vertical field of view angle (see 1 ).

3 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention according to a first embodiment. The method is a method for positioning a vehicle sensor by means of a sensor positioning device P . The positioning method is initialized in an initialization step S1. In a starting step S2, the sensor carrier becomes 2 , which carries the vehicle sensor to be positioned, initially positioned at its highest position. A shutdown step S3 is then started in which the sensor carrier 2 the vehicle sensor to be positioned is continuously lowered until there is an upper edge of vegetation 6th is detected. As soon as the top of the vegetation 6th has been detected, a test step S4 is carried out. As part of the test step S4, it is checked whether the detected upper edge of the vegetation 6th has a height that falls within an expected height range. The expected height range is typically a preset height range for the field 4th on which the vehicle is F. is currently located. If during the test step S4 it is determined that the height of the vegetation upper edge 6th falls within the expected altitude range, then stop step S5 is then carried out, in which the vehicle sensor is fixed in an operating position. This operating position can have a height which is a few centimeters above the height of the upper edge of the vegetation 6th lies. After stopping step S5, a starting step S6 is then automatically carried out, in which a vehicle control system is informed that the vehicle sensor is now correctly positioned and that it is possible to drive off accordingly. If it is established during test step S4 that the detected height of the upper edge of the vegetation 6th does not fall within the expected altitude range, a correction step S7 is carried out. The correction step S7 in the in 3 illustrated embodiment is such that a coordination center is contacted, from which the operation of the vehicle F. controlled, for example by humans. As part of the control step S7, it is then checked manually whether the upper edge of the vegetation 6th correctly detected, and if this is the case, then the stop step S5 is carried out as described. Otherwise, other appropriate steps will be initiated by the coordination center.

4th shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention according to a second embodiment. In principle, that's in 4th The procedure shown in 3 procedure shown very similar. In particular, the in 4th The method shown includes the steps already described for the first embodiment, namely the initialization step S1, the start step S2, the shutdown step S3, the test step S4, the stop step S5 and the start step S6. However, the correction step S7 is designed differently in the second exemplary embodiment than in the first exemplary embodiment. The correction step S7 in 4th consists in the fact that if the result of test step S4 is negative, the system automatically returns to start step S2. The sensor carrier 2 is therefore automatically returned to its highest position in correction step S7 in this case, and then the shutdown step S3 is carried out again. In addition, the procedure in 4th an optional restart step S8. This restart step S8 is carried out if there is no upper edge of vegetation in shutdown step S3 6th was detected. In this case, it is assumed that there is an error and that the positioning method should therefore be restarted again, namely with the start step S2. Alternatively, it would also be possible if an upper edge of vegetation was not detected 6th the sensor carrier 2 at its lowest position, i.e. at the lower end of the maximum displacement path 3 to position.

In typical embodiments, the sensor carrier comprises 2 a plurality of vehicle sensors, for example a camera and a 3D sensor. The camera is typically suitable for detecting weather conditions, lighting conditions and / or obstructions of the field of view. The 3D sensor typically includes a lidar component. The plurality of vehicle sensors typically at least partially share a signal processing device and / or signal processing of the plurality of vehicle sensors is carried out at least partially in a bundled manner. In typical embodiments, at least two vehicle sensors share, e.g. B. a camera and a lidar sensor, a common lens.

In typical embodiments, all of the vehicle sensors are the sensor carriers 2 comprises, arranged within a gyroscope, in particular around up and down movements of the vehicle F. balance and / or take into account and / or respond to them.

In typical embodiments, the sensor positioning device operates P in an agricultural vehicle F. with a spray device for applying a liquid, e.g. B. an active ingredient together. There is the vehicle F. typically configured in such a way that it can modify a composition and / or a dose of a sprayed active ingredient and / or an amount of liquid on the basis of vehicle sensor information. The vehicle sensor information is typically obtained from one or more vehicle sensors on the sensor carrier 2 retrieved. The vehicle sensor information includes, for example, colors and / or reflection values and / or other optical information relating to vegetation. In this way, it is possible, for example, to spray as needed when diseased and / or pest-infested and / or dry vegetation is detected by a vehicle sensor, for example a camera.

List of reference symbols

1

Guide device

2

Sensor carrier

3

maximum displacement

4th

field

5

Vegetation / vegetation

6th

Vegetation top edge

7th

Field of view

P

Sensor positioning device

F.

vehicle

S1

Initialization step

S2

Starting step

S3

Shutdown step

S4

Test step

S5

Stop step

S6

Start step

S7

Correction step

S8

Restart step

Claims (11)

Sensor positioning device (P) for a vehicle (F), characterized in that the sensor positioning device (P) is adapted to change a position of at least one vehicle sensor when the sensor positioning device (P) is mounted on the vehicle (F) is. Sensor positioning device (P) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the sensor positioning device (P) comprises a guide device (1) and a sensor carrier (2), the sensor carrier (2) being suitable for being displaced along the guide device (1). Sensor positioning device (P) according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the guide device (1) is suitable for being attached to the vehicle (F) in such a way that the sensor carrier (2) can be displaced in the vertical direction. Sensor positioning device (P) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor positioning device (P) has a maximum displacement path (3) between 400 cm and 250 cm. Sensor positioning device (P) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor positioning device (P) comprises a height reading device. Sensor positioning device (P) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor positioning device (P) comprises a radar sensor and / or a lidar sensor and / or a camera as the vehicle sensor (s). Vehicle (F), wherein the vehicle (F) is preferably an agricultural vehicle, comprising a sensor positioning device (P) according to one of the preceding claims. Method for positioning a vehicle sensor by means of a sensor positioning device (P) according to one of the Claims 1 to 6th , the method comprising the following steps: - a start step (S2), in which the vehicle sensor is positioned at a highest position, - a lowering step (S3), in which the vehicle sensor is continuously lowered until an upper edge of vegetation ( 6) is detected, a stop step (S5) in which the vehicle sensor is fixed at an operating position. Procedure according to Claim 8 , wherein the method comprises a checking step (S4) which between the shutdown step (S3) and the stopping step (S5) is carried out, wherein in the test step (S4) it is checked whether the detected vegetation upper edge (6) has a height which falls within an expected height range. Procedure according to Claim 9 , characterized in that a correction step (S7) is carried out if it was established during the test step (S4) that the detected vegetation upper edge (6) has a height which does not fall within the expected height range. Computer-readable medium, characterized in that the computer-readable medium includes computer program code for performing a method according to one of the Claims 8 to 10 includes.

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