Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/9319—Controlling the accelerator
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/932—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/9321—Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/9323—Alternative operation using light waves
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/9327—Sensor installation details
  • G01S2013/93271—Sensor installation details in the front of the vehicles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/9329—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles cooperating with reflectors or transponders

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for determining a future course range of a motor vehicle. It can be used, for example, in the context of an adaptive vehicle speed or distance control of a vehicle, an adaptive headlight range adjustment or simply to identify critical situations.
• the prerequisite is that the vehicle is equipped with at least one sensor that can detect vehicles in front and stationary objects in front of the vehicle and at least determine their position.
• sensors can be designed, for example, as a radar, laser or also as a video sensor.
• the invention is preferably used in connection with an adaptive vehicle speed or distance control of a vehicle, since such a sensor is already present in this application.
• ACC adaptive cruise control
• a fundamental problem with such systems is an automated decision as to which of several vehicles in front is relevant or most relevant for speed or distance control. This decision is particularly difficult in the event that the road on which the controlled vehicle is moving is multi-lane and winding.
• a distance sensor which is used, among other things, for the detection of vehicles traveling ahead, generally also detects vehicles that are located in adjacent lanes and, accordingly, are only of subordinate relevance for distance control.
• No. 4,786,164 describes a system and a method for the detection of a distance between two vehicles which are moving in the same traffic lane.
• the lane in which each of the two vehicles moves is determined by comparing angles at which reflectors distributed on both sides of the road are detected.
• the method described here can only be used if suitable reflectors are actually available on both sides of a road and are therefore dependent on infrastructural conditions.
• DE 196 14 061 AI describes a system for controlling the distance to a vehicle in front on the basis of an adjustable probability distribution.
• This system described has a curvature determination device in which the curvature of a road is determined on the basis of a steering angle and a vehicle speed.
• the steering angle is determined based on the movement of a specified stationary object according to a first modification.
• the locations of a stationary stationary object are determined based on the movement of a specified stationary object according to a first modification.
• the locations are then defined as an arc to calculate the curvature of the road on which the system vehicle is traveling.
• a sharp curve of the road can also be recognized using a stationary object.
• the calculated curvature can be increased or decreased when a turn indicator shows the right or left direction.
• a navigation system for example, a GPS system to determine whether or not there is a curve in a forward direction of the system vehicle.
• the aim of the present invention is to provide a method and a device based thereon with which a future course range of a first vehicle can be determined reliably and in particular also when entering and exiting curves.
• this object is achieved in that the future course area of the first vehicle is determined at least on the basis of a course course of a preceding vehicle.
• a relative position of at least one vehicle in front of the first vehicle is determined for this purpose, and a transverse offset q between the vehicle in front and the first vehicle is then determined on the basis of this relative position.
• the future course range of the controlled vehicle is then dependent on the
• Cross offset q and the course of the course of the preceding vehicle is determined. To put it graphically, the movement of one or more vehicles in front is observed in order to determine one's own future course or course range.
• the transverse offset q is advantageously redetermined at fixed or selectable times and is assumed to be constant between these times. It is particularly advantageous if the future course range of the controlled vehicle is determined on the basis of the course of a number of preceding vehicles a lane change of a single preceding vehicle is filtered out by comparing or correlating or averaging the course of all preceding vehicles.
• At least one further future course area is based on a steering angle, a steering wheel angle, a yaw rate, a difference in wheel speeds or a lateral acceleration of the controlled vehicle or on the basis of stationary objects or oncoming vehicles that are detected by the distance sensor of the first vehicle.
• a verified future course area is then determined on the basis of the first and the at least one further specific future course area.
• this means that a future course range of the controlled vehicle is determined using different and mutually independent methods.
• a combination of these individually determined future course areas can be used to correct errors that occur individually in the method, so that the verified future course area contains an optimal prediction of the actual course area.
• the future or the verified future course area becomes more stationary based on positions
• a particular advantage of the method according to the invention is that the future course range is determined on the basis of measurement data which are actually in the run-up to the controlled vehicle. Instead of an estimate by extrapolating a current situation, an evaluation of the actual situation existing in the run-up to the vehicle. In this way, early detection of the beginning or end of a curve is possible in particular. This significantly reduces the error rate compared to previously known methods.
• Another advantage is that the method is independent of special infrastructural conditions, such as specially provided reflectors on the roadside. However, if there are appropriate reflectors, they can be taken into account accordingly.
• the method can be implemented in a vehicle which is equipped with an adaptive speed control without any particular effort, in particular without an additional image recording and image evaluation device.
• FIG. 1 shows a basic illustration of a device according to the invention
• FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show two basic diagrams to explain the method according to the invention
• FIG. 4 shows a flow chart according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 5 shows a flow chart according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 6 shows a flow chart for a more detailed explanation of the method according to the invention.
• Figure 1 shows an apparatus for performing the method according to the invention.
• a distance sensor 10 for example a radar or a laser sensor, is connected to an evaluation and control unit 11.
• the evaluation and control unit 11 receives numerous further signals, of which an input 13 for a vehicle's own speed, an input 14 for a steering angle and an input 15 for a yaw rate are shown here by way of example.
• the evaluation and control unit 11 is connected to one or more actuators 12.
• the entire device is installed in a first vehicle. With the distance sensor 10, vehicles traveling ahead, oncoming vehicles and stationary objects are detected on and on both sides of the road by known methods.
• Corresponding measurement data are processed and fed to the evaluation and control unit 11. According to the method described below, this determines at least one future course area of the first vehicle.
• the evaluation and control unit 11 controls or regulates the speed of the vehicle via the actuator (s) 12. As an alternative or in addition, it controls, for example, the light range or the light cone of the headlights of the vehicle via actuators 12 or generates a warning signal which indicates a critical situation.
• FIG. 2 shows a two-lane road 20 on which two vehicles 21, 22 are moving in the same direction.
• the vehicle is designated, which has the device according to the invention.
• an angular range 24 is sketched, which symbolizes the detection range of the distance sensor 10.
• a dash-dotted line 26 shows the future course of the vehicle 21.
• a route 23 provides a lateral transverse offset q between vehicles 21 and 22.
• a stationary object for example a tree on the roadside, is outlined.
• FIG. 3 also shows a two-lane road 30 on which three vehicles 31, 32 and 33 are shown at two different times tg and tL.
• the positions of the vehicles at time t 0 are shown in dashed lines and designated 31a, 32a and 33a.
• the positions of the vehicles at time t ⁇ _ are designated 31b, 32b and 33b.
• Two lines 34 and 35 each designate a transverse offset q ] _ and q2 between the vehicle 31 and 32 and between the vehicle 31 and 33.
• FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• vehicles F v j_ are detected with the aid of the distance sensor 10.
• vehicles 22 and 32 and 33 are detected.
• a position P vj _ of each individual preceding vehicle is determined.
• this step can be carried out either by an evaluation circuit within the distance sensor 10 or by the evaluation and control unit 11.
• the specific positions P _ vj of the preceding vehicles F Vi include a distance d ⁇ and an angle Ot j _.
• a transverse offset q- j _ which is indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by lines 23, 34 and 35, is determined.
• the cross offset qi results purely mathematically
• the transverse offset q-j_ is only determined when the first vehicle 31 is at or next to the position that the respective preceding vehicle had one or more measuring times before.
• the future course range KB of the controlled vehicle 21, 31 is now determined on the basis of an assumed width b of the first vehicle, on the basis of the course profiles KV-j_ of the preceding vehicles F v ⁇ , on the basis of their respective transverse offset q ⁇ and possibly on the basis of previously determined course profiles .
• This is based on the assumption that the first vehicle will continue to move as the vehicle or vehicles in front.
• the certain expected course range is advantageously expanded in the corresponding direction. This differentiates the certain future course range KB from a pure prediction of the course of the road. According to FIG.
• a preferred embodiment of the invention consists in limiting the determined future course area on the basis of stationary objects 25 and, if available, on the basis of detected oncoming vehicles F G , which are not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
• the following step 46 relates to the application of the method according to the invention in the context of an adaptive vehicle speed and distance control.
• a vehicle driving ahead is selected as the control target for the distance control.
• a selection is preferably made according to which of the vehicles in front requires the lowest target acceleration or the greatest target deceleration for the controlled vehicle.
• the selection can also be made dependent on other criteria. For example, the selection can be made according to which of the vehicles in front has the smallest distance from the first, controlled vehicle.
• 48 shows the iterative repetition of the method according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a second embodiment of the invention.
• Steps 51 to 54 correspond to steps 41 to 44 according to FIG. 4.
• a verified, future course range KBver is then determined in step 55.
• further measurement data in particular a future course area KB 2 determined otherwise, are used.
• This otherwise determined future course range KB 2 can be determined, for example, using the methods known in the prior art with the aid of a yaw rate or a lateral acceleration.
• the link between the two specific future course areas KB and KB 2 takes place in that the first certain course area KB is used as long as a defined minimum number of vehicles traveling in front is detected. If fewer vehicles driving ahead than this specified number are detected, the future course area KB 2 is used.
• the dates of the two can be determined
• Course areas KB and KB 2 can also be correlated with each other in order to obtain the verified course area Kbver.
• the future verified course range is also determined iteratively.
• Step 57 corresponds to step 46 from FIG. 4 and in turn includes a target selection of a vehicle in front as part of an adaptive cruise control and distance control.
• FIG. 6 shows a more detailed illustration of the method steps for determining the future course range KB according to steps 44 and 54 in FIGS. 4 and 5. Accordingly, steps 61 to 63 can be inserted instead of steps 44 and 54 in FIGS. 4 and 5.
• step 61 support points S j _ are determined by offsetting the positions P v: of the detected preceding vehicles F v i with the associated specific transverse offsets q- ⁇ . In the ideal case, all determined support points S-j_ are then on a curve which corresponds to the future course course KV of the first vehicle.
• This course of the course KV is determined in step 62 by determining a function, for example in the form of a polynomial, which at least approximately detects all support points S j _. This specific function then describes the future course course KV.
• step 63 the future course area KB is then determined by the course course KV by the
• Width b of the first vehicle is widened.
• a further extension E as a function of detected lane change signals of the first vehicle.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
• Control Of Driving Devices And Active Controlling Of Vehicle (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=7831106

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (32)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 1997
  • 1997-05-31 DE DE19722947A patent/DE19722947C1/de not_active Revoked
• 1998
  • 1998-02-21 EP EP98914813A patent/EP0986765A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1998-02-21 JP JP50006899A patent/JP2002502496A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1998-02-21 KR KR10-1999-7011099A patent/KR100509773B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-02-21 WO PCT/DE1998/000543 patent/WO1998054594A1/de active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-02-21 US US09/424,733 patent/US6230093B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events