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
  • G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
  • G01S7/48—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S17/00
  • G01S7/483—Details of pulse systems
  • G01S7/486—Receivers
  • G01S7/487—Extracting wanted echo signals, e.g. pulse detection
  • G01S7/4876—Extracting wanted echo signals, e.g. pulse detection by removing unwanted signals
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R29/00—Arrangements for measuring or indicating electric quantities not covered by groups G01R19/00 - G01R27/00
  • G01R29/02—Measuring characteristics of individual pulses, e.g. deviation from pulse flatness, rise time or duration
  • G01R29/023—Measuring pulse width
• • 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
  • G01S17/02—Systems using the reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
  • G01S17/06—Systems determining position data of a target
  • G01S17/08—Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only
  • G01S17/10—Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated 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
  • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
  • G01S17/88—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S17/93—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S17/931—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for filtering measurement data from an active optical sensor system, with light pulses reflected in an environment of the sensor system being detected by means of an array of optical detectors of the sensor system and a plurality of measurement signals being generated by means of the array based on the detected light pulses.
• the invention also relates to a corresponding sensor device, a motor vehicle, a computer program and a computer-readable storage medium.
• a camera sensor which is connected to a control unit in order to measure the output signals of the camera sensor
• the output signals or the associated output values of each pixel of the sensor are reduced depending on the amount of photo charges detected on neighboring pixels.
• the output signals or the associated output values of each pixel of the sensor are reduced depending on the amount of photo charges detected on neighboring pixels.
• the improved concept is based on the idea of comparing measurement signals from different detectors that are located in a defined environment with one another when one of the measurement signals indicates a light pulse with a predetermined minimum energy. Depending on the comparison, the other measurement signal can be at least partially rejected.
• a method for filtering measurement data from an active optical sensor system in particular an active optical sensor system mounted on or in a motor vehicle.
• light pulses reflected in an environment, or from objects in the environment of the sensor system are detected by means of an array of optical detectors of the sensor system.
• a large number of measurement signals are generated by means of the array based on the detected light pulses, that is to say at least two measurement signals are generated.
• a computing unit, in particular the sensor system is used to identify a first measurement signal of the plurality of measurement signals that corresponds to a detected light pulse with a pulse energy that is greater than or equal to a predetermined minimum energy.
• the first measurement signal was generated by a first detector in the array.
• a second measurement signal of the plurality of measurement signals is compared with the first measurement signal by means of the computing unit, the second measurement signal being generated by a second detector of the array.
• the first and the second detector are at a distance from one another in the array which is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum distance.
• an active optical sensor system has a light source for emitting the light or light pulses or light pulses.
• the light source can in particular be designed as a laser.
• an active optical sensor system has at least one optical detector in order to detect reflected components of the emitted light. According to the In an improved concept, the sensor system has at least the first and the second detector of the array.
• the term “light” can be understood to include electromagnetic waves in the visible range, in the infrared range and / or in the ultraviolet range. Accordingly, the term “optical” can also be understood in such a way that it relates to light according to this understanding.
• the array of detectors can be understood in particular as a defined or regular arrangement of the optical detectors, in particular the first and the second as well as one or more further optical detectors, in a linear or two-dimensional, regular arrangement.
• the first and the second measurement signal are in particular respective output signals of the first and the second detector, for example respective voltage signals.
• each of the optical detectors of the array generates one of the multiplicity of measurement signals.
• the distance between the first and second detectors can be specified, for example, by corresponding positions of the first and second detectors in the array.
• the predefined maximum distance can correspond to a predefined order of nearest neighbors.
• the first and second detectors can be closest neighbors, next but one neighbors, third closest neighbors, and so on. The maximum distance then restricts the corresponding order.
• the first measurement signal contains, in particular, a pulse which reproduces the corresponding detected light pulse or depends on it or corresponds to it.
• the pulse energy of the light pulse can therefore be deduced from the pulse shape of the first measurement signal.
• a maximum amplitude and / or a pulse width of the pulse of the first measurement signal can be used to calculate the pulse energy.
• the discarding of the part of the second measurement signal corresponds in particular to deleting or marking or not reusing the corresponding part of the second measurement signal, in particular by subsequent algorithms or functions, which use the measurement signals of the active optical sensor system, for example for object recognition or the like.
• the rejection can thus be viewed as filtering measurement data from the active optical sensor system, the measurement data including, in particular, the measurement signals or the corresponding parts thereof.
• the fact that at least part of the second measurement signal is discarded can be understood to mean that the second measurement signal is discarded completely, or that only a certain time segment of the second measurement signal, in particular a time segment that indicates a false-positive sampling point. Further parts of the second measurement signal can, for example, continue to be used and, if necessary, can indicate actual sampling points.
• false positive sampling points can be identified or the probability that the part of the second measurement signal corresponds to a false positive sampling point can be determined or estimated.
• crosstalk i.e. optical or electrical crosstalk
• the measurement signals of the first detector which corresponds, for example, to an actual sampling point
• the part of the second measurement signal which, for example, corresponds to a false-positive sampling point
• a false-negative determination can be understood as a false rejection of a part of the second measurement signal which actually corresponds to a real sampling point.
• the risk for false-negative determinations can be reduced since the crosstalk is limited to a certain spatial area around the first detector.
• the quality of the measurement data can be improved by filtering according to the improved concept, in that fewer false-positive sampling points occur, while at the same time the probability of false-negative determinations is kept low.
• a pulse height and / or a pulse width of the first measurement signal are determined by means of the computing unit in order to determine the pulse energy.
• the pulse energy can, for example, be viewed as proportional to the pulse height and proportional to the pulse width.
• the identification of the first measurement signal can therefore include, for example, the identification of a measurement signal of the multiplicity of measurement signals with a correspondingly large pulse width and / or a correspondingly large pulse height.
• the pulse height can correspond, for example, to a maximum amplitude of a pulse of the measurement signal.
• the determination of the pulse energy of the detected light pulse can be understood as determining a measure for the pulse energy on the basis of the first measurement signal.
• the pulse energy is not determined directly from the detected light pulse, but from the measurement signal that is caused by the light pulse.
• both the maximum amplitude and the pulse width can be viewed as a measure of the energy.
• a pulse area below the pulse of the measurement signal can be viewed as a measure of the pulse energy.
• the computing unit determines a further pulse energy based on a pulse height and / or a pulse width of the second measurement signal and the part of the second measurement signal is discarded depending on a result of the comparison of the pulse energy with the further pulse energy.
• the computing unit compares the pulse energy with the further pulse energy and the computing unit rejects the part of the second measurement signal as a function of a result of the comparison.
• the crosstalk caused by a high-energy light pulse is usually not evenly divided between the different detectors, so that a large part of the pulse energy falls on the first optical detector, and thus to a certain extent on the correct detector, and only a smaller part on the second detector.
• the part of the second measurement signal is only discarded by means of the arithmetic unit if a ratio of the pulse energy to the further pulse energy is less than or equal to a predetermined limit value.
• pulses of the second measurement signal are not interpreted as false-positive sampling points if their pulse energy is greater than the limit value.
• the computing unit determines a first acquisition time based on the first measurement signal, and a second acquisition time is determined based on the second measurement signal. The part of the second measurement signal is discarded as a function of a result of a comparison of the first acquisition time with the second acquisition time.
• the first detection time corresponds in particular to a time at which the reflected light pulse is detected by the first detector, which is reflected in the signal shape or pulse shape of the first measurement signal.
• the first detection point in time can correspond to a point in time at which a rising edge of the pulse of the first measurement signal exceeds a predetermined value.
• a pulse center of the pulse of the first measurement signal can serve as the first acquisition time.
• the second detection time corresponds to a time at which, according to the second measurement signal, a further light pulse appears to be by means of the second optical detector was recorded.
• the second detection time can correspond, for example, to a time at which the rising edge of the second measurement signal exceeds the predetermined value or to a center of the pulse of the second measurement signal.
• a pulse center of the pulse of the second measurement signal can serve as the second acquisition time.
• the point in time at which the light pulse is actually detected by means of the first detector is correlated with the point in time at which the crosstalk becomes noticeable in the second measurement signal, since both effects are due to the same detected light pulse. Accordingly, the light transit time that results from the first light signal is similar to the apparent light transit time that results from the second measurement signal. In other words, a radial distance of a point from which the reflected light pulse is reflected to the first detector is approximately equal to an apparent radial distance of an apparent reflection point to the second detector.
• the part of the second measurement signal is only discarded by means of the arithmetic unit if a difference between the first acquisition time and the second acquisition time is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum difference.
• the part of the second measurement signal is only discarded, in particular discarded precisely when the difference is less than or equal to the maximum difference, the ratio of the pulse energy to the further pulse energy is less than or equal to the limit value, the distance between the first and the second detector is less than or equal to the maximum distance from one another and the first measurement signal corresponds to a detected light pulse with a pulse energy that is greater than or equal to the minimum energy.
• light pulses are emitted into the surroundings of the sensor system by means of the sensor system, in particular by means of a light source of the sensor system, and the reflected light pulses correspond to reflected components of the emitted light pulses.
• a sensor device with a computing unit and an active optical sensor system is also specified.
• the sensor system has an array of optical detectors, the array being set up to detect light pulses reflected in the vicinity of the sensor system and to generate a multiplicity of measurement signals based on the detected light pulses.
• the computing unit is set up to identify a first measurement signal of the plurality of measurement signals that corresponds to a captured light pulse with a pulse energy that is greater than or equal to a predetermined minimum energy, the first measurement signal being generated by a first detector of the array.
• the computing unit is set up to compare a second measurement signal of the plurality of measurement signals with the first measurement signal, the second measurement signal being generated by a second detector of the array.
• the first and the second detector are at a distance from one another in the array which is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum distance.
• the computing unit is set up to discard at least part of the second measurement signal as a function of a result of the comparison.
• the sensor system contains a deflection device which is set up to direct the reflected light pulses to different positions of the array depending on the direction of incidence of the light pulses.
• the deflection device is designed such that it directs reflected light pulses, the directions of incidence of which correspond to a vertical scanning angle within a first angular range, onto the first detector.
• the deflection device is also designed so that it can direct reflected light pulses, the directions of incidence of which correspond to a vertical scanning angle within a second angular range, onto the second detector.
• the first and the second angular range differ from one another, in particular the first and the second angular range are disjoint.
• the optical crosstalk can lead to parts of light pulses which are incident in accordance with the first angular range striking the second detector or partly striking the second detector.
• the deflection device can contain, for example, a movable or rotatably mounted mirror or a mirror element which can be tilted or pivoted about one or two axes and which can be configured, for example, as a microelectromechanical system, MIMS.
• the computing unit is set up to determine a further pulse energy based on a pulse height and / or a pulse width of the second measurement signal and to discard the part of the second measurement signal depending on a result of a comparison of the pulse energy with the further pulse energy.
• the computing unit is set up to determine a first acquisition time based on the first measurement signal, to determine a second acquisition time based on the second measurement signal and the part of the second measurement signal depending on a result of a comparison of the first acquisition time with the discard the second acquisition time.
• the sensor device can be set up or programmed to carry out a method according to the improved concept or the sensor device carries out a method according to the improved concept.
• a motor vehicle is specified with a sensor device according to the improved concept, the sensor system of the sensor device being mounted in particular on or in the motor vehicle.
• a computer program is specified with commands which, when the computer program is executed by a sensor device according to the improved concept, cause the sensor device to carry out a method according to the improved concept.
• a computer-readable storage medium is specified on which a computer program according to the improved concept is stored.
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with an exemplary embodiment of a sensor device according to the improved concept
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an array of optical detectors and a deflection device of a further exemplary embodiment of a sensor device according to the improved concept
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of measurement signals of a further exemplary embodiment of a sensor device according to the improved concept
• FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of sampling points and filtered sampling points of a further exemplary embodiment of a sensor device according to the improved concept.
• 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 which has a sensor device 13 according to the improved concept.
• the sensor device 13 has an active optical sensor system 2, which is designed, for example, as a lidar system.
• the sensor system 2 is set up to emit light pulses 4, in particular infrared laser light pulses, into the surroundings of the sensor system 2 and thus the motor vehicle 1 by means of a light source (not shown).
• the emitted light pulses 4 can be at least partially reflected by an object 6 in the vicinity and thus send reflected light pulses 5 back in the direction of the sensor system 2.
• the sensor system 2 has an array 7 of optical detectors 8, 9, 10 which detect the reflected light pulses 5 and can generate a large number of measurement signals based on the detected light pulses. In particular, each detector 8, 9, 10 generates a corresponding measurement signal.
• the sensor system 2 has, for example, a deflection device 14 (see FIG. 2) which is able to deflect the reflected light pulses 5 onto different detectors 8, 9, 10 of the array 7 depending on their direction of incidence.
• a deflection device 14 see FIG. 2 which is able to deflect the reflected light pulses 5 onto different detectors 8, 9, 10 of the array 7 depending on their direction of incidence.
• the sensor device 13 has a computing unit 3 which is coupled to the sensor system 2, in particular to the array 7, in order to receive the measurement signals.
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the array 7 and the deflection device 14 of the sensor system 2.
• the optical detectors 8, 9, 10 are arranged, for example, linearly next to one another in order to form the array 7.
• the deflection device 14 has, for example, a mirror 14 which is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation 15 and which, depending on the rotational position, directs light pulses 5 onto the array 7 from different horizontal scanning angles or scanning directions.
• the horizontal scanning angles can be understood as angles that include projections of the light pulses 5 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation 15, for example with the axis of rotation 15.
• the axis of rotation 15 is in particular parallel to a direction of arrangement of the detectors 8, 9, 10 in the array 7.
• the light pulse 5 is directed onto different detectors 8, 9, 10 of the array 7. Accordingly, a two-dimensional resolution of the sensor system 2 is made possible by combining the horizontal and vertical scanning angles.
• a radial distance of the corresponding reflection point on the object 6 from the array 7 or the respective detector 8, 9, 10 can be determined so that overall three-dimensional coordinates of the scanning points are given.
• the vertical scanning angle corresponds to an angle that the light pulse 5 encloses with the axis of rotation 15.
• the sensor system 2 can have one or more lenses or other optical elements 16 between the deflection device 14 and the array 7.
• the sensor system 2 can have further optical elements in another part of the beam path of the reflected light pulses 5 and / or the emitted light pulses 4.
• the reflected light pulse 5 is directed onto a first optical detector 8 of the array 7 in accordance with the radiation-optical imaging regulations. If the object 6 is an object with a high reflectivity, the energy or intensity of the reflected light pulse 5 can be comparatively high. On the one hand, this can lead to optical crosstalk between the first detector 8 and second detectors 9 in the vicinity of the first detector 8 on the array 7, for example via diffractive effects, and on the other hand also to electrical crosstalk between the first detector 8 and the second detectors 9.
• the second detectors 9 are located within a predetermined maximum range around the first detector 8. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the second detectors 9 are the next or next but one neighbors of the first detector 8. Higher-order neighbors of the first detector 8 are shown in FIG. 2 as further optical detectors 10. The following describes how the measurement signals of the detectors 8, 9, 10, in particular of the second detectors 9, can be filtered using the improved concept in order to reduce the influence of electrical and / or optical crosstalk and associated false-positive sampling points.
• a first measurement signal 11 corresponds, for example, to a measurement signal that was generated by the first detector 8 based on the reflected light pulse 5.
• a second measurement signal 12 corresponds, for example, to a measurement signal that was generated by one of the second optical detectors 9.
• the computing unit 3 is set up in particular to determine whether the second measurement signal 12 or a part of the second measurement signal 12 corresponds to a false positive sampling point.
• the computing unit 3 can first determine whether the first measurement signal 11 corresponds to a detected light pulse whose pulse energy is greater than a predetermined minimum energy. Only such light pulses are likely to lead to optical or electrical crosstalk.
• the pulse energy can be determined based on a pulse width of the first measurement signal 11.
• the minimum energy can, for example, correspond to a pulse width that corresponds to a transit time difference.
• the difference in transit time is equivalent to a difference in the radial distance.
• the difference in the radial distance, which corresponds to the difference in transit time can for example be on the order of 50 to 150 centimeters, for example approximately 120 centimeters.
• the arithmetic unit 3 can, for example, determine a time of detection of the first measurement signal 11 and a time of detection of the second measurement signal 12 of the respective measurement signal 11, 12 exceeds a predetermined minimum value, which is indicated in FIG. 3, for example, by a horizontal dashed line.
• the second measurement signal 12 can contain several different pulses 12 ′, 12 ′′.
• the first pulse 12 'delivers an earlier detection time than the second pulse 12 ".
• the computing unit 3 compares the time of detection of the first measurement signal 11 with a time of detection of the second measurement signal 12, for example the respective times of detection of the first pulse 12 ′ and the second pulse 12 ′′. Only if the first acquisition time of the first measurement signal 11 and the corresponding second acquisition time of the second measurement signal 12 are close enough to one another can a false-positive detection by the measurement signal 12 be assumed with sufficient probability.
• the time of detection of the first measurement signal 11 and the time of detection of the first pulse 12 'of the second measurement signal 12 are almost the same, so that the first pulse 12' can be considered as a false-positive sampling point.
• the second pulse 12 ′′ has a detection time which is too far removed from the detection time of the first measurement signal 11 for it to be a false-positive sampling point with sufficient probability.
• the second pulse 12 ′′ is therefore, with a high degree of probability, an actual scanning point that is in particular further away from the sensor system 2 than the first scanning point that is given by the first measurement signal 11.
• the computing unit 3 can now also determine a pulse energy of the second measurement signal 12, in particular of the first pulse 12 '.
• the computing unit 3 can relate the pulse energy of the first measurement signal 11 to the pulse energy of the first pulse 12 ′ of the second measurement signal 12 and calculate the ratio of the pulse energies.
• a false-positive sampling point can only be assumed if the pulse energy of the first measurement signal 11 is significantly greater, that is to say is at least a predetermined factor greater than the pulse energy of the first pulse 12 'of the second measurement signal 12. This is the case in the present example, which can be seen, for example, from the significantly smaller pulse width of the first pulse 12 ′ compared to the pulse of the first measurement signal 11.
• the computing unit 3 has found that the first pulse 12 'has a sufficiently small pulse energy compared to the pulse energy of the first measurement signal 11, indicates almost the same radial distance from the array 7 and was generated by a second detector 9, which is in the immediate vicinity Surrounding the first detector 8 is located. In addition, the pulse energy of the first measurement signal 11 is comparatively high. The computing unit 3 can therefore discard the first pulse 12 ′ of the second measurement signal 12, that is to say in particular mark it or store the information that the first pulse 12 ′ should not be used by further functions or algorithms.
• FIG. 4 the surroundings of a motor vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. 1, are shown schematically.
• the object 6 is shown, for example, as a traffic sign or the like.
• first sampling points 17 of a first position correspond, for example, to scanning points that were generated by different detectors 8, 9, 10.
• Each layer 17, 18, 19 contains a multiplicity of scanning points which correspond to different horizontal scanning angles.
• the perspective lines connected to the points indicate schematically the associated pulse energies.
• false-positive sampling points 20 marked with “x” are also shown. These have been generated in the manner described, for example by optical or electrical crosstalk.
• measurement data from an active optical sensor system can be filtered in order to identify false-positive sampling points without significantly increasing the risk of false-negative determinations.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Optical Radar Systems And Details Thereof (AREA)

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• 2019
  • 2019-10-25 DE DE102019128907.6A patent/DE102019128907A1/de active Pending
• 2020
  • 2020-10-12 WO PCT/EP2020/078573 patent/WO2021078557A1/de unknown
  • 2020-10-12 EP EP20792342.6A patent/EP4049061A1/de active Pending
  • 2020-10-12 CN CN202080082327.1A patent/CN114746772A/zh active Pending
  • 2020-10-12 US US17/771,215 patent/US20220373660A1/en active Pending
  • 2020-10-12 KR KR1020227017502A patent/KR20220084173A/ko unknown

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