FR3104783A1 - Method for determining gray areas - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining the shadow zone of a place in which a motor vehicle is located, comprising a step of collecting geolocation information and vehicle orientation information, characterized in that that the method comprises the following steps: - association of a relief with geolocation and orientation information and attribution of a height to said relief, - determination of the shadows generated by said relief as a function of said height so as to delimit the zone of shadow associated with said height of relief in a database, and recording of the shadow zone associated with said height of relief in a database.

Description

Process for determining shadow areas

The present description relates to a method for determining shadow zones of an environment in which a motor vehicle is located.

Improving the safety of driving a vehicle, in particular a road motor vehicle, is a permanent and essential objective for vehicle manufacturers as well as for the design and operation departments of roads and traffic routes. However, in certain circumstances, the vehicle crosses a sunny place to enter a dark place, the passage from one to the other can prove dangerous for the driver, due to the adaptation time of the eye.

Summary

This disclosure improves the situation.
To this end, a method is proposed for determining shadow zones of a place in which a motor vehicle is located, comprising a step of collecting geolocation information and vehicle orientation information.

The method further comprises the following steps:
- association of a relief with geolocation and orientation information and assignment of a height to said relief,
- determination of the shadows generated by said relief as a function of said height so as to delimit the shadow zone associated with said relief height in a database, and
- recording of the shadow zone associated with said relief height in a database.

Thus, the method according to the present invention allows a representation of the immediate environment of the vehicle, which provides the latter with greater knowledge of the driving space, and, therefore, improved safety.

According to another aspect, during the step of taking the generated shadows into account, the height is taken into account, as well as the date and time.

According to another aspect, during the step of taking into account the shadows generated, account is taken of a luminosity and/or a cloudiness provided for at said date and time.

According to another aspect, the method comprises a step of measuring the generated shadows then a step of comparing the measured generated shadows and the determined generated shadows.

According to another aspect, the method comprises a step of correcting the database according to the result of the comparison step.

According to another aspect, a use of the method as described above is proposed for automobile signalling.

According to another aspect, it is proposed to use the method as described previously, for a verification of the positioning of the motor vehicle according to the determined shadow zone.

According to another aspect, the use further comprises a step of checking, servicing or evaluating the vehicle, and according to which checkpoints, servicing or evaluating the vehicle are selected differently depending on whether the vehicle positioning information is validated or not.

Other characteristics, details and advantages will appear on reading the detailed description below, and on analyzing the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1

shows a vehicle, to which the invention can be applied.

Fig. 2

shows a timing diagram of a method according to the present invention.

For reasons of clarity, the dimensions of the elements shown in this figure correspond neither to actual dimensions nor to actual ratios of dimensions. Moreover, some of these elements are represented only symbolically.

In accordance with FIG. 1, a vehicle 1, for example a car, can remain parked in a fixed place for any length of time, which may be from a few hours for short-term parking to a few months or more for long-term or very long parking. long term, corresponding to storage of the vehicle. In a known manner, exposure of the vehicle to bad weather or to certain climatic conditions, such as freezing conditions, a marine atmosphere, hot temperatures, etc., can cause more rapid aging of the vehicle or of certain components of this one. For example, a long time in marine conditions can cause the vehicle's exhaust muffler, commonly known as a tailpipe, to weather more quickly through oxidation. Likewise, a long period in freezing conditions can cause the battery or other chemically-operated components to degrade. It is then advantageous to know the parking conditions of the vehicle in order to assess its condition reliably. In particular, such knowledge can make it possible to select checkpoints and/or maintenance of the vehicle according to the known parking conditions.

Commonly, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an on-board computer 2 and a geolocation terminal 3. The terminal 3 can be a GPS terminal, for "Global Positioning System" in English, which determines in real time the position geographical location of the vehicle from radio signals received by the terminal 3, denoted GPS in the figure. Other geolocation systems that are also available can be used alternatively. This geographical position of the vehicle, with a time datum which specifies an instant at which this position was effective, has been called geolocation information in the general part of the present description. Then, a vehicle electronics module 1 can be dedicated to regularly recording on a permanent medium geolocation coordinate values of the vehicle which are determined by the terminal 3, for example latitude and longitude values of the place where the vehicle. Such recording can be continued continuously, for example at the rate of a new geolocation every thirty minutes, whether the vehicle is moving or stationary. Consultation of such a record, for example at the start of an inspection and/or maintenance visit, then provides indications of the conditions that existed during the periods of parking or storage of the vehicle. However, such geolocation data may be falsified, or be insufficient to characterize the parking or storage conditions of the vehicle. For example, it may be important to know whether the vehicle was inside a garage, under a shelter, or outside at the location designated by the recorded latitude or longitude values. The present invention makes it possible in particular to meet this need.

The following part numbers that are shown in Figure 1 designate the sensors that are listed now:
4a: temperature sensor outside vehicle 1, which can be located at the level of an element of the bodywork or of one of the exterior mirrors of the vehicle,
4b: temperature sensor inside vehicle 1, that is to say the temperature in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, which can be located at the level of the dashboard, for example,
5a, 5b: temperature sensors located in the tires of vehicle 1, one per tire, the sensors 5a being in the tires on the left side of the vehicle, and the sensors 5b being in the tires on the right side of the vehicle,
6: camera, for example a camera located at the top of the windshield of vehicle 1, which may be the ADAS camera for “Advanced Driver Assistance System” in English, for example,
7: sensor of the ambient luminosity which exists outside the vehicle 1, for example a rain sensor located on the windshield of the vehicle, and whose signal is analyzed to obtain a luminosity measurement, and
9: accelerometer, for example incorporated in a navigation unit of vehicle 1.

Advantageously, the sensors 5a and 5b, which are located in tires on opposite lateral sides of the vehicle 1, make it possible, in addition to the geolocation coordinates as determined by the terminal 3, to determine an azimuthal orientation coordinate of the vehicle 1.

The vehicle 1 can also be equipped with a wireless communication module 10, which is suitable for transmitting radio signals to a remote server 12, and possibly also receiving signals from the server 12. Alternatively, such a communication module 10 which is integrated into the vehicle 1 can be replaced by a mobile communication terminal 11 of a user of the vehicle. This mobile communication terminal 11 can then also be connected to the on-board computer 2 by a short-range communication mode, such as the ^Bluetooth® communication mode for example. In this case, the mobile communication terminal 11 has a transmission relay function between the on-board computer 2 and the server 12. Alternatively, the mobile communication terminal 11 can be directly connected to each sensor of the vehicle 1 which is used according to the invention, for example by a short-range wireless communication mode. The results of measurements which are produced by this (these) sensor(s) and/or the images which are captured by the camera(s) of the vehicle 1 are then relayed directly by the terminal of mobile communication 11 from the user to the server 12.

As shown in Figure 2, the subject of the invention is a method 20 for determining shadow areas of a place in which the motor vehicle 1 is located.

The method 20 is implemented by the on-board computer 2 and/or the server 12.

In Figure 1, we have noted a zone ZO for shadow zone and a zone ZE for sunny zone. By shadow zone, we mean zone whose level of luminous illumination is lower than a given threshold, for example lower than 50 lux, or even lower than 15 lux. By sunny area, we mean an area whose level of illuminance is greater than a given threshold, for example greater than 50 lux, or even greater than 100 lux.

Zone ZO is due to the presence of a building R (for relief) of height H.

Thus, preferably, the method 20 makes it possible to constitute a database of shadow zones ZO generated by a given environment, as will be detailed.

The method 20 comprises a step 21 of collecting GPS geolocation information and orientation information, in particular azimuthal, of the vehicle, by the sensors. Step 21 is denoted COL in Figure 2.

To do this, use is made of the temperature values produced simultaneously by two of the sensors 5a and 5b, which are located in tires on opposite lateral sides of the vehicle 1. As already indicated, the geolocation coordinates as determined by the terminal 3 comprise in general in addition an azimuthal orientation coordinate of the vehicle 1. The transmission of a value of this azimuthal orientation coordinate to the server 12, with the latitude and longitude values, allows the server 12 to determine which of the left side or on the right side of the vehicle 10 is turned in the direction of the Sun S at the instant of the temperature measurements. Indeed, the time of the measurements, also transmitted to the server 12 by the time datum, allows it to know the height and the azimuthal position of the Sun S for the place which is designated by the latitude and longitude values of the vehicle 1. Tables, charts or formulas which determine the apparent position of the Sun S according to the time and the geographical location are freely available and accessible in many ways, in particular via the Internet. Then, when the meteorological conditions are sunshine conditions, and the vehicle 1 is exposed to the Sun S by one of its lateral sides, the temperature values which are measured simultaneously by the sensors 5a and 5b should present a difference , that of the sensor of one of the tires which is exposed to the Sun S must be greater than that of the sensor of one of the tires which is turned away from the Sun S. In addition, if the vehicle 1 remains stationary, this difference can evolve and possibly change sign depending on the apparent displacement of the Sun S relative to the vehicle 10.

As visible in Figure 2, the method 20 includes a step 22 of associating a relief with the geolocation and orientation information and assigning a height H to said relief R. Step 22 is denoted R, H in Figure 2.

According to a first variant, the height H is attributed from a database which associates a height with the geolocation and orientation and attribution information.

According to another variant, the on-board camera 6 of the motor vehicle can be used. Camera 6 captures an image of the scene that is contained within its optical input field. This image is then processed and analyzed to determine the heights associated with the reliefs of the scene. In figure 1, as already indicated, the building of height H constitutes the relief R of the image taken by the camera 6.

Preferably, the method 20 comprises a step of recording in the database the relief R and the associated height H. The database also compiles the shadow zone associated with the relief R of height H, as will be detailed later.

Then, according to the information obtained at the end of step 21, step 22 consists in retrieving said database the height H of the relief R.

Preferably, the method 20 comprises a step of querying the database, in order to know the height H of the relief R without having to process the image, as already indicated.

The method 20 then comprises a step 23 of determining the shadow zone surface ZO generated by the relief R of height H. Step 23 is referenced DET in FIG. 2.

Step 23 preferably consists of estimating the zone ZO preferably using the database compiling the heights H and calculating the shadows generated by the height H of the relief R.

Advantageously, in order to refine the determination, the date and time are taken into account, and the geolocation and azimuthal orientation information previously determined.

Alternatively or in combination, the local light level is taken into account.

To do this, one can have recourse to databases compiling the luminosity of the day (typically given for twenty-four hours) and/or the forecast cloudiness (typically by slice of three hours).

As a variant or in combination, the rain sensor 7 can advantageously be used.

Indeed, in a known manner, the rain sensor 7 comprises an intermittent light source which is directed through the windshield of the vehicle 1, from the inside towards the outside of the vehicle. It also includes a light detector which is arranged to detect part of the light produced by the source which is reflected by the external face of the windshield. However, the quantity of this reflected light depends on the presence of water on the windshield, thus making it possible to control the triggering of the windshield wipers. The durations during which the source emits light are useful for detecting the presence of water on the windshield, but the additional durations, during which the source is off, can be used to measure the level of exterior luminosity with the detector of the rain sensor 7. This use of the rain sensor to measure the exterior luminosity can be maintained even when no rain condition exists, in particular to control the automatic switching on of the vehicle's lights.

Optionally, the method 20 comprises a step 24 of measurement (MES) of the level of sunshine, by at least one of the sensors of the vehicle (camera, rain sensor, temperature sensor) to deduce therefrom the shadows projected, or even a measurement of the shadows generated by a sensor such as a camera, for example of the ADAS type (for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in English, that is to say driving assistance system), followed by a step 24 comparison (COMP) between the shadow zone thus measured in step 24 and the shadow zone calculated in step 23.

If the comparison result indicates a discrepancy, for example a discrepancy greater than a predetermined threshold, the measured shadow zone is compiled in the database in order to correct the base, during a recording step (ENR ).

Thus, if the database used in step 23 is the nth representation of the heights H and of the associated zones ZO, the database possibly corrected at the end of step 25 constitutes the n+1st representation of the heights H , i.e. an n+1st version of the database.

Thanks to the method according to the present invention, there is a precise reconstitution of the local, urban environment in which the vehicle is navigating, which makes it possible to improve the driving safety of the vehicle. The process makes it possible in particular to anticipate areas of shade and/or overexposure to the sun, which are more dangerous areas.

Advantageously, the method 20 and the database that it makes it possible to construct are used for the purposes of automobile signaling security.

Furthermore, the method 20 can also be used to verify the positioning of the vehicle 1, in particular in the event of insufficient or falsified GPS coordinates.

It is also possible to provide a step for checking, servicing or evaluating the vehicle, and according to which points for checking, servicing or evaluating the vehicle are selected differently depending on whether the vehicle positioning information is validated or not.

Claims (8)

Method for determining the shadow zone of a location in which a motor vehicle is located, comprising a step of collecting geolocation information and vehicle orientation information,
characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:
- association of a relief with geolocation and orientation information and assignment of a height to said relief,
- determination of the shadows generated by said relief as a function of said height so as to delimit the shadow zone associated with said relief height in a database, and
- recording of the shadow zone associated with said relief height in a database. Method according to the preceding claim, in which, during the step of taking into account the shadows generated, the height of the relief is taken into account, as well as the date and the time. Method according to the preceding claim, in which, during the step of taking into account the shadows generated, account is taken of a luminosity and/or a cloudiness forecast at said date and time. Method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a step of measuring the generated shadows, then a step of comparing the measured generated shadows and the determined generated shadows. Method according to the preceding claim, comprising a step of correcting the database according to the result of the comparison step. Use of the method according to any one of the preceding claims, for automobile signalling. Use of the method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, for a verification of the positioning of the motor vehicle as a function of the determined shadow zone. Use according to the preceding claim, further comprising a step of checking, servicing or evaluating the vehicle, and according to which points of checking, servicing or evaluating the vehicle are selected differently depending on whether the information of positioning of the vehicle is validated or not.