FR3140325A1 - Method and device for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle (10) in a road environment (1). For this purpose, first data representative of a rear-view mirror deployment command are received, as well as second data representative of an object (11) associated with the road environment (1). The deployment is then controlled based on the first data and the second data. Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Method and device for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle

The present invention relates to motorized mirrors. The present invention also relates to methods and devices for controlling the mirrors of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.

Technology background

It is known, in the field of motor vehicles, to equip a vehicle with folding exterior mirrors, the mirror corresponding both to mandatory safety equipment of the vehicle and to a fragile exterior element likely to be damaged when the vehicle is parked . This folding corresponds to a folding of the mirror towards the vehicle, in particular by a rotary movement of the mirror relative to its support, and can be carried out manually by the driver or automatically by the use of motorized mirrors.

In particular, the use of motorized exterior mirrors makes it possible to automatically extend and fold the mirrors without action on the part of the driver, for example to deploy them upon receipt of a command to unlock the vehicle, that is to say say when unlocking the vehicle doors, and vice versa to fold them when receiving a command to lock the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle thus does not have to perform any action with regard to the mirrors, while ensuring that the mirrors are deployed when driving the vehicle and folded when parking.

In certain parking situations, however, the mirrors represent an additional obstacle. Indeed, when the vehicle is parked near an obstacle, for example a wall or another vehicle, the lateral space separating the vehicle from the obstacle can be reduced. Early deployment of the mirror then results in discomfort for the driver trying to access his vehicle, and can cause collisions in extreme cases, for example if, while the vehicle in question is parked, another vehicle passes. is parked at a very short distance.

Summary of the present invention

An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure safe and ergonomic operation of motorized exterior mirrors.

According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle in a road environment, the method being implemented by a computer, the method comprising the following steps:
- reception of first data representative of a rear-view mirror deployment command;
- reception of second data representative of an object associated with the road environment, from at least one sensor embedded in the vehicle;
- control of deployment based on first data and second data.

It is understood here that the reception of the first data corresponds to the reception of a command commonly associated with the deployment of the exterior mirrors, for example an express deployment command or any other vehicle command associated with deployment of the exterior mirrors, depending on the operation of the exterior mirrors. on-board vehicle systems. Receipt of the second data then corresponds to a check of the road environment, the mirrors being deployed only if the situation outside the vehicle allows it.

Thus, according to the present invention, the deployment of the exterior mirrors of a vehicle is carried out in an automated and secure manner, while avoiding scenarios in which such deployment would pose a risk or hinder access to the vehicle.

According to a variant, the first data correspond to a command to unlock the vehicle.

According to an additional variant, the second data comprises at least one piece of information representative of a lateral distance between the object and the vehicle, the method further comprising a comparison of the distance with a threshold value, the control being carried out according to the first data and a comparison result.

Preferably, the control corresponds to:
- deployment of the mirror when the distance is greater than the threshold value; And
- blocking of the mirror when the distance is less than the threshold value.

According to another variant, the at least one sensor corresponds to an optical distance sensor arranged along a front lateral side of the vehicle.

According to an additional variant, the check corresponds to a simultaneous check of a set of front side mirrors of the vehicle.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for implementing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

Such a computer program can use any programming language, and be in the form of a source code, an object code, or an intermediate code between a source code and an object code, such as in partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

On the one hand, the recording medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a ROM memory of the microelectronic circuit type, or even a magnetic recording means or a hard disk.

On the other hand, this recording medium can also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or terrestrial radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other ways. The computer program according to the present invention can in particular be downloaded onto an Internet type network.

Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in executing the method in question.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description of the particular and non-limiting examples of embodiment of the present invention below, with reference to Figures 1 to 3 attached, and in which:

schematically illustrates a vehicle in a road environment, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates a device configured to control deployment of an exterior mirror of the vehicle of the , according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a process for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of the vehicle of the , according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the implementation examples

A method and a device for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle will now be described in what follows with reference jointly to Figures 1 to 3. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs while throughout the description which follows.

According to a particular and non-limiting example of embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle in a road environment comprises the reception, by a computer on board the vehicle, of first data representative of a mirror deployment command. The first data correspond for example to a direct deployment command, for example depending on an action of a user of the vehicle with a dedicated interface on board the vehicle, or even to an additional command of the vehicle, associated with a deployment of the rearview mirror, for example a command to unlock the vehicle or start the vehicle.

Second data representative of an object associated with the road environment is also received. The second data are advantageously received from a sensor embedded in the vehicle, for example a sensor associated with the exterior rear-view mirror or more generally an external sensor of the vehicle. The second data corresponds for example to information making it possible to characterize and position obstacles in the vicinity of the vehicle.

The deployment of the exterior mirror is then controlled according to the first data and the second data. It is understood here that the control corresponds to deployment or not of the exterior mirror, upon receipt of the deployment command according to the first data, depending on the environment in the vicinity of the vehicle as perceived according to the second data.

The deployment of the exterior mirror(s) of the vehicle thus presents additional regulation taking into account the road environment, so as to ensure that the deployment of the mirror can be carried out under appropriate conditions, that is to say that the position The deployed rearview mirror will not cause a collision or prevent the driver from accessing the vehicle.

schematically illustrates an environment 1 in which a vehicle 10 operates, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

There illustrates a road environment 1 comprising for example a parking zone 101 on which a vehicle 10 is parked. The vehicle 10 corresponds for example to a vehicle with a thermal engine, with an electric motor(s) or even a hybrid vehicle with a heat engine and one or more electric motors. The vehicle 10 thus corresponds for example to a land vehicle, for example an automobile, a truck, a coach, a motorcycle.

The road environment 1 comprises for example a plurality of parking zones 101, 102 arranged adjacently, and for example delimited by a set of lateral boundaries 110, 111, 112.

The lateral boundaries 110, 111, 112 correspond for example to ground marking lines. Ground marking lines are also called horizontal markings and correspond to a set of lines drawn on the ground. The ground marking lines can thus be of the continuous line, discontinuous line or mixed line type (comprising a continuous line and a discontinuous line parallel to the continuous line). A dashed line may also have different characteristics, with line spacing lengths varying from one dashed line type to another and/or line length varying from one dashed line type to another.

Thus, according to the example of the , the parking zones 101, 102 are delimited from each other by a broken line 111.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the parking zone 101 is delimited by a wall or a road edge corresponding for example to a shoulder, a sidewalk, a low wall or a barrier, delimiting the end of the parking zone 101. The zone parking area 101 is for example delimited on its left by a discontinuous line 111 marking its separation with another parking zone 102, and on its right by a wall 110 forming an obstacle to the parking of the vehicle 10.

The notions of right and left are defined according to the direction of movement of the vehicle 10, that is to say here according to its orientation when parked. Depending on the design of the vehicle 10, generally depending on the country in which the vehicle 10 is circulating, the left and right sides of the vehicle 10 correspond alternately to the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle 10.

The vehicle 10 advantageously carries one or more exterior mirrors, for example two side mirrors arranged to the left and right of the vehicle 10, along a front portion of the vehicle 10. The exterior mirrors correspond to motorized mirrors, that is to say mirrors configured to be operated by the vehicle 10 so as to deploy them, fold them down, or even adjust their orientation. The exterior mirrors of the vehicle 10 are for example controlled by the vehicle 10 to fold down when the vehicle 10 is locked (or locked), and to deploy when the vehicle 10 is unlocked.

According to an alternative embodiment, the vehicle 10 also carries one or more of the following sensors:
- one or more millimeter wave radars arranged on the vehicle 10, for example at the front, at the rear, on each front/rear corner of the vehicle; each radar is adapted to emit electromagnetic waves and to receive the echoes of these waves returned by one or more objects (for example the barriers 110), with the aim of detecting obstacles or other objects and their distances with respect to the vehicle 10; and or
- one or more LIDAR(s) (from the English “Light Detection And Ranging”, or “Detection and estimation of the distance by light” in French), a LIDAR sensor corresponding to an optoelectronic system composed of a transmitter device laser, a receiving device comprising a light collector (to collect the part of the light radiation emitted by the transmitter and reflected by any object located in the path of the light rays emitted by the transmitter) and a photodetector which transforms light collected as an electrical signal; a LIDAR sensor thus makes it possible to detect the presence of objects (for example barriers 110) located in the emitted light beam and to measure the distance between the sensor and each detected object.

A problem which arises is that the automatic deployment of the mirrors of the vehicle 10 is likely to cause collisions with the external environment, for example depending on changes in the road environment 1 during the parking of the vehicle 10, and/or to hinder access to the vehicle 10, in particular by obstructing access to the doors of the vehicle 10 by accessing the vehicle 10 from the front.

In order to propose a solution to this problem, a process for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of the vehicle 10 is advantageously implemented by one or more processors, for example a central computer, a set of computers, or even a peripheral computer associated with the ADAS system of the vehicle 10.

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, such a process corresponds to a process of controlling all of the front side mirrors of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 controls for example the deployment of all of its external mirrors simultaneously, in a manner to simplify the control of the mirrors compared to an individualized control and/or to avoid any confusion on the part of the driver resulting from different behavior between the mirrors of the vehicle 10. According to another example of embodiment, such a process corresponds to a process of controlling a single mirror, which is for example implemented individually for each mirror, so as to adapt the deployment of each mirror to its specific situation.

In a first operation, at least one processor of the vehicle 10, for example a central computer or a set of computers, receives first data representative of a rear-view mirror deployment command.

The at least one processor comprises for example an intelligent utility box or BSI (in English “Built-In Systems Interface”) or even a VSM (from the English “Vehicle Supervisor Module” or in French “Module de Supervision de Véhicule ") capable of forming a communications network, for example a multiplexed communications network, in which data is transmitted via a wireless or wired link, for example data received from on-board sensors. The at least one processor or BSI (hereinafter referred to as “BSI”) is thus connected to a plurality of peripheral computers and/or to other on-board system computers of the vehicle 10, for example exterior mirror control systems. of the vehicle 10. According to another example, the at least one processor corresponds to one or more computers responsible for controlling the exterior mirror(s) of the vehicle 10.

The first data are thus received by communication in the multiplexed communication network. The first data are for example obtained from an on-board system of the vehicle 10, for example by a lock control system of the vehicle 10, the activation of which is associated with the control of the mirrors.

According to one variant, the first data are obtained from a man-machine interface on board the vehicle 10, and correspond for example to first data representative of a manual control of deployment of the rear-view mirror.

According to a particular example, the first data correspond to a command to unlock the vehicle 10. In other words, the unlock command corresponds to a command to open the locks of the vehicle 10, for example received by wireless communication between a on-board system of the vehicle 10 and an electronic key associated with the vehicle 10. The reception of an unlocking command is thus processed by the process according to the invention as the reception of a rear-view mirror deployment command.

In a second operation, second data representative of an object 11, 110 associated with the road environment 1 are also received. The second data are for example received from one or more sensors via one or more communication buses of the on-board system of the vehicle 10, for example a CAN data bus type communication bus (from the English "Controller Area Network" or in French “Réseau de controllers”), CAN FD (from the English “Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate” or in French “Réseau de controllers à rate flexible data”), FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard), Ethernet (according to the ISO/IEC 802-3 standard) or LIN (from the English “Local Interconnect Network”, or in French “Réseau interconnectée local”).

According to a variant embodiment, the second data is received specifically from an optical distance sensor arranged along a front lateral side of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 comprises for example two optical distance sensors, each sensor being associated with a front side mirror and arranged in the vicinity of the rearview mirror. The use of optical distance sensors thus makes it possible to identify physical obstacles near the vehicle 10, and to determine their distance in a given direction.

According to the example of the , the second data are for example representative, to the left of the vehicle 10, of the presence and position of another vehicle 11 parked in an adjacent parking zone 102, and/or to the right of the vehicle 11, of the presence and position of the lateral boundary 110, corresponding to a wall forming an obstacle to the vehicle 10.

According to a particular variant, the second data comprises at least one piece of information representative of a lateral distance d1, d2 between the object 11, 110 and the vehicle 10. The distance d1, d2 is determined for example in a reference point centered on the vehicle 10 having as longitudinal axis the axis of movement of the vehicle 10 according to its orientation in the parking zone 101 and as lateral axis (also called transverse axis) an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The distance between the vehicle 10 and the object 11, 110 corresponds to the distance between a reference point of the vehicle 10 (for example the front left or right side edge of the vehicle 10) and the object 11, 110 along the axis lateral.

In a third operation, the deployment of the mirror is controlled according to the first data and the second data. In other words, upon receipt of the deployment command according to the first data, the deployment is controlled according to the second data, that is to say according to the presence and/or position of the object 11, 110.

According to a variant embodiment, the BSI performs a comparison of the distance d1, d2 with a threshold value, the check being carried out according to a result of the comparison. When the distance d1, d2 is less than the threshold value, for example a threshold value representative of a distance of one meter, the check corresponds to blocking of the mirror, while when the distance d1, d2 is greater than the value threshold, the check corresponds to deployment of the mirror. Those skilled in the art understand here that the blocking corresponds to a temporary blocking of the movement of the mirror, that is to say a cancellation of the deployment command, so as to prevent the deployment of the mirror before a change of the road environment 1 or the receipt of another separate order.

According to the design of the control process, the control of each mirror is carried out individually, that is, the control of the left front mirror is associated with the distance d1 and the control of the right front mirror is associated with the distance d1. distance d2, or even simultaneously, the deployment of all the exterior mirrors requiring that d1 and d2 are greater than the threshold value, or each respectively at a left and right threshold value.

It is further understood that the comparison of the distance d1, d2 with a threshold value makes it possible to distinguish on the one hand the presence of obstacles likely to generate a collision or to hinder access to the vehicle 10, on the other hand the presence distant obstacles, capable of being detected by the on-board sensors of the vehicle 10 but without direct consequence with regard to the control of the exterior mirrors.

Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to take into account, when deploying the exterior mirrors, the presence of possible obstacles near the vehicle, likely to restrict access to the vehicle or to collide with the mirrors.

schematically illustrates a device 2 configured to control the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle, for example the vehicle parked in the road environment of the vehicle 1, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The device 2 corresponds for example to a device on board the vehicle 10, for example a computer.

The device 2 is for example configured for the implementation of the operations described with regard to the and/or steps of the process described with regard to the . Examples of such a device 2 include, without being limited to, on-board electronic equipment such as an on-board computer of a vehicle, an electronic computer such as an ECU (“Electronic Control Unit”), a telephone smart (from the English “smartphone”), a tablet, a laptop. The elements of device 2, individually or in combination, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and/or into discrete components. Device 2 can be produced in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or even a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and/or for executing the instructions of the software(s) embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input/output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21 corresponding for example to a volatile and/or non-volatile memory and/or comprises a memory storage device which may comprise volatile and/or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM , PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

The computer code of the embedded software(s) comprising the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored on memory 21.

According to different particular and non-limiting examples of embodiment, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and/or with communication devices, for example a TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Telematic Control Unit”), for example via a communications bus or through dedicated input/output ports.

According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the "cloud", or the vehicle 10 when the device 2 corresponds to a smartphone or tablet for example. The interface elements of block 22 include one or more of the following interfaces:
- RF radio frequency interface, for example of the Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or of the Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the band frequency at 2.4 GHz, or Sigfox type using UBN radio technology (from English Ultra Narrow Band, in French ultra narrow band), or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (from English “ Long-Term Evolution” or in French “Long-Term Evolution”), LTE-Advanced (or in French LTE-advanced);
- USB interface (from the English “Universal Serial Bus” or “Bus Universel en Série” in French);
- HDMI interface (from the English “High Definition Multimedia Interface”, or “Interface Multimedia Haute Definition” in French).

According to another particular and non-limiting example of embodiment, the device 2 comprises a communication interface 23 which makes it possible to establish communication with other devices (such as other computers of the on-board system or on-board sensors) via a channel communication interface 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and/or data via the communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a wired network of the type CAN (from the English “Controller Area Network” or in French “Réseau de controlleres”), CAN FD (from the English “Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate” or in French “Réseau de controllers à rate flexible data” ), FlexRay (standardized by the ISO 17458 standard), Ethernet (standardized by the ISO/IEC 802-3 standard) or LIN (from the English “Local Interconnect Network”, or in French “Local Interconnected Network”).

According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen, touch or not, one or more speakers and/or other devices (projection system) via respective output interfaces. According to one variant, one or the other of the external devices is integrated into device 2.

illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a method of controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle in a road environment, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The method is for example implemented by a device on board the vehicle 10 or by the device 2 of the .

In a first step 31, first data representative of a rear-view mirror deployment command are received.

In a second step 32, second data representative of an object associated with the road environment are received from at least one sensor embedded in the vehicle.

In a third step 33, the deployment is controlled according to the first data and the second data.

According to a variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to the apply to the stages of the process of .

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above but extends to a method of controlling an exterior mirror of a vehicle which would include secondary steps without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured to implement such a process.

The present invention also relates to a system for controlling an exterior mirror, comprising device 2 of the .

The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous vehicle with a land engine, comprising the device 2 of the or the mirror control system above.

Claims (10)

Method for controlling the deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle (10) in a road environment (1), said method comprising the following steps:
- reception (31) of first data representative of a deployment command for said rearview mirror;
- reception (32) of second data representative of an object (11, 110) associated with said road environment (1), from at least one sensor embedded in said vehicle (10);
- control (33) of said deployment according to said first data and said second data. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first data corresponds to a command to unlock said vehicle (10). Method according to claim 1 or 2, in which said second data comprises at least one piece of information representative of a lateral distance (d1, d2) between said object (11, 110) and said vehicle (10), said method further comprising a comparison of said distance (d1, d2) with a threshold value, said control (33) being carried out as a function of said first data and a result of said comparison. Method according to claim 3, in which said control (33) corresponds to:
- deployment of said rearview mirror when said distance (d1, d2) is greater than said threshold value; And
- blocking said rearview mirror when said distance (d1, d2) is less than said threshold value. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which said at least one sensor corresponds to an optical distance sensor arranged along a front lateral side of said vehicle (10). Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which said control (33) corresponds to a simultaneous control of a set of front side mirrors of said vehicle (10). Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when these instructions are executed by a processor. Computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to one of claims 1 to 6. Device (2) for controlling deployment of an exterior mirror of a vehicle, said device (2) comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured for implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Vehicle (10) comprising the device (2) according to claim 9.