Computer-implemented method for operating a motor vehicle collision protection system and communication system

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for operating a collision protection system of a motor vehicle (3), wherein the motor vehicle (3) has a motor vehicle-side communication means (7) for establishing a communication connection to at least one motor vehicle-external server device (5) and the server device (5) is configured to determine, based on communication data from a plurality of communication devices (2), which includes at least a geodetic position of the communication device (2) when sending the communication data and identification information of a detection object (4, 11) to be tracked, geodetic position information for the detection objects (4, 11) to be tracked for at least one time point, wherein the server device (5) upon fulfillment of at least one provisioning condition which is based on a selected detection object (4, 11),11) and the fulfillment of which requires a current distance value between the motor vehicle (3) and the selected detection object (4, 11) that is below a maximum distance according to the assigned position information, to transmit object information, which includes at least one position information of the selected detection object (4, 11) at the current time, to the motor vehicle (3), wherein, if at least one action condition indicating a risk of collision with the selected detection object (4, 11) is fulfilled and which evaluates the object information, the motor vehicle (3) carries out a measure assigned to the action condition for collision avoidance and / or collision consequence reduction.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for operating a collision avoidance system of a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a vehicle-side communication means for establishing a communication connection to at least one external server, and the server is configured to determine, based on communication data from a plurality of communication devices, which includes at least a geodetic position of the communication device when the communication data is sent and identification information of a detection object to be tracked from a plurality of detection objects, geodetic position information for the detection objects to be tracked for at least one point in time. The invention also relates to a communication system.

[0002] Classic collision avoidance systems in motor vehicles typically utilize vehicle-side and / or external environmental sensors. Vehicle-to-vehicle (C2C) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (C2I) communication are also commonly considered sources of environmental perception, as the transmitted information can be incorporated into a vehicle-side environmental model and / or include sensor data from external sensors. In a collision avoidance system, such environmental perception information is evaluated by action conditions, each of which is associated with at least one action that is triggered if the action criterion is met. For example, action conditions can check whether a determined collision probability or other determined collision value exceeds a threshold.Such a collision value can be determined, for example, based on the probability of a collision and / or a calculated collision severity value, which can relate to both property damage and personal injury. For instance, it is known to predict and / or forecast the future trajectories of one's own vehicle and (if dynamic) the potential collision object. Measures to avoid collisions and / or mitigate the consequences of collisions can include, for example, issuing warnings and / or other collision information and / or driving interventions and / or, particularly in the case of unavoidable collisions, preconditioning measures.

[0003] Prior art has also proposed enriching environmental sensing with communication information, or even using communication information alone, to avoid vehicle collisions and / or mitigate their consequences. Approaches using FLARM-like technologies are known for this purpose. In these approaches, communication units within a defined communication range share their geodetic position, determined by their own GNSS sensor (especially a GPS sensor), with other communication units. These other units then evaluate the received positions and assess them for potential collisions.

[0004] DE 10 2004 052 144 A1 relates to a safety and protection system for persons, in particular to prevent collisions between motor vehicles and persons who are in a blind spot of the environmental sensors. It is proposed to provide a transmitter that the person carries, the signals of which are received by the motor vehicle, so that a warning can be issued in advance of the person's presence and the location of the person or persons around the motor vehicle can be indicated.

[0005] DE 10 2016 215 326 A1 relates to a method for generating a warning from a mobile unit, wherein the warning is issued when a dangerous traffic situation is detected based on a radio signal. One mobile unit can be, for example, a mobile phone, and the other mobile unit can be a vehicle. The radio signal can, in particular, contain the position, direction of movement, and / or speed of the other mobile unit, which can be useful for calculating a potential collision risk or other dangerous traffic situations.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing more accurate and / or additional information to improve collision protection.

[0007] To solve this problem, a method of the type mentioned at the outset provides that, upon fulfillment of at least one provisioning condition relating to a selected detection object and the fulfillment of which requires a current distance value between the motor vehicle and the selected detection object below a maximum distance according to the assigned position information, the server transmits object information, comprising at least one position information of the selected detection object at the current time, to the motor vehicle, wherein, upon fulfillment of at least one action condition indicating a risk of collision with the selected detection object, which evaluates the object information, the motor vehicle carries out a measure assigned to the action condition for collision avoidance and / or collision consequence reduction.

[0008] It is therefore planned to make server-side processed or additionally available object information, which in particular describes at least the current geodetic position of a selected detection object (as a potential collision object) more precisely, also available in the vehicle. In this context, the communication devices themselves can, at least partially, be detection objects to be tracked. Then the identification information identifies the sending communication device itself.However, it is also possible, and particularly advantageous, for at least some of the detection objects to be non-communication devices, but to have communication means on the detection object side for transmitting the identification information of the respective detection object to receiving communication devices located within a communication range of the detection object-side communication means. The receiving communication devices then transmit their geodetic position and the identification information as communication data to the server. Naturally, it is also conceivable to transmit multiple pieces of identification information in a single communication data record. In this way, even detection objects that cannot determine their own geodetic position can be better integrated into collision monitoring and collision protection.

[0009] It is particularly advantageous if the vehicle itself acts as a communication device. This means that when the vehicle receives identification information from a detection object not configured as a communication device, it forwards this information, along with its own current geodetic position, to the server.

[0010] Such communication systems, which can also locate detection objects that themselves lack the capability to determine their geodetic position and communicate over long distances, have already been proposed in the prior art and are known, for example, as "crowd-GPS." These systems can utilize, for instance, so-called "trackers" or "tags" as communication devices on the detection object side, which can be easily attached to the object. These communication devices are designed for short-range communication within a defined communication range, for example, up to 50 m or up to 100 m, for which Bluetooth Low Energy can be used.The idea is that, at the latest when the identification information is received by multiple communication devices located at different positions within the communication area, their positions can be significantly narrowed down based on the geodetic positions of the communication devices and the communication area itself. Therefore, with increasing density of communication devices, their precise location can be determined. Such communication systems are frequently used in the prior art to locate lost items, such as keys, wallets, and the like.It is also common practice in such communication systems for the communication devices themselves to report their (self-determined) geodetic positions to the server (i.e., with their own identification information), so that these can be located again when the position information is retrieved from the server. Therefore, in the present case, the vehicle, particularly on a cyclical basis, can transmit at least its geodetic position to the server, and position information for the vehicle can also be stored on the server.

[0011] An example of such a communication system is known from Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, USA, and uses so-called "AirTags" as communication means on the detection object side. Comparable communication systems have also been proposed by other manufacturers. Since devices from these manufacturers, as well as devices from cooperating companies, especially mobile phones and other mobile devices, are now widespread, such communication systems offer a remarkably accurate way of determining position information. According to the invention, it is proposed to use this technology in motor vehicles as part of the communication system in order to improve collision protection, particularly with regard to detection objects that cannot be detected otherwise.Once the vehicle itself is fully integrated into the communication system, no additional resources or measures are required. In particular, additional hardware, such as a dedicated vehicle-side communication device, can be avoided.

[0012] For server setup, i.e., for long-range communication, communication devices, especially vehicles, preferably use at least a mobile network and / or the internet. The communication connection with the server setup, particularly via mobile networks, thus enables significantly improved collision protection due to additional and / or improved information, the acquisition of which requires the cooperation of numerous communication devices.

[0013] It should be noted here that when a potential collision with the detection object is mentioned below, a collision with the carrier of the detection object is naturally also included. For example, if a person carries a key with a communication device on the detection object side, such as a tracker or tag, the collision consideration in the action condition refers at least implicitly, and possibly also explicitly, to this person. It can be assumed, for instance, that moving keys are to be attributed to the person who moved them. A person, or more generally, an extended potential collision object, can also be associated with multiple detection objects, for example, in addition to a key, a mobile phone that also functions as a communication device.

[0014] Access to position information (and, if applicable, further object data relating to detection objects) on the server may be restricted. According to the invention, it is proposed to nevertheless provide motor vehicles with useful object information to improve collision protection with regard to potential collisions. For this purpose, the server provides a provision condition that assesses whether the object information is actually needed by the motor vehicle. In this regard, it is particularly relevant that the motor vehicle (especially one in motion) is actually in the vicinity of the corresponding detection object, whereby the server can additionally, for example, also check whether, according to the information available there, the detection object is actually participating in road traffic.For example, a computer designed as a communication device and permanently installed in a house, which has not moved for a long time, would not be considered a relevant potential collision object.

[0015] To trigger the verification of the provision condition and, if it is fulfilled, the transmission of the object information, several specific approaches are conceivable according to the invention, which can also be used in combination.

[0016] In a first advantageous approach, it can be provided that, upon receiving the identification information of a communication device and / or a detection object that is not a communication device, the vehicle sends a request to the server for object information of the detection object described by the identification information, at least if a relevance condition is met. The server then checks the availability condition for the detection object selected by the identification information. If the availability condition is met, the object information for the selected detection object is then sent. In this case, the vehicle itself reacts to the detection of a communication device or a detection object that is not a communication device.The system detects a detection object in its vicinity that is not configured as a communication device and specifically requests object information to better assess potential collision relevance. Specifically, whenever the vehicle, acting as a communication device, receives identification information from a communication device on the detection object's side, it can not only transmit a corresponding communication data record to the server, but also, at least if the relevance condition is met, submit a request for object information. Since the vehicle and any (potentially other) communication devices belong to the same communication system, communication devices located in the vehicle's vicinity can also be detected and their identification information received.For all detection objects, regardless of whether they act as communication devices or not, a rather short-range communication method is used, for example via Bluetooth and / or WLAN and / or even NFC, so that a spatial proximity to the corresponding detection object is ensured.

[0017] The relevance condition can preferably require that the motor vehicle be in operation to be fulfilled. In this way, no object information is requested if it is not needed for the collision course during operation. Furthermore, in a particularly useful refinement, it can be additionally or alternatively provided that the relevance condition evaluates a mobility class of the selected detection object, determined through communication with the selected detection object, in particular at least partially from its identification information, whereby it is only fulfilled for a mobility class indicating mobility. In other words, relevance can only exist for detection objects that are fundamentally mobile and therefore appear in road traffic.In particular, at least one control unit of the motor vehicle can be designed to distinguish between other mobile devices and stationary devices (for example, WLAN stations located in houses).

[0018] It is also conceivable that, upon receiving identification information for at least some of the communication devices, the vehicle could, at least when the relevance condition is met, additionally or alternatively send a direct request for object information to the communication device itself. At least that portion of the communication devices could then be configured to store position information on the device itself, including, as will be discussed in more detail below, position histories and / or movement information. However, it could also be provided that, for such requests, object information describing the movement and position of the respective communication device, specifically designed for such direct requests, is determined and / or stored on at least that portion of the communication devices.When such a communication device receives a direct request, it sends the object information to the requesting vehicle. This component can, for example, include at least one device class, such as mobile phones.

[0019] In general, it should be noted in this context that even if detection objects designed as communication devices do not need to regularly transmit their identification information, especially by broadcasting, to track their position, the fact that the vehicle and the communication device belong to the same network is still exploited in this context. This allows them to recognize each other when in proximity and thus become aware of each other's presence. This enables direct, local communication between the two devices, as well as allowing queries regarding the communication device (or from the communication device regarding the vehicle) to be sent to the server.Optionally, a collision protection system can also be implemented on communication devices or even on detection objects that do not function as communication devices, which takes advantage of membership in the communication network.

[0020] In particularly preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention, it can generally be provided that for each detection object, a position history describing the movement of the detection object, which in particular covers a sliding time window, and / or movement information derived therefrom, is also stored. The server system can therefore, at least over a sliding time window ending at the current time, also retain the movement for at least some of the detection objects.In a particularly advantageous further development, it can be provided that the position history and / or the derived movement information of the selected detection object is also transmitted to the motor vehicle as object information. From the position history and / or movement information of the motor vehicle and the position history and / or movement information of the selected detection object, a vehicle-side collision information is determined, describing a potential collision between the motor vehicle and the selected detection object. The action condition evaluates the vehicle-side collision information (which is derived from the object information). If the collision information indicates a sufficiently high risk of collision, the action condition can be fulfilled.In this way, the vehicle, specifically an evaluating control unit of the collision avoidance system, can be provided with useful additional object information about the movement of the selected detection object. This information enriches existing object information or allows the selected detection object to be taken into account more effectively. This is particularly useful when the selected detection object (or, as explained above, a potential collision object supporting it) cannot be detected by the vehicle otherwise, or only with difficulty, for example, in the blind spot or in an obscured area.

[0021] For example, if a motor vehicle approaches a pedestrian crossing towards which a pedestrian with a detection object is simultaneously approaching, and the pedestrian crossing is not visible to the motor vehicle or its driver, the pedestrian cannot be detected visually or sensorially, or only with great difficulty. However, since the motor vehicle, particularly through short-range communication, registers the detection object (which may not function as a communication device) and receives its identification information, it can retrieve the object information for this detection object as a selected detection object from the server and, after also receiving object information about its movement, can, for example, assess whether the pedestrian is likely to cross the pedestrian crossing. If so, a warning can be issued to the driver.If the vehicle continues to approach the pedestrian crossing without the driver reducing speed, a different, more stringent intervention condition (based in particular on updated object information) may be met, potentially initiating braking and / or other driving interventions. These and similar evaluations can be performed, for example, based on the movement pattern described by the position information, position history, and / or motion information.

[0022] The determination of collision information from the vehicle side can also be carried out in the collision protection system implemented here, as is generally known. For example, a collision probability can be determined and / or the consequences of a collision can be estimated in order to determine, for instance, the severity value of a potential collision. The action condition can then be used, for example, to check whether a collision value exceeds a threshold, which indicates a sufficiently high risk of collision, as already explained above.

[0023] Particularly advantageous in this context is the provision that, upon fulfillment of at least one predetermined condition for action, a warning request related to the selected detection object is sent to the server. Upon receipt, the server sends a vehicle-triggered warning message to the detection object and / or a communication device associated with the detection object, where the vehicle-triggered warning message is output and / or evaluated to implement at least one protective measure. In this way, even if a collision risk is detected in the vehicle, a warning can be issued directly at the selected detection object itself. This further enhances safety.For example, the warning request can already contain the identification information of the selected detection object and / or components of the warning information and / or the entire warning information, so that the warning and / or the protective measure can be sufficiently specific. For example, if the selected detection object is a pedestrian's or cyclist's mobile phone, a specific direction of the impending danger and / or a measure to reduce the danger can also be recommended, for example, in the pedestrian crossing case described above: "Wait until the vehicle has passed the location." The associated communication device can be a communication device assigned with specific permissions, for example, belonging to the same owner.An example of this is a mobile phone assigned to locate a key, wallet, bicycle, or similar item, which can request its location information from the server at any time. However, it is also particularly advantageous if the assigned communication device is one within whose communication range the detection object (which is not configured as a communication device) is located. This could, for example, be at least one of the communication devices that last forwarded identification information of the detection object (along with its own identification information) to the server.

[0024] It should be noted that in cases where a direct communication link with the selected detection object can be established or already exists, it is of course also advantageous to send the warning request directly to the selected detection object.

[0025] In a second advantageous approach to triggering the provision of object information, it can be provided that the server system also has position history and / or movement information of the motor vehicle, wherein the server system determines, for each selected detection object located within an evaluation area around the motor vehicle in operation, a server-side collision information describing a potential collision of the motor vehicle with the selected detection object from the position history and / or movement information of the motor vehicle and the position history and / or movement information of the selected detection object, wherein the provision condition further evaluates the server-side collision information and requires a sufficiently high collision risk for its fulfillment.The collision information can, for example, include a collision value, such as a collision probability and / or a collision severity value and / or a derived quantity, which can then be compared to a threshold value in the provisioning condition to assess whether a sufficiently high collision risk exists. In this configuration, the server system monitors whether a collision risk exists for vehicles participating in the communication system, allowing the object information to be provided even if the vehicle has detected the selected detection object as a communication partner. For example, lower thresholds for a sufficiently high collision risk can be set here than for action conditions within the vehicle itself, thus allowing for a more precise assessment within the vehicle.to initiate a more thorough assessment of the collision risk, particularly given the availability of environmental sensors and improved knowledge of the vehicle's operating data. This allows the server to perform a more cursory or rough check to identify potentially collision-relevant objects and provide the vehicles with the necessary object information for a more detailed examination.

[0026] Even with such a configuration, it may be expedient to provide that, upon fulfillment of the provisioning condition that evaluates the server-side collision information, the server also sends a server-triggered warning message to the detection object and / or a communication device assigned to the detection object, where the server-triggered warning message is output and / or evaluated to implement at least one protective measure. Thus, even if the server concludes that a collision risk exists, a warning is also possible at the selected detection object by providing suitable warning information.It should be noted that, particularly if the server system first performs a rough check, after which the vehicle uses further information to determine and evaluate more precise collision information, it is of course also conceivable to use a vehicle-triggered warning information, as described, even with a server-initiated provision of object information.

[0027] It should be noted here that both the server-triggered and the vehicle-triggered warning information can also contain the vehicle's identification information, thus providing the selected detection object with a means of direct contact with the vehicle if, for example, further relevant information can be provided. Therefore, it can be said that the collision protection function for vehicles within the communication system can also selectively connect members of the communication system that are at risk of collision.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a trained evaluation function, for example, a trained predictor function for predicting a future path of the motor vehicle and / or the object being detected, may be used to determine the motion information and / or the collision information. It is therefore proposed to utilize approaches from artificial intelligence or machine learning. A trained function generally represents cognitive functions that humans attribute to other human brains. Through machine learning based on training data (training), the trained function is able to adapt to new circumstances, detect patterns, and extrapolate them. In general terms, the parameters of a trained function can be adjusted through training.A trained function, and therefore also the trained evaluation function, can, for example, comprise a neural network, a support vector machine (SVM), a decision tree, and / or a Bayesian network, and / or the trained function can be based on k-means clustering, Q-learning, genetic algorithms, and / or assignment rules. In particular, a neural network can be a deep neural network, a convolutional neural network (CNN), or a deep CNN. Furthermore, the neural network can be an adversarial network, a deep adversarial network, and / or a generative adversarial network (GAN).

[0029] Within the scope of the present invention, a trained evaluation function can be used particularly advantageously in two areas: firstly, for evaluating position information, especially position history, of detection objects that are not communication devices. Since such position sequences are determined from the geodetic positions of the communication devices that receive their identification information, they can exhibit fluctuating accuracy, gaps, and the like, and are therefore more difficult to interpret, whether for determining motion information or collision information. Therefore, trained evaluation functions are particularly well-suited in this context to improve the robustness and reliability of the evaluation.On the other hand, a trained evaluation function can also be used to particular advantage when collision information is determined by the server system. This is because the server system may only work with position information, especially position histories or sequences, possibly supplemented by an object class of the corresponding communication system member. Additional information about the environment for which the collision information is to be determined, or more precise details, may not be available. Therefore, this can also present a more difficult interpretation task, for which a trained evaluation function is particularly well-suited to increase the robustness and reliability of the server-side collision information determination.

[0030] By using at least one trained evaluation function, it can be said that the present invention provides for the use of previously unused data present in a communication system, namely position information or object information, for collision protection and for evaluating this data using artificial intelligence in the form of a trained evaluation function, which can be appropriately trained. Through the use of artificial intelligence, a reliable prediction of the hazard can be achieved for all parties involved.

[0031] It should be noted that, at least with regard to the vehicle, as already indicated, further information available there can also be used in determining vehicle-related collision information and / or in evaluating action conditions, relevance conditions, and the like. Therefore, with regard to the vehicle, it may be stipulated that the action condition additionally evaluates sensor data from at least one environmental sensor and / or operating data of the vehicle and / or other environmental data of the vehicle (directly or indirectly via the collision information). Other environmental data of the vehicle may, in particular, include environmental data obtained via vehicle-to-vehicle communication and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.Furthermore, other environmental data can also include information about potential collision objects, particularly detection objects, indirectly obtained through communication. This includes, for example, estimated positions from short-range communication such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Environmental sensors on the vehicle can include radar sensors, cameras, lidar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and the like. Ultimately, the object information from the vehicle supplements the existing information base to achieve significantly improved collision protection. This is particularly useful for road users that cannot be directly detected by environmental sensors, for example, in cases of obstruction or similar situations.

[0032] In addition to the method, the present invention also relates to a communication system comprising - at least one motor vehicle with a vehicle-side communication device for establishing a communication connection to at least one stationary server facility external to the vehicle, - further communication system members configured as trackable detection objects and / or communication devices, wherein the communication devices are configured to send communication data to the server device, wherein the communication data includes the geodetic position of the communication device when sending the communication data and identification information of one or more trackable detection objects, and - the server facility which is designed to determine geodetic position information for the detection objects to be tracked from the communication data for at least one point in time.

[0033] The communication system is characterized by the fact that the server is configured to transmit object information, which includes at least one position information of the selected detection object at the current time, to the vehicle upon fulfillment of at least one provisioning condition relating to a selected detection object and the fulfillment of which requires a current distance value between the vehicle and the selected detection object that is below a maximum distance according to the assigned position information, and the vehicle is configured to carry out a measure assigned to the action condition for collision avoidance and / or collision consequence reduction upon fulfillment of at least one action condition indicating a collision risk with the selected detection object, which evaluates the object information.

[0034] In other words, the communication system is configured to carry out a method according to the invention. All descriptions of the method according to the invention can be applied analogously to the communication system according to the invention, and vice versa, so that the aforementioned advantages can also be obtained with the communication system. On the part of the motor vehicle, steps of the method according to the invention can be carried out, in particular, by means of at least one control unit, for example, a control unit assigned to the collision protection system. The server device can be configured as a computing device and / or include one in order to carry out steps of the method according to the invention. Communication devices and / or detection objects not configured as communication devices can have control units to implement the corresponding steps.The control unit and / or the computing device and / or the control unit can each comprise at least one storage medium and at least one processor. Functional units can be formed by hardware and / or software to implement steps of the method according to the invention and its further developments.

[0035] The communication system can be assigned to a manufacturer and / or a group of manufacturers and, for example, use all devices of the manufacturer and / or companies cooperating with the server facility as communication devices in order to achieve the broadest possible coverage with regard to a “crowd-GPS” for detection objects that do not operate as communication devices.

[0036] Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of a communication system according to the invention, and Fig. 2 a traffic situation to illustrate the method according to the invention.

[0037] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system 1 according to the invention. The communication system members of the communication system 1 include, in addition to communication devices 2, which in this case also include at least one motor vehicle 3, detection objects 4 that are not configured as communication devices 2. All communication system members of the communication system 1 are generally configured to communicate with each other via short-range communication, for example, Bluetooth, WLAN, and / or NFC, as long as they are within their respective communication ranges of this short-range communication. However, only communication devices 2 are configured to communicate at any time with a server device 5 of the communication system 1 via long-range communication, thus establishing a communication connection to it, as indicated by arrows 6.

[0038] The motor vehicle 3 uses vehicle-side communication means 7 for these various communication options. Generally, all communication devices 2 naturally have corresponding suitable communication devices 8. The other communication devices 2 can include other motor vehicles, but also other types of mobile and non-mobile devices, for example, mobile devices such as mobile phones or fixed stations and installations. Each communication device 2, including the motor vehicle 3, can determine its own geodetic position, in particular by means of a GPS sensor 9, if it belongs to a mobility class indicating mobility.

[0039] The communication means 8 on the communication equipment side, and thus also the communication means 7 on the vehicle side, include in this case both an interface to a mobile network in order to establish communication connections to the server equipment 5, and an interface to short-range communication, for example by means of WLAN and / or Bluetooth, in order to communicate with communication system members located in the corresponding communication area, i.e. communication equipment 2 and detection objects 4 not designed as communication equipment 2.

[0040] The detection object-side communication means 10, however, comprise only the interface for short-range communication. Through this interface, identification information stored in a storage medium (not shown in detail here) of the detection object (which is not configured as a communication device 2) is sent to communication devices 2 located within the communication range of the detection object-side communication means 10. The detection object-side communication means 10 could, for example, be a tracker or a tag that has been attached to or integrated into the detection object 4 for improved detectability and integration into the communication system 1.

[0041] If a communication device 2 receives identification information from a detection object 4 that is not configured as a communication device 2, it transmits this information, along with its current geodetic position, as communication data to the server device 5. The server device 5 is configured as a computing device or includes a computing device and is designed to determine geodetic position information from the currently received communication data for a specific detection object 4. This geodetic position information describes the current geodetic position of the detection object 4. It should be noted that the communication devices 2 can also be at least partially detection objects 4, whose position is to be tracked. Therefore, they can, for example, cyclically and / or when changing position / moving, send their current geodetic position, along with their own identification information, to the server device 5.Naturally, multiple pieces of identification information can be transmitted in a single communication data record. For communication device 2, the current geodetic position can directly correspond to the position information. Ideally, for detection objects 4 not configured as communication devices 2, the actual geodetic position of the detection object 4 not configured as a communication device 2 can be estimated more accurately from a plurality of current communication data records from the communication areas and geodetic positions of the respective communication devices 2, in order to generate the position information.

[0042] In this case, the server facility 5 also stores a position history and / or derived movement information for each detection object 4 not configured as a communication device 2 and also for each detection object 11 configured as a communication device 2. For this purpose, a sliding time window ending at the current time, for which the position history is retained or the movement information is kept up to date, can be used, which can, for example, have a length of 20 seconds to 5 minutes.

[0043] The vehicle 3 also has at least one control unit 12 and an environmental sensor 13 to form a collision avoidance system. Action conditions can be checked, and if these conditions are met, a measure associated with the action condition is carried out to avoid the collision and / or mitigate its consequences, for example, a warning is issued and / or a driving intervention is initiated. In this case, the fact that the vehicle 3 is part of the communication system 1 is used to obtain further information for the collision avoidance system. In other words, object information from the communication system 1 is also used to evaluate the action conditions; this information is provided, at least partially, by the server 5 when a provisioning condition is met.The provision condition serves not only to avoid unnecessary data traffic, but also describes an exception to the otherwise restricted access to position information and other object information, for example, for data protection reasons. In this case, it verifies at least whether the distance of the vehicle, described by a distance value, to the geodetic position described by the current position information of a selected detection object 4, 11 is below a maximum distance, for example, 100 or 200 m. The geodetic position of the vehicle 2 is already available, for example, if the vehicle 3 itself is a detection object 11 and / or reports its current geodetic position to the server 5 via communication system 1 for other reasons, such as being transmitted with a request.

[0044] The verification of the provisioning condition can be triggered in various ways. One possibility is that, when vehicle 3 receives identification information for a detection object 4, 11, a vehicle-side request is sent to server 5 to obtain object information for the selected detection object 4, 11 described by the identification information. This request can be sent, for example, whenever a relevance condition is met. The relevance condition might be met, for instance, if the detection object 4, 11 described by the identification information can be recognized as mobile based on a mobility class determined by evaluation in vehicle 3 or obtained with or as identification information.The relevance condition can also check whether the detection object 4 is not configured as a communication device 2 and therefore does not know its own geodetic position. In this case, the vehicle-side request can be transmitted simultaneously with a communication data record that the vehicle 3 sends as a communication device 2. For detection objects 11 configured as a communication device 2, or for communication devices 2 of the communication system 1 in general, a request directed specifically to the communication device 2 can also be sent by the vehicle 3, either additionally or alternatively. The communication device 2 then sends at least its current geodetic position back to the vehicle 3 as object information.

[0045] When a vehicle-side request is received by server 5, the provisioning condition is checked, and if it is met, the object information is transmitted to the vehicle 3, where it can be evaluated in the vehicle 3 to verify compliance with at least one action condition. This evaluation can, of course, also include other information available in the vehicle, such as vehicle 3 operating data, sensor data from the environmental sensors 13, and / or information from vehicle-to-vehicle and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. For this purpose, vehicle-side collision information can be conveniently determined using the object information via the control unit. The additional information provided by the object information is particularly useful if the selected detection object 4, 11 cannot be detected otherwise, or not with sufficient accuracy.

[0046] At least one of the conditions for action can be fulfilled, and it can also be provided that the motor vehicle 3 sends a warning request to the server 5, which relates to the selected detection object 4, 11. If the server 5 receives such a warning request, it can send a warning message triggered by the motor vehicle to the detection object 11 or to a communication device 2 assigned to the detection object 4. If, for example, a detection object 4 is a key or the like, it can be assigned to at least one communication device 2, such as a mobile phone, which can then be used to locate the key. A warning is then issued at the recipient of the warning message triggered by the motor vehicle, and / or at least one protective measure is carried out.

[0047] Alternatively or additionally, if the server 5 also has a position history and / or derived movement information for the vehicle 3, it can also perform its own monitoring for potential collisions. In other words, the server 5 can determine server-side collision information for each of the at least one vehicle 3 that is in operation and each selected detection object 4, 11 located in an evaluation area around the vehicle 3, based on its position history and / or movement information as well as the position history and / or movement information of the vehicle 3 (which each contain the current position information).The provisioning condition then further checks whether the collision information indicates a sufficiently high risk of collision, for example, whether a collision value derived from a collision probability and / or a collision severity value exceeds a threshold that may be lower than corresponding thresholds of the action conditions in the motor vehicle.

[0048] If this is the case, the provisioning condition is fulfilled and the object information is transmitted to the vehicle 3, where a more detailed examination can be carried out by the control unit 12 based on the action condition and any further information that may be available there. A server-triggered warning message can also be sent to the selected detection object 11 and / or a communication device 2 assigned to the detection object 11, analogous to the vehicle-triggered warning message.

[0049] In both cases described, the object information also includes the position history and / or the derived movement information, which is extremely useful for collision protection.

[0050] In general, in both cases it is advisable, especially when it comes to evaluating position histories / movement information of detection objects 4 not set up as communication devices 2 and / or when collision information is to be determined on a lower information basis by the server device 5, to use artificial intelligence in the form of at least one trained evaluation function in order to allow an improved, in particular more robust and / or more reliable, prediction regarding the risk of collision.

[0051] Fig.Figure 2 shows an exemplary traffic situation in which the collision protection function of the communication system 1 can be used effectively. The motor vehicle 3 is approaching a pedestrian crossing 15 on a road 14 within a town. The crossing is not visible to the driver or the environmental sensors 13. A pedestrian 16, carrying a detection object 4, is also approaching the pedestrian crossing 15. Thanks to the communication devices 2 located in the vicinity of the pedestrian 16, the geodetic position of the detection object 4 and its movement can be precisely tracked by the communication system 1. This allows the object information, when generating a collision warning, either in the server 5 or in the control unit 12 in the motor vehicle 3, to predict that the pedestrian 16 will cross the pedestrian crossing 15.Although the vehicle 3 cannot see the pedestrian 16 and the vehicle 16 due to surrounding objects 17, the vehicle 3 can correctly assess the situation thanks to the provided object information and initiate appropriate measures. As already mentioned, the pedestrian 16 can also be warned, for example, if he is carrying a mobile phone assigned to the detection object 4 as a communication device 2 in the communication system 1. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2004 052 144 A1

[0004] DE 10 2016 215 326 A1

[0005]

Claims

[1] Computer-implemented method for operating a collision protection system of a motor vehicle (3), wherein the motor vehicle (3) has a motor vehicle-side communication means (7) for establishing a communication connection to at least one motor vehicle-external server device (5) and the server device (5) is configured to determine, on the basis of communication data from a plurality of communication devices (2), which include at least a geodetic position of the communication device (2) when sending the communication data and identification information of a detection object (4, 11) to be tracked, a geodetic position information for the detection objects (4, 11) to be tracked for at least one time point in time, characterized by, that the server facility (5) upon fulfillment of at least one provisioning condition which relates to a selected of the detection objects (4, 11) and the fulfillment of which requires a current distance value between the motor vehicle (3) and the selected detection object (4, 11) that is below a maximum distance according to the assigned position information, transmit object information which includes at least one position information of the selected detection object (4, 11) at the current time to the motor vehicle (3), wherein, upon fulfillment of at least one action condition indicating a risk of collision with the selected detection object (4, 11), which evaluates the object information, the motor vehicle (3) carries out a measure assigned to the action condition for collision avoidance and / or collision consequence reduction. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by, that at least some of the detection objects (4, 11) are not communication facilities (2), but have communication means (10) on the detection object side for transmitting the identification information of the respective detection object (4) to receiving communication facilities (2) located in a communication area of ​​the communication means (10) on the detection object side, wherein the receiving communication facilities (2) transmit their geodetic position and the identification information as the communication data to the server facility (5). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that upon receipt of the identification information of a communication device (2) and / or a detection object (4) that does not constitute a communication device (2) by the motor vehicle (3), at least if a relevance condition is met, a motor vehicle-side request for object information of the detection object (4, 11) described by the identification information is sent to the server device (5), which in response checks the provision condition for the detection object (4, 11) selected by the identification information. [4] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the motor vehicle (3) itself functions as a communication device (2). [5] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that for each detection object (4, 11) a position history describing a movement history of the detection object (4, 11), which in particular covers a sliding time window, and / or movement information derived therefrom is also stored. [6] Method according to claim 5, characterized by , that the position history and / or the derived movement information of the selected detection object (4, 11) is also transmitted to the motor vehicle (3) as object information, wherein a motor vehicle-side collision information, which describes a potential collision of the motor vehicle (3) with the selected detection object (4, 11), is determined from the position history and / or movement information of the motor vehicle (3) and the position history and / or movement information of the selected detection object (4, 11), wherein the action condition evaluates the motor vehicle-side collision information. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by , that if at least one predetermined condition of action is met, a warning request relating to the selected detection object (4, 11) is sent to the server facility (5), which upon receipt sends a warning information triggered by the vehicle to the detection object (4, 11) and / or a communication device (2) assigned to the detection object (4, 11), where the warning information triggered by the vehicle is output and / or evaluated for the implementation of at least one protective measure. [8] Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized by, that the server facility (5) also has a position history and / or movement information of the motor vehicle (3), wherein the server facility (5) determines, for each selected detection object (4, 11) located within an evaluation area around the motor vehicle (3) in operation, from the position history and / or movement information of the motor vehicle (3) and the position history and / or movement information of the selected detection object (4, 11), server-side collision information that describes a potential collision of the motor vehicle (3) with the selected detection object (4, 11), wherein the provisioning condition further evaluates the server-side collision information and requires a sufficiently high risk of collision for fulfillment. [9] Method according to claim 8, characterized by, that if the provisioning condition which evaluates the server-side collision information is fulfilled, a server-side triggered warning information is also sent to the detection object (4, 11) and / or a communication device (2) assigned to the detection object (4, 11), where the server-side triggered warning information is output and / or evaluated to carry out at least one protective measure. [10] Method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized by , that a trained evaluation function is used to determine the motion information and / or the collision information. [11] Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the measure condition also evaluates sensor data from at least one environmental sensor (13) of the motor vehicle (3) and / or operating data of the motor vehicle (3). [12] communication system (1), comprising - at least one motor vehicle (3) with a motor vehicle-side communication device (7) for establishing a communication connection to at least one motor vehicle-external, stationary server facility (5), - further communication system members, which are configured as a trackable detection object (4, 11) and / or communication device (2), wherein the communication devices (2) are configured to send communication data to the server device (5), wherein the communication data includes the geodetic position of the communication device (2) when sending the communication data and identification information of a trackable detection object (4, 11) of the plurality of trackable detection objects (4, 11), and - the server facility (5) which is designed to determine geodetic position information for the detection objects (4, 11) to be tracked from the communication data for at least one point in time, characterized by, that the server device (5) is configured to transmit object information, which includes at least one position information of the selected detection object (4, 11) at the current time, to the vehicle (3) when at least one provisioning condition is fulfilled, which relates to a selected detection object (4, 11) and whose fulfillment requires a current distance value between the motor vehicle (3) and the selected detection object (4, 11) that is below a maximum distance according to the assigned position information, and the vehicle (3) is configured to carry out a measure assigned to the action conditions for collision avoidance and / or collision consequence reduction when at least one action condition indicating a collision risk with the selected detection object (4, 11) is fulfilled, which evaluates the object information.

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