Method and apparatus for condition-based processing of motor vehicle sensor data

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for condition-based processing of sensor data of a motor vehicle (26), in which method sensor data generated by sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) with regard to the environmental conditions of the motor vehicle (26) are transmitted to a computing unit (10) via a bus (24), the computing unit (10) ascertains an information requirement in consideration of the transmitted sensor data and generates a request for further sensor data on the basis of the ascertained information requirement and the load of the bus (24) and sends the request to the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22). The invention also relates to a corresponding device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for condition-based processing of sensor data of motor vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Modern motor vehicles are equipped with sensors that provide information about the vehicle's current state and driving conditions and display it to the driver, or may be further processed by other vehicle systems. For example, some driver assistance systems are known to identify potentially hazardous driving conditions based on positional data of objects sensed in the vehicle's surrounding environment and to warn the driver when a hazard is detected, thus preventing accidents. For this purpose, vehicles are equipped with environmental sensors, such as video cameras, radar sensors, lidar sensors, or ultrasonic sensors, which monitor the vehicle's surroundings and provide information about objects detected in these areas. The sensor data provided by these environmental sensors can be combined to form a comprehensive picture representing the vehicle's current driving condition. Safety systems for motor vehicles are also known to automatically deduce potential hazards from such sensor data, such as taking measures to avoid collisions, warning the driver, or intervening in vehicle control, for example, by taking automated braking measures that can avoid a collision or mitigate its consequences.

[0003] Sensor data processing typically takes place in a common computing unit, such as a central processing unit (CPU), which communicates with each sensor via a data bus. To improve the power capability of the aforementioned system, it is desirable to acquire and process as much sensor data as possible. As the number of sensors increases, the amount of data to be transmitted and the bus load also increase. However, data transmission efficiency is crucial to the power capability of the system processing sensor data. Choosing alternative data buses already present in the vehicle may overload those buses. Furthermore, additional data buses increase manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for condition-based processing of motor vehicle sensor data, which improves the data transmission efficiency between sensors and computing units without incurring additional manufacturing costs. Instead, the overall cost should be kept low.

[0005] According to the invention, this task is accomplished by the method according to the invention and by the apparatus according to the invention.

[0006] In the method according to the invention, sensor data generated by sensors regarding the vehicle's environmental conditions is transmitted to a computing unit via a bus. The computing unit determines an information requirement while considering the transmitted sensor data. Based on the determined information requirement and the bus load, a request for further sensor data is generated and sent to the sensors.

[0007] The advantage of the method according to the invention is that the computing unit can evaluate, based on the transmitted sensor data, which information is necessary to estimate the vehicle condition with sufficient accuracy, i.e., to enable the aforementioned type of driver assistance system to operate reliably. For example, it can be determined in this way that sensor data provided by specific sensors has priority over other sensor data, i.e., those sensor data with higher priority in assessing the potential hazards of the current driving or environmental conditions. Furthermore, by determining the load on the bus, it can be determined which sensor data from which sensors are requested first, so that the sensor data is subsequently preferably transmitted to the computing unit.

[0008] Therefore, the requests generated by the computing unit based on the current information requirements and bus load are designed to prioritize loading only the relevant sensor data that is important to the situation onto the bus. This approach minimizes data exchange.

[0009] The advantageous configuration of the present invention is derived from the extended technical solution.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, sensor data is periodically transmitted to a computing unit, and in each cycle, a request for sensor data is generated based on the information demand derived from the sensor data transmitted to the computing unit in the previous cycle and the load on the bus in the previous cycle. Therefore, it can be determined in different cycles which sensor data the computing unit needs to assess the condition of the vehicle and to operate other systems. For example, from the sensor data transmitted to the computing unit in the first cycle, it can be inferred that sensor data describing the condition in the area in front of the vehicle is preferably needed. In a subsequent second cycle, only sensor data from sensors monitoring that area can be requested. In some cases, specific sensor data is selected from the data generated by these sensors that is of priority for condition assessment, such as the number of objects detected in the area in front of the vehicle. The load on the bus is an additional criterion, and requests for the corresponding sensor data are generated with this criterion in mind.

[0011] Preferably, each individual sensor monitors a defined area of ​​the vehicle's environment. Sensors may include, for example, radar sensors, lidar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, video cameras, or combinations thereof.

[0012] According to another preferred embodiment of the method, the request includes a determined priority ranking of sensors relative to other sensors, such that sensor data from the prioritized sensors is preferentially transmitted to the computing unit. For example, if it is determined when retrieving information requirements by the computing unit that information from a region of the ahead vehicle environment is of priority and relevant to condition assessment, the request may include a priority ranking of sensors monitoring that relevant environmental region.

[0013] Furthermore, preferably, the request includes a priority ranking of the sensor data content relative to other data content, such that the data content with higher priority is transmitted to the computing unit first. Therefore, based on the requested information requirement, a selection of relevant data content is made, and this data content is transmitted preferentially while taking into account bus load.

[0014] Furthermore, preferably, the sensor data includes at least the number of detected objects, and the number of detected objects is the data content with priority.

[0015] The prioritization of the sensor data content described above can be associated with a determined sensor priority order. For example, if, when requesting information, it is determined that the number of objects detected by sensors monitoring the area in front of the vehicle is of priority, then only the number of detected objects is requested from the sensors monitoring that area as priority data content and transmitted to the computing unit. The term "priority order" should include not only the possibility of transmitting highly relevant sensor data before transmitting other less relevant sensor data, thus determining the transmission order, but also the possibility of transmitting only priority-ordered sensor data or the sensor data of priority-ordered sensors and discarding the transmission of non-priority-ordered sensor data or the sensor data of non-priority-ordered sensors.

[0016] Furthermore, preferably, the sensor data represents the occurrence of a specific event, and the re-sorting of this specific event is the data content with priority.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the information requirement is also obtained while taking into account vehicle data describing the internal state of the motor vehicle. Such internal vehicle data may be, for example, data on the steering system, brakes, drive system, etc.

[0018] Furthermore, preferably, the information requirement is also obtained by taking into account terrain data describing the movement space of the vehicle. This terrain data represents a map on which the vehicle moves, and the map may contain elements particularly relevant to assessing driving conditions, such as road directional features, hazard points, etc.

[0019] The present invention also includes an apparatus for conditionally processing sensor data of a motor vehicle, the apparatus comprising a computing unit, a number of sensors for monitoring the environment of the motor vehicle, and a bus connecting the sensors to the computing unit, wherein the sensors are configured to generate sensor data regarding the environmental conditions of the motor vehicle and transmit the sensor data to the computing unit via the bus, the computing unit being adapted to determine information requirements in consideration of the transmitted sensor data and to generate requests for further sensor data based on the determined information requirements and the load of the bus and to send the requests to the sensors. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings and further described in the following description.

[0021] The attached diagram shows:

[0022] Figure 1 : A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the device according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a motor vehicle, including different areas of the vehicle's environment monitored by sensors;

[0024] Figure 3 and Figure 4 : Figure 2 The image shows two different driving conditions for the motor vehicle.

[0025] Figure 5 and Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an exemplary process of the method according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 Another schematic diagram illustrating the details of the method according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication structure within a motor vehicle. This structure includes a computing unit 10 and a number of sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22, which are connected via a data bus (hereinafter referred to as bus 24). Sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 are environmental sensors arranged and configured to monitor a defined area of ​​the motor vehicle's environment (not further shown here). Such environmental sensors may be, for example, radar sensors, lidar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and / or video systems for locating objects, wherein sensors of the types mentioned above can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0028] Bus 24 can be any bus system, such as CAN bus, CAN FD bus, Ethernet, FlexRay, MOST, etc. Furthermore, the bus architecture can be freely chosen and is not limited to this. Figure 1 The illustration is purely schematic. Furthermore, the computing unit 10 can send requests for sensor data to sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 in the opposite direction. This includes the possibility of generating personalized request commands for each sensor 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 and sending the request commands to the sensor. In this embodiment, the computing unit 10 itself does not have sensor functionality, but the computing unit 10 can be implemented in sensors of the type described above. Sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 and the computing unit 10 are equipped with corresponding communication devices that enable data exchange via bus 24. The computing unit 10 can also be a central main computing unit, such as a central processing unit (CPU).

[0029] Figure 2 A motor vehicle 26 is shown traveling in lane 28 with multiple lanes 30, 32, and 34, with the vehicle 26 traveling in the middle lane 32. The area immediately surrounding the vehicle 26 is covered by different sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22. Sector 36 directly in front of the vehicle 26 in the direction of travel is the monitoring area of ​​the front radar sensor; a longer sector 38 directly in front of the vehicle 26 is the monitoring area of ​​the front camera; sector 40 to the right front of the vehicle 26 is the monitoring area of ​​the right front radar sensor; sector 42 to the left front of the vehicle 26 is the monitoring area of ​​the left front radar sensor; sector 44 to the right rear is the monitoring area of ​​the right rear radar sensor; and sector 46 to the left rear is the monitoring area of ​​the left rear radar sensor.

[0030] Figure 3 This illustration depicts a driving situation in which a zebra crossing 48 extends across lane 28 in front of vehicle 26. Furthermore, on lane 34, diagonally to the right front of vehicle 26, another vehicle 50 is located in sector 40, detected as a single object by a right-front radar sensor. Multiple traffic participants 52 (pedestrians and cyclists) crossing zebra crossing 48 are located in sector 36 of a front camera and detected as multiple single objects by the front camera. The number of objects detected by each sensor in its monitored area is data content that can be transmitted to computing unit 10 via bus 24. Other data content is also possible, such as the occurrence of a specific event in the sensor's monitored area.

[0031] Figure 4This diagram illustrates another driving situation for vehicle 26 in another lane 54, which also has three lanes: 56, 58, and 60. Here, vehicle 26 is also located in the middle lane 58. Another vehicle 62 is behind vehicle 26 in the same lane 58, and another vehicle 64 is behind vehicle 26 in the adjacent right lane 60. Both vehicles 62 and 64 are detected by a right rear radar sensor in sector 44. A third other vehicle 66 is diagonally to the right front of vehicle 26, detected by a right front radar sensor in sector 40, and another other vehicle 68 is diagonally to the left front of vehicle 26, detected by a left front radar sensor in sector 42. A fifth other vehicle 70 is in front of vehicle 26, but in the adjacent left lane 56, making it detected by a front camera in sector 38.

[0032] Figure 5 The process of the method according to the invention is illustrated in one illustrative embodiment. (Example shown in...) Figure 1 The information flow between the three selected sensors 12, 14, and 16 and the computing unit 10, wherein sensor 12 is equivalent to the front camera, sensor 14 is equivalent to the right front radar sensor, and sensor 16 is equivalent to the right rear radar sensor. Figure 1 The information flow between the other sensors 18, 20, 22 and the computing unit 10 can be carried out in the same way.

[0033] Sensors 12, 14, and 16 generate sensor data about the environmental conditions of the motor vehicle (step S100). The generated sensor data is transmitted to the computing unit 10 via bus 24 (step S102).

[0034] Subsequently, the information requirement is determined by the computing unit 10, taking into account the transmitted sensor data (step S104). This represents the need for information or data necessary to assess the environmental conditions. Therefore, the information requirement is derived from the previously transmitted sensor data. The load on the bus 24 is also determined by the computing unit 24 (step S106). The load on the bus 24 and the aforementioned information requirement can be determined simultaneously.

[0035] Then, based on the requested information requirements and the requested load on bus 24, the computing unit 10 generates a request for further sensor data (step S108) and sends the request to sensors 12, 14, and 16 (step S110). The request may contain different specific descriptions for each of the sensors 12, 14, and 16 regarding which sensor data is needed from the corresponding sensor. The request may also include personalized request commands that are addressed only to and read only from the individual sensors among the sensors 12, 14, and 16.

[0036] Sensors 12, 14, and 16 receive the request (step S112) and then regenerate sensor data that conforms to the request (step S114).

[0037] Such a request may specifically include prioritizing one or more of the stated number of sensors 12, 14, 16 such that sensor data generated by the one or more prioritized sensors 12, 14, 16 is preferentially transmitted to the computing unit 10. This could mean transmitting the sensor data of the prioritized sensors 12, 14, 16 to the computing unit 10 first, followed by the transmission of other sensor data. Alternatively, it could mean transmitting only the sensor data of the prioritized sensors 12, 14, 16 to the computing unit 10, without transmitting the sensor data of the remaining sensors 12, 14, 16.

[0038] The request may further include prioritizing certain data content of the sensor data relative to other data content, such that the data content with the highest priority is transmitted to the computing unit 10 first. This prioritized data content could be, for example, the number of objects detected by sensors 12, 14, and 16. Furthermore, this prioritized data content could be the occurrence of specific events detected by sensors 12, 14, and 16. This prioritization of data content can be sent to all involved sensors 12, 14, and 16 such that all sensors 12, 14, and 16 transmit only the number of objects they respectively detected to the computing unit 10, prioritizing other data content.

[0039] Therefore, based on the received request, sensors 12, 14, and 16 generate further sensor data (step S114) and transmit the further sensor data to the computing unit 10 via bus 24, causing step S102 to be re-executed, followed by the simultaneous implementation of step S104 to retrieve the information request and step S106 to retrieve the load on bus 24, and so on. Therefore, the method according to the invention can be repeatedly executed cyclically.

[0040] Figure 6 according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The driving conditions shown in the image are shown again. Figure 5 The method shown corresponds to different environmental conditions for these driving situations. Therefore, the method is based on... Figure 3 Starting in the driving conditions (in Figure 6 (Illustrated as "Driving Condition 1"), in which sensor 12 (front video camera) detects multiple objects in its monitoring sector 36, which correspond to traffic participants 52 on zebra crossing 48. Simultaneously, sensor 14 (right front radar sensor) detects other vehicles 50, while sensor 16 (right rear radar sensor) does not detect any objects.

[0041] In this cycle, sensors 12, 14, and 16 preferentially transmit the number of objects detected by them to the computing unit 10, which receives the number in step S102. Taking into account the transmitted sensor data representing the number of objects detected by the different sensors 12, 14, and 16, the computing unit 10 determines further information requirements in subsequent step S104 and simultaneously estimates the load on bus 24 caused by the sensor data transmission in step S106. Based on the determined information requirements and the load on bus 24, a request for further sensor data is generated in step S108 for subsequent cycles requesting sensor data. The subsequent cycles begin at step S110, in which the request generated in step S108 is transmitted to sensors 12, 14, and 16.

[0042] At that point in time, the vehicle's driving status had already been... Figure 4 Changes have occurred (in) Figure 6 (This is labeled "Driving Condition 2"). After receiving the request (step S112), sensors 12, 14, and 16 detect sensor data corresponding to the changed environmental conditions in step S114. Now, sensor 12 detects another vehicle 70, sensor 14 detects another vehicle 66, and sensor 16 detects vehicles 62 and 64. The number of these objects detected (one object for sensor 12, one object for sensor 14, and two objects for sensor 16) is transmitted to the computing unit 10 via bus 24 (step S102).

[0043] Figure 7 The illustrations in the diagram demonstrate the information requirements for obtaining the computing unit 10 and the details for generating requests for sensor data.

[0044] In addition to sensor data 200 from sensors 12, 14, and 16, computing unit 10 may additionally access terrain data 202, which describes the movement space of the vehicle 26. This terrain data represents a map on which the vehicle 26 moves. The map may contain elements particularly relevant to assessing driving conditions, such as road directional features and hazard points.

[0045] Furthermore, vehicle data describing the internal state of the vehicle 26 can be used in the retrieval of information requirements. Such vehicle data may include, for example, data from the vehicle control device 204, the braking system 206, or the drive system 208. Dynamic information data 210 regarding the movement of the vehicle 26 may also be used.

[0046] The computing unit 10 determines information requirement 212 based on these data 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, and 210, and, taking into account the load on bus 24, determines a request 212 for further sensor data as described above. This request is sent to sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22. The sensor data may, for example, describe the number of detected objects and / or represent, for example, the occurrence of a specific event. Based on this request 212, sensors 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 generate further sensor data 214 and send it back to the computing unit 10.

Claims

1. A method for condition-based processing of sensor data of a motor vehicle (26), wherein sensor data generated by sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) regarding the environmental conditions of the motor vehicle (26) is transmitted to a computing unit (10) via a bus (24), wherein the computing unit (10) determines information requirements and simultaneously determines the load of the bus (24) in consideration of the transmitted sensor data, and generates a request for further sensor data based on the determined information requirements and the determined load of the bus (24), and sends the request to the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22), wherein, based on the request, the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) generate further sensor data and send it back to the computing unit (10), wherein the request includes a priority order of determined data content of the sensor data relative to other data content, such that the data content with higher priority is transmitted to the computing unit (10) first, the priority order including: The transmission order is determined by transmitting the priority sensor data before transmitting other sensor data, or by transmitting only the priority sensor data and discarding the transmission of non-priority sensor data. The sensor data includes at least the number of objects detected, and the number of objects detected is the data content with priority. This priority of the data content is sent to all the sensors involved so that all sensors transmit only the number of objects they have detected to the computing unit (10) first, prioritizing other data content. Sensor data is periodically transmitted to the computing unit (10), and in each cycle, the request for further sensor data is generated based on the information demand obtained from the sensor data transmitted to the computing unit (10) in the previous cycle and the load of the bus (24) in the previous cycle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each individual sensor (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) monitors a defined area of ​​the vehicle's environment.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The request includes a priority order of the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) relative to the other sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22), such that the sensor data of the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) with higher priority are preferentially transmitted to the computing unit (10).

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensor data represents the occurrence of a specific event, and the occurrence of this specific event is the data content with priority.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information requirement is also obtained in consideration of vehicle data, which describes the internal state of the motor vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information requirement is also obtained in consideration of terrain data, which describes the movement space of the vehicle.

7. An apparatus for conditionally processing sensor data of a motor vehicle, the apparatus being used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the apparatus comprising a computing unit (10), a number of sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) for monitoring the environment of the motor vehicle, and a bus (24) connecting the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) to the computing unit (10), wherein, The sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) are configured to generate sensor data in relation to the environmental conditions of the motor vehicle and transmit the sensor data to the computing unit (10) via the bus (24). The computing unit (10) is configured to determine information requirements in consideration of the transmitted sensor data and, based on the determined information requirements and the load of the bus (24), generate at least a request for further sensor data and send the request to the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22).

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