Method for providing lane positioning for motor vehicles in the area of ​​infrastructure installations

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing a lane positioning for a motor vehicle (1) in an area (9) of an infrastructure device (7) and to a motor vehicle (1). The method comprises the following steps: receiving (S1) an infrastructure message (17) having at least lane quantity information (21) describing a quantity of lanes (4) in an area (9) of the infrastructure device (7); providing (S2) surrounding information (24) describing a surrounding of the motor vehicle (1) in the area (9) of the infrastructure device (7) and being detected by means of a surrounding detection device (12); determining (S3) adjacent lane information (25) describing a relative arrangement of adjacent lanes (6) with respect to a self lane (5) in which the motor vehicle (1) is arranged and a quantity by evaluating the provided surrounding information (24); determining (S4) lane positioning information (26) describing how the self lane (5) is positioned with respect to the adjacent lanes (6) by evaluating the received infrastructure message (17) and the determined adjacent lane information (25); and providing (S5) the determined lane positioning information (26).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for providing lane positioning for motor vehicles in an area of ​​infrastructure installations. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle for performing this method. Background Technology

[0002] A motor vehicle may have at least one driver assistance system configured to control the longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle. For example, the driver assistance system may be configured to perform lane changes. The motor vehicle may also have a navigation system by means of which a route to a destination can be determined and provided within the vehicle. The route to the destination may be lane-dependent, particularly if the route involves travel on a road with multiple lanes, of which only a few lanes may be available for turning and / or straight-line travel. For successful route guidance along the destination and / or for the full functionality of the driver assistance system (which may perform lane changes, for example), accurate lane positioning of the vehicle may be required, i.e., knowing which lane the vehicle is currently in.

[0003] DE 10 2015 206 342 A1 discloses a method for correcting the position of a vehicle using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) for determining its own location. Here, the position detected by the GNSS is incorporated into a digital map. This is done with reference to at least one object in the vehicle's environment, which has been identified and whose position is referenced in the digital map.

[0004] DE 10 2015 211 279 A1 discloses a method for performing a reliability check on a position signal obtained by means of a global navigation satellite system. Here, objects in the vehicle environment are detected, and the reliability check of the position signal is performed by comparing the positions of the objects with the vehicle's own position.

[0005] US 2018 / 0257615 A1 discloses an automatic braking system for a vehicle. In this case, it describes how traffic lights can be located, wherein the location information of the traffic lights is compared with vehicle location data determined using a global navigation satellite system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The objective of this invention is to provide a solution that can reliably provide lane positioning for motor vehicles.

[0007] The task described herein is solved through the subject matter of this invention.

[0008] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for providing lane positioning for motor vehicles in an area of ​​an infrastructure installation. This infrastructure installation is, for example, a traffic light system, which may have a single traffic light unit, i.e., a single traffic light, or multiple traffic lights. Alternatively or additionally, the infrastructure installation may also be a construction site. Lane positioning is understood to describe which lane of the road a motor vehicle is positioned in among a plurality of possible lanes. Thus, positioning in the lane where the motor vehicle is positioned is achieved compared to other lanes of the road, such as adjacent lanes relative to its own lane. This lane alternative may be referred to as a driving lane.

[0009] This invention is based on the understanding that, typically, maps do not store detailed information about a road, such as the number of lanes, and are provided to navigation systems for motor vehicles. It is more likely that such detailed information is stored only for specific road types, such as expressways. If the number of lanes is stored in the map, then lane positioning for motor vehicles can be performed with regard to the map, using environmental information describing the vehicle's surroundings from vehicle detection.

[0010] Furthermore, this invention is based on the understanding that vehicle positioning based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, can have an error of several meters and therefore cannot achieve accurate lane positioning for vehicles. Therefore, to date, lane positioning for vehicles has typically been performed based on GNSS positioning, maps in navigation systems, and / or detected ambient information. However, maps can be costly and data-intensive, especially when the map is only temporarily loaded into the vehicle, for example, from an external computing device. Therefore, it is meaningful to employ data provided by infrastructure devices, such as data describing the number of lanes, to enable lane positioning in vehicles in a simple and computationally efficient manner.

[0011] The method according to the invention includes the following steps: receiving an infrastructure message from an infrastructure device. The infrastructure message contains at least one lane number information describing the number of lanes in the area of ​​the infrastructure device. For example, if the infrastructure device is a traffic light device for an intersection where two roads (each with multiple lanes) intersect, the infrastructure message may include the number of lanes for the respective roads, such that the received infrastructure message received by a motor vehicle describes, for example, that each of the two intersecting roads has a total of four lanes. In this example, the area of ​​the infrastructure device is the area of ​​the intersection where the traffic lights are located. In the case of a construction site as an infrastructure device, the area of ​​the infrastructure device may, for example, include the entire construction site area or a portion of the construction site area. The area of ​​the infrastructure device is locally (or lokal) bounded and, in the case of an intersection, limited, for example, to the road areas of the two intersecting roads, which are located, for example, at least 10 to 20 meters before the traffic lights of the traffic light device.

[0012] Infrastructure messages can be transmitted via a wireless, particularly wireless, communication connection between infrastructure equipment, especially the communication interface of the infrastructure equipment, and the communication interface of a vehicle. For example, this communication connection can be established via a wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth, and / or a mobile data network, such as one based on mobile radio standards: Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced, 5G, or 6G.

[0013] Further method steps include: providing surrounding environment information. This surrounding environment information describes the environment surrounding a motor vehicle within the area of ​​the infrastructure device and is detected by a surrounding environment detection device. The surrounding environment detection device can be a motor vehicle's surrounding environment detection device, such as a camera, like a front camera, rear camera, side camera, and / or a 360-degree camera. Preferably, the surrounding environment information exists in the form of static or moving image data detected and provided by the motor vehicle itself. For example, the surrounding environment of the motor vehicle can be defined by the spatial upper limit of the detection area of ​​the surrounding environment detection device.

[0014] In a further step of the method, adjacent lane information is determined by evaluating the provided surrounding environment information. The adjacent lane information describes the relative arrangement and number of adjacent lanes relative to the vehicle's own lane. Therefore, based on the adjacent lane information, it is known how many lanes are adjacent to the vehicle's own lane and how these lanes are arranged relative to the vehicle's own lane; that is, for example, how many adjacent lanes are located to the left and right of the vehicle in the direction of travel. The adjacent lane information is determined here solely by surrounding environment information, i.e., for example, camera data from the vehicle's cameras. Adjacent lane information can be determined by applying image processing methods. For example, object recognition can be performed based on the surrounding environment information, where, for example, if lane markings are described by the surrounding environment information, lane markings placed on the driving surface are identified and evaluated.

[0015] Then, lane positioning information is determined by evaluating the received infrastructure messages, namely at least the lane quantity information, and the determined adjacent lane information. The lane positioning information describes how the vehicle's own lane is positioned relative to the adjacent lanes. Therefore, for example, it can be determined which lane of the road the vehicle is positioned in within the area of ​​the infrastructure device. For this purpose, in order to determine the lane positioning information, it is not necessary to consider, for example, maps stored in the vehicle's navigation system and / or position information, such as coordinates, detected by the vehicle's position detection device. Therefore, it is preferable that the lane positioning information is determined solely by evaluating the received infrastructure messages and the determined adjacent lane information. In other words, the lane positioning information can only be determined by evaluating the received infrastructure messages and evaluating surrounding environmental information, i.e., data detected by, for example, the vehicle's camera.

[0016] In a further method step, the determined lane positioning information is provided. Therefore, by providing the determined lane positioning information, lane positioning is provided for motor vehicles within the area of ​​the infrastructure device. The various method steps, particularly the determination of adjacent lane information and lane positioning information, can be performed using the vehicle's control equipment. This control equipment can be a computing device, i.e., a computer. Furthermore, the control equipment can provide received infrastructure messages and surrounding environment information. Additionally, the control equipment can provide the determined lane positioning, for example, to another component of the vehicle, such as the control device of a driver assistance system or the vehicle's navigation system. Alternatively or additionally, the determined lane positioning can be provided to other traffic participants, such as another vehicle in the vehicle's surrounding environment and / or an external computing device, for example, via wireless vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

[0017] In summary, this achieves the ability to reliably provide lane positioning for motor vehicles. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to evaluate data storage and data transmission costs, as lane positioning can be achieved without a map. It also eliminates the often inaccurate location determination based on GNSS. Therefore, it provides a particularly useful and feasible solution for positioning motor vehicles within a lane in areas with infrastructure installations.

[0018] One embodiment is configured to provide the determined lane positioning information to a navigation system for the motor vehicle. This navigation system may be a component of the motor vehicle itself and / or provided by a mobile terminal device located within the motor vehicle. The mobile terminal device may be a mobile phone, such as a smartphone, and / or a tablet computer. Alternatively or additionally, the determined lane positioning information may be provided to a driver assistance system of the motor vehicle, such as lane keeping or lane changing assistance, i.e., a driver assistance system for at least assisting in maintaining or changing lanes. Based on the lane positioning information, for example, the current driving route of the motor vehicle provided by the navigation system can be specified, especially when multiple lanes are available for different driving directions and / or traffic rules. For example, different traffic rules may exist when a lane is set for turning, i.e., as a turning lane, and / or for straight driving, especially for turning only or for straight driving only. By providing the determined lane positioning information, it is ensured, for example, that lane changing instructions can be output in the motor vehicle early, so that the motor vehicle can enter a lane suitable for the driving route to its destination within the area of ​​the infrastructure. It can also enable driver assistance systems, such as assisted, semi-automatic, or even fully automatic lane changing or lane keeping, depending on what is useful based on lane positioning information. Therefore, lane positioning information is particularly useful and comfortable for motor vehicle users to use in a motor vehicle.

[0019] An additional embodiment is configured such that the determined lane positioning information is provided only for the current driving of the vehicle. Therefore, the lane positioning information can be configured not, for example, to supplement a map for a navigation system, but only for the current driving. Thus, the lane positioning information is used in the vehicle for a short period and is time-limited. This prevents, on the one hand, the dense storage of lane positioning information in the vehicle, where possible, can be avoided. On the other hand, it prevents only temporarily possible lane positioning (e.g., in the case of a temporary construction site) from affecting future driving, in which case, due to changes in the construction site, such lane positioning becomes completely irrelevant. This achieves the goal that the method is always performed in relation to the current situation (or in real-time, i.e., immediately) and prevents potentially erroneous assumptions about lane layout and quantity from being stored in the vehicle.

[0020] In addition, one embodiment may be configured such that the received infrastructure message includes at least one of the following: allocation information; operational status information; speed specification information; driving direction specification information; location description information; lane marking type information; lane topology information; and / or traffic condition information.

[0021] The assignment information describes the assignment of a corresponding lane to an infrastructure unit of the infrastructure device. For example, the assignment is made for each individual traffic light in a traffic light device consisting of multiple individual traffic lights for the corresponding lane. Thus, it can be known in this case which sub-unit of the infrastructure, i.e., which infrastructure unit, is directly assigned to the corresponding lane, i.e., can provide a driving signal for the corresponding lane.

[0022] Operational status information describes the operational status of the infrastructure unit and / or the infrastructure installation. In the case of traffic light equipment, operational status may, for example, describe the red, yellow, or green phase of a single traffic light and / or the entire traffic light system. In relation to a construction site, operational status may, for example, distinguish whether the road construction site is currently passable, or whether a single lane is currently passable.

[0023] The speed regulation information describes the speed regulations for the corresponding lane. For example, this speed regulation is the maximum speed allowed on the corresponding lane. The travel direction regulation information describes the travel direction regulations for the corresponding lane. The travel direction here corresponds to the direction in which travel is permitted on the corresponding lane. For its own lane, the travel direction regulation generally corresponds to the travel direction of the motor vehicle. Thus, it is possible to distinguish, for example, which lanes are set up for traffic traveling in the same direction as the motor vehicle, and which are set up for traffic traveling in the opposite direction to the motor vehicle. Thus, it is also possible to evaluate from which direction the motor vehicle must approach the infrastructure device, thereby making its positioning in a particular lane reliable. For example, in the absence of clear information, if the travel direction regulation information is also evaluated as possible information from the received infrastructure message, it is possible to determine which lane the motor vehicle is actually in.

[0024] Location description information describes the location of the corresponding lane, infrastructure unit, and / or infrastructure installation. This location description is provided, for example, in the form of coordinates. Thus, for example, the location description of a lane corresponding to a clearance can be provided. Furthermore, the location of an individual infrastructure unit, such as a single traffic light, and / or an entire infrastructure installation may be known, wherein the location description of the infrastructure installation, for example, describes the entire area of ​​the infrastructure installation.

[0025] The lane marking type information describes the lane marking pattern and / or lane marking color of the corresponding lane. For example, the lane marking pattern can be distinguished between solid and dashed lines on the driving surface. For example, the lane marking color can be white. It can be set so that if the lane marking color is orange or yellow, this is evaluated, for example, as an indication of lane markings within a construction site as an infrastructure installation. If, for example, local regulations permit lane changes only in the case of white lane markings and prohibit lane changes in the case of orange or yellow lane markings, then traffic rules for lane changes can be considered in consideration of lane marking color.

[0026] The lane topology information describes the lane topology of the corresponding lane. Lane topology, for example, relates to the lane width, lane surface properties, and / or lane geometry, i.e., whether the lane has a curved or straight orientation. Traffic condition information describes the current traffic conditions in the area of ​​the infrastructure and is detected by means of traffic detection devices of the infrastructure. For example, traffic condition information exists in the form of image data, which is detected by means of a camera acting as a traffic detection device, such as one positioned near the space of a traffic light in a traffic light system. For example, traffic condition information may have an image in which motor vehicles themselves are mapped onto their own lanes.

[0027] Generally, if the aforementioned information is included in infrastructure messages, it can be evaluated together when determining lane positioning information, i.e., it can be used for positioning the lane relative to adjacent lanes. Therefore, in general, a large amount of additional information can be received through infrastructure messages, which can make the determination of lane positioning information more accurate.

[0028] In another embodiment, where the received infrastructure message includes lane marking information and / or lane topology information, these information are evaluated for a reliability check of the surrounding environment detection device. Therefore, the surrounding environment information describing the vehicle's environment and detected by the surrounding environment detection device is ultimately compared with information about lanes positioned within the vehicle's surrounding environment, taking into account lane marking type, i.e., lane marking color and / or lane marking style, and / or lane topology. If the reliability check is successful, i.e., if the appearance of the lane markings described by the surrounding environment information matches a preset appearance derived from the lane marking type information and / or lane topology information, the reliability check is considered successfully performed. In the case of a successful reliability check, the surrounding environment detection device is considered functional. If the reliability check is unsuccessful, i.e., if a distinction is made between the lane markings detected by the surrounding environment detection device and the information about lane marking type and / or lane topology included in the infrastructure message, the surrounding environment detection device may be evaluated as inoperable, and thus deemed non-functional. Therefore, through reliability checks, control instances can be set up to identify ambient environment detection devices that cannot function fully or reliably. This improves the reliability of ambient environment information detected by ambient environment detection devices used in motor vehicles.

[0029] Another embodiment is configured to perform format adaptation to determine the lane location information. This format adaptation matches the format of the infrastructure message with the format of a map for motor vehicles. Therefore, it is possible to locate lanes on which motor vehicles are positioned, even though the lanes are not drawn on the map, using known methods or algorithms, thanks to the infrastructure message format adaptation.

[0030] Furthermore, one embodiment is configured to check whether a map is provided in the vehicle before determining the lane positioning information. The map depicts at least the number of lanes for the area of ​​the infrastructure installation. If the map is provided, it is considered when determining the lane positioning information. Therefore, the method can be based not only on the evaluation of received infrastructure messages and determined adjacent lane information, but also, additionally, on checking the determined lane positioning information, for example, based on a map. This makes the method particularly robust to possible error detection and error determination.

[0031] Alternatively, in one embodiment, lane positioning information can be determined solely by evaluating the provided map and the provided adjacent lane information if the described map is provided. Here, before determining the lane positioning information, it is checked whether a map is provided in the vehicle, in which the number of lanes is drawn at least for the area of ​​the infrastructure device. In this case, it is possible to omit the costly evaluation of received infrastructure messages in order to determine the lane positioning information, and instead, the lane positioning information can be determined directly from the map, taking into account the determined adjacent lane information, which is determined by the surrounding environment information. Therefore, infrastructure messages can be used if possible without being necessary. The method according to the invention is also applicable to this situation.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the infrastructure message is configured to be a map data notification. This map data notification is typically referred to as a MAP notification, and alternatively, it may also be referred to as a map message. MAP here stands for map in English. Alternatively or additionally, the infrastructure message may be a signal phase and timing notification, which may also be referred to as a signal phase and timing (SPaT) message. Thus, two common types of infrastructure device notifications or messages can be employed, which are typically provided by the infrastructure device and are therefore standardized, allowing the received infrastructure messages to be readily and minimally funded for further evaluation and determination steps.

[0033] The relevant information in the sense of this invention can be represented in the form of data. Therefore, alternatively, lane quantity information can be referred to as lane quantity data, surrounding environment information can be referred to as surrounding environment data, adjacent lane information can be referred to as adjacent lane data, lane positioning information can be referred to as lane positioning data, allocation information can be referred to as allocation data, operating status information can be referred to as operating status data, speed regulation information can be referred to as speed regulation data, driving direction regulation information can be referred to as driving direction regulation data, location description information can be referred to as location description data, lane marking type information can be referred to as lane marking type data, lane topology information can be referred to as lane topology data, and / or traffic condition information can be referred to as traffic condition data.

[0034] Another aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle. This motor vehicle is configured to perform the method according to the invention. The motor vehicle is, for example, a passenger car, a freight car, a bus, and / or a motorcycle. The motor vehicle is further configured to perform one or a combination of embodiments.

[0035] Additional aspects of the invention relate to a control device for a motor vehicle. This control device has a processor configured to execute, individually or in combination, and whenever applicable, a method according to the invention or an embodiment thereof. For this purpose, the processor may have at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processor may have program code configured to execute, individually or in combination with at least one additional embodiment, the method according to the invention or an embodiment thereof, when implemented via the processor device. This program code may be stored in the data memory of the processor device. The control device executes method steps configured for the control device according to the method of the invention.

[0036] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product, which may be, for example, a computer program. The computer program product according to the invention includes instructions that, when implemented by a computer, such as by a control device of a motor vehicle, cause the computer to perform one or more embodiments of the methods described above and the methods according to the invention.

[0037] The present invention also includes extensions to the motor vehicle, control device, and / or computer program product according to the invention, which have features already described in relation to extensions to the method according to the invention.

[0038] The present invention also includes combinations of features of the described embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention are described below. Therefore:

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing motor vehicles in an area with infrastructure installations; and

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a signal flow diagram illustrating a method for providing lane positioning for motor vehicles in an area of ​​infrastructure installations. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the embodiments, the described components represent individual features of the invention that are to be considered independently of each other, and these features also independently further improve the invention and should therefore be considered individually or in combinations different from those shown as part of the invention. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by other described features of the invention.

[0043] In the figure, components with the same function are given the same reference numerals.

[0044] exist Figure 1 The diagram shows a motor vehicle 1 traveling on road 2 within the area of ​​intersection 3. Two roads 2 intersect at intersection 3; one road 2 is a four-lane road, and the other is a two-lane road. Each road 2 has different lanes 4. Motor vehicle 1 travels in its own lane 5, which is one of the lanes 4 of road 2. In the x-direction (which is perpendicular to the direction of travel of motor vehicle 1 (y-direction)), road 2 has three adjacent lanes 4, referred to as adjacent lanes 6. The adjacent lane 6 to the right of motor vehicle 1 in the x-direction is designed for the same direction of travel as motor vehicle 1. The other two adjacent lanes 6 to the left of motor vehicle 1 in the x-direction have the opposite direction of travel.

[0045] An infrastructure device 7 is arranged at intersection 3, which is exemplarily configured as a traffic light device. The infrastructure device 7 has multiple infrastructure units 8, which are exemplarily individual traffic lights of the traffic light device. For example, a single infrastructure unit 8, i.e., a single traffic light, can be provided for each individual lane 4.

[0046] The infrastructure unit 7 in the intersection 3 area has a region 9, wherein the region 9 includes at least four drawn carriers, each carrier having a single traffic light as a corresponding infrastructure unit 8. Here, the region of intersection 3 is region 9 of the infrastructure unit 7.

[0047] The vehicle 1 has a control device 10. The control device 10 is a computing device, which, for example, has at least one microprocessor and / or microcontroller. The vehicle 1 has a communication interface 11. The vehicle 1 may also have an ambient environment detection device 12, which is exemplarily configured here as a front-facing camera of the vehicle 1. The ambient environment detection device 12 can detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1, wherein the surrounding environment is determined by the detection area of ​​the ambient environment detection device 12. The vehicle 1 may also have a navigation system 13, which has a map 14. The navigation system 13 can, for example, preset a driving route for the vehicle 1 to its destination. The map 14 may be stored in the vehicle 1 and / or received from an external computing device, for example, through the communication interface 11 of the vehicle 1.

[0048] The infrastructure device 7 may include a control device 15 and a communication interface 11. The control device 15 may facilitate the transmission of data, such as infrastructure messages 17, via a communication connection 16 between the communication interface 11 of the infrastructure device 7 and the communication interface 11 of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 may receive infrastructure messages 17 from the infrastructure device 7.

[0049] Infrastructure device 7 may have a traffic detection device 18, which is configured here as a camera for traffic observation and by means of it, for example, can detect and provide the current traffic situation in area 9 of infrastructure device 7.

[0050] exist Figure 1 The map also depicts other traffic participants, more specifically, additional vehicles 19 stationary in the environment surrounding motor vehicle 1 and / or in area 9 of infrastructure device 7. Lane markings 20, which may be constructed as dashed or solid lines, are also arranged between the corresponding lanes 4 of road 2.

[0051] exist Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a single method step for providing lane positioning for a motor vehicle 1 within area 9 of infrastructure device 7. In method step S1, an infrastructure message 17 provided by infrastructure device 7 is received. Here, the motor vehicle 1, and particularly its communication interface 11, receives the infrastructure message 17. The infrastructure message 17 contains at least one lane quantity information 21. The lane quantity information 21 describes the number of lanes 4 in area 9 of infrastructure device 7, that is, in... Figure 1 In the example drawn in the diagram, the number of lanes 4 is four. Besides the lane number information 21, the infrastructure message 17 may also contain other information. As such additional information, lane marking type information 22 and lane topology information 23 are simply illustrated here as an example. Lane marking type information 22 describes the lane marking pattern, such as dashed or solid lines, and / or the lane marking color of the corresponding lane 4, such as white, orange, yellow, or other colors. Lane topology information 23 describes the lane topology of the corresponding lane 4, such as its width, direction, and / or surface.

[0052] For this alternative or additional location, infrastructure message 17 may include: assignment information describing the association of the corresponding lane 4 with the infrastructure unit 8 of the infrastructure device 7; operating status information describing the operating status of the infrastructure unit 8 and / or the infrastructure device 7; speed regulation information describing the speed limit in the corresponding lane 4; driving direction regulation information describing the driving direction for the corresponding lane 4; location description information describing the location of the corresponding lane 4 and / or infrastructure unit 8 and / or infrastructure device 7; and / or traffic information describing the current traffic situation in the area 9 of the infrastructure device 7 and detected by means of the traffic detection device 18 of the infrastructure device 7.

[0053] Infrastructure messages 17 may be provided, for example, as map messages and / or as signal phase and timing messages.

[0054] Further method step S2 setup: Provide ambient environment information 24. Ambient environment information 24 describes the surrounding environment of motor vehicle 1 in area 9 of infrastructure device 7 and is detected by means of ambient environment detection device 12b. Ambient environment detection device 12b is a component of motor vehicle 1. Alternatively or additionally, ambient environment information 24 can be provided by another vehicle 19, for example, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0055] In method step S3, adjacent lane information 25 is determined, which describes the relative arrangement and number of adjacent lanes 6 relative to their own lane 5 where the vehicle 1 is located. Adjacent lane information 25 is determined by evaluating the provided surrounding environment information 24.

[0056] In method step S4, lane positioning information 26 is determined. Lane positioning information 26 describes how its own lane 5 is positioned relative to adjacent lanes 6. Lane positioning information 26 is determined by evaluating received infrastructure messages 17 and determined adjacent lane information 25. Once lane positioning information 26 is determined, it can be provided in method step S5. For this purpose, lane positioning information can be provided, for example, to navigation system 13 for vehicle 1 and / or driver assistance system 28 for vehicle 1.

[0057] The reception of infrastructure message 17 is preferably performed via communication interface 11. The provision of surrounding environment information 24 is preferably performed via surrounding environment detection device 12, wherein the surrounding environment information 24 is provided to the control device 10 of vehicle 1. The determination and provision of adjacent lane information 25 and lane positioning information 26, i.e., the final method steps S3 to S5, are preferably performed via the control device 10 of vehicle 1.

[0058] It can be configured so that the determined lane positioning information 26 is only provided for the current driving of vehicle 1. In other words, the determined lane positioning information is not stored permanently, but only temporarily.

[0059] The system can be configured to evaluate the received infrastructure message 17 for a reliability check of the surrounding environment detection device 12 if the received infrastructure message includes lane topology information 23 and / or lane marking type information 22. Lane marking type information 22 and / or lane topology information 23 are considered here. If the reliability check is successful, the surrounding environment detection device 12 is considered functional.

[0060] In method step S4, it can be configured that, in order to determine lane positioning information 26, a format adaptation 27 is performed to adapt the format of infrastructure message 17 to the format of map 14 for motor vehicle 1, so that, for example, an existing algorithm can be used to determine lane positioning information 26.

[0061] It can be configured such that, prior to method step S4, method step S6 checks whether a map 14 is provided in the vehicle 1, in which the number of lanes 4 is drawn at least for the area 9 of the infrastructure device 7. That is, if a map 14 is provided, then the provided map 14 can be considered when determining lane positioning information 26, i.e., in method step S4. Alternatively, if a map 14 is provided, then lane positioning information 26 can be determined solely by evaluating the provided map 14 and the provided adjacent lane information 25. This is performed in method step S7. Then, the process can proceed to method step S5. If the check in method step S6 is unsuccessful, the process can, for example, return to method step S3 and / or subsequent method step S4.

[0062] In general, these examples illustrate the use of infrastructure messages, i.e., map notifications, based on vehicle-to-infrastructure communication for self-localization. The invention is configured to use vehicle-to-infrastructure notifications, i.e., infrastructure messages 17, instead of navigation maps, i.e., maps 14, as a map for lane calibration (or lane comparison, lane matching, i.e., spurabgleich) with data from cameras, i.e., ambient environment detection devices 12. For this purpose, the matching algorithm is either adapted so that it can process the infrastructure message 17 as input instead of the navigation map, i.e., map 14, or alternatively, the infrastructure message 17 is transformed so that it has the same format as map 14, wherein format adaptation 27 is employed for this purpose. Thus, the infrastructure message 17 and the map 14 contained therein are ultimately used for self-localization. Lane information, i.e., lane number information 21 in the infrastructure message 17, is therefore used to determine the self-driving lane, i.e., self-lane 5.

[0063] List of reference numerals

[0064] 1 motor vehicle

[0065] 2 roads

[0066] 3 intersections

[0067] 4 lanes

[0068] 5 lanes

[0069] 6 adjacent lanes

[0070] 7 infrastructure devices

[0071] 8 infrastructure units

[0072] 9 regions

[0073] 10 Control Equipment

[0074] 11 Communication Interfaces

[0075] 12 Surrounding environment monitoring devices

[0076] 13 Navigation System

[0077] 14 Maps

[0078] 15 Control Devices

[0079] 16 communication connections

[0080] 17 Infrastructure News

[0081] 18 Traffic Detection Devices

[0082] 19 vehicles

[0083] 20 lane markings

[0084] 21 lanes number information

[0085] 22 lane marking type information

[0086] 23-lane topology information

[0087] 24 Surrounding environment information

[0088] 25 Adjacent Lane Information

[0089] 26-lane location information

[0090] 27 format adaptation

[0091] 28 Driver Assistance Systems

[0092] S1 to S7 Method Steps

Claims

1. A method for providing lane positioning for a motor vehicle (1) in an area (9) of an infrastructure device (7), wherein The method comprises the following steps: - receiving (S1) an infrastructure message (17) from the infrastructure device (7), wherein the infrastructure message (17) has at least lane quantity information (21) which describes the number of lanes (4) in the area (9) of the infrastructure device (7), wherein the received infrastructure message (17) has lane marking type information (22) and / or lane topology information (23); - providing (S2) surrounding area information (24) which describes the surrounding area of the motor vehicle (1) in the area (9) of the infrastructure device (7) and is detected by means of a surrounding area detection device (12); - determining (S3) adjacent lane information (25) by evaluating the provided surrounding area information (24), which describes the relative arrangement of adjacent lanes (6) with respect to the own lane (5) in which the motor vehicle (1) is arranged and the number thereof; - evaluating the lane marking type information (22) and / or the lane topology information (23) for a plausibility check of the surrounding area detection device (12), wherein the surrounding area detection device (12) is considered to be functional when the plausibility check is successful, - determining (S4) lane positioning information (26) by evaluating the received infrastructure message (17) and the determined adjacent lane information (25), which describes how the own lane (5) is positioned with respect to the adjacent lanes (6); and - providing (S5) the determined lane positioning information (26).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The determined lane positioning information (26) is provided to a navigation system (13) for the motor vehicle (1) and / or to a driver assistance system (28) of the motor vehicle (1).

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The determined lane positioning information (26) is provided only for the current driving of the motor vehicle (1).

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The received infrastructure message (17) comprises at least one of the following information: - affiliation information which describes the affiliation of the respective lane (4) to an infrastructure unit (8) of the infrastructure device (7); - operating state information which describes the operating state of the infrastructure unit (8) and / or of the infrastructure device (7); - speed regulation information which describes a speed regulation for the respective lane (4); - driving direction regulation information which describes a driving direction regulation for the respective lane (4); - position specification information which describes a position specification for the respective lane (4) and / or for the infrastructure unit (8) and / or for the infrastructure device (7); - the lane marking type information (22) which describes the lane marking type and / or the lane marking color of the respective lane (4); - the lane topology information (23) which describes the lane topology of the respective lane (4); and / or - the lane topology information (23) which describes the lane topology of the respective lane (4); and / or - traffic situation information, which describes a current traffic situation in the region (9) of the infrastructure device (7) and is detected by means of a traffic detection device (18) of the infrastructure device (7).

5. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, In order to determine the lane positioning information (26), a format adaptation (27) is carried out, by means of which the format of the infrastructure message (17) is adapted to the format of the map (14) for the motor vehicle (1).

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, Before the lane positioning information (26) is determined, it is checked (S6) whether a map (14) is provided in the motor vehicle (1), in which map the number of lanes (4) is depicted at least for the region (9) of the infrastructure device (7), wherein, if the map (14) is provided, the provided map (14) is taken into account when determining the lane positioning information (26).

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, Before the lane positioning information (26) is determined, it is checked (S6) whether a map (14) is provided in the motor vehicle (1), in which map the number of lanes (4) is depicted at least for the region (9) of the infrastructure device (7), wherein, if the map (14) is provided, the lane positioning information (26) is determined only by evaluating the provided map (14) and the provided adjacent lane information (25).

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The infrastructure message (17) is a map data notification and / or a signal phase and time point notification.

9. Motor vehicle (1), which is designed to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

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