Automatic door opening system for controlling motor vehicle

Abstract

In order to control an automatic door opening system (12) of a motor vehicle (1), first sensor data is received from a first environmental sensor system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) during driving to a target position, and first object information about potential objects in a potential collision area (14) is determined on the basis of the first sensor data and stored in a storage device. Second sensor data is received from a second environmental sensor system (2), wherein a field of view of the second environmental sensor system (2) covers a portion of the potential collision area (14). The first object information is read from the storage device and the presence of an obstacle in the potential collision area (14) is verified on the basis of the first object information and the second sensor data. And generating a control signal for automatically opening the door (13) according to the verification result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a computer-implemented method for controlling an automatic door opening system for a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a corresponding data processing device for the automatic door opening system for a motor vehicle, and an automatic door opening system for a motor vehicle including such a data processing device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle including such an automatic door opening system and a corresponding computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] Parking assistance systems for motor vehicles are known, in which an environmental sensor system (e.g., ultrasonic sensors or cameras) measures a potential parking space as the vehicle approaches it and uses the perceived environmental information to control the parking process (e.g., for trajectory planning or maneuver planning). Such environmental sensor systems can be mounted, for example, at the front or rear of the vehicle and / or on the sides. In the case of ultrasonic sensors, they can be integrated, for example, into the fenders or bumpers of the vehicle.

[0003] On the other hand, automatic door opening systems for motor vehicles are known, in which a user can, for example, remotely trigger the opening of a side door, and the motor vehicle controls a corresponding actuator to automatically open the door. For such automatic door opening systems, it is also known to use environmental sensor systems, such as ultrasonic sensor systems, arranged in the immediate environment of the door to detect potential obstacles in the door's pivot area and, for example, to prevent automatic door opening if an obstacle is observed.

[0004] Document US 9,348,025 B2 describes a method for lateral environmental detection of a motor vehicle. It describes a motor vehicle including environmental sensors for parking space monitoring and additional environmental sensors for door protection. When the operating frequency of the parking support device's environmental sensors is selected to be different from the frequency at which the door protection device operates its environmental sensors, both the parking support device and the door protection device can operate at least one of their assigned environmental sensors. Both operating frequencies are detuned relative to the resonant frequencies of the environmental sensors. This allows for simultaneous environmental detection of the parking support device and the door protection device on the same side of the motor vehicle using the same set of sensors.

[0005] However, after parking, potential obstacles in the door's pivot area may be located very close to the door. Therefore, obstacles may be located, or partially located, in blind spots or blind areas of the environmental sensors available for door protection. Such blind spots or blind areas may arise, for example, due to limitations regarding the placement of environmental sensors on the vehicle's sides. For instance, for aesthetic reasons, the door itself may not be equipped with environmental sensors such as ultrasonic sensors. This reduces the reliability of the automatic door opening system's door protection. On the other hand, restricting edge conditions to improve door protection reliability may lead to false alarms about obstacles, thus reducing the availability of the automatic door opening function. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to improve the reliability of door protection and / or the availability of automatic door opening function in motor vehicle automatic door opening systems.

[0007] This objective is achieved through the relevant subject matter of the independent claims. Further embodiments and preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0008] This invention is based on the following idea: On the one hand, as the vehicle approaches a target location, first sensor data from a first environmental sensor system is used to determine information about potential objects in the potential collision zone of the door, and this information is stored in a storage device. On the other hand, when the vehicle is at the target location, second sensor data is received from a second environmental sensor system, the field of view of which covers a portion of the potential collision zone. The information from the first and second sensor data is used to verify whether an obstacle actually exists in the potential collision zone, and the automatic door opening system is controlled based on the verification result.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method for controlling an automatic door opening system of a motor vehicle is provided. In this method, as the motor vehicle moves toward a target location (particularly a target parking location parked there with the target orientation), first sensor data is received from a first environmental sensor system of the motor vehicle. Based on the first sensor data, first object information regarding potential objects in a potential collision zone concerning a door of the motor vehicle (particularly a side door of the motor vehicle) is determined. The first object information is stored in a memory device, particularly the memory device of the motor vehicle. When the motor vehicle is at the target location, particularly stationary or parked at the target location, particularly with the target orientation, second sensor data is received from a second environmental sensor system of the motor vehicle. The field of view of the second environmental sensor system covers a portion of the potential collision zone.

[0010] Specifically, when the vehicle is at the target location, first object information is read from the memory device. Based on the read first object information and second sensor data, it is verified whether an obstacle exists in the potential collision zone. Based on the verification result, a control signal for automatically opening the door is generated.

[0011] Unless otherwise stated, all steps of the computer-implemented method can be performed by a data processing device, particularly a data processing device for motor vehicles, such as a data processing device for an automatic door opening system. The data processing device includes at least one computing unit configured or adapted to perform the steps of the computer-implemented method. For this purpose, the at least one computing unit may, for example, store one or more computer programs comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one computing unit, cause the at least one computing unit to perform the computer-implemented method.

[0012] All computing units of at least one computing unit may be included within a motor vehicle. However, it is also possible that all computing units of the at least one computing unit are part of an external computing system outside the motor vehicle, such as a back-end server or cloud computing system. It is also possible that the at least one computing unit includes at least one vehicle computing unit of the motor vehicle and at least one external computing unit included by an external computing system. The at least one vehicle computing unit may, for example, include one or more electronic control units (ECUs) and / or one or more regional control units (ZEUs) and / or one or more domain control units (DCUs) of the motor vehicle. One or more of the at least one vehicle computing unit may also be included, for example, in a first environmental sensing device and / or a second environmental sensing device.

[0013] The automatic door opening system of a motor vehicle specifically includes at least one actuator configured to automatically open the door according to a control signal. To automatically open the door, if necessary, the at least one actuator can unlock the door and move it at least partially into the potential collision zone. As mentioned above, automatic opening can be triggered by a user command. However, it can also be triggered automatically when a user is detected approaching the motor vehicle and / or according to a predetermined schedule. At least one computing unit can detect the approach of a user, for example, based on second sensor data, and / or based on further second sensor data generated by a second environmental sensor system, and / or based on further sensor data generated by one or more further environmental sensor systems of the motor vehicle.

[0014] The automatic door opening system may also include a data processing device or at least one vehicle computing unit or a portion thereof. The at least one vehicle computing unit may, for example, include a first vehicle computing unit configured to receive first sensor data, determine first object information, and store the first object information in a storage device. The first vehicle computing unit may, for example, be part of a parking assistance system for a motor vehicle. However, in the context of this invention and in the following description, the first vehicle computing unit may be considered as part of an automatic door opening system. Alternatively, the at least one vehicle computing unit may include a second vehicle computing unit that receives second sensor data from a second environmental sensing device, reads the first object information from the storage device, performs verification, and generates a control signal. Note that the distribution of the various method steps and functions described is merely a non-limiting example. Different configurations are also possible. For example, but not limited to, the first vehicle computing unit may read the first object information and transmit it to the second vehicle computing unit, or perform verification and transmit the verification result to the first vehicle computing unit, which may, for example, generate a control signal. It is also possible that a single vehicle computing unit performs all the steps of the method, etc.

[0015] For each embodiment of the computer-implemented method according to the invention, a corresponding embodiment of the method for controlling an automatic door opening system, which is not purely computer-implemented, is directly obtained by including the corresponding steps of generating first sensor data through a first environmental sensor system and / or generating second sensor data through a second environmental sensor system and / or automatically opening the door according to a control signal by at least one actuator.

[0016] An environmental sensor system can be understood as a sensor system capable of generating sensor data or sensor signals that depict, represent, or embody the environment of the environmental sensor system. Specifically, the ability to capture or detect electromagnetic or other signals from the environment is not considered a sufficient condition for a sensor system to qualify as an environmental sensor system. For example, cameras, lidar systems, radar systems, or ultrasonic sensor systems can be considered environmental sensor systems. An environmental sensor system can also include more than one of the same or different types of such systems.

[0017] Specifically, first sensor data and second sensor data are generated and received at different times or during different time periods. The second sensor data is generated and received after the first sensor data is generated and received, particularly after the first object information is determined and stored. The first sensor data is generated during a first time period, and the second sensor data is generated during a second time period, which follows the first time period.

[0018] Specifically, the first time period corresponds to a period during which a vehicle moves toward or passes the target location, enabling the first environmental sensor system to detect objects near the target location, particularly assuming the vehicle is oriented toward the target location, such as objects within a potential collision zone, which can also be represented as the pivot area of ​​a door. Subsequently, when the vehicle is oriented toward the target location, for example after the vehicle has already stopped oriented toward the target location, the potential collision zone is typically not covered or only partially covered by the corresponding field of view of the first environmental sensor system.

[0019] Conversely, the second environmental sensor system may not be able to reliably sense the vicinity of the target location while the vehicle is traveling towards it. On the other hand, when the vehicle is positioned at the target location with the target orientation in mind, the field of view of the second environmental sensor system covers a portion of the potential collision area. However, the field of view of the second environmental sensor system does not cover the entire potential collision area, but only a portion of it. Therefore, if only the second sensor data is used to generate control signals to automatically open the door, there will still be a significant risk that the door will collide with an obstacle, a risk that cannot be reliably detected by the second environmental sensor system.

[0020] By using information about a first object and data from a second sensor, or particularly the second object information determined based on the second sensor data, the reliability of detecting actual obstacles in a potential collision zone is increased when a motor vehicle is positioned at a target location with a target orientation. In other words, the reliability of protecting the door is improved when controlling an automatic door opening system.

[0021] Since the first object information is stored in a memory device (which may be, for example, a non-volatile memory device), there is no limitation on the time difference between the first and second time periods. Specifically, the vehicle and its corresponding components, particularly the data processing equipment and storage device, can be powered off between the first and second time periods. Because the first object information is stored in the memory device, verification can still be performed once the second sensor data is received. Furthermore, it should be noted that even if the first environmental sensor can reliably detect a potential object at the target location during the first time period, such an object may no longer exist during the second time period. However, since verification is performed based on the first object information and the second sensor data, situations are avoided where, for example, an obstacle present in the first time period no longer exists in the second time period but still obstructs automatic door opening. Therefore, false detections of obstacles are avoided, and the usability of the automatic door opening function is increased.

[0022] Here and below, a potential object can be understood as an object that may or may not exist. In other words, first object information may include, but is not limited to, information about one or more first objects existing at the target location in the target orientation. In particular, first object information may also include information about the position, size, shape, height, length, etc., of one or more first objects, provided they exist.

[0023] On the other hand, here and below, an obstacle is referred to as an object that is present at the target location with the vehicle's target orientation during the second time interval, and which, in the event of automatic door opening, could cause the door to collide with the obstacle. Specifically, not every object that may be present at the target location necessarily represents an obstacle to the door. For example, an object with relatively low height (such as a curb) may not, or generally may not, represent an obstacle. The first object information may include information that allows differentiation between objects that can represent obstacles and other objects that are not obstacles. Alternatively or additionally, such information may also be retrieved from second sensor data.

[0024] Verifying the presence of an obstacle in a potential collision zone can be understood as verifying the existence of such an obstacle. Therefore, the verification result can be positive, i.e., the presence of an obstacle, or negative, i.e., the absence of such an obstacle.

[0025] According to various embodiments, the memory device is a non-volatile memory device, particularly a non-volatile memory device of a data processing device, such as a non-volatile memory device of at least one vehicle computing unit.

[0026] Therefore, turning off the power between the first and second time periods, such as when a vehicle is parked in a parking position for a long time, such as at night, can also improve the reliability of the door protection of the automatic door opening system.

[0027] According to several embodiments, when or after a motor vehicle reaches a target location (particularly with target orientation), the vehicle computing unit of the motor vehicle, including a non-volatile memory device, is powered off at a first moment. The vehicle computing unit is powered on at a second moment after the first moment. When or after the vehicle computing unit is powered on at the second moment, it receives second sensor data from a second environmental sensor system, and when or after the vehicle computing unit is powered on at the second moment, it reads first object information from the non-volatile memory device. Specifically, the first moment is located between a first time period and a second time period, and the second moment is located after the first moment.

[0028] When the vehicle computing unit is powered off and powered on, the non-volatile memory device is also powered off and powered on, respectively. In other words, when the vehicle computing unit is powered off, the non-volatile memory device is not powered.

[0029] In this case, it is particularly advantageous to implement the memory device as a non-volatile memory device for the reasons mentioned above.

[0030] According to several embodiments, the first object information includes a first indication of whether one or more first objects are detected in a potential collision region based on first sensor data. In other words, it is determined whether one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision region based on the first sensor data, and the corresponding first indication is stored in a memory device as part of the first object information. If one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision region according to the first indication, the first object information includes a height classification of each of the one or more first objects.

[0031] Height classification (also known as height class) corresponds to the height of a particular first object or a height range of a particular first object, within which the height of the first object is located according to first sensor data. This height specifically corresponds to the maximum height of the first object along the height direction of the vehicle, which is specifically a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the road surface. In other words, the height does not depend on whether the object's range is from the ground to the maximum height position or from a position above the ground to the maximum height position. Maximum height is particularly relevant in determining whether an object is an obstacle to a door. While a door can be opened without a collision even with an object having a very low maximum height (e.g., a curb), this may not be possible with taller objects (such as utility poles or other vehicles).

[0032] A height category is a height classification among one or more predefined height categories. In the simplest case, there are two predefined height categories, which can be represented, for example, as low and high. However, there can also be more than two corresponding height categories.

[0033] Therefore, the presence of an obstacle can be verified based on a first indication, and if one or more first objects are detected, the presence of an obstacle can be verified based on the height classification of the corresponding one or more first objects. In other words, it can be determined whether an object among the one or more first objects represents an obstacle to the door based on the corresponding height classification. If the corresponding height classification indicates that the door can be opened without hitting the corresponding first object (because the height of the first object is particularly low, such as in the case of a curb), a control signal can be generated to automatically execute the door opening, which may be subject to further constraints. Otherwise (possibly subject to further constraints), the door opening may be blocked.

[0034] In this way, the reliability of door protection can be improved and the risk of false obstacle detection can be reduced, which increases the availability of automatic door opening assistance systems.

[0035] According to some implementations, second object information about potential objects in a potential collision area is determined based on second sensor data, and verification is performed based on the first object information and the second object information.

[0036] According to several embodiments, the second object information includes an indication of whether one or more second objects are detected in a potential collision region based on second sensor data. If one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision region according to the second indication, the second object information includes a length classification for each of the one or more second objects.

[0037] Note that the terms "first object" and "second object" are used here and below to distinguish between detection based on first sensor data and second sensor data. Therefore, a first object among one or more first objects can also be a second object among one or more second objects, and vice versa. On the other hand, one or more first objects do not necessarily include all of one or more second objects, and vice versa.

[0038] Length classification (also called length class) corresponds to the length extension of the corresponding second object in the longitudinal or vertical direction of the vehicle. The longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the height direction and perpendicular to the lateral direction of the vehicle. A given length classification for a second object is one of two or more predefined length classifications. In the simplest case, there are two predefined length classifications, which can be represented, for example, as long and narrow. However, there can also be more than two corresponding length classifications.

[0039] Therefore, the presence of an obstacle can be verified based on the second indication, and if one or more second objects are detected, the presence of an obstacle can be verified based on the length classification of the corresponding one or more second objects. In particular, for example, length classification can be used to make the information about the first object credible.

[0040] For example, if a very small length of the corresponding second object is determined, it can be assumed that the corresponding second object has a relatively large extension in the height direction, such as a pole, especially a vertical pole. On the other hand, if the length classification of the second object indicates a relatively large length extension, the object may have a small or a large height.

[0041] According to several implementations, if one or more first objects are detected in a potential collision area according to a first indication, the first object information includes an additional length classification for each of the one or more first objects.

[0042] The above explanation of length classification applies accordingly to further length classifications. The presence of an obstacle can be verified based on a first indication, and if one or more first objects are detected, the presence of an obstacle can be verified based on a further length classification of the corresponding one or more first objects. Specifically, for example, length classification can be used to perform a plausibility check on the first object information by comparing it with another length classification.

[0043] Specifically, the corresponding length classifications and corresponding further length classifications of one or more first objects and the objects contained in one or more second objects can be compared to perform reasonableness checks on the first object information and / or the second object information, respectively. In this way, the verification of door protection can be improved, and thus the reliability of door protection and / or the availability of automatic door opening systems can be improved.

[0044] According to several implementations, if the verification result is negative, the door is automatically opened according to a control signal, specifically by correspondingly controlling one or more actuators according to the control signal to ensure that there are no obstacles in the potential collision area. Alternatively or additionally, if the verification result is positive, and such an obstacle exists in the potential collision area, the door is not automatically opened, or in other words, the automatic opening of the door is prevented or not performed.

[0045] According to several implementations, if no second object is detected in the potential collision area according to the second indication, the verification result is negative.

[0046] In other words, regardless of the detection of one or more first objects based on the first sensor data, if no second object is detected in the collision area, the verification result is negative. In this way, it avoids the situation where, even if one or more first objects were present in the first time period, the automatic opening of the door is still blocked in the second time period, even if the corresponding objects are no longer present. This further improves the usability of the automatic door opening system.

[0047] According to several implementations, if one or more second objects are detected within a potential collision region, and for at least one of these objects, its length classification corresponds to a predefined first length classification, then the verification result is positive. Specifically, object lengths smaller than a predefined minimum length correspond to the first length classification, and object lengths greater than the minimum length correspond to a second length classification.

[0048] In other words, the first length classification can correspond to narrow objects, and the second length classification can correspond to long objects. If at least one narrow second object is detected, it is assumed, for example, that the second object has a relevant position and / or extension in the height direction, and therefore represents an obstacle. This detection can be inferred regardless of whether one or more first objects have already been detected based on the first object information. In this way, the reliability of automatic door protection is improved.

[0049] According to several implementations, if one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision region, and the length classification of at least one of the one or more second objects corresponds to a predefined second length classification, and further, if one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision region, and the height classification of at least one of the one or more first objects corresponds to a predefined first height classification, then the verification result is positive.

[0050] Among them, the height of an object that is greater than the predetermined minimum height can be classified as the first height category, and the height of an object that is less than the minimum height can be classified as the second height category.

[0051] In other words, the first height classification corresponds to tall objects, and the second height classification corresponds to short objects. If the second environmental sensor system detects a long second object and the first environmental sensor system detects a tall first object, it can be assumed that these objects correspond to each other and represent obstacles. Since the second object information may not allow for reliable height classification, and the classification of the second object according to the second length classification indicates that the second object may be an obstacle, the height classification of the first object information is used to verify whether it is actually an obstacle. In this way, the availability of the automatic door opening system and the reliability of door protection can be increased.

[0052] According to several implementations, if one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision region, and the length classification of at least one of the one or more second objects corresponds to a predefined second length classification, and further, if one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision region, and the height classification of at least one of the one or more first objects corresponds to a predefined second height classification, then the verification result is negative.

[0053] In this way, low-lying objects that do not represent obstacles to the car door can be avoided from obstructing automatic door opening. Therefore, the usability of the automatic door opening system is increased.

[0054] According to various embodiments, a door is a side door of a motor vehicle, particularly a side door used to allow a driver or passenger to enter and exit the motor vehicle.

[0055] According to several embodiments, the first environmental sensor system includes at least one first ultrasonic sensor and / or at least one camera and / or at least one radar system and / or at least one lidar system.

[0056] In this way, comprehensive environmental perception can be achieved through the first environmental sensor system, which improves the quality and reliability of the first object information. If the first environmental sensor system is also used as part of a parking assistance system, no additional installation space or significant cost is required to provide first sensor data for the purposes of this invention.

[0057] According to several embodiments, the second environmental sensor system includes at least one second ultrasonic sensor, such as two or more ultrasonic sensors.

[0058] At least one ultrasonic sensor is specifically positioned on one side of the vehicle, corresponding to the side door. For example, at least one second ultrasonic sensor may be positioned below the door, such as in the corresponding side skirt of the vehicle. In such an implementation, a computer-implemented approach is particularly advantageous because at least one second ultrasonic sensor may not provide sufficient data to reliably determine the height of a potential object in the potential collision zone.

[0059] For use cases or situations that may occur in this method but are not explicitly described herein, it may be specified that error messages and / or prompts for user feedback be output according to this method, and / or default settings and / or predetermined initial states be set.

[0060] According to another aspect of the present invention, a data processing device for an automatic door opening system of a motor vehicle is provided. The data processing device includes at least one computing unit adapted to execute a computer-implemented method according to the present invention.

[0061] A computing unit can be specifically understood as a data processing device that includes processing circuitry. Therefore, a computing unit can, in particular, process data to perform computational operations. This can also include performing operations that access indexes on data structures, such as lookup tables (LUTs).

[0062] Specifically, the computing unit may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers and / or one or more integrated circuits, such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more system-on-a-chip (SoCs). The computing unit may also include one or more processors, such as one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), and / or one or more signal processors, particularly one or more digital signal processors (DSPs). The computing unit may also include a physical or virtual cluster of computers or other said units.

[0063] In various embodiments, the computing unit includes one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units.

[0064] Memory cells can be implemented as volatile data memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or static random access memory (SRAM), or as non-volatile data memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or flash EEPROM, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), or phase-change random access memory (PCRAM).

[0065] According to another aspect of the present invention, an automatic door opening system for a motor vehicle is provided. The automatic door opening system includes a data processing device according to the present invention and at least one actuator configured to automatically open the door according to a control signal.

[0066] According to several embodiments, the automatic door opening system includes a first environmental sensor system and / or a second environmental sensor system.

[0067] Further embodiments of the automatic door opening system according to the present invention directly follow various embodiments of the computer-implemented method according to the present invention, and vice versa. Specifically, various features, corresponding explanations, and advantages associated with the various embodiments of the computer-implemented method according to the present invention can be similarly transferred to corresponding embodiments of the automatic door opening system according to the present invention. In particular, the automatic door opening system according to the present invention is designed or programmed to perform the computer-implemented method according to the present invention. Specifically, the automatic door opening system according to the present invention performs the computer-implemented method according to the present invention.

[0068] According to another aspect of the present invention, a motor vehicle including an automatic door opening system according to the present invention is provided.

[0069] According to several embodiments, a motor vehicle includes a door, and the door is a side door of the motor vehicle.

[0070] According to several embodiments, the motor vehicle includes a second environmental sensor system, and the second environmental sensor system includes at least one second ultrasonic sensor arranged in the area below the door, particularly in the side skirt of the motor vehicle.

[0071] According to several embodiments, the motor vehicle includes a first environmental sensor system, and the field of view of the first environmental sensor system includes the area in front of and / or behind the motor vehicle.

[0072] It should be noted that the field of view of the first environmental sensor system can also include the area on the side of the vehicle, especially the side of the side door.

[0073] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided. When the instructions are executed by a data processing device, particularly a data processing device according to the present invention, the instructions cause the data processing device to perform a computer-implemented method according to the present invention.

[0074] For example, instructions can be provided as program code. Program code can be provided, for example, as binary code or assembler and / or as source code of a programming language (such as C) and / or as a program script (such as Python).

[0075] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program according to the present invention is provided.

[0076] Computer programs and computer-readable storage media can be represented as corresponding computer program products including instructions.

[0077] Other features of the invention will be apparent from the claims, the accompanying drawings, and the description of the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned in the foregoing description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned and / or shown in the following description of the drawings, may be included in the invention not only in their respective combinations, but also in other combinations. In particular, the invention may also include embodiments and combinations of features that do not have all the features of the originally formulated claims. Furthermore, the invention may include embodiments and combinations of features that go beyond or deviate from the combinations of features set forth in the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0078] The invention will be explained in detail below with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and corresponding schematic diagrams. In the drawings, the same or functionally identical elements may be denoted by the same reference numerals. Descriptions of the same or functionally identical elements are not necessarily repeated in different drawings.

[0079] In the attached diagram,

[0080] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a motor vehicle including an exemplary embodiment of an automatic door opening system according to the present invention is shown;

[0081] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A schematic top view of a motor vehicle; and

[0082] Figure 3A schematic flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a computer-implemented method for controlling an automatic door opening system for a motor vehicle according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0083] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a motor vehicle 1 having an exemplary embodiment of the automatic door opening system 12 according to the present invention is shown, and Figure 2 A schematic top view of the motor vehicle 1 is shown.

[0084] The automatic door opening system 12 includes a data processing device 9, which contains at least one computing unit 10, 11, in... Figure 1 In the current non-limiting example, there are two computing units 10, 11 adapted to execute a computer-implemented method for controlling an automatic door opening system 12 of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention. As a result of the computer-implemented method, at least one computing unit 10, 11 (e.g., automatic door opening ECU 11) generates a control signal to automatically open the door 13 of the motor vehicle 1, particularly the side door. The control signal is based on verifying a potential collision zone 14 (particularly such as...). Figure 2 The diagram (illustrated in the diagram) is generated as a result of the presence or absence of an obstacle in the pivot area of ​​door 13, where potentially open doors 13' are shown as dashed lines. One or more actuators of the motor vehicle 1, such as one or more actuators of the automatic door opening system 12, can then automatically open door 13 according to a control signal.

[0085] Motor vehicle 1, such as automatic door opening system 12, includes a first environmental sensor system 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, which may include, for example, one or more first ultrasonic sensors 5, 6. The first ultrasonic sensors 5, 6 may include, for example, ultrasonic sensors 5 disposed on the side of the front fender or front bumper of motor vehicle 1 and / or ultrasonic sensors 6 disposed on the side of the rear bumper or rear fender of motor vehicle 1. The first environmental sensor system 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 may also include a front camera 8 and / or a rear camera 7 and / or side cameras (not shown) of motor vehicle 1. The first environmental sensor system 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 may also include at least one radar system and / or at least one lidar system 4 installed, for example, in the front bumper or grille or rear bumper of motor vehicle 1.

[0086] The motor vehicle 1, particularly the automatic door opening system 12, also includes a second environmental sensor system 2, which includes, for example, at least one second ultrasonic sensor 2. The at least one second ultrasonic sensor 2 may be arranged, for example, below the door 13, such as in a corresponding side skirt 3 below the door 13.

[0087] Figure 3A schematic flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a computer-implemented method for controlling an automatic door opening system 12 according to the present invention is shown, which can be executed by a data processing device 9.

[0088] In step 300, the first environmental sensor systems 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 generate first sensor data and transmit it to at least one computing unit 10, 11, such as the parking assistance ECU 10, as the vehicle 1 moves toward the target location. In step 310, the data processing device 9 (e.g., the parking assistance ECU 10) determines first object information about potential objects in the potential collision area 14 based on the first sensor data and stores the first object information in a memory device of the data processing device 9, specifically a non-volatile memory device. In an optional step 320, the power supply to the memory device (e.g., the data processing device 9) can be interrupted, and the data processing device 9 and the memory device can be powered on again at a later time.

[0089] In step 330, when the motor vehicle 1 is located at the target position with the target orientation, the second environmental sensor system 2 generates second sensor data, wherein the field of view of the second environmental sensor system 2 covers a portion of the potential collision area 14.

[0090] In step 340, the data processing device 9 (e.g., the automatic door opening ECU 11) reads the stored first object information from the memory device and verifies whether an obstacle exists in the potential collision area 14 based on the first object information and the second sensor data. In step 350, the data processing device 9 (e.g., the automatic door opening ECU 11) generates a control signal to automatically open the door 13 based on the verification result.

[0091] Specifically, if the verification result is negative, or in other words, no obstacle is detected in the potential collision area 14 according to the verification, the actuator automatically opens the door 13 according to the control signal. On the other hand, if the verification result is positive, or in other words, one or more obstacles are detected in the potential collision area 14, the actuator will not automatically open the door 13. For example, the data processing device 9, particularly the automatic parking ECU 11, can prevent the automatic opening of the door 13 in this case.

[0092] For example, data processing device 9 can determine second object information based on second sensor data, and can perform verification based on first and second object information. First object information may, for example, indicate whether one or more objects are detected in the potential collision area 14 based on the first sensor data, and second object information may indicate whether one or more objects are detected in the potential collision area 14 based on the second sensor data. For all separately detected objects, the first object information may also include a length classification and / or height classification of the detected objects. Specifically, the first object information may include information classifying each detected object as low or high and as long or narrow in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle 1. Second object information (particularly if the second environmental sensor system 2 is implemented as the at least one second ultrasonic sensor system 2 arranged below the door 13 as described above) may include a length classification for each detected object, but not a height classification. Length classification may also classify the object as long or narrow in the longitudinal direction.

[0093] By utilizing the information of the first object and the information of the second object, the data processing device 9 can perform a reasonableness check on the existence of the obstacle and avoid false obstacle detection (for example, in a scenario where the first environmental sensor system 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 has detected an object, but the object no longer exists when the door 13 is about to open).

[0094] In an exemplary scenario, when vehicle 1 is parked at the target location with the target orientation, another vehicle may be located next to door 13, and particularly within the potential collision area 14. For example, this other vehicle is detected based on first sensor data and classified as a long and tall object. When second sensor data is generated by the second environmental sensor system 2 and received by the data processing device 9, the other vehicle may still be present. In this case, the data processing device 9 can generate second object information and classify the other vehicle as "long". It is possible that the second sensor data could also be used to identify that the other vehicle is also "tall," thus representing an obstacle in the potential collision area 14. However, if the data processing device 9 cannot reliably determine this based on the second sensor data, it can use the first object information (specifically, the "long" and "tall" classification of the other vehicle) to validate the plausibility of the second object information and verify the presence of an obstacle in the potential collision area.

[0095] Alternatively, when the second sensor data is generated by the second environmental sensor system 2, the additional vehicle may no longer be present. In this case, the data processing device 9 relies not only on first object information indicating the presence of a long and tall object in the potential collision area 14, but also on second object information indicating the absence of such an obstacle for plausibility verification. In this case, even if the first object information indicates the earlier presence of the object, the door 13 can open automatically.

[0096] In another scenario, vehicle 1 is parked at the target location with the target orientation, such that the horizontal bar is located at a certain height above the ground on the side of door 13. The horizontal bar can be detected by data processing device 9 based on data from a first sensor and also based on data from a second sensor, since the horizontal bar still exists at a later time. In this case, first object information can, for example, indicate the detection of a long and tall object, because the position of the horizontal bar may be relatively high above the ground. Second object information can indicate a long object. Since the first object information also indicates a long and tall object, the verification result can confirm the presence of an obstacle in the potential collision area 14.

[0097] On the other hand, if the curb next to door 13 is considered instead of the horizontal bar, the classification based on the first object information would be long and low rather than long and high. In this case, the data processing device 9 can determine the presence of a long object from the second object information, but it cannot distinguish whether it is a high or low object based solely on the second object information. Using the first object information and the corresponding classification as low, the verification result could be that no obstacle exists in the potential collision area 14.

[0098] As described above (especially in conjunction with the accompanying drawings), the present invention allows for improved reliability of the automatic door opening system for door protection, while also increasing the availability of the automatic door opening system in the absence of obstacles that could pose a risk of collision with the door.

[0099] In particular, the present invention increases usability in scenarios where the external environment of a motor vehicle changes between corresponding time periods when determining the data from the first and second environmental sensors. On the other hand, by using both the first and second sensor data to verify the presence of an obstacle, obstacles that cannot be reliably determined by the second environmental sensor system alone can also be appropriately considered.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling an automatic door opening system (12) of a motor vehicle (1), wherein, - During the process of the motor vehicle (1) driving toward the target location, first sensor data is received from the first environmental sensor system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) of the motor vehicle (1); -Based on the first sensor data, determine first object information about potential objects in the potential collision area (14) of the door (13) of the motor vehicle (1), and store the first object information in a memory device; - When the motor vehicle (1) is located at the target location, second sensor data is received from the second environmental sensor system (2) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the field of view of the second environmental sensor system (2) covers a portion of the potential collision area (14); - Read the first object information from the storage device, and verify whether there is an obstacle in the potential collision area (14) based on the first object information and the second sensor data; - Generate a control signal to automatically open the door (13) based on the verification results.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein, The memory device is a non-volatile memory device.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein, - At the moment when the motor vehicle (1) arrives at the target location or at the first moment thereafter, the vehicle computing unit (10, 11) of the motor vehicle (1) containing the memory device is powered off; - The vehicle computing units (10, 11) are powered on at a second time after the first time. and - When or after the vehicle computing unit (10, 11) is powered on, second sensor data is received from the second environmental sensor system (2), and first object information is read from the memory device.

4. The computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, - The first object information includes a first indication of whether one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision area (14) based on the first sensor data; and - If one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision area (14) according to the first indication, the first object information includes the height classification of each of the one or more first objects.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 4, wherein, - Determine second object information about potential objects in the potential collision area (14) based on the second sensor data, and perform the verification based on the second object information; - The second object information includes an indication of whether one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision area (14) based on the second sensor data; and - If one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision area (14) according to the second instruction, the second object information includes the length classification of each of the one or more second objects.

6. The computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, - If the verification result is negative, meaning there is no obstacle in the potential collision area (14), then the door (13) is automatically opened; and / or - If the verification result is positive, indicating that there is an obstacle in the potential collision area (14), the door (13) will not be opened automatically.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claims 5 and 6, wherein, If no second object is detected in the potential collision area (14) according to the second indication, the result of the verification is negative.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5 and any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein, If one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision area (14), and the length classification of at least one of the one or more second objects corresponds to a predefined first length classification, then the verification result is positive.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein, - If one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision region (14) and the length classification of at least one of the one or more second objects corresponds to a predefined second length classification, and one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision region (14) and the height classification of at least one of the one or more first objects corresponds to a predefined first height classification, then the verification result is positive; and / or - If one or more second objects are detected in the potential collision area (14) and the length classification of at least one of the one or more second objects corresponds to a predefined second length classification, and one or more first objects are detected in the potential collision area (14) and the height classification of at least one of the one or more first objects corresponds to a predefined second height classification, then the result of the verification is negative.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein, Objects shorter than a predefined minimum length correspond to the first length category, and objects longer than the minimum length correspond to the second length category; and Objects with heights greater than a predefined minimum height are classified as belonging to the first height category, and objects with heights less than the minimum height are classified as belonging to the second height category.

11. The computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The door (13) is the side door (13) of the motor vehicle (1).

12. The computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, - The first environmental sensor system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) includes at least one first ultrasonic sensor (5, 6) and / or at least one camera (7, 8) and / or at least one radar system and / or at least one lidar system (4); and / or - The second environmental sensor system (2) includes at least one second ultrasonic sensor (2).

13. A data processing device (9) for an automatic door opening system (12) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising at least one computing unit (10, 11) adapted to perform a computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. An automatic door opening system (12) for a motor vehicle (1) comprising a data processing device (9) according to claim 13 and at least one actuator configured to automatically open the door (13) according to the control signal.

15. The automatic door opening system (12) according to claim 14, comprising the first environmental sensor system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) and / or the second environmental sensor system (2).

16. The motor vehicle (1) including the automatic door opening system (12) according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein, - The door (13) is a side door of the motor vehicle (1), and the second environmental sensor system (2) includes at least one second ultrasonic sensor (2) arranged in the area below the door; and - The field of view of the first environmental sensor system (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) includes the area in front of and / or behind the motor vehicle (1).

17. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a data processing device (9), cause the data processing device (9) to perform a computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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