Method for determining the collision probability of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for determining the collision probability of a motor vehicle (4) with at least one object (5), wherein the motor vehicle (4) has at least one device (8) for determining parameters of the motor vehicle (4) and at least one device (6) for determining parameters of objects (5) located in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (4) and a device (8) for processing the determined parameters to determine a collision probability, as well as digital road data of a storage medium (10), comprising the following steps: - Determination of at least one movement parameter and a position of the motor vehicle (4) and - Determination of possible routes of the motor vehicle (4) using the digital road data of the storage medium (10), - Determination of a speed and a position of at least one object (5) and - Determination of possible paths of the object (5), - Determination of surface elements from the possible paths of the motor vehicle (4) and the at least one object (5), - Determination of probability values ​​assigned to the surface elements and used to determine the collision probability, where - probability values ​​(1) are assigned to the possible routes, and - the probability values ​​(1) of the possible paths are used to determine the probability values ​​of the surface elements.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining the probability of collision of a motor vehicle with an object according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a device for carrying out the method according to the preamble of claim 9.

[0002] When a driver approaches an intersection, they can turn right, continue straight through the intersection, or turn left. Other road users approaching the intersection have at least the same number of possible paths. This is a complex situation in which the probability of a collision between a motor vehicle and another object, such as a turning motor vehicle, is given.

[0003] From DE 10 2007 015 032 A1 a method for determining the criticality of a traffic situation is known, wherein an object located on a crossing collision course with the own motor vehicle is identified and a collision zone located on the collision course is determined and wherein all predicted overlap periods are used as the basis for the assessment of the criticality.

[0004] Furthermore, from DE 10 2009 016 568 A1 a trajectory estimation device for a moving object is known, wherein the trajectory estimation device estimates the trajectory of the moving object on the basis of recognition information of the moving object obtained by a recognition information obtaining device.

[0005] DE 10 2006 037 993 A1 discloses a system and method for detecting a collision and predicting a vehicle path. For this purpose, a controller can be provided with which a collision between two vehicles can be predicted.

[0006] Furthermore, DE 603 ​​03 577 T2 discloses a method for monitoring the vehicle's surroundings. This method can be used, for example, to calculate a vehicle's collision probability.

[0007] Furthermore, from DE 10 2004 014 540 A1 a vehicle control device is known which has an information acquisition / management unit which acquires and manages information for controlling various units in a vehicle instead of a driver of the vehicle.

[0008] A disadvantage of the current state of the art is that, on the one hand, a collision zone is considered as a whole, while, on the other, only one collision course is considered. Furthermore, it is desirable that more than one possible trajectory for a moving object be determined and considered.

[0009] The invention is therefore based on the object of being able to determine more precisely the collision probability of a motor vehicle with a moving object, in particular in the intersection area.

[0010] The solution to the problem is achieved by independent claims 1 and 9. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the subclaims.

[0011] According to the invention, in a method for determining the collision probability of a motor vehicle, at least one moving object is detected and identified, and its speed and position are determined. Furthermore, the position of the vehicle's own motor vehicle and at least one movement parameter, such as the speed of the vehicle, are determined. Using digital road data from a storage medium, the possible routes for the vehicle and the object are determined. Furthermore, it is inventive to generate areas with area elements from the routes and to assign probability values ​​to these areas, which are used to determine the collision probability.

[0012] The plan is to assign probability values ​​to the possible paths of the vehicle and the object. Mathematically, a surface can be generated from each of the possible paths, for example, for a first anticipated point in time that the vehicle and / or the object will reach. Such a surface ideally consists of surface elements. A probability value for each surface element is calculated and assigned to these surface elements, for example, by interpolating the probability values ​​of the possible paths.

[0013] According to the invention, the probability of a possible route changes when the driver changes a parameter of the motor vehicle, such as the turn signal. In this case, the corresponding probability of the route is increased, and the probability values ​​of the surface elements are adjusted accordingly. According to the invention, additional parameters are included, such as changes in the steering angle, acceleration of the motor vehicle, braking of the motor vehicle, etc., which are also taken into account for determining the probability of the route.

[0014] It is within the meaning of the invention that object information, if the object is a motor vehicle, such as size and type of the motor vehicle, speed and position, is recorded from the vehicle's own motor vehicle via a motor vehicle-to-motor vehicle communication and used to determine the probability of collision.

[0015] It is also within the scope of the invention that object information is determined using a camera and that further information relevant for determining the probability value, such as active indicator lights or the direction vector of the object, is determined and used using the camera.

[0016] It is particularly inventive that, once the travel paths of the object and the motor vehicle are determined, areas are formed at an expected time that the motor vehicle and / or object would reach after approximately 0.5 to 6 seconds, ideally approximately 3 seconds. In other words, an expected time of the possible travel paths is determined, which, for example, the motor vehicle would reach in 3 seconds if it were to take one of these possible travel paths, and at this time, the corresponding area is determined based on the times on the travel paths.

[0017] It is also within the scope of the invention that each subsequently calculated area is recalculated within a very short time period. This very short time period is in the range of approximately 10 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds, ideally approximately 40 milliseconds.

[0018] A device for carrying out the method is also within the meaning of the invention.

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1: Possible routes with probability values ​​for a motor vehicle at an intersection Fig. 2: Schematic representation of overlapping surfaces for collision probability determination Fig. 3: Schematic drawing of a device for carrying out the inventive method Fig. 4: Schematic representation of points in time on possible routes for determining an inventive area

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, Fig. 1 a motor vehicle 4 approaching an intersection. Based on the digital road maps of the motor vehicle's navigation system and a positioning system such as GPS or Galileo, the information is used to determine the possible routes in a computing device 8 before the intersection is reached, namely one for driving straight ahead, one for turning right, and one for turning left. In this example, the speed of the motor vehicle 4 is used to determine the probability values ​​1. If the speed of the motor vehicle 4 is relatively high for a turning maneuver, which is determined by comparing the speed value with a database 8, the probability value 1 for this route is given the value 0.1, for example, since abrupt braking and turning are still possible.

[0021] Driving straight ahead is also still possible, but more likely than turning right, for which reason this possible path is assigned a value of 0.3. If the driver activates a turn signal, for example to turn left, the probability is greatest, for which reason the value 0.6 is determined and assigned to the path. The paths are calculated for points in time that the motor vehicle 4 would predictably reach with the determined parameters, such as speed. Thus, points in time 11 are available on the possible paths that the motor vehicle would predictably reach under the assumed conditions. Using this possibility, a predictive point in time 11 is determined on each path, and based on this, an area 2 is calculated in which the dimensions of the motor vehicle 4, namely the length and width, are taken into account, since this area is relevant for a possible collision.The result is an area 2, which is shown as an example in . Fig. 1. This area 2 is mathematically divided into many area elements. This is necessary in order to assign a value to each area element through a mathematical approximation of the probability values ​​1 between the travel paths. For example, the corresponding probability is calculated for each area element through a linear approximation between the travel paths with the probability value 0.1 and 0.3. A more complex calculation for the probability values ​​is also possible, in which, for example, all probability values ​​11 belonging to the possible travel paths are taken into account. The different brightness values ​​of area 2 illustrate in Fig. 1, that different probability values ​​are assigned to the surface elements. Each surface element can be arbitrarily small. In this example, the probability values ​​11 are chosen between 0 and 1, where 0 means 100% improbable and 1 means 100% probable. Other values ​​are also conceivable within the meaning of the invention.

[0022] A further advantageous embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. The Fig. 1 determined area 2 at a predicted point in time for the motor vehicle 4 is also created for a moving object 5. Using a camera in the motor vehicle, the object 5 is detected, compared with a database, and identified as a motor vehicle. The dimensions, such as the width of the object 5, are values ​​that are used to calculate the collision area of ​​the object 5. The speed of the object 5 is determined using another sensor, such as a radar. The position of the object 5 is also determined using the sensor information. This is possible because the motor vehicle 4 has determined its position. Furthermore, additional information from data on a digital road map is used to determine whether the moving object 5 is in a turning lane. This information is used to determine the probabilities of the possible paths of the object 5.It is also determined whether the moving object 5 has an active indicator, which provides further information for determining the probability of the corresponding possible travel paths, which are taken into account in the calculation.

[0023] The computing device of the motor vehicle 4 determines an area with collision probabilities for a predicted point in time 11 of the object 5 and compares whether this area overlaps with that of the motor vehicle 4 at the same predicted point in time. The calculation is constantly updated with current parameters so that ideally every 40 milliseconds a new area 2 for the motor vehicle 4 and the moving object 5 is determined and compared with each other. If the areas 3 overlap, as shown in the example here, then there could be a possibility of a collision. In a particularly inventive way, a comparison is now made of which probability values ​​are present in this area 3. If there are different probability values ​​in the overlapping area, the one for the object 5 and the motor vehicle 5 with the highest probability is used to consider the collision probability.If both values ​​are, for example, in the range of 0.1, no warning is advantageously issued. If the probability value of the object in the overlapping area 3 is 0.2 and that of the motor vehicle is 1, an acoustic and / or visual warning would be issued in the motor vehicle. The invention provides for the highest of the probability values ​​in the overlapping area to be used for the collision probability.

[0024] Inventively, the highest determined probability value in the overlap area of ​​surfaces 3 is compared with a threshold value. Threshold values ​​can be determined empirically and stored in a database of the computing device 8.

[0025] It is also within the scope of the invention that the inventive method activates a driver assistance system, such as emergency braking. This occurs if the driver fails to intervene within a period of time such that the collision probability becomes zero and / or is below a threshold.

[0026] In a further inventive embodiment, which is not schematically illustrated here, a possible path of the detected moving object 5 is determined and a probability is assigned to it. If this path intersects with the detected inventive area at a predictive time 11, this intersection point and / or intersection area is used to calculate the collision probability.

[0027] It is also within the meaning of the invention that not an area but a possible travel path is determined for object 5, which is used to consider the probability of collision with the inventive area. In this case, the possible travel path of object 5 is assigned a probability value of 1. It is particularly inventive if, in this case, the vehicle width of object 5 is used, which is given the same probability value as the possible travel path and is included in the analysis in such a way that every intersection point of the width with collision surface 2 is used to consider the probability of collision. Once the direction of the possible travel path of object 5 has been determined, the determined width of object 5, perpendicular to a direction vector at a predicted time on the travel path, is used in the collision analysis.

[0028] In Fig. Figure 3 schematically illustrates the inventive device for implementing the method. The front surroundings of the motor vehicle 4 are recorded by at least one sensor 6. This sensor is, for example, a camera. The information is transmitted to a computing device 8 for evaluation. Furthermore, information from a storage medium 10, for example, information from a digital map and a system for determining the position 9 of the motor vehicle 4, is transmitted to the computing device 8. Another sensor, such as a radar sensor, can also determine data from the surroundings. Fig. 3, however, this is not shown. The computing device 8 is networked with the motor vehicle 4 via a CAN bus or the like, whereby the latter also has information such as acceleration and / or deceleration and / or speed. Further information supplied to the computing device 8 via the CAN bus (not shown) is a steering angle and / or a steering angle change. The computing device 8 is connected to a warning device 7 for issuing an acoustic and / or visual warning. Fig. 3 does not show that an output of data from the computing device 8 for controlling a driver assistance system, which is also in the sense of the inventive device, is also possible.

[0029] In Fig. Figure 4 shows by way of example which points in time 11 are used to calculate an area from possible travel paths. For example, if the front end (e.g. the bumper) of the motor vehicle were to turn right, it would be located at exactly point 11 on the travel path shown to the right. The same applies to the other two points 11 shown on the possible travel paths. These points form the basis for calculating a possible collision area 2. For example, three predictive points in time are used to calculate the inventive area. Using this data, an area 2 can be represented, for which the probability values ​​for each area element are calculated and assigned. Ideally, the width of the motor vehicle 4 is taken into account when calculating area 2.In other words, the outer edge of the surface is the result of all possible trajectories at the anticipated time that the vehicle could theoretically reach with the predetermined parameters and that would be relevant for a possible collision at that time.

[0030] The starting point of the possible travel paths for a motor vehicle 4 is, for example, in the front middle point of the front end (e.g. the bumper), as in the Fig. 1 , Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. The corresponding data, such as sensor data, etc., are converted to this point and what is related to it. List of reference symbols 1 Probability values 2 Collision surface 3 Intersection of two collision surfaces 4 Motor vehicle 5 Moving object 6 Sensor 7 Warning device 8 Computing device 9 Positioning device 10 Storage medium with data from a digital road map 11 Anticipated points in time on possible routes

Claims

[1] Method for determining the collision probability of a motor vehicle (4) with at least one object (5), wherein the motor vehicle (4) has at least one device (8) for determining parameters of its own motor vehicle (4) and at least one device (6) for determining parameters of objects (5) located in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (4) and a device (8) for processing the determined parameters to determine a collision probability, as well as digital road data of a storage medium (10), with the following steps: - Determination of at least one movement parameter and a position of the motor vehicle (4) and - Determination of possible routes of the motor vehicle (4) using the digital road data of the storage medium (10), - Determination of a speed and a position of at least one object (5) and - Determination of possible paths of the object (5), - Determination of surface elements from the possible paths of the motor vehicle (4) and the at least one object (5), - Determination of probability values ​​assigned to the surface elements and used to determine the collision probability, where - probability values ​​(1) are assigned to the possible routes, and - the probability values ​​(1) of the possible paths are used to determine the probability values ​​of the surface elements. [2] Method according to claim 1 characterized by that the probability values ​​of the routes (1) are determined at least from the digital road data. [3] Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized bythat the probability values ​​of the travel paths (1) are changed by parameters of the motor vehicle, in particular indicator input, steering angle change, acceleration change, etc. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that the longitudinal acceleration and / or the speed of the motor vehicle (4) is used as at least one movement parameter. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that the speed and position of the object (5) are transmitted by a motor vehicle (5) to motor vehicle (4) communication. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that the surface elements are determined for a prospective point in time in a period of 0.5 to 6 seconds, ideally at about 3 seconds [7] Method according to one of claims 1 or 6 characterized bythat the determination of the surface elements is carried out with repetition rates of 10 to 100 milliseconds, ideally every 40 milliseconds. [8] Method according to claim 1 characterized by that the determination of the collision probability becomes active depending on the speed of the motor vehicle and / or the distance of the motor vehicle to an intersection, [9] Device for determining the collision probability of a motor vehicle (4) with a sensor (6) for detecting a moving object (5), a position-determining device (9) for determining the position of the motor vehicle (4), a storage medium (10) with digital road data, a computing device (8) for determining possible paths of the motor vehicle (4) and the object (5) and a warning device (7) characterized byin that the computing device (8) is designed to generate surface elements with probability values ​​(1) from the possible travel paths of the object (5) and of the motor vehicle (4) and to determine the collision probability, wherein probability values ​​(1) are assigned to the possible travel paths, and the probability values ​​(1) of the possible travel paths are used to determine the probability values ​​of the surface elements.

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