Method for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle while driving and device for this purpose

Abstract

A method for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle (10) while driving, comprising at least one sensor (11) with which objects (12, 14) in the vicinity of the moving vehicle (10) can be detected, wherein the sensor (11) is connected to a control unit (13) of the vehicle (10), and wherein a warning is issued when at least one object (12) approaches the vehicle (10) in a manner that could lead to a collision with the vehicle (10), characterized in that the control unit (13) evaluates the traffic situation of a past time period while the vehicle (10) is driving, wherein the object (12, 14) in the vicinity of the vehicle (10) is classified based on the traffic situation over the past time period, and wherein the warning is issued to the driver of the vehicle (10) based on the classification of the object (12), wherein an object (12, 14),An object that maintains a constant distance from its own vehicle (10) over a longer period of time is classified differently than an object (12) that has only recently approached its own vehicle (10).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring the environment of a vehicle while driving, comprising at least one sensor with which objects in the environment of the moving vehicle can be detected, wherein the sensor is connected to a control unit of the vehicle, and wherein a warning is issued when at least one object approaches the vehicle, which approach could lead to a collision with the vehicle.

[0002] Methods and devices for monitoring a vehicle's surroundings while driving are well known and are also referred to as collision warning systems or lane departure warning systems. The sensors can be ultrasonic or radar sensors, and these sensors can detect objects approaching the vehicle while driving, such as other road users. A control unit may be present in the vehicle, and the sensors are connected to this control unit. The control unit can then issue a warning to the driver if at least one object approaches the vehicle, indicating an approach that could lead to a collision. This approach can be triggered either by a change in the vehicle's direction of travel or by the object itself moving closer to the vehicle.Consequently, the approach between the object and the vehicle describes the reduction of the mostly lateral distance. By issuing a warning to the driver, collisions with the vehicle can be avoided, allowing the driver, for example, to abort a maneuver they are performing, such as a lane change, or to react to the incorrect behavior of another road user. STATE OF THE ART

[0003] The document DE 10 2006 047 634 A1 discloses a method for detecting the environment of a vehicle, with a number of sensors, wherein the sensors have different detection ranges, wherein a transition of an object between any two detection ranges is bridged by using a transfer algorithm through predictions.

[0004] Document DE 10 2004 016 024 A1 discloses a method for controlling an object presence warning in a vehicle side object detection system in response to a remote sensor for scanning objects in a defined zone of interest on the side of a vehicle, wherein the zone of interest comprises a front and a rear region, and wherein the remote sensor provides sensor data for generating a set of localized detection points.

[0005] From WO 2008 / 017542 A1, a method and a device for monitoring the environment of a vehicle are known, wherein several ultrasonic sensors are used to determine the environmental conditions simultaneously with the determination of the distance or relative speed of the moving object by means of another ultrasonic sensor. This makes it possible to use the additional ultrasonic sensor for the simultaneous determination and thus largely error-free measurement of the environmental conditions. The additional ultrasonic sensor also serves in particular for the continuous monitoring of the environmental conditions, so that very short reaction times can be ensured. In particular, it is specified that the ultrasonic sensors are intended to sensing the non-visible area of ​​the driver in the vehicle.

[0006] Unfortunately, the known device for detecting a moving object can only analyze and evaluate the current situation, and a warning can be issued to the driver if a collision is imminent. However, evaluating the current situation can lead to false warnings for the driver, for example, if the vehicle is approaching a lane divider, such as a wall in a highway construction zone. Incorrect warnings can, in turn, lead to incorrect reactions by the driver, so the use of such devices does not fundamentally improve vehicle safety.

[0007] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for monitoring the environment of a vehicle that overcomes the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art and enables improved road safety. In particular, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved evaluation of the traffic situation in order to issue a warning to the driver based on the traffic situation.

[0008] This problem is solved by means of a method for monitoring the environment of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with the characterizing features. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. REVELATION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The invention includes the technical teaching that the control unit evaluates the traffic situation of a past time period during the vehicle's journey, classifying the object in the vicinity of the vehicle based on the traffic situation over the past time period, and issuing the warning to the driver of the vehicle based on the classification of the object.

[0010] The invention is based on the idea of ​​not merely using the sensors to analyze the current situation and issue a warning to the driver based on that analysis, but rather of using the control unit to evaluate the traffic situation over a past period of time in order to create a basis for classifying objects in the vehicle's vicinity. According to the invention, an object that maintains a constant distance from the vehicle over a longer period, for example, another vehicle traveling alongside it, is classified differently than an object that has only recently approached the vehicle. This allows the warning to be issued to the driver based on the object's classification. The at least one object could, for example, be another vehicle in traffic and be classified as such by the control unit.

[0011] The elapsed time period can be several seconds, for example, and time ranges of up to a minute or longer can even be useful.

[0012] The vehicle can have multiple sensors, for example, at the front and rear. The control unit can selectively detect objects in the vicinity of the moving vehicle. For instance, the control unit can receive information about whether another vehicle is approaching from behind by using the rear sensors. If the approaching vehicle is detected by the front sensors after being detected by the rear sensors, it can be identified as either passing by or approaching at the same level as the vehicle.This detection is only possible after evaluating traffic situations that occurred over a period of time. If the distance between the other vehicle and the driver's own vehicle decreases, preferably laterally, a warning can be issued. The sensor is not limited to areas in the vicinity of the moving vehicle that are not visible to the driver; it can also detect areas directly in front of the vehicle that the driver can see. This helps prevent driver inattention, and a collision warning can be issued to the driver even if the other vehicle is within their field of vision.

[0013] A further advantage is that the traffic situation of the previous time period can be stored in the control unit. This allows the control unit to access the stored traffic situation data at any time, and vehicles currently being detected can be classified, for example, as vehicles traveling alongside the vehicle, such as in a secondary lane of a highway. If the vehicle is on a highway, which typically has multiple lanes, the vehicles can be classified, for example, as vehicles traveling behind the vehicle in the same lane, or as vehicles traveling in a lane to the left or right of the vehicle.The driving behavior of other vehicles can be part of the traffic situation. For example, the control unit's memory may store information about which vehicles detected over a given period have also previously made lane changes. Consequently, a vehicle initially driving behind the vehicle in the same lane and then attempting to overtake might be classified as more dangerous than a vehicle driving in front of the vehicle and being overtaken. Therefore, the evaluation of the current situation is always based on the past traffic situation over the preceding time period.

[0014] According to an advantageous feature of the method, objects in the vicinity of the vehicle that have remained unchanged over time can be classified by the control unit as non-collision-hazardous objects. These could be, for example, lane boundaries that the vehicle passes over a longer distance, such as walls or other barriers found in highway construction zones. Such walls can be classified as non-collision-hazardous objects as long as the driver of the vehicle does not steer towards them. Conversely, objects that move in the same direction as the vehicle over the same period of time, and especially those that approach it, can be classified as particularly collision-hazardous objects.

[0015] Advantageously, the vehicle can be equipped with means to detect road markings, with the warning being issued by the control unit depending on whether the road markings are crossed. Furthermore, the warning can be triggered by an action performed by the driver. For example, the driver can activate a turn signal, and the warning can be issued specifically after the turn signal is activated. Similarly, the activation of the turn signal can indicate an impending lane change by the vehicle, which the control unit can detect.

[0016] The object of the present invention is further achieved by a device for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle while it is in motion, comprising at least one sensor with which objects in the vicinity of the moving vehicle can be detected, wherein the sensor is connected to a control unit of the vehicle, and wherein a warning can be issued when at least one object approaches the vehicle, an approach which could lead to a collision with the vehicle. It can be provided that the control unit is configured to evaluate the traffic situation of a past period of time during the vehicle's journey, wherein, based on the traffic situation over the past period, the object in the vicinity of the vehicle can be classified, and wherein the warning is issued to the driver of the vehicle based on the classification of the object.

[0017] The sensors can be positioned on the vehicle in such a way as to monitor the vehicle's surroundings in areas both invisible to the driver and visible to the driver. The sensors can be ultrasonic or radar sensors. Specifically, sensors can be located at the front and rear of the vehicle, and additional sensors can be positioned along the sides, for example, in the side mirrors. With this number of sensors, a comprehensive area around the vehicle can be detected, encompassing both the driver's and the driver's direct field of vision.

[0018] By placing sensors in areas of the vehicle that the driver can see, driver inattention can be prevented. Warnings can be issued to the driver audibly, visually, or even haptically, for example, through vibrations in the steering wheel. Visual signals can be displayed in the exterior mirrors or on a display / input device within the vehicle itself, such as a human-machine interface (HMI). In particular, this all-around vehicle monitoring allows for warnings of an impending collision with an object at the rear of the vehicle, as well as an impending collision with another object at the front, enabling the driver to react accordingly and avoid the collision.

[0019] According to a further advantageous measure, the device for detecting objects in the vicinity of the moving vehicle and issuing a warning can be configured to function at any speed. This means that the detection of objects in the vicinity of the moving vehicle is not limited to a specific speed range, and the device can function, for example, during maneuvering as well as at high speeds on the highway. Thus, the function of the device for detecting objects in the vicinity of the vehicle is neither dependent on a minimum speed nor limited to a maximum speed. PREFERRED EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Further measures improving the invention are described in more detail below, together with a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. The figures show: Fig. 1. A traffic situation involving one's own vehicle and another vehicle, where a collision in the front area of ​​one's own vehicle with the other vehicle could be imminent. Fig. 2 a traffic situation involving one's own vehicle and another vehicle, where a collision in the rear area of ​​one's own vehicle with the other vehicle could be imminent.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows a traffic situation with a vehicle 10 on a road 17, which has several lanes separated by road markings 15. The vehicle 10 has a device 1 according to the invention, with which a method for monitoring the vehicle 10's surroundings while driving can be carried out. The device 1 has several sensors 11 on the vehicle 10, and by way of example, a left and a right sensor 11 are shown in the front area of ​​the vehicle 10, and a left and a right sensor 11 are also shown in the rear area of ​​the vehicle 10. Each sensor 11 is assigned a detection area 16, which is also indicated graphically.The detection ranges 16 of the sensors 11 do not overlap; however, the number of sensors 11 can be increased and / or the detection ranges 16 of the sensors 11 can be extended such that the detection ranges 16 also overlap, so that a complete surveillance curtain can be formed around the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the device 1 has a control unit 13, and the sensors 11 are connected to the control unit 13.

[0022] The device shown serves to carry out a method for monitoring the surroundings of vehicle 10 while driving on road 17, and the sensors can detect objects 12 in the vicinity of the moving vehicle 10, one object 12 being another vehicle 12 in the front area of ​​the vehicle 10. This allows the object 12 to be detected by the front left sensor 11, since vehicle 12 is within the detection range 16 of the front left sensor 11. The detection of the object 12 formed by the other vehicle 12 is transmitted to the control unit 13, and a warning can be issued to the driver of vehicle 10 if, as shown, the object 12 approaches vehicle 10 and the approach could lead to a collision with vehicle 10, for example, if a minimum required lateral distance between the two vehicles 10 and 12 is not maintained.

[0023] The method according to the invention allows the control unit 13 to evaluate the traffic situation of a past time period while the vehicle is driving. This past time period describes the traffic situation of the route traveled over the road 17 during that period. According to the invention, based on the traffic situation over the past time period, the object 12, shown as vehicle 12, can be classified in the vicinity of vehicle 10, so that the warning message is issued to the driver of vehicle 10 based on the classification of object 12. The traffic situation of the past time period can be stored in the control unit 13, so that the control unit 13 can access the stored traffic situations as needed to classify object 12, with which a collision might potentially occur.

[0024] An example of how another object 14 can be classified differently than another vehicle 12 is illustrated by a road boundary 14. The front, right sensor 11 has a detection range 16 through which the object 14, for example the road boundary, is detected. However, since in the previous traffic situation the object 14, in the form of the road boundary, was already detected unchanged within the detection range 16 of the sensor 11 on the front, right side of the vehicle 10, the object 14 can be classified differently than the other vehicle 12.

[0025] Due to the depicted traffic situation, a collision could occur because vehicle 12 is dangerously close to the front left side of the driver's vehicle 10, even though vehicle 12 is within the driver's field of vision. The sensors 11 are designed to be positioned within the driver's field of vision, so that they do not only detect areas of the surroundings of vehicle 10 that are not visible to the driver. If a minimum distance between vehicle 10 and vehicle 12 is breached, the device 1 can issue a warning to the driver of vehicle 10, thereby significantly improving road safety.

[0026] Fig.Figure 2 shows another traffic situation involving a vehicle 10 on road 17, which has several lanes separated by road markings 15. The vehicle 10 is traveling in the middle lane. The vehicle 10 is again shown equipped with the device 1, comprising four sensors 11 and their respective detection ranges 16, as well as a control unit 13. The sensors 11 are connected to the control unit 13. The traffic situation includes an object 12 in the form of another vehicle 12 approaching the vehicle 10 from behind. The vehicle 12 is detected by the detection range 16 of the rear left sensor 11, and a warning can be issued to the driver of the vehicle 10 because it falls below a certain lateral distance.The vehicle 12 shown in the rear area of ​​the own vehicle 10 can already be detected by the rear left sensor 11 and evaluated by the control unit 13 over a longer period of time in the traffic situation, and if the vehicle 12 has already been in the rear left area of ​​the own vehicle for a longer period of time, especially in the adjacent lane, the control unit 13 can classify the vehicle as a collision hazard 12, since there is a probability that the vehicle 12 has already been in the blind spot of the own vehicle 10 for a longer period of time or the probability that the driver of the other vehicle 12 intends to change lanes can be considered greater if the vehicle 12 has been traveling at approximately the same level, and consequently at the same speed as the own vehicle 10 in the left lane for a longer period of time.

[0027] As a result, the method according to the invention enables a further increase in the safety and reliability of issuing warnings to the driver of a vehicle 10. Furthermore, the inventive evaluation of past traffic situations allows for the classification of objects 12 in the vicinity of the vehicle 10, and this classification effectively differentiates collision-prone objects 12 from less collision-prone objects 14. In particular, the all-round monitoring of the vehicle 10's surroundings, including the driver's field of vision, and the design of the device for executing the method at any speed of the vehicle 10, further improve the safety of collision warnings to the driver and thus increase road safety.

[0028] The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred embodiment described above; rather, a number of variants are conceivable, which utilize the solution presented even in fundamentally different designs. All features and / or advantages arising from the claims, the description, or the drawings, including design details, spatial arrangements, and process steps, can be essential to the invention, both individually and in various combinations.

Claims

[1] Method for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle (10) while driving, comprising at least one sensor (11) with which objects (12, 14) in the vicinity of the moving vehicle (10) can be detected, wherein the sensor (11) is connected to a control unit (13) of the vehicle (10), and wherein a warning is issued when at least one object (12) approaches the vehicle (10), such an approach could lead to a collision with the vehicle (10), characterized by, that the control unit (13) evaluates the traffic situation of a past time period during the journey of the vehicle (10), whereby the object (12, 14) in the vicinity of the vehicle (10) is classified on the basis of the traffic situation over the past time period, and wherein the warning message is issued to the driver of the vehicle (10) on the basis of the classification of the object (12), wherein an object (12, 14) that has a constant distance to the vehicle (10) over a longer period of time is classified differently than an object (12) that has only recently approached the vehicle (10). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that at least one object (12) is classified as another vehicle (12) in road traffic. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the traffic situation of the previous time period is stored in the control unit (13). [4] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that objects (14) which have an arrangement in the vicinity of the vehicle (10) that remains unchanged over the time period are classified as non-collision-hazardous objects (14) by means of the control unit (13). [5] Method according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterized by , that the vehicle (10) has means with which road markings (15) can be detected, wherein the output of the warning message is carried out by the control unit (13) depending on the crossing of the road markings (15). [6] Device (1) for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle (10) while driving, comprising at least one sensor (11) with which objects (12) in the vicinity of the moving vehicle (10) can be detected, wherein the sensor (11) is connected to a control unit (13) of the vehicle (10), and wherein a warning can be issued when at least one object (12) approaches the vehicle (10), such an approach could lead to a collision with the vehicle (10), characterized by, that the control unit (13) is designed to evaluate the traffic situation of a past time period during the journey of the vehicle (10), wherein, based on the traffic situation over the past time period, the object (12) in the vicinity of the vehicle (10) can be classified, and wherein the output of the warning to the driver of the vehicle (10) is based on the classification of the object (12), wherein an object (12, 14) that maintains a constant distance to the vehicle (10) over a longer period of time is classified differently than an object (12) that has only recently approached the vehicle (10). [7] Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized by, that the sensors (11) are arranged on the vehicle (10) in such a way that monitoring of the area around the vehicle (10) takes place in an area not visible to the driver of the vehicle (10) and in an area visible to the driver of the vehicle (10). [8] Device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by , that the device (1) is designed to detect objects (12) in the vicinity of the moving vehicle (10) and to issue a warning at each speed driven by the vehicle (10).

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