Methods for reducing the collision risk of an ego vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for reducing the collision risk of an ego vehicle (10). In a method that enables early detection of an incorrectly parked vehicle (16), the following steps are provided: Sensory determination of whether a vehicle (16) has been incorrectly parked in the area of ​​a lane (18); Sending at least one message via C2X communication (22) at least to the ego vehicle (10), wherein the message contains at least one piece of information that the vehicle (16) has been incorrectly parked.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for reducing the collision risk of an ego vehicle.

[0002] In Germany and other European countries, there are often too few truck parking spaces on or near highways. To comply with the prescribed rest periods, trucks often park in the entrance area of ​​the parking lot or rest area, or even in the exit lanes.

[0003] Massive barriers are already being used to prevent improper parking. These trucks are often parked overnight or for entire weekends, leaving them unlit even in the dark. These improperly parked trucks pose a serious danger to following vehicles if they are discovered too late.

[0004] CN 1 16 153 121 A discloses an early warning system that determines a collision risk with a parked vehicle and sends a corresponding warning to a receiving vehicle in order to minimize the collision risk.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of specifying a method for reducing the collision risk of an ego vehicle, which enables early detection of an incorrectly parked vehicle.

[0006] This object is achieved in the present invention by the features of patent claim 1 in that the method comprises the following steps: Sensory determination of whether a vehicle has been parked incorrectly in the area of ​​a lane; Sending at least one message by means of C2X communication at least to the ego vehicle, wherein the message contains at least one piece of information that the vehicle has been parked incorrectly.

[0007] Various sensors can be used for sensor detection. Examples include environmental sensors such as radar, lidar, and / or one or more cameras located on the vehicle, the ego vehicle, or another part of the vehicle's surroundings. Ultrasonic sensors, for example, are also conceivable.

[0008] Radar is a radio-based detection and distance measurement system. The corresponding radar sensor is a beam-based sensor used to detect objects, such as other vehicles and pedestrians, and measure their distance from the vehicle as well as their relative speed. For this purpose, electromagnetic waves are emitted. The electromagnetic waves reflected by the objects are received and evaluated. The measured values ​​are converted into electrical signals, which are then evaluated in special control units.

[0009] Ultrasonic sensors are also beam-based sensors. They transmit and receive sound waves whose frequencies are above the range perceptible to the human ear, above 16 kHz. These sound waves are usually transmitted by so-called piezo actuators via a membrane. The sound waves propagate through the surrounding air and are reflected by obstacles. The reflected echo signals are registered by the sensors and evaluated by a central control unit. The distance to the corresponding object is calculated from the propagation time, i.e., the time it takes for the echo signal to reach the transmitter.

[0010] Incorrect parking of the vehicle is understood within the scope of the invention to mean parking, at least partially, on a normally passable lane.

[0011] Modern vehicles are often equipped with C2X radio modules to exchange standardized messages with each other and with the infrastructure. Examples of this are the CAM (Cooperative Awareness Message) or DENM (Decentralized Environmental Notification Message) of the ETSI standard for C2X communication. The former message contains the position and speed of the transmitting vehicle. By transmitting it via C2X communication, the ego vehicle can be warned even when it is not yet in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. Furthermore, C2X communication can selectively warn other road users within a certain radius of the vehicle, so that vehicles outside the radius are not warned because there is no risk of collision.

[0012] In particular, the vehicle is a truck that has been incorrectly parked on the side of the road or even in the lane of a rest area or service station.

[0013] C2X communication can also be used to distinguish between a broken-down vehicle and an improperly parked vehicle. Broken-down vehicles are usually parked for a much shorter period of time in a location where parking is not normally possible. However, it would also be conceivable for a C2X message to be sent for both scenarios, even if a collision with the broken-down vehicle is imminent.

[0014] Further preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the remaining features mentioned in the subclaims.

[0015] In a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, the determination is carried out by sensors installed on the vehicle and the message is sent by the vehicle. The message is therefore generated and sent directly by the vehicle. The message contains information about the position of the vehicle. The ego vehicle and following traffic can receive the information directly from the vehicle. In the case of a truck, an estimated period of validity can be calculated by a device on the truck and sent along. The calculation can, for example, take into account minimum rest periods and / or weekend driving bans. The position is the rear corner of the vehicle combination or the rear corner of the trailer that is closest to the drivable lane.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively, a further embodiment of the method according to the invention can provide for the determination to be carried out by a C2X-capable element of the infrastructure surrounding the vehicle, and for the message to be sent by the infrastructure element. An infrastructure element that includes a camera unit for vehicle detection and is equipped with C2X detects the surrounding vehicles or trucks and transmits the information to the surrounding area.

[0017] Furthermore, in a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, it can be provided, additionally or alternatively, that the determination is carried out by another road user and that the message is sent by the other road user. Other vehicles detect the incorrectly parked vehicles, for example using a camera and possibly other sensors such as radar, and / or other information such as a digital map and / or swarm data, and actively warn following traffic by sending the C2X message. For example, a truck can be detected as an object class by a camera and / or a front radar. Lane detection can be used to detect that the truck is in the lane. Swarm data can be used to detect that the truck is in the driveable path.This procedure can be used, in particular, when entering or exiting a rest area by passing vehicles that do not directly approach a rest area, so that a larger number of vehicles can recognize the incorrectly parked vehicle and point it out.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that the message is transmitted to a central backend and that the message is sent from the central backend at least to the ego vehicle. An upload to a backend, i.e. a cloud, can be carried out, for example, by the vehicle directly, the infrastructure and / or other road users. The backend solution has the advantage that even if the vehicle is stationary for an extended period of time, the information does not have to be continuously and actively sent by the vehicle. If a backend is integrated, it can query passing vehicles at certain intervals as to whether the situation still exists, for example because the original sender is no longer transmitting. In this case, it can be provided that confirmation is obtained from a driver, for example to confirm danger points.

[0019] According to the invention, a lane width is determined using sensors, with the message containing information about the lane width. The vehicle itself can determine the lane width. The vehicle therefore also determines the width on the road, for example with the help of a front camera. An evaluation device on the vehicle can use image analysis to determine how far the vehicle, or parts of the vehicle, are in the lane. The same applies analogously to an infrastructure camera. A raised camera offers additional viewing angles, allowing a more precise determination of the lane width and identification of the vehicle in the lane.

[0020] In order to be able to alert the driver of a vehicle in advance to an incorrectly parked vehicle, a further embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the ego vehicle includes a navigation system and that a warning is transmitted to the driver of the vehicle when an incorrectly parked vehicle is located on a planned route. This enables early notification if a route including the approach to a rest area is programmed into the navigation system. Especially with electric vehicles, it is necessary to stop at rest areas on longer journeys in order to charge the battery of the electric vehicle. With such a "charging route", pop-up messages can be shown on a display device of the ego vehicle, for example, which also indicate the incorrectly parked vehicle.It would also be conceivable for the driver of the vehicle to be suggested by a pop-up message to adjust the route to the next free parking space or service area.

[0021] In a further embodiment of the invention, it can then be provided that the navigation system changes the route in such a way that a collision with the incorrectly parked vehicle is avoided. This prevents, for example, the driver from driving to a rest area where an incorrectly parked vehicle is known to be parked.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is provided that an activated direction indicator arranged on the ego vehicle is used to determine whether travel in the direction of the incorrectly parked vehicle is imminent, and that a warning is issued if a collision risk value exceeds a predefined first limit value. Even without route planning, it can be provided that, by means of recognition via a digital map and the vehicle's indicator, it is determined whether the ego vehicle is likely to drive past a rest area at which a vehicle has been incorrectly parked or whether it plans to take the exit lane. A pop-up message can also be provided in this embodiment. In addition, it is conceivable that, due to a generally shorter forecast, an additional warning tone is issued.The warning is also possible if the ego vehicle is already in a parking space and the motorway entrance is occupied. The warning can be provided at different levels. Depending on the speed of the ego vehicle and the distance to the obstacle, a warning may initially be issued; as the vehicle approaches further, a warning tone may be activated. In a further escalation level, it is conceivable that the driver of the vehicle may be alerted to the incorrectly parked vehicle through vibrations, for example, in the steering wheel.

[0023] In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the ego vehicle is braked if a collision risk value exceeds a predefined second limit value. Early deceleration, when the ego vehicle is moving directly toward the incorrectly parked vehicle, can occur if, for example, it is apparent from the activation of the turn signal and route guidance that the ego vehicle is approaching the exit.

[0024] It is also conceivable that suitable driver assistance systems could be used to adjust the lateral guidance. The target course can be shifted to the outside of the lane to allow the incorrectly parked vehicle to pass. This can be done taking into account the remaining lane width detected by other road users. Alternatively, a driver handover request can be issued if automatic passing is not possible. The maximum gradient for the target course shift is adjusted.

[0025] Electronic or electrical devices and / or other relevant devices or components according to the embodiments of the present invention described herein may be implemented using any suitable hardware, firmware (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit), software, or a combination of software, firmware, and hardware. For example, the various components of these devices may be packaged on an integrated circuit (IC) or on separate IC chips. Furthermore, the various components of these devices may be implemented on a flexible printed circuit board, a tape carrier package (TCP), a printed circuit board (PCB), or on a single substrate.Furthermore, the various components of these devices may be a process or thread running on one or more processors in one or more computing devices, executing computer program instructions and interacting with other system components to perform the various functions described herein. The computer program instructions are stored in memory, which may be implemented in a computing device using standard memory, such as random access memory (RAM). The computer program instructions may also be stored in other non-transferable, computer-readable media, such as a CD-ROM, flash drive, or the like.A person of ordinary skill in the art should also recognize that the functionality of various computing devices may be combined or integrated into a single computing device, or that the functionality of a particular computing device may be distributed among one or more other computing devices without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] The various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless otherwise stated in the individual case.

[0027] The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1a to c a schematic representation of the implementation of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for reducing the collision risk of an ego vehicle and Fig. 2 a schematic block diagram of various steps of an embodiment of a method according to the invention.

[0028] Fig. Figure 1a shows an ego vehicle 10 moving toward an exit 12 to a rest area 14. At the exit, a vehicle 16 has been incorrectly parked in the area of ​​a lane 18. The system provides for sensors to detect that the vehicle 16 has been parked incorrectly, and a message 20 is sent to the ego vehicle via a C2X communication 22.

[0029] In Fig. 1a, the determination is carried out by sensors 24 installed on vehicle 16. The message 20 is generated and sent directly by the vehicle 16. The message 20 accordingly contains information about the position of the vehicle 16. The ego vehicle 10 and the following traffic can receive the information directly from the vehicle 16. In the case of a truck, an estimated validity period can be calculated by a device on the truck and sent along. The calculation takes into account minimum rest periods and weekend driving bans. The communicated position corresponds to the rear corner of the vehicle 16 that is closest to the accessible lane 18.

[0030] In Fig. 1b, the detection is carried out by a C2X-capable element 26 of the infrastructure of the environment around the vehicle 16. The message 20 is sent by the element 26 of the infrastructure. An infrastructure element that includes a camera unit for vehicle detection and is equipped with C2X detects the surrounding vehicles or trucks and transmits the information to the environment.

[0031] In Fig. 1c shows that the detection is carried out by another road user 28 and that the message 20 is sent by the other road user 28. Other vehicles detect the incorrectly parked vehicles, for example using a camera and possibly other sensors such as radar and / or additional information such as a digital map and / or swarm data, and actively warn following traffic by sending the message 20. For example, a truck can be detected as an object class by a camera and / or a front radar. Lane detection can be used to detect that the truck is in the lane. Swarm data can be used to detect that the truck is in the driveable path.This procedure can also be applied, in particular at entrances and exits 12, by other road users 28 passing by who do not directly approach a rest area 14, so that a larger number of other road users 28 can recognize the incorrectly parked vehicle 16 and point it out.

[0032] The Fig. 1a to 1c have in common that the message 20 is transmitted to a central backend 30 and that the message 20 is sent from the central backend 30 at least to the ego vehicle 10. An upload to a backend 30, i.e., a cloud, is performed directly by the vehicle 16, the infrastructure, and / or other road users 26. The backend solution has the advantage that, even if the vehicle 16 is stationary for an extended period, the information does not have to be continuously actively sent by the vehicle 16. If a backend 30 is integrated, it can query passing vehicles at specific intervals to determine whether the situation still exists, for example, because the original sender is no longer transmitting. Messages can be uploaded or downloaded to the backend accordingly.

[0033] Further on in the Fig. 1a to 1c, a lane width is determined by means of sensors 24, which are installed on the vehicle 16, on the elements of the infrastructure 26, and on other road users 28. The sent message 20 contains information about the lane width. The vehicle 16 itself can determine the lane width. The vehicle 16 therefore also determines the width on the lane 18, for example with the help of a front camera. By means of an evaluation device of the vehicle 16, it can be determined via image analysis how far the vehicle 16, or parts of the vehicle, is / are on the lane 18. This also applies analogously to a camera of an element 26 of the infrastructure. A raised camera offers additional viewing angles, whereby a more precise determination of the lane width and the identification of the vehicle 16 on the lane 18 can be carried out.

[0034] Fig.Figure 2 shows various steps of a method for reducing the risk of collision in a block diagram. Initially, in steps 100, 102, and 104, an incorrectly parked vehicle 16 is detected. In step 100, the detection is performed by the vehicle 16 itself, in step 102 by an element 26 of the infrastructure, and in step 104 by another road user 28. In step 106, a message 20 is transmitted via C2X communication to at least one ego vehicle 10. Based on this message 20, various reactions can be triggered by the ego vehicle 10.

[0035] In order to alert the driver of the ego vehicle 10 in advance to an incorrectly parked vehicle, a warning can be transmitted to the driver of the ego vehicle 10 in step 108 if an incorrectly parked vehicle 16 is located on a planned route calculated by a navigation system installed in the ego vehicle 10. Consequently, an early warning is possible if a route including the approach to a rest area 14 is programmed into the navigation system. Especially with electric vehicles, it is necessary to stop at rest areas on longer journeys to charge the battery of the electric vehicle.

[0036] Furthermore, it is provided that, in step 110, it is determined by means of an activated direction indicator arranged on the ego vehicle 10 whether a journey in the direction of the incorrectly parked vehicle 16 is imminent. If this is the case, a warning is issued if a collision risk value exceeds a predefined first limit. Even without route planning, it can be provided that, by means of detection via a digital map and the vehicle's turn signal, it is determined whether the ego vehicle is likely to pass a rest area 14 where a vehicle 16 has been incorrectly parked or whether it plans to take the exit lane.

[0037] The warning is issued in different levels. Depending on the speed of the ego vehicle 10 and the distance to the obstacle, only a warning may be issued initially. As the vehicle approaches further, a warning tone may be provided. In a further escalation level, it is conceivable that the driver of the ego vehicle 10 may be alerted to the incorrectly parked vehicle through vibrations, for example, in the steering wheel.

[0038] In a further step 112, the ego vehicle 10 is decelerated if a collision risk value exceeds a predefined second threshold. Early deceleration, when the ego vehicle 10 is moving directly toward the incorrectly parked vehicle, can occur if, for example, it is apparent from a turn signal activation and route guidance that the ego vehicle 10 is approaching the exit. List of reference symbols 10 Ego Vehicle 12 Exit 14 Rest area 16 vehicles 18 lanes 20 Message 22 C2X communication 24 sensors 26 Element of infrastructure 28 other road users 30 backend

Claims

[1] A method for reducing the collision risk of an ego vehicle (10), the method comprising: - Sensory determination of whether a vehicle (16) has been parked incorrectly in the area of a lane (18); - Determining a track width using sensors; - sending at least one message by means of C2X communication (22) at least to the ego vehicle (10), wherein the message contains at least one piece of information about the fact that the vehicle (16) was parked incorrectly, wherein the message (20) contains information about the lane width. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the determination is carried out by sensors (24) installed on the vehicle (16) and that the message is sent by the vehicle (16). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the determination is carried out by a C2X-capable element of the infrastructure (26) of the environment around the vehicle (16) and that the message (20) is sent by the element of the infrastructure (26). [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the determination is carried out by another road user (28) and that the message (20) is sent by the other road user (28). [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the message (20) is transmitted to a central back-end (30) and that the message (20) is sent from the central back-end (30) at least to the ego vehicle (10). [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the ego vehicle (10) comprises a navigation system and that a warning is transmitted to the driver of the vehicle (10) when an incorrectly parked vehicle (16) is located on a planned route. [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by that a route guidance is changed by the navigation system in such a way that a collision with the incorrectly parked vehicle (16) is avoided. [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that by means of an actuated direction indicator arranged on the ego vehicle (10) it is determined whether a journey in the direction of the incorrectly parked vehicle (16) is imminent and that a warning is issued if a collision risk value exceeds a predefined first limit value. [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the ego vehicle (10) is braked if a collision risk value exceeds a predefined second limit value.

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