Method and vehicle system for a motor vehicle for detecting relevant vehicles with right of way based on a signal tone sequence and correspondingly equipped motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle system (7) for detecting relevant vehicles with right of way, as well as a corresponding method and a correspondingly equipped motor vehicle (1). The vehicle system (7) comprises a plurality of microphone devices (4) which, due to differently shaped receiving cones (6), have different frequency- and direction-dependent sensitivities (S). The vehicle system (7) is configured, upon receiving a signal tone sequence (18) emitted by a foreign vehicle, to determine a position and / or a speed vector of the foreign vehicle by evaluating corresponding different microphone signals from the microphone devices (4), and to determine a relevance of the foreign vehicle for the motor vehicle (1) based on the position and / or the speed vector, and optionally to output a corresponding control signal for controlling at least one device (3, 17) of the motor vehicle (1).

Claims

[1] Vehicle system (7) for a motor vehicle (1) for detecting relevant vehicles with right of way, comprising a plurality of microphone devices (4) and a signal processing device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) coupled thereto, wherein - the microphone devices (4) each comprise a microphone (5) and a receiving horn (6) arranged on the receiving side thereof, - the receiving funnels (6) are differently shaped and the microphone devices (4) therefore have different frequency-dependent and direction-dependent sensitivities (S), - the signal processing device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) is configured, upon receipt of a signal tone sequence (18) emitted by a sequential tone horn of an external vehicle by means of the microphone devices (4), to determine a position and / or a speed vector of the external vehicle relative to the motor vehicle (1) equipped with the vehicle system (7) by evaluating the corresponding spectrally different microphone signals of the microphone devices (4) and to determine, on the basis of the position and / or the speed vector, whether the external vehicle is relevant to the motor vehicle (1) according to a predetermined criterion and, if this is the case, to output a corresponding predetermined control signal for controlling at least one device (3, 17) of the motor vehicle (1). [2] Vehicle system (7) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the vehicle system (7) is designed to, at least in a partially automated operation of the motor vehicle (1) equipped with the vehicle system (7), - to determine, based on the determined position and / or the determined speed vector, a possible course of action to enable the other vehicle to use its right of way, and - to output an indication of the relevance of the foreign vehicle and of the possible behavior to a driver (2) of the motor vehicle (1) by means of the control signal. [3] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the vehicle system (7) is designed to effect, at least in an at least conditionally automated driving operation of the motor vehicle (1) equipped with the vehicle system (7), by means of the control signal, an execution of an automated driving maneuver, whereby the third-party vehicle is enabled or facilitated to utilize its right of way. [4] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by in that the signal processing device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) of the vehicle system (7) comprises a machine learning device (12, 13) which is trained to determine the position and / or the speed vector of a respective signal source at least on the basis of microphone signals from the plurality of different microphone devices (4). [5] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the predetermined criterion includes whether the foreign vehicle will approach the position of the motor vehicle (1) at least to within a predetermined distance and / or whether a probable trajectory of the foreign vehicle will cross a current trajectory of the motor vehicle (1) at a point within a predetermined distance of the motor vehicle (1) and ahead of the motor vehicle along its trajectory. [6] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the vehicle system (7) is designed to determine a Doppler shift of the received signal tone sequence (18) and to determine the relevance depending thereon. [7] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the vehicle system (7) is configured to detect a blue light based on sensor data from an optical environmental sensor (15) and to recognize relevance only if a blue light is also detected corresponding to the signal tone sequence (18). [8] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the vehicle system (7) is designed to also determine a type of the foreign vehicle based on the microphone signals and to generate the control signal depending on the determined type of the foreign vehicle. [9] Vehicle system (7) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the vehicle system (7) is designed to issue a corresponding message to a driver of the motor vehicle (1) equipped with the vehicle system (7) when it has been determined that the foreign vehicle is not relevant for the motor vehicle (1). [10] Method for detecting relevant vehicles with right of way for a motor vehicle (1), wherein automatically - by means of several microphone devices (4) of the motor vehicle (1), each comprising a microphone (5) and a receiving funnel (6) arranged on the receiving side thereof, wherein the receiving funnels (6) of the various microphone devices (4) are differently shaped, a signal tone sequence (18) emitted by a follow-up tone horn of another vehicle is received, - then, by means of a signal processing device (9, 10, 11, 12, 13) of the motor vehicle (1), spectrally different microphone signals from the various microphone devices (4) corresponding to the signal tone sequence (18) due to the differently shaped receiving funnels (6) are evaluated and thereby a position and / or a speed vector of the other vehicle relative to the motor vehicle (1) is determined, - based on the position and / or the speed vector, it is determined whether the foreign vehicle is relevant for the motor vehicle (1) according to a predetermined criterion, and - if the foreign vehicle is accordingly relevant for the motor vehicle (1), a corresponding predetermined control signal for controlling at least one device (3, 17) of the motor vehicle (1) is output. [11] Motor vehicle (1) comprising a vehicle system (7) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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