Procedure for determining the position of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for determining the position of a motor vehicle (1), comprising: - Detecting (S1) at least a temporary failure of a position determination using a global navigation satellite system (4) in the motor vehicle (1); - Selecting (S2) at least one device (2) from which the motor vehicle (1) can receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication (7), taking into account quality information (20) during the selection which describes a quality of vehicle-to-X communication (7) between the device (2) and the motor vehicle (1) for the at least one device (2); - Sending (S4) a request message (23) to the at least one selected device (2), wherein the request message (23) requests at least the transmission of position information (24) that describes a position of the device (2); - Receiving (S5) the requested position information (24) in the motor vehicle (1); and - Determining (S6) own position information (27) that describes the position of the motor vehicle (1) by applying an own position determination criterion (28) to the received position information (24).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining the position of a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle configured to perform such a method, and to an arrangement configured to perform such a method.

[0002] A motor vehicle can be equipped to determine its position using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Based on the vehicle's position determined in this way, at least one vehicle function can be controlled, such as a navigation system, a location-based comfort function, and / or a driver assistance system, particularly an autonomous driving function. However, situations may arise where the GNSS position determination fails temporarily or permanently and is therefore currently unavailable in the vehicle. In such a situation, an alternative position determination method should be used. This alternative method can be based, for example, on map data and / or sensor data. However, such alternative position determination is often time-consuming and computationally intensive.It is therefore advisable to determine the position of the vehicle in another way if the position determination via GNSS fails.

[0003] KR 2022 0052381 A discloses a device for estimating the position of an autonomous vehicle. The device comprises a sensor for detecting the environment and the vehicle's driving situation, and a Global Positioning System receiver for determining the vehicle's position. The device can also receive positions from other vehicles via vehicle-to-X communication.

[0004] US 2018 / 0087907 A1 discloses a localization module that can provide coordinates of a vehicle relative to the Earth as well as relative to a drivable surface in order to compensate for temporary inaccuracies of a Global Positioning System service.

[0005] DE 10 2022 128 133 A1 discloses a method for determining the position of a vehicle, comprising generating a vehicle-based point cloud of objects near the vehicle in order to ultimately determine the position of a vehicle in an environment without a Global Positioning System.

[0006] German patent DE 10 2020 105 649 A1 discloses a method for vehicle tracking and localization. The method comprises receiving odometry data from a sensor of a first vehicle by a controller, geospatial data from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device of the first vehicle, and inertial data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the first vehicle.

[0007] DE 10 2011 082 571 A1 discloses a device for determining the position of a vehicle, comprising a position determination device for determining the position and a transmitter for sending the position to the vehicle.

[0008] DE 10 2021 128 737 A1 generally concerns the localization of autonomous vehicles and in particular localization using beacons.

[0009] The object of the invention is to provide a solution by which the position of a motor vehicle can be reliably determined in the event of a failure of position determination by means of a global navigation satellite system in the vehicle.

[0010] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims.

[0011] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for determining the position of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle can perform the method according to the invention. The method is carried out, for example, at least by means of a control device and a communication interface of the motor vehicle. The method comprises detecting an at least temporary failure of position determination by means of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) in the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle has, for example, a position determination device configured to determine a current position of the motor vehicle based on data from a GNSS. Thus, by means of the position determination device, self-position information describing the position of the motor vehicle at a current time can be determined and then made available in the motor vehicle.The GNSS could, for example, be the Global Positioning System (GPS). This procedure assumes that GNSS-based positioning of the vehicle is currently not functioning or available. The vehicle is therefore in a situation where its position must be determined using an alternative method compared to GNSS-based positioning.

[0012] The at least temporary failure of position determination via GNSS can be caused by a defective and / or malfunctioning GNSS sensor, i.e., by a fault in the position determination device. Alternatively or additionally, the failure can be caused by the vehicle's current environment. For example, if the vehicle is located in a shielded and / or enclosed environment, such as a tunnel and / or an underground parking garage, this can cause a temporary failure. Furthermore, the failure can be caused by reflective surfaces in the vehicle's environment, such as mirrored building facades or other objects that prevent successful position determination via GNSS. This can also be understood as a failure of position determination via GNSS within the meaning of the invention.The failure of GNSS positioning can affect static positioning, which is intended for parked and / or at least temporarily stationary vehicles, particularly in connection with the vehicle's emergency call function. Alternatively or additionally, it can affect dynamic positioning, which is intended, for example, for at least semi-automated driving functions, especially for locating the vehicle on a map.

[0013] The method comprises selecting at least one device from which the motor vehicle can receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication. Vehicle-to-X communication can alternatively be referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. In a preferred example, the device is located outside the motor vehicle. The at least one device is, for example, another motor vehicle located in the vicinity of the motor vehicle, in particular, driving in that direction. The motor vehicle and the at least one device each have, for example, a communication interface configured for wireless communication. Vehicle-to-X communication, in the example of the other motor vehicle, in particular vehicle-to-vehicle communication, can take place via these communication interfaces.Vehicle-to-X communication can therefore encompass communication between two motor vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) and / or communication between the motor vehicle and an infrastructure facility, such as a stationary mobile communication infrastructure facility and / or an external computing facility, such as a backend and / or a cloud server. The information can comprise data or correspond to data, in which case it can alternatively be referred to as data. The method thus provides that at least one device is selected from which the motor vehicle can receive data, referred to here as the at least one piece of information. The at least one piece of information could, for example, be position information describing the position of the device.It can be specifically defined that the procedure includes selecting at least one device from which the motor vehicle can receive position information describing the device's position via vehicle-to-X communication. The at least one piece of information, in particular the position information, is thus receivable by the motor vehicle, and therefore the device from which the at least one piece of information, in particular the position information, is receivable is available for selection.

[0014] When selecting a device, quality information is considered that describes the quality of the vehicle-to-X communication between the device and the vehicle. This quality information can alternatively be referred to as signal strength information, describing the signal strength of the vehicle-to-X communication between the device and the vehicle. The quality information can include or correspond to data, in which case it can alternatively be referred to as quality data. For example, the quality information can describe a SINR value (Signal-to-Interference-to-Noise Ratio or Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio). Alternatively or additionally, the quality information can describe a current cellular reception value, such as an RSRP value (Reference Signal Received Power).Alternatively or additionally, the quality information can describe an RSRQ value (Reference Signal Received Quality) and thus the quality of received signals via vehicle-to-X communication. Alternatively or additionally, the quality information can describe an RSSI value (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and thus the received signal strength of the wireless vehicle-to-X communication used. Alternative or additional values ​​or information suitable for evaluating vehicle-to-X communication can be described by the quality information. In this process step, at least one device is selected by using signal strength assessments and / or quality information for vehicle-to-X communication described by the quality information, in order to select and thus determine a device particularly suitable for the process.Taking quality information into account means that, for example, a selection criterion can be applied that selects at least one device based on the quality information of all or several available devices. This ensures that at least one device is selected that is suitable for receiving at least one piece of information in the vehicle via vehicle-to-X communication.

[0015] The procedure involves sending a request message to at least one selected device. This request message demands that the device transmit position information to the vehicle. The request message thus describes the request or instruction for the device to transmit the position information to the vehicle via vehicle-to-X communication. In one example, the position information can be transmitted in encrypted form. The position information describes the position of the device receiving the request message. The position information can include data or correspond to data, in which case it can alternatively be referred to as position data. Therefore, after selecting at least one device, the at least one selected device is requested to send its position to the vehicle.It may be stipulated that the position information of at least one selected device must be determined using GNSS. Therefore, it may be explicitly required that GNSS data-based position information be requested, and not, for example, position information determined by the device based on maps and / or sensor data.

[0016] The procedure involves receiving the requested position information in the vehicle. If multiple devices are selected, the request message is transmitted to each of them, and the vehicle receives the position information from each device. After receiving the requested position information in the vehicle, a self-positioning information is determined, which describes the vehicle's position. The vehicle's position can alternatively be referred to as its own position. The self-positioning information describes the position, for example, using coordinates. The self-positioning information can alternatively be referred to as ego-vehicle position information if the vehicle is understood as an ego-vehicle performing the procedure. The self-positioning information can comprise data or correspond to data, in which case it can alternatively be referred to as self-positioning data.The vehicle's own position information is determined by applying a self-position determination criterion to the received position information. This criterion comprises, for example, at least one algorithm and / or rule whose application to the received position information determines the vehicle's own position information. The specific design of the self-position determination criterion may depend, for instance, on the number of devices selected. Determining the vehicle's own position information can involve calculating the actual position of the vehicle. Alternatively, it can involve estimating or predicting the vehicle's position, that is, determining an expected or approximate position.

[0017] With the method according to the invention, it is possible for the vehicle to determine its position despite a failure of its GNSS positioning system, since it selects suitable devices and requests and receives position information from them in order to determine its own position. Thus, even in the event of at least a temporary failure of the GNSS positioning system in the vehicle itself, its position can still be reliably determined.

[0018] An advantageous embodiment provides that when selecting the at least one device, only a single device is selected. It can therefore be explicitly stipulated that only exactly one device is ever selected and that the subsequent process steps are carried out for this device. When applying the self-position determination criterion, the position of the single selected device is then assumed to be the self-position information. This eliminates the need for a complicated estimation or calculation of the self-position, as the position of the single device is simply assumed to be the self-position.This is particularly suitable for devices with quality information that describes a particularly strong and therefore high-quality vehicle-to-X communication, since it can then be concluded that, for example, the device is located relatively close to the vehicle and, in such a case, the vehicle's own position and the device's position information are typically close to each other or correspond within a predefined tolerance range. This tolerance range is, in particular, less than or equal to the accuracy of the position determination using GNSS.

[0019] Another embodiment provides that when selecting at least one device, at least three devices are selected. In a preferred example, at least four devices are selected. Selecting multiple devices is particularly suitable for approximating, and especially calculating, the actual position of the vehicle. For example, the method can be designed such that several, i.e., at least three, devices are always selected based on their quality information, a request message is sent for each of these devices, and position information is then received from the at least three devices and evaluated to determine the vehicle's position as accurately as possible. This results in particularly accurate position information.

[0020] Another embodiment involves the request message requesting a timestamp in addition to the position information. The timestamp is a time stamp indicating when the position information was determined and transmitted by the device. The timestamp thus specifies the minimum time for which the position information is valid. For example, the timestamp can describe the transmission time at which the position information was sent by the device. Typically, the vehicle records a further timestamp describing the reception time of the position information. This timestamp is, for example, specified in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

[0021] The self-position determination criterion can be based on triangulation methods and applied to the received timestamp in addition to the position information. It can also be applied to the further timestamp. The transmission time of the position information within the vehicle can then be determined, and based on this determined time, the distance between the device and the vehicle can be at least estimated, and in particular calculated. Based on the triangulation methods, the vehicle's position can then be reliably calculated from the received position information.

[0022] The timestamp can alternatively be described as time information that is assigned to the position information and describes a point in time at which the position information is valid.

[0023] Furthermore, one embodiment provides that, after selection, time synchronization is performed between the motor vehicle and the at least one selected device. This time synchronization occurs, in particular, before the request message is sent. For example, the network protocol PTP (Precision Time Protocol) can be used to perform the time synchronization, enabling synchronization between the time settings of multiple devices, i.e., in this case, the motor vehicle and the device. In a preferred example, time synchronization is performed only if at least three devices are selected and the timestamp is requested. If exactly one device is selected and its position information is accepted as the device's own position information, time synchronization can be omitted.The relatively complex time synchronization can therefore only be performed when needed. When time synchronization is performed, the vehicle's position information can be determined with particular accuracy, as the distance between the vehicle and the device can be precisely calculated.

[0024] Another embodiment involves selecting at least one device that exhibits the highest quality information among all devices currently available for the vehicle. If multiple devices are selected, those with the highest quality information are chosen. It is assumed that the quality information is always high when the quality of the vehicle-to-X communication is good, and conversely, lower when the quality is poor. Alternatively, this can be defined in reverse, in which case the device(s) with the lowest quality information are selected.With this type of selection, at least one device that has a particularly good quality of vehicle-to-X communication can always be chosen dynamically and / or depending on the situation.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, from all devices currently available for the vehicle, at least one device can be selected whose quality information falls within a predefined range. In this case, for example, at least one fixed threshold can be specified, above or below which the quality information of a device is considered sufficiently good to request position information from that device. This ensures, for example, that a device located at an arbitrary distance is not used, but rather that the vehicle's own position information is only determined based on the at least one received position information if at least one suitable device is available, as its assigned quality information falls within the specified range.This type of selection process relies on rigidly defined criteria to determine which device can be chosen. For example, the quality information value range can establish a kind of boundary. If a device falls outside this boundary, this is detected based on the quality information, which will then be correspondingly low. It would then be outside the quality information range, meaning such a device would not be used in the process.

[0026] Both selection methods can be combined. Furthermore, the number of devices to be selected can be fixed or flexible, meaning it can vary depending on the situation. The two described methods illustrate how the selection of at least one device can be carried out effectively.

[0027] An additional embodiment involves determining and verifying the quality information for each device from which the vehicle can currently receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication, at the latest as soon as the vehicle's GNSS position determination fails. Thus, for example, the search for devices capable of vehicle-to-X communication with the vehicle can only begin once it has been determined that the vehicle's GNSS position determination has failed. Only then is the quality information determined for each of these detected devices.Alternatively or additionally, if inaccuracies occur in position determination using GNSS and / or location-dependent for areas where failure is expected, and / or continuously during operation of the vehicle, the quality information for each device from which the vehicle can currently receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication can be determined. It can be provided that as soon as it is determined that position determination using GNSS is failing or will fail imminently, information about at least one device, in particular about at least one other vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle, is determined and stored at least temporarily in the vehicle.This information can be taken into account, for example, after the failure has occurred, in order to identify a potentially suitable device for carrying out the procedure described above for determining the position of the motor vehicle and to consider it, for example, when selecting a device.

[0028] For each device, it is verified whether the determined quality information is essentially constant within a specified time window. The specified time window can, for example, comprise several seconds, in particular 1 second, 3 seconds, or in particular 5 seconds. Time windows between the aforementioned time windows are possible. "Essentially constant" means at least that deviations of up to 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, or in particular 15 percent between quality information recorded within the time window are permissible.

[0029] Only if the determined quality information remains essentially constant within the specified time window will the device be considered for selection. For example, it can be determined whether the quality information for a device changes significantly over time, such that it is not essentially constant. This might indicate that the device is approaching or moving away from the vehicle. This is the case, for instance, for a device that resembles another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle and / or follows a different road in the vicinity of the vehicle. Since such other devices may only be suitable for the process temporarily, it may be advisable to eliminate them directly by not considering them for selection in the first place.If the device is, for example, another motor vehicle traveling in the same direction in front of, behind, or alongside the vehicle, essentially constant quality information is obtained within the specified time window. This indicates a potentially suitable device, even for long-term use, which should be considered during the selection process. Therefore, a meaningful pre-selection of suitable devices can be made.

[0030] Alternatively, it can be planned to begin acquiring and verifying the quality information even before the GNSS position tracking fails. However, this is energy-intensive. Furthermore, the acquired and verified quality information can be used to determine whether a device is moving relatively quickly relative to the vehicle's speed. A rapidly moving device might also be considered unsuitable and therefore excluded from selection. This could be due to increased inaccuracy of the device's own position information if it is determined from devices moving quickly relative to the vehicle.Ultimately, the process allows for the pre-selection of devices that, based on their quality information, might be suitable for selection, thereby increasing the efficiency of the process.

[0031] Another embodiment involves the request message demanding the transmission of reliability information describing the reliability of the device's position information. This reliability information is then received and considered when determining the vehicle's own position information. Thus, a measure can be requested of the confidence and / or error with which the device's position information is determined and provided to the vehicle. The more reliably the position information can be determined, the more accurate the determined own position information will be. For this reason, the reliability information of at least one selected device can be requested and evaluated.Reliability information can be obtained, for example, within the context of the device's position determination process, where it can be determined and / or predefined. Reliability information can, for instance, depend on the current accuracy of the position determination using GNSS, performed by the device's positioning system. Reliability information can comprise or correspond to data, in which case it can alternatively be referred to as reliability data.

[0032] In a preferred example, vehicle-to-X communication utilizes PC5 interfaces according to the WLAN standard IEEE 802.11p (Wireless Local Area Network). Specifically, vehicle-to-X communication takes place directly between the vehicle and the device, for example, using Sidelink. Alternatively, a mobile network can be used, for example, based on the mobile communication standards Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Fifth Generation (5G), Sixth Generation (6G), or a future generation of mobile communication standards. The mobile network can be based on specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The mobile network can be a wireless local area network, i.e., a WLAN, particularly one based on the WLAN standard IEEE 802.11p.

[0033] For use cases or application situations that may arise during the procedure and are not explicitly described here, it may be provided that, according to the procedure, an error message and / or a request for user feedback is issued and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0034] Another aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle configured to perform the method described above. The motor vehicle carries out the method. In the case of time synchronization, it is configured to perform the steps provided for the motor vehicle within the framework of time synchronization. The motor vehicle is, for example, a passenger car, a truck, a motorcycle, a moped, and / or a passenger bus.

[0035] Another aspect of the invention relates to an arrangement for determining the position of a motor vehicle, particularly in the event of at least a temporary failure of position determination by means of a GNSS system in the motor vehicle. The arrangement comprises the motor vehicle and at least one device. The arrangement is configured to carry out the method described above. The arrangement performs the method described above. The at least one device can be, for example, another motor vehicle, a mobile device, and / or a mobile communication infrastructure facility, such as a transmission tower. The mobile communication infrastructure facility is, in particular, stationary. The position information can be stored, in particular saved, in the mobile communication infrastructure facility. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile communication infrastructure facility can determine the position information using GNSS data.The mobile device is, for example, a smartphone and / or tablet. The mobile device can be located inside the vehicle and may include, for example, a positioning device that can determine position information based on GNSS data. Alternatively or additionally, the mobile device can be located outside the vehicle; for example, it may be assigned to a person who is in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. In a preferred example, at least one device is always the other vehicle.

[0036] The vehicle's control unit, for example, includes a processor unit. The processor unit can include at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processor unit can include program code configured to be executed by the processor unit. The program code can be stored in a data memory of the processor unit. The control unit performs the process steps of the method according to the invention as provided for it.

[0037] The invention also includes exemplary embodiments of the motor vehicle and / or the arrangement according to the invention, which have features as have already been described in connection with the exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention.

[0038] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0039] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the invention. This is illustrated by: Fig. 1. A schematic representation of a motor vehicle on a road; and Fig. 2. A schematic representation of a signal flow graph of a method for determining the position of a motor vehicle.

[0040] The embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another. Each of these features further develops the invention independently and can therefore be considered part of the invention individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by other features of the invention already described.

[0041] In the figures, functionally identical elements or components are provided with the same reference symbols.

[0042] Fig. Figure 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 and several devices 2, which are arranged here outside the motor vehicle 1. The motor vehicle 1 is traveling on a road 3 in a direction 13.

[0043] The motor vehicle 1 has a position determination device 5, which is configured to determine the position of the motor vehicle 1 using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) 4. Furthermore, the motor vehicle 1 has a communication interface 6, which is configured for vehicle-to-X communication 7. The motor vehicle 1 can, for example, transmit at least one piece of information to the devices 2, in particular their communication interfaces 6, and / or receive at least one piece of information from the device 2 via vehicle-to-X communication 7. The motor vehicle 1 has, for example, a control device 8.

[0044] Devices 2 are shown here as other motor vehicles 9, a mobile communication infrastructure facility 10, such as a mobile phone mast, and a mobile device 11 belonging to a person 12 at the edge of the road 3. These devices 2 are purely exemplary. More or different devices 2 are possible. The mobile device 11, as device 2, can alternatively be located in motor vehicle 1 and / or in one of the other motor vehicles 9. The other motor vehicles 9 and the mobile device 11 also have, for example, the positioning device 5 to be able to determine their position based on GNSS data.

[0045] Fig. Figure 2 shows the steps of a procedure for determining the position of vehicle 1. The procedure is carried out, for example, using the control device 8 and the communication interface 6 of vehicle 1. In procedure step S1, a failure of at least temporary position determination via the GNSS 4, and thus via the position determination device 5 in vehicle 1, is detected. This failure can occur, for example, due to a technical defect or error. Alternatively or additionally, position determination via GNSS 4 can fail if vehicle 1 is located in a canyon with numerous reflections, making reliable position determination impossible. Other environments in which position determination may no longer be sufficiently reliable include, for example, a tunnel and / or a parking garage, especially an underground parking garage.Position determination can fail if its reliability or quality falls below a predefined limit or outside a predefined range. For example, process step S1 is performed using control device 8.

[0046] In process step S2, at least one device 2 is selected. This can be done using the control device 8. The vehicle 1 can receive at least one piece of information from the selected device 2 via vehicle-to-X communication 7. This information can, for example, be position information 24 describing the current position of the device 2. It may be sufficient to specify that the selectable device 2 can transmit any information to the vehicle 1 via vehicle-to-X communication 7. Process step S2 can be based on the initial identification of several devices 2 that are currently recognized as devices 2 from which the vehicle 1 can receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication 7.For each of these identified devices 2, a quality information 20 can then be determined, which describes the quality of the vehicle-to-X communication 7 between the device 2 and the motor vehicle 1. In process step S2, the quality information 20 is then taken into account during selection.

[0047] For example, it may be stipulated that for the respective device 2, it is checked, at the latest as soon as the position determination using the GNSS 4 in the vehicle 1 has failed, whether the quality information 20 remains essentially constant within a specified time window. Only if this is the case will this device 2 be considered further. It can therefore be required that the quality information 20 at time t1 essentially corresponds to the quality information 20 at time t2, which in Fig. 2 as x (t1) is approximately equal to x(t2) is sketched.

[0048] When selecting in process step S2, at least one device 2 can be selected which has the highest quality information 20 of all devices 2 currently selectable for the motor vehicle 1, that is, for example, the quality information x(max1), x(max2) and so on, where x(max1) is greater than x(max2) and so on.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the device 2 whose quality information 20 lies within a predefined quality information value range 21 can be selected. The at least one device 2 is thus determined taking the quality information 20 into account. For example, it may be specified that only a single device 2 is selected. In a preferred example, at least three devices 2 are selected. In another preferred example, at least four devices 2 are always selected.

[0050] The at least one device 2 may be selected from the following group of devices 2: another motor vehicle 9, a mobile communications infrastructure facility 10 and / or a mobile terminal 11.

[0051] In process step S4, a request message 23 is sent to at least one selected device 2. This can be done via the communication interface 6. If several devices 2 are selected, a request message 23 is sent to each of these devices 2. The request message 23 requests at least the transmission of position information 24, where the position information 24 describes the current position of the device 2. It may be specified that the position information 24 must be determined using GNSS 4. In another example, it may be stipulated that additional information is also to be transmitted, i.e., requested by the request message 23. This could be, for example, a timestamp 25 and / or reliability information 26.The timestamp 25 is requested, for example, at least when at least three devices 2 have been selected. The timestamp 25 describes the time at which the position information 24 was determined. The reliability information 26 describes the reliability of the position information 24 of device 2. The reliability information 26 describes, for example, the quality and / or confidence of the position information 24.

[0052] Between process steps S2 and S4, a process step S3 may be provided in which a time synchronization 22 is carried out between the motor vehicle 1 and the at least one selected device 2.

[0053] Procedure step S5 involves receiving the requested position information 24 in vehicle 1. This can be done via the communication interface 6. If the timestamp 25 and / or the reliability information 26 are also requested, these can also be received in vehicle 1 during procedure step S5.

[0054] Subsequently, in process step S6, a self-position information 27 is determined, which describes the position of the vehicle 1. This is done, for example, by means of the control device 8, to which the received position information 24 within the vehicle 1 can be transmitted. The self-position information 27 is determined by applying a self-position determination criterion 28 to the received position information 24. It can also be applied to the received timestamp 25, whereby the self-position determination criterion 28 can then be based, for example, on triangulation methods. Alternatively or additionally, the self-position determination criterion 28 can be applied to the received reliability information 26, so that the reliability information 26 is taken into account when determining the self-position information 27.

[0055] For example, if only exactly one device 2 is selected, when applying the self-position determination criterion 28, the position of the exactly one device 2 and thus the exactly one received position information 24 can be directly assumed to be the self-position information 27, without, for example, any further calculations being carried out.

[0056] In the case of three or more devices 2, some of which are the other motor vehicles 9, a special case can be provided in which the vehicles are operated in a fixed convoy, for example, within the framework of platooning. In this case, there is a lead motor vehicle 9, which the other motor vehicles 9 follow. This is particularly suitable for selecting devices 2 that are available as consistently as possible over time. For example, it can be assumed that the order of the motor vehicles 9 and / or their speed and / or steering behavior remain constant, which greatly simplifies the described procedure, since devices 2, once selected, can typically be selected again and again in process step S2 over the long term.

[0057] Overall, the examples represent mobile communication as a fallback for the GNSS sensor. The procedure involves selecting reference vehicles (devices 2), thereby selecting the devices 2 that are closest to vehicle 1. In one example, this can be done based on the highest SINR values, meaning that quality information 20 is taken into account. Time synchronization of the individual vehicles 1 and 9 then takes place. In addition, the GNSS positions (position information 24) of the other vehicles 9, and thus of the devices 2, are transmitted. This occurs upon request. This request, i.e., the request message 23, in one example asks exclusively for position information 24; that is, no other information, such as passenger information about the passengers of the other vehicle 9, is requested.Vehicle identification information can also be requested, for example.

[0058] When using the method over a longer period, it may be useful to precisely identify the individual devices 2 so that the identification of the respective selected device 2 can then be requested. Furthermore, information about the quality of the position information 24 of the device 2 in the motor vehicle 1 can be obtained, for example, by evaluating the vehicle-specific data identifiable from the vehicle identification information.

[0059] In particular, the position information 24 is transmitted in encrypted form. Additionally, timestamps 25 from the transmission and / or reception times are received or determined. The determination of the user's own position can then be based on triangulation. For this purpose, the position information 24 and the timestamps 25 are evaluated, thus performing a relative triangulation of the user's own position. Reference symbol list 1 motor vehicle 2 Device 3rd Street 4 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) 5 Position determination device 6 Communication interface 7 Vehicle-to-X communication 8 Control device 9 other motor vehicles 10 Mobile communications infrastructure facility 11 End device 12 people 13 Direction of travel 20 Quality Information 21 Quality information value range 22 Time synchronization 23 Request message 24 Position information 25 timestamps 26 Reliability Information 27 Own position information 28 Own position determination criterion

Claims

Method for determining the position of a motor vehicle (1), comprising: - Detecting (S1) at least a temporary failure of a position determination using a global navigation satellite system (4) in the motor vehicle (1); - Selecting (S2) at least one device (2) from which the motor vehicle (1) can receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication (7), taking into account quality information (20) in the selection which describes the quality of the vehicle-to-X communication (7) between the device (2) and the motor vehicle (1); - Sending (S4) a request message (23) to the at least one selected device (2), wherein the request message (23) requests at least the transmission of position information (24) which describes a position of the device (2); - Receiving (S5) the requested position information (24) in the motor vehicle (1);and- Determining (S6) own position information (27) describing the position of the motor vehicle (1) by applying an own position determination criterion (28) to the received position information (24).; Method according to claim 1, wherein when selecting the at least one device (2) a single device (2) is selected and when applying the self-position determination criterion (28) the position of the single selected device (2) is assumed to be the self-position information (27). Method according to claim 1, wherein at least three devices (2) are selected when selecting the at least one device (2). Method according to claim 3, wherein the request message (23) requests a timestamp (25) in addition to the position information (24) and the own position determination criterion (28) is based on methods of triangulation and is also applied to the received timestamp (25). Method according to claim 4, wherein after selection, in particular before sending the request message (23), a time synchronization (22) is carried out between the motor vehicle (1) and the at least one selected device (2) (S3). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the selection process the at least one device (2) is selected which has the highest quality information (20) of all devices (2) currently available for the motor vehicle (1) and / or whose quality information (20) lies within a predetermined quality information value range (21). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at the latest as soon as the position determination by means of the global navigation satellite system (4) in the motor vehicle (1) has failed, the quality information (20) is determined for each device (2) from which the motor vehicle (1) can currently receive at least one piece of information via vehicle-to-X communication (7) and it is checked whether this is essentially constant within a specified time window, wherein only if this is the case is the device (2) taken into account when selecting. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the request message (23) requests the transmission of reliability information (26) that describes the reliability of the position information (24) of the device (2), and the reliability information (26) is taken into account when determining the own position information (27) (24). Motor vehicle (1) which is designed to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8. Arrangement for determining the position of a motor vehicle (1), comprising the motor vehicle (1) and at least one device (2), wherein the arrangement is configured to perform a method according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein in particular the at least one device (2) is another motor vehicle (9), a mobile communications infrastructure facility (10) and / or a mobile terminal (11).

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