INCREASING THE LEVEL OF AUTOMATION OF A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system and a method for increasing a degree of automation of a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle.

[0002] For the purposes of this document, the term "automated driving" can be understood as driving with automated longitudinal or lateral guidance, or autonomous driving with automated longitudinal and lateral guidance. The term "automated driving" encompasses automated driving with any degree of automation. Examples of levels of automation include assisted, partially automated, highly automated, or fully automated driving. These levels of automation were defined by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt). In assisted driving, the driver continuously performs longitudinal or lateral guidance, while the system assumes the other function within certain limits. In partially automated driving (TAF), the system assumes longitudinal and lateral guidance for a certain period of time and / or in specific situations. As with assisted driving, the driver must continuously monitor the system.In highly automated driving (HAF), the system assumes longitudinal and lateral control for a certain period of time without the driver having to continuously monitor the system; however, the driver must be able to assume control of the vehicle within a certain time period. In fully automated driving (VAF), the system can automatically handle driving in all situations for a specific application; for this application, a driver is no longer required. The four levels of automation mentioned above, as defined by the BASt, correspond to SAE Levels 1 to 4 (SAE - Society of Automotive Engineering). For example, according to the BASt, highly automated driving (HAF) corresponds to SAE Level 3. Furthermore, the SAE also specifies SAE Level 5 as the highest level of automation, which is not included in the BASt definition.SAE Level 5 corresponds to driverless driving, where the system can automatically handle all situations like a human driver throughout the entire journey; a driver is generally no longer required.

[0003] As the level of automation increases, the demands on the hardware and software of the vehicle also increase, which results in higher manufacturing costs of the vehicle.

[0004] Document WO 2020 / 205648 A1 discloses a device comprising at least one interface for receiving a signal identifying a second vehicle in the vicinity of a first vehicle, and a processing circuit for obtaining a behavior model associated with the second vehicle, the behavior model defining the driving behavior of the second vehicle, using the behavior model to predict actions of the second vehicle, and determining a path plan for the first vehicle based on the predicted actions of the second vehicle.

[0005] The object of the invention is to enable higher levels of automation without increasing the manufacturing costs of the motor vehicle.

[0006] The problem is solved by the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0007] A first aspect of the invention relates to a system for increasing a degree of automation of a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle.

[0008] The driver assistance system comprises at least one first sensor, at least one first computing unit and at least one actuator as components, wherein the at least one first sensor, the at least one first computing unit and the at least one actuator are components of the motor vehicle.

[0009] The at least one first sensor is in particular a sensor for detecting the environment, for example a radar, camera, lidar or ultrasonic sensor.

[0010] The at least one actuator is, for example, a steering system or a drive of the motor vehicle.

[0011] In addition to the components of the motor vehicle—i.e., the driver assistance system, the at least one first sensor, the at least one first processing unit, and the at least one actuator—the system also includes components of a road user in the vicinity of the motor vehicle. The system is therefore, in particular, a dynamic system based on an ad-hoc network that comprises various components over the course of its operation. For example, the ad-hoc network is formed via mobile communications or Wi-Fi.

[0012] The degree of automation of the driver assistance system places safety requirements on the at least one sensor, the at least one range unit and the at least one actuator, whereby a higher degree of automation places higher requirements than a lower degree of automation.

[0013] These safety requirements are typically derived during the development of the driver assistance system. A state-of-the-art approach for this is described in the ISO 26262 standard, which uses a hazard and risk analysis to identify dangerous system errors. Safety concepts are then developed to address these dangerous errors, resulting in functional and non-functional requirements for the system components.

[0014] The components of the driver assistance system are designed to meet safety requirements up to a specified level, which limits the degree of automation that the driver assistance system can achieve.

[0015] The maximum level of safety requirements achievable by the components of the driver assistance system can, for example, be determined manually during the development of the driver assistance system. However, methods are already known in the state of the art in which formalized safety requirements are automatically compared with formalized properties of the components during system runtime, so that the maximum level of safety requirements achievable can also be determined automatically during system runtime.

[0016] The system is configured to detect a road user in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example, another motor vehicle. Detection can be performed, for example, using the vehicle's sensors and / or via a wireless network, which can potentially serve as the basis for ad-hoc network communication.

[0017] Furthermore, the system is configured to determine that the road user comprises at least one second sensor and / or at least one second computing unit. The second sensor is, in particular, a sensor for detecting the surroundings, for example, a radar, camera, lidar, or ultrasonic sensor.

[0018] In addition, the system is configured to check whether the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the higher degree of automation when using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit.

[0019] In particular, the system is configured to compare the formalized safety requirements of the higher level of automation with formalized properties of the at least one first sensor, the at least one first computing unit, the at least one actuator, the at least one second sensor, and the at least one second computing unit in order to check whether the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the higher level of automation when using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit. For this purpose, the so-called "safety contracts" approach known in the prior art can be used, for example.

[0020] In addition, the system is configured to increase the degree of automation with which the driver assistance system controls the motor vehicle to the higher degree of automation by using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the higher degree of automation when using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit.

[0021] Alternatively, the driver of the motor vehicle can only be offered the option of increasing the degree of automation with which the driver assistance system controls the motor vehicle, so that the decision on the actual degree of automation remains with the driver of the motor vehicle.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a driver assistance system of the road user comprises the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit.

[0023] The road user's driver assistance system is configured to automatically control the road user. In particular, the road user's driver assistance system is configured to control the road user's longitudinal and / or lateral guidance.

[0024] The system is configured to specify to the driver assistance system of the road user that the road user should be automatically controlled in such a way that the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle can use the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit. In particular, the system is configured to specify to the driver assistance system of the road user a trajectory along which the driver assistance system of the road user should guide the road user.

[0025] The driver assistance system of the motor vehicle can use the at least one second sensor, in particular, when the sensor area detected by the at least one second sensor is located in the surroundings of the motor vehicle. For example, the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle can use the at least one second sensor when the sensor area detected by the at least one second sensor at least partially overlaps with the sensor area detected by the at least one first sensor.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the system is configured to decompose the safety requirements of the higher level of automation to the at least one first sensor, the at least one second sensor, the at least one first processing unit, and / or the at least one second processing unit. The basic rules for decomposing safety requirements are described in Volume 9 of ISO 26262. Automating this decomposition is also known in the prior art.

[0027] The system is also configured to check whether the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the increased level of automation when additionally using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit, and to increase the level of automation of the motor vehicle to the increased level of automation by using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the increased level of automation when additionally using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit.

[0028] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the road user comprises at least one second computing unit, and the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle is configured to use the at least one second computing unit as a redundant computing path to a computing path on the at least one first computing unit.

[0029] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the road user comprises at least one second sensor, and the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle is configured to use the at least one second sensor as a diverse sensor to the at least one first sensor.

[0030] In particular, the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle is configured to use the at least one second sensor as a sensor that is diverse from the at least one first sensor if the sensor ranges of the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor at least partially overlap and the sensor principles of the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor differ. The sensor principle of a sensor is the physical mode of operation of the sensor. Different sensor principles include, for example, radar, lidar, camera, or ultrasound.

[0031] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the road user comprises at least one second sensor and the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle is configured to use the at least one second sensor as an additional viewing angle on the surroundings of the motor vehicle.

[0032] In particular, the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle is configured to use the at least one second sensor as an additional viewing angle of the surroundings of the motor vehicle when the sensor range of the at least one first sensor and the sensor range of the at least one second sensor at least partially overlap. The different positions of the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor, which result from their attachment to the motor vehicle and the road user, result in an additional viewing angle of the surroundings of the motor vehicle.

[0033] In particular, the driver assistance system of the motor vehicle is configured to use the at least one second sensor as an additional viewing angle of the surroundings of the motor vehicle when the sensor range of the at least one first sensor and the sensor range of the at least one second sensor do not overlap, for example, when the sensor range of the at least one second sensor covers a part of the surroundings of the motor vehicle that is not detected by the sensor range of the at least one first sensor. For example, a front sensor of the road user can be used as the at least one second sensor when the road user is in front of the motor vehicle.This means that, for example, emergency situations can be responded to more quickly, as the vehicle does not first detect a reaction from the road user but can already independently evaluate the road user's front sensor and, for example, increase the distance between the vehicle and the road user, reduce the vehicle's speed, and / or activate hazard warning lights.

[0034] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the system is configured to detect road users in the vicinity of the motor vehicle in a traffic jam. A traffic jam is a traffic situation with heavily congested or stationary traffic. A traffic jam occurs, in particular, when several vehicles are traveling at an average speed of less than 20 km / h for at least five minutes, over a distance of at least one kilometer. Alternatively or additionally, a traffic jam also occurs, for example, when several vehicles are traveling at an average speed of between 20 and 40 km / h for at least five minutes, over a distance of at least one kilometer.

[0035] The invention is based on the finding that in a traffic jam, the road user is in the vicinity of the motor vehicle for a relatively long time, and thus the sensor ranges of the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor overlap for a relatively long time. Thus, the invention can be used for a particularly long time in a traffic jam, avoiding frequent changes in the motor vehicle's automation level.

[0036] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the road user is an object of the traffic infrastructure.

[0037] A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for increasing a degree of automation of a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle.

[0038] The driver assistance system comprises at least one first sensor, at least one first computing unit and at least one actuator as components.

[0039] The degree of automation of the driver assistance system places safety requirements on the at least one sensor, the at least one range unit and the at least one actuator, whereby a higher degree of automation places higher requirements than a lower degree of automation.

[0040] The components of the driver assistance system are designed to meet safety requirements up to a specified level, which limits the degree of automation that the driver assistance system can achieve.

[0041] One step of the process is the detection of a road user in the vicinity of the motor vehicle.

[0042] A further step of the method is to determine that the road user comprises at least one second sensor and / or at least one second computing unit.

[0043] A further step of the method is to check whether the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the higher degree of automation when using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit.

[0044] A further step of the method is increasing the degree of automation to the higher degree of automation by using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements of the higher degree of automation when using the at least one second sensor and / or the at least one second computing unit.

[0045] The above statements regarding the system according to the first aspect of the invention also apply correspondingly to the method according to the second aspect of the invention. Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention not explicitly described here or in the claims correspond to the advantageous embodiments of the system according to the invention described above or in the claims.

[0046] The invention is described below using an exemplary embodiment with the aid of the accompanying drawings. In these drawings: Fig. 1 an exemplary traffic situation in which the invention can be used, Fig. 2 an exemplary embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 an illustration of the relationship between the degree of automation, safety requirements and components of the driver assistance system, and Fig. 4 an illustration of the concept of security requirement decomposition.

[0047] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary traffic situation in which the invention can be used particularly advantageously.

[0048] This is a traffic jam situation. The system according to the invention is particularly configured to detect road user VKTN in the vicinity of the motor vehicle EGO in a traffic jam situation.

[0049] The sensor ranges of the at least one first sensor S1 comprised by the motor vehicle EGO and the at least one second sensor S2 comprised by the road user VKTN at least partially overlap in this exemplary traffic situation. The two other road users O1, O2 are located in the sensor ranges of the at least one first sensor S1 and the at least one second sensor S2. The two other road users O1, O2 in the vicinity of the motor vehicle EGO can thus each be detected from different angles, which makes detection errors less likely than with detection exclusively by the at least one first sensor S1.When the driver assistance system of the EGO motor vehicle additionally utilizes at least one second sensor S2, the driver assistance system of the EGO motor vehicle can thus meet higher safety requirements A3 than without the additional use of at least one second sensor S2. Thus, the driver assistance system of the EGO motor vehicle can also achieve a higher level of automation L3.

[0050] Fig. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the invention for increasing a degree of automation of a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle EGO.

[0051] The driver assistance system comprises at least one first sensor S1, at least one first computing unit R1, and at least one actuator A as components. The driver assistance system also comprises a control unit FAS and a communication unit K1.

[0052] The degree of automation L2, L3 of the driver assistance system places safety requirements A2, A3 on the at least one sensor S1, the at least one range unit R1 and the at least one actuator A, whereby a higher degree of automation L3 places higher requirements A3 than a lower degree of automation L2.

[0053] The components of the driver assistance system are designed to meet safety requirements A2 up to a specified level, which limits the level of automation L2 that the driver assistance system can achieve.

[0054] The system is configured to detect a road user VKTN in the vicinity of the motor vehicle EGO and to determine that the road user VKTN comprises at least one second sensor S2 and / or at least one second computing unit R2. This can be achieved, for example, by the communication unit K1 of the motor vehicle EGO forming an ad-hoc network with a communication unit K2 of the road user VKTN.

[0055] Furthermore, the system is configured to check whether the driver assistance system, when using the at least one second sensor S2 and / or the at least one second processing unit R2, meets the safety requirements A3 of the higher level of automation L3. Here, for example, the at least one second sensor S2 and the at least one second processing unit R2 are virtually connected to the control unit FAS, so that the control unit FAS can access the at least one first sensor S1, the at least one first processing unit R1, the at least one actuator A, the at least one second sensor S2, and the at least one second processing unit R2.

[0056] The system is further configured to increase the level of automation to the higher level of automation L3 by using the at least one second sensor S2 and / or the at least one second computing unit R2 if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements A3 of the higher level of automation L3 when using the at least one second sensor S2 and / or the at least one second computing unit R2.

[0057] The system is in particular configured to decompose the safety requirements A3 of the higher level of automation L3 onto the at least one first sensor S1, the at least one second sensor S2, the at least one first computing unit R1 and / or the at least one second computing unit R2, to check whether the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements A3 of the increased level of automation L3 with additional use of the at least one second sensor S2 and / or the at least one second computing unit R2, and to increase the level of automation of the motor vehicle EGO to the increased level of automation L3 by using the at least one second sensor S2 and / or the at least one second computing unit R2 if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements A3 of the increased level of automation L3 with additional use of the at least one second sensor S2 and / or the at least one second computing unit R2.

[0058] Fig. 3 shows an illustration of the relationship between the degree of automation, safety requirements and components of the driver assistance system.

[0059] For example, the level of automation L2 sets the safety requirements A2 for the components of the driver assistance system, i.e. for the at least one first sensor S1, the at least one first computing unit R1 and the at least one actuator A.

[0060] The level of automation L3 sets the safety requirements A3 for the components of the driver assistance system, i.e. for the at least one first sensor S1, the at least one first computing unit R1 and the at least one actuator A, whereby the higher level of automation L3 sets higher safety requirements A3 than the safety requirements A2 of the lower level of automation L2.

[0061] In contrast to the lower safety requirements A2, the higher safety requirements A3 may not be met by the components of the driver assistance system, so that the driver assistance system can at most achieve the lower level of automation L2.

[0062] Fig. 4 shows an illustration of the concept of security requirement decomposition.

[0063] How to Fig. 3 As already mentioned, the components of the driver assistance system, i.e. the at least one first sensor S1, the at least one computing unit R1 and the at least one actuator A may not meet the higher safety requirements A3.

[0064] By decomposing safety requirements, ISO 26262 allows the level of safety requirements, the so-called safety load, to be reduced on components if the safety load can be distributed among additional components. For example, the components of the driver assistance system in conjunction with the additional components of the road user (VKTN), i.e., at least one second sensor S2 and at least one second processing unit R2, certainly meet the higher safety requirements A3, so that the driver assistance system can still achieve the higher level of automation L3 when using the additional components of the road user.

Claims

1. System for increasing a level of automation of a driving assistance system of a motor vehicle (EGO), wherein the driving assistance system comprises at least one first sensor (S1), at least one first processing unit (R1) and at least one actuator (A) as components, the level of automation (L2, L3) of the driving assistance system puts safety requirements (A2, A3) on the at least one sensor (S1), the at least one storage unit (R1) and the at least one actuator (A), wherein a higher level of automation (L3) has higher requirements (A3) than a lower level of automation (L2), the components of the driving assistance system are configured to meet safety requirements (A2) up to a predetermined level, thereby limiting the level of automation (L2) to be achieved by the driving assistance system, and the system is configured to detect a road user (VKTN) in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (EGO), characterized in that the system is further configured to, establish that the road user (VKTN) comprises at least one second sensor (S2) and / or at least one second processing unit (R2), verify whether the driving assistance system meets the safety requirements (A3) of the higher level of automation (L3) when using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2), and increase the level of automation to the higher level of automation (L3) by using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2) if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements (A3) of the higher level of automation (L3) when using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a driving assistance system of the road user (VKTN) comprises the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second computing unit (R3), and the driving assistance system of the road user (VKTN) is configured to perform automated control of the road user (VKTN), and the system is configured to instruct the driving assistance system of the road user (VKTN) to perform automatic control of the road user (VKTN) in a manner enabling the driving assistance system of the motor vehicle (EGO) to use the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2).

3. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, the system being configured to distribute the safety requirements (A3) of the higher level of automation (L3) on the at least one first sensor (S1), the at least one second sensor (S2), the at least one first processing unit (R1) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2), verify whether the driving assistance system meets the safety requirements (A3) of the increased level of automation (L3) when additionally using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2), and increase the level of automation of the motor vehicle (EGO) to the increased level of automation (L3) by using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2) if the driving assistance system meets the safety requirements (A3) of the increased level of automation (L3) when additionally using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2).

4. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the road user (VKTN) comprises at least one second computing unit (R2), and the driving assistance system of the motor vehicle (EGO) is configured to use the at least one second processing unit (R2) as a computing path redundant with regard to a computing path on the at least one first processing unit (R1).

5. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the road user (VKTN) comprises at least one second sensor (S2), and the driving assistance system of the motor vehicle (EGO) is configured to use the at least one second sensor (S2) as a sensor that diversifies with regard to the at least one first sensor (S1).

6. The system according to one of the previous claims, the road user (VKTN) comprises at least one second sensor (S2), and the driving assistance system of the motor vehicle (EGO) is configured to use the at least one second sensor (S2) as an additional viewing angle on the vicinity of the motor vehicle (EGO).

7. The system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the system is configured to recognize the road user (VKTN) in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (EGO) in a traffic jam.

8. The system according to any of the previous claims, wherein the road user (VKTN) is an object of the transport infrastructure.

9. Method for increasing a level of automation of a driving assistance system of a motor vehicle (EGO), wherein the driving assistance system comprises at least one first sensor (S1), at least one first processing unit (R1) and at least one actuator (A) as components, the level of automation (L2, L3) of the driver assistance system puts safety requirements (A2, A3) on the at least one sensor (S1), the at least one storage unit (R1) and the at least one actuator (A), wherein a higher level of automation (L3) has higher requirements (A3) than a lower level of automation (L2), the components of the driver assistance system are configured to meet safety requirements (A2) up to a predetermined level, thereby limiting the level of automation (L2) to be achieved by the driving assistance system, the method comprises the step of identifying a road user (VKTN) in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (EGO), characterized in that the method further comprises the steps of: determining that the road user (VKTN) comprises at least one second sensor (S2) and / or at least one second processing unit (R2), verifying whether the driving assistance system meets the safety requirements (A3) of the higher level of automation (L3) when using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2), and increasing the level of automation to the higher level of automation (L3) by using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second computing unit (R2) if the driver assistance system meets the safety requirements (A3) of the higher level of automation (L3) when using the at least one second sensor (S2) and / or the at least one second processing unit (R2).