Method for operating a vehicle, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle (50), wherein the presence of an emergency situation (40) involving the vehicle (50) is detected, wherein, after the presence of an emergency situation (40) has been detected: a) a danger zone (20) is determined in the form of at least one future trajectory (22-x) or a trajectory swarm of possible future trajectories (22-x) of the vehicle (50), and wherein b1) information (21) describing the danger zone (20) is communicated to other vehicles (60-1) and / or infrastructure devices (61) in the surroundings of the vehicle (50) by way of a communication device (53), and / or b2) a warning signal (30) is output to warn other road users (60-x) impacted by the danger zone (20).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Method for operating a vehicle and vehicle

[0003] The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle and a vehicle.

[0004] Emergency situations can occur in both manually controlled vehicles and partially or fully automated vehicles, which must be handled appropriately.

[0005] From US 2021 / 0031800 A1, a method is known in which it is possible to add information to a trajectory sent via V2X that this is an emergency trajectory, which leaves little or no room for negotiation.

[0006] The invention is based on the object of creating a method and a vehicle that enable improved response to emergency situations. In particular, other road users should be informed that an emergency situation exists.

[0007] The object is achieved according to the invention by a method having the features of patent claim 1 and a vehicle having the features of patent claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

[0008] In particular, a method for operating a vehicle is provided, wherein the presence of an emergency situation of the vehicle is detected, wherein after the presence of an emergency situation is detected: a) a danger zone in the form of at least one future trajectory or a trajectory group of possible future trajectories of the vehicle is determined, and wherein b1) information describing the danger zone is transmitted by means of a communication device to other vehicles and / or infrastructure facilities in the vicinity of the vehicle, and / or b2) a warning signal is issued to warn other road users who are affected by the danger zone.Furthermore, in particular, a vehicle is created, comprising a driver assistance system, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to detect the presence of an emergency situation in the vehicle and, after detecting the presence of an emergency situation: a) to determine a danger zone in the form of at least one future trajectory or a trajectory group of possible future trajectories of the vehicle, and b1) to transmit information describing the danger zone to other vehicles and / or infrastructure facilities in the vicinity of the vehicle by means of a communication device of the vehicle, and / or b2) to initiate the output of a warning signal to warn other road users who are affected by the danger zone.

[0009] The method and the vehicle enable improved warning of the vehicle's surroundings in the event of an emergency situation. Other road users in the surrounding area can then react to the emergency situation and, for example, adapt their behavior to the vehicle's behavior. For this purpose, the presence of an emergency situation in the vehicle is detected. Once the presence of an emergency situation has been detected, a danger zone is determined in the form of at least one future trajectory or a set of trajectories of possible future trajectories of the vehicle. The at least one future trajectory can, for example, be determined using a trajectory planner of the driver assistance system and / or obtained from it.Typically, such a trajectory planner determines a multitude of possible future trajectories that the vehicle can take in the current environment based on recorded sensor data of the environment and an environment model generated from this data. The danger zone particularly comprises those trajectories that the vehicle can implement in the environment up to a specified time horizon and / or spatial horizon. In this case, a set of trajectories can be generated from a desired trajectory (e.g., merging into the adjacent lane), a planned trajectory, and other possible trajectories. The trajectories are generally linked to a probability of occurrence and / or another evaluation parameter with which a cost value is assigned to the trajectories, for example based on a cost function. The cost function can include and / or map both vehicle costs and the costs of other road users.For example, accelerations, steering angles, rule-compliant or rule-noncompliant behavior (e.g., driving on the roadway or leaving / leaving the roadway), etc. can be taken into account. Based on a (total) cost value calculated using the cost function for a trajectory, the trajectory planner can then select an optimal planned trajectory to be implemented. Information describing the specific hazard area is transmitted via a vehicle's communication device to other vehicles and / or infrastructure facilities in the vehicle's vicinity. Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and / or car-to-car (C2C) communication is used in particular. In principle, however, other suitable, particularly wireless, communication methods can also be used, such as WLAN, Bluetooth, mobile communications (LTE, 5G, etc.).Alternatively or additionally, a warning signal is issued and / or initiated to warn other road users affected by the danger zone. Such a warning signal can, for example, be or include an acoustic warning signal (generated, for example, by an acoustic signal generator, such as a horn, a loudspeaker, etc.) and / or a visual warning signal (generated, for example, by a visual signal generator, such as warning lights, flashing lights, etc.). In particular, it is intended that, based on the identified danger zone, other road users in the danger zone are identified in order to warn them specifically.

[0010] One advantage of the method and the vehicle is that the vehicle's surroundings, in particular other road users in the vicinity, can be warned more effectively. By communicating the danger zone, other road users are given the opportunity to adapt their own behavior and planning to the vehicle's current emergency situation. By communicating the danger zone, other road users also receive direct insight into the type and extent of the vehicle's current emergency situation. In the case of an unmanoeuvrable vehicle, the transmitted future trajectories show in particular that the vehicle has little or no scope for changing its behavior due to the current emergency situation. As a result, other road users affected by the danger zone can then adapt their behavior accordingly.For this purpose, they can, for example, adapt cost functions used in trajectory planning to favor behavior adapted to the vehicle's emergency situation or to evaluate it with lower costs.

[0011] When determining the danger zone, it is estimated and / or predicted (predicted) using estimated trajectories from a trajectory planner of the driver assistance system. In particular, vehicle characteristics (e.g., mass, wheelbase, dimensions, engine type, etc.), vehicle condition (e.g., vehicle age, vehicle load, detected damage, e.g., to the wheels, etc.), driving physics (e.g., friction coefficients, cornering forces, etc.), road characteristics (e.g., road surface, curbs, road layout, inclines / declines, etc.), and / or current road conditions (e.g., wetness, ice, etc.) can be taken into account. Map data can also be taken into account, for example, to include a (forward) road layout.

[0012] A vehicle is, in particular, a motor vehicle. However, it can also be another land, rail, water, air, or space vehicle, such as an air taxi or a drone.

[0013] Parts of the driver assistance system can be implemented individually or collectively as a combination of hardware and software, for example, as program code executed on a microcontroller or microprocessor. However, it can also be provided that parts are implemented individually or collectively as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0014] In one embodiment, in b1), a message is additionally transmitted by the communication device to other vehicles and / or infrastructure facilities in the vicinity of the vehicle, which message includes information that the vehicle is in an emergency situation. This ensures backward compatibility. Other vehicles, other road users, and / or infrastructure facilities that cannot receive trajectories but only simple messages can then still be informed of the existence of the emergency situation. Knowledge of the emergency situation allows, for example, another vehicle to switch to a more defensive driving style and / or reduce speed.

[0015] In one embodiment, it is provided that after the existence of the emergency situation has been detected, a check is carried out to determine whether the vehicle can still be brought out of the detected emergency situation, with measures b1) and / or b2) only being carried out if this is not the case. This makes it possible to take into account further information, for example from the interior of the vehicle. For example, the behavior of a driver and / or passengers of the vehicle can be monitored. If the driver and / or a passenger attempts to defuse the emergency situation, for example, the execution of measures b1) and / or b2) can be delayed. If the emergency situation can be defused, measures b1) and / or b2) are not carried out. If, on the other hand, the emergency situation cannot be defused, measures b1) and / or b2) are carried out.

[0016] In one embodiment, the future trajectories of the trajectory set are selected such that a probability of occurrence assigned to each of the future trajectories reaches or exceeds a predefined threshold, or such that a cost value assigned to each of the future trajectories falls below a predefined threshold. This makes it possible to limit the number of trajectories to be transmitted. This is based on the idea that trajectories with a lower probability of occurrence or excessively high cost values ​​are less likely to occur and are therefore less relevant for assessing and responding to the vehicle's emergency situation. In particular, this can reduce the volume of data that must be transmitted.

[0017] In one embodiment, driving behavior is monitored to detect an emergency situation. For this purpose, in particular, the behavior of the vehicle in relation to the surroundings can be evaluated. For example, sensor data from one or more of the vehicle's surroundings sensors can be evaluated for this purpose. For example, an impending collision can be detected. Alternatively or additionally, the trajectory planner can determine that a planned trajectory is on a collision course with the (estimated or received) trajectories of other road users. Further examples are lane departure; for example, lane departure can be detected, whereby it is recognized that this occurred without the turn signal being activated.It can also be detected that the vehicle is driverless, for example if a human driver can no longer control the vehicle for health reasons or because a self-driving system (SDS) has failed. Furthermore, it can also be determined that an emergency stop has occurred, for example if it is or has been detected that the vehicle is coming to a stop or has come to a stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway or country road. The sensor and / or control data can then be evaluated, for example, using pattern recognition methods, machine learning methods, and artificial intelligence. The pattern recognition methods and / or machine learning methods and artificial intelligence can be trained, for example, using training data obtained empirically and / or in simulation.In one embodiment, the vehicle's driving dynamics are monitored to detect an emergency situation. For example, sensor data and / or control data from an anti-lock braking system (ABS), an electronic stability program (ESP), and / or other control and / or regulation systems of the vehicle dynamics control system, such as a lane departure warning system, can be evaluated for this purpose. The data can then also be evaluated, for example, using pattern recognition methods and machine learning and artificial intelligence methods. The pattern recognition methods and / or machine learning and artificial intelligence methods can be trained, for example, using training data obtained empirically and / or in simulation.

[0018] In one embodiment, it is provided that a vehicle-driving entity is monitored to detect an emergency situation. For example, vital functions and / or behavior / characteristics of a human driver can be monitored. One or more sensors can be provided for this purpose, for example, an interior camera, steering wheel sensors, and / or seat sensors. The sensor data recorded by these sensors can then be evaluated, for example, using pattern recognition methods and machine learning and artificial intelligence methods. For example, a head position, head inclination, the degree of eyelid opening, a direction of gaze, and / or a temperature of visible skin areas can be evaluated. Using a steering wheel sensor, for example, a pulse, skin moisture, and / or skin temperature can be detected, which can then also be evaluated to determine the driver's vital functions.However, the vehicle-controlling entity can also be a system for automated control / regulation of the vehicle's longitudinal and lateral guidance (self-driving system, SDS). Such an SDS can then be monitored using control and / or measurement data to ensure its functionality. Pattern recognition methods, machine learning methods, and artificial intelligence can also be used here to detect malfunctions. The pattern recognition methods and / or machine learning methods and artificial intelligence can be trained, for example, using training data obtained empirically and / or in simulation.

[0019] In one embodiment, it is provided that the behavior of other road users in the vicinity of the vehicle is taken into account when determining the danger zone. This allows the danger zone to be determined already taking into account a possible change in the behavior of these other road users. For example, it may happen that another road user has already recognized the presence of the vehicle's emergency situation and subsequently adapts their own behavior, for example by reducing speed or using and / or executing a different planning trajectory. To take the behavior of the other road users into account, sensor data from the vehicle's environmental sensors is evaluated, for example using pattern recognition methods and / or machine learning and artificial intelligence methods.

[0020] In a further embodiment, it is provided that, in order to take the behavior of other vehicles in the surrounding area into account, current and / or future trajectories of the other vehicles in the surrounding area are received and / or queried. This allows the current and planned behavior of the other vehicles to be taken into account in an efficient manner. In particular, this embodiment allows for time savings, since the current and / or future trajectories of the other vehicles do not have to be estimated based on sensor data from the vehicle's surrounding sensors, which is time-consuming and computationally intensive, but can be obtained directly from the other vehicles. In particular, both desired and planned trajectories of the other vehicles can be received and / or queried.

[0021] Further features of the vehicle design are described in the description of embodiments of the method. The advantages of the vehicle are the same as those of the embodiments of the method.

[0022] The invention will be explained in more detail below using preferred embodiments with reference to the figures.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the vehicle;

[0024] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an emergency situation and a

[0025] danger area;

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of an embodiment of the method for operating a vehicle. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the vehicle 50. The vehicle 50 includes a driver assistance system 1. The method described in this disclosure is explained in more detail below using the vehicle 50.

[0027] The driver assistance system 1 comprises a computing device 2 and a memory 3. The driver assistance system 1 is configured to detect the presence of an emergency situation in the vehicle 50 and, after detecting the presence of an emergency situation: a) to determine a danger zone 20 in the form of at least one future trajectory 22-x (Fig. 2) or a trajectory family of possible future trajectories 22-x of the vehicle 50, and b1) to transmit information 21 describing the danger zone 20 by means of a communication device 53 (in particular V2X and / or C2C) of the vehicle 50 to other vehicles 60-1 and / or infrastructure facilities 61 in the vicinity of the vehicle 50, and / or b2) to initiate the output of a warning signal 30 to warn other road users 60-x who are affected by the danger zone 20.

[0028] The warning signal 30 is emitted, for example, by means of an acoustic warning device 54 (e.g., acoustic signal generator) of the vehicle 50 (e.g., a horn or an external loudspeaker) and / or by means of an optical warning device 55 (e.g., optical signal generator) of the vehicle 50 (e.g., a turn signal and / or other warning lights).

[0029] To detect an emergency situation, the driver assistance system 1 is fed, for example, sensor data 10 from environmental sensors 51 of the vehicle 50 and / or control and measurement data 11 from control units 52 of the vehicle 50. These are then evaluated by the computing device 2 and analyzed, for example, for patterns indicating the presence of an emergency situation. Such patterns can be determined, for example, with the help of empirical test series and / or in simulations. Examples of emergency situations include: the driver losing consciousness, an impending collision of the vehicle with an obstacle or another vehicle, the vehicle being unable to maneuver, or an emergency stop. Machine learning and artificial intelligence methods trained using the empirical data and / or data generated in simulations can also be used for the evaluation.The danger zone 20 is determined in particular by means of a trajectory planner (not shown), which may be part of the driver assistance system 1 and / or may be provided by it. The danger zone 20 contains a set of trajectories, wherein the set of trajectories contains future trajectories of the vehicle 50, which the vehicle 50 executes with a respective probability of occurrence assigned to them.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a danger zone 20 in the surroundings of the vehicle 50 based on an exemplary emergency situation 40. In the example, the emergency situation 40 is intended to be a possible collision of the vehicle 50 with another vehicle 60-1 in the oncoming lane. In the exemplary representation, the danger zone 20 comprises three trajectories 22-x, each of which is assigned the probabilities of occurrence of 40%, 30%, and 30% from left to right of the representation. These three trajectories 22-x can be transmitted to the other vehicle 60-1 according to the method. Alternatively, the trajectories 22-x can also be assigned a respective cost value for evaluation.

[0031] It can be provided that in b1) a message 22 is additionally transmitted by means of the communication device 53 to other vehicles 60-x and / or infrastructure facilities 61 in the vicinity of the vehicle 50, which message includes information that the vehicle 50 is in an emergency situation 40.

[0032] It can be provided that after the existence of the emergency situation 40 has been recognized, it is checked whether the vehicle 50 can still be brought out of the recognized emergency situation 40, whereby the measures b1) and / or b2) are only carried out if this is not the case.

[0033] It can be provided that the future trajectories 22-x of the trajectory family are selected such that a probability of occurrence assigned to each of the future trajectories 22-x reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold, or that a cost value assigned to each of the future trajectories 22-x falls below a predetermined threshold. For example, trajectories 22-x with a probability of occurrence below a predetermined threshold of 1%, 5%, or 10% can be disregarded. Corresponding thresholds can be provided for the cost values. It can be provided that driving behavior is monitored to detect an emergency situation 40.

[0034] It may be provided that the driving dynamics of the vehicle 50 are monitored to detect an emergency situation 40. For this purpose, the driver assistance system 2 can, in particular, evaluate the sensor data 10 and control and measurement data 11.

[0035] It may be provided that a vehicle-controlling entity is monitored to detect an emergency situation 40. For example, interior sensors 56 may be provided to monitor the vital functions of a human driver. If the vehicle-controlling entity is an automated driving system (SDS), the system's control data may be monitored.

[0036] It can be provided that, when determining the danger zone 20, the behavior of other road users 60-x in the vicinity of the vehicle 50 is taken into account. For this purpose, the driver assistance system 2 can, in particular, evaluate the sensor data 10 and control and measurement data 11.

[0037] In a further development, it can be provided that, in order to take into account the behavior of other vehicles 60-1 in the surrounding area, current and / or future trajectories (not shown) of the other vehicles 60-1 in the surrounding area are received and / or queried.

[0038] Figure 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of an embodiment of the method for operating a vehicle. The method is carried out in particular using a vehicle and a driver assistance system according to one of the embodiments described above.

[0039] In action 100, it is detected and checked whether or not an emergency situation exists for the vehicle. If no emergency situation exists, action 100 is repeated.

[0040] If, however, the presence of an emergency situation has been detected, a danger zone is determined in an action 101 in the form of at least one future trajectory or a set of trajectories of possible future trajectories of the vehicle. This is done in particular by means of a trajectory planner, which can also be part of the driver assistance system. The trajectory planner determines in particular several trajectories and estimates the respective probability of occurrence for the trajectories. In an action 102, information describing the danger zone is transmitted to other vehicles and / or infrastructure facilities in the vicinity of the vehicle via a communication device.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, a warning signal is issued in a measure 103 to warn other road users affected by the danger zone. This can be done, for example, by means of an acoustic signal device (e.g., horn, loudspeaker, signal horn, etc.) and / or optical signal device (e.g., indicators, lights, floor projection, etc.).

[0042] Within the scope of measure 102, it may be provided that a message is additionally transmitted by means of the communication device to other vehicles and / or infrastructure facilities in the vicinity of the vehicle, which message includes information that the vehicle is in an emergency situation.

[0043] Furthermore, a measure 101a may provide that, after the existence of the emergency situation has been detected, a check is carried out to determine whether the vehicle can still be brought out of the detected emergency situation, whereby measures 102 and / or 103 are only carried out if this is not the case.

[0044] Further embodiments of the method have already been described above with reference to the vehicle.

[0045] List of reference symbols

[0046] Driver assistance system computing device memory

[0047] Sensor data

[0048] Control and measurement data

[0049] Danger zone

[0050] Information -x Trajectory Warning Signal Emergency Situation Vehicle

[0051] Surrounding sensor(s) Control unit(s) Communication device Acoustic warning device Optical warning device Interior sensor(s) -x other road users -1 other vehicle

[0052] Infrastructure installation 0-103 Measures of the procedure

Claims

Patent claims Method for operating a vehicle (50), wherein the presence of an emergency situation (40) of the vehicle (50) is detected, wherein after the presence of an emergency situation (40) is detected: a) a danger area (20) in the form of at least one future trajectory (22-x) or a trajectory family of possible future trajectories (22-x) of the vehicle (50) is determined, and wherein b1) information (21) describing the danger area (20) is transmitted by means of a communication device (53) to other vehicles (60-1) and / or infrastructure facilities (61) in the vicinity of the vehicle (50), and / or b2) a warning signal (30) is output to warn other road users (60-x) who are affected by the danger area (20).Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in b1), a message is additionally transmitted by means of the communication device (53) to other vehicles (50) and / or infrastructure facilities (61) in the vicinity of the vehicle (50), which message comprises information that the vehicle (50) is in an emergency situation (40). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, after the existence of the emergency situation (40) has been recognized, a check is carried out to determine whether the vehicle (50) can still be brought out of the recognized emergency situation (40), wherein measures b1) and / or b2) are only carried out if this is not the case.Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the future trajectories (22-x) of the trajectory family are selected such that a probability of occurrence respectively assigned to the future trajectories (22-x) reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value or that a cost value respectively assigned to the future trajectories (22-x) falls below a predetermined threshold value. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that driving behavior is monitored to detect an emergency situation (40). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that driving dynamics of the vehicle (50) are monitored to detect an emergency situation (40). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a vehicle-controlling entity is monitored to detect an emergency situation (40). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when determining the danger zone (20), the behavior of other road users (60-x) in an environment of the vehicle (50) is taken into account. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that in order to take the behavior of other vehicles (60-1) in the environment into account, current and / or future trajectories of the other vehicles (60-1) in the environment are received and / or queried.Vehicle (50), comprising: a driver assistance system (1), wherein the driver assistance system (1) is configured to detect the presence of an emergency situation (40) of the vehicle (50) and, after detecting the presence of an emergency situation (40): a) to determine a danger zone (20) in the form of at least one future trajectory (22-x) or a trajectory family of possible future trajectories (22-x) of the vehicle (50), and b1) to transmit information (21) describing the danger zone (20) by means of a communication device (53) of the vehicle (50) to other vehicles (60-1) and / or infrastructure facilities (61) in the vicinity of the vehicle (50), and / or b2) to initiate the output of a warning signal (30) to warn other road users (60-x) who are affected by the danger zone (20).

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