Method and device for determining the ability of a vehicle to pass through a narrow point

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for determining the ability of a vehicle (20) to pass through a narrow point (12), having a first step for detecting, by means of at least one surroundings sensor (30) of the vehicle (20), a road section (10) through which the vehicle (20) is potentially to drive, a second step for determining a drivable surface (14) within the detected road section (10), a third step for subdividing the drivable surface (14) into a plurality of successive segments (40), a fourth step for determining the ability to pass through each segment (40) of the drivable surface (14) in that outer dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) are compared with respective dimensions of the drivable surface (14) in the respective segment (40), and a fifth step for outputting information representing the ability of the vehicle (20) to pass through the road section (10) if, in every segment (40), the outer dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) are smaller by a predefined safety distance than respective limits (16) of the drivable surface (14) and otherwise, outputting information representing an inability to pass through the road section (10).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Method and device for determining the passability of a bottleneck with a vehicle

[0004] State of the art

[0005] The present invention relates to a method and a device for determining whether a bottleneck can be passed by a vehicle.

[0006] Assistance systems for vehicles such as cars, trucks, etc. are known from the state of the art, which can, for example, carry out automatic parking in parking spaces and / or prevent collisions between vehicles by displaying objects in the immediate vicinity of the vehicles and / or by visualizing a parking environment and / or by a maneuvering brake function.

[0007] In addition, there is an increasing need to provide a vehicle driver with further support in complex driving tasks, for example in driving situations that are difficult to assess.

[0008] Disclosure of the invention

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for determining the passability of a bottleneck with a vehicle is proposed, wherein the vehicle is preferably designed as a road vehicle (e.g. motorcycle, car, van, truck).

[0010] In a first step of the method according to the invention, a road section that the vehicle may potentially travel through is detected by at least one environmental sensor of the vehicle. The at least one environmental sensor is, for example, a 2D and / or a 3D camera (e.g., each configured as an RGB and / or infrared and / or black and white camera) and / or a lidar and / or an ultrasound and / or a radar sensor and / or a different environmental sensor of the vehicle. Advantageously, a plurality of environmental sensors of the same type or of different types can be used, which are particularly advantageously arranged at different positions on the vehicle and / or with different orientations on the vehicle. In this way, road sections that the vehicle may potentially travel through can be detected independently of the position and / or orientation of the vehicle in relation to the respective road section.The road section can be captured using a front camera as the vehicle approaches the road section to be captured, while a road section extending perpendicular to the current direction of travel can advantageously be captured using a camera mounted on the side of the vehicle. In addition, measurement signals from a large number of environmental sensors can be combined using a suitable algorithm to capture, for example, more precise and / or more reliable information regarding the road section.

[0011] In a second step of the method according to the invention, a drivable area within the detected road section is determined based on the recorded information regarding the road section potentially to be traveled through. The drivable area is understood to be an area within the road section that can generally be driven over by a particular vehicle (e.g., a car or a two-wheeler). The general drivability can be assumed, for example, if a suitable strength and / or evenness, etc., of a ground surface within the road section is present. In addition, numerous other criteria can be used to determine the drivable area, which are explained in more detail below in the course of the description of advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0012] The drivable area can be defined, for example, by left and right boundary lines, whereby the boundary lines can be defined, among other things, by polylines, etc., which represent a usable "driving path" for the vehicle. In a third step of the method according to the invention, the drivable area is divided into a plurality of consecutive segments. Advantageously, the respective segments have a uniform length in a longitudinal direction of the drivable area, but are not limited thereto. Furthermore, the length of the respective segments is determined depending on the length of the vehicle.

[0013] In a fourth step of the method according to the invention, a drivability for each segment of the drivable area is determined by comparing external dimensions of the vehicle with respective dimensions of the drivable area in the respective segment. The external dimensions of the vehicle can be derived, for example, from a provided (e.g., by a storage unit) 2D and / or 3D model of the vehicle and / or on the basis of an external contour of the vehicle, in particular an external contour of a plan view of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, it is also conceivable for the vehicle to be represented by a simplified geometric description or shape (e.g., a rectangle that completely encompasses the external dimensions of the vehicle, etc.), for example to reduce the computational effort required when comparing the respective dimensions.

[0014] In a fifth step of the method according to the invention, information representing the vehicle's ability to pass through the road section is output if the vehicle's external dimensions (specifically, the vehicle model) in each segment are smaller than the respective boundaries of the passable area by a predefined safety margin. Otherwise, information representing the road section's inability to pass through is output.

[0015] It should be noted that the predefined safety distance can be determined, for example, depending on the size and / or shape of the vehicle used and / or depending on a specification by a driver of the vehicle and / or depending on the type and / or characteristics of the road section, etc. It should also be noted that the safety distance can be composed of a plurality of safety distances, which can, for example, be individually determined for different areas of the vehicle (e.g. front corners, rear corners, side areas, etc.) and can be individually assessed accordingly in relation to the boundaries of the drivable area.

[0016] The method according to the invention offers, among other advantages, that the traversability of road sections that are difficult for a driver to estimate can be reliably and automatically assessed before entering such a road section. This allows the driver to decide early on, based on the information provided about traversability, whether using the road section is feasible. This is particularly advantageous for narrow and / or winding and / or unevenly wide streets, alleys, mountain passes, etc. This avoids, for example, a situation where a driver enters a non-traversable road section and then has to reverse the vehicle at a narrow point.

[0017] Furthermore, based on the method according to the invention, damage such as scratches and / or dents on the vehicle can be avoided because streets that are too narrow are no longer driven on in the first place.

[0018] The subclaims show preferred developments of the invention.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the information about the passability or non-passability is output to a driver of the vehicle via an interface of the vehicle. The interface is, for example, an acoustic output device (e.g., a vehicle loudspeaker) and / or an optical output device (e.g., a vehicle display) and / or a haptic output device of the vehicle (e.g., a steering wheel vibration device). Alternatively or additionally, the information about the passability or non-passability is transmitted to a system for partially autonomous and / or fully autonomous driving of the vehicle, so that the system can determine a suitable trajectory for the vehicle based on the information. When using a display as an interface, it is, among other things,It is conceivable to display a camera image of the road section in which areas with a bottleneck are marked. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle's external dimensions are compared with the dimensions of the drivable area in the respective segment of the drivable area under consideration, the vehicle is, if necessary, virtually rotated around a vertical axis (also called the vehicle's z-axis) and / or moved within the drivable area in order to position the vehicle completely within the drivable area if possible. Virtual rotation is to be understood as a rotation of the model, i.e. a virtual representation of the vehicle, in relation to the respective segment. Alternatively or additionally, the virtual rotation and / or displacement of the vehicle takes place in accordance with the actual movement capabilities of the vehicle between respective successive segments of the drivable area.The actual movement capabilities arise, for example, from a vehicle geometry, in particular from a wheelbase and / or steering capability and / or turning radius of the vehicle, etc., whereby the movement capabilities can be stored, for example, in the form of vehicle parameters in a memory unit of the vehicle and retrieved from this memory unit when needed. In this way, a particularly realistic assessment of the actual passability of the road section can be achieved, since the actual maneuverability of the vehicle is taken into account. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible to determine a suitable trajectory for the vehicle to pass through the road section based on the virtual turning and / or shifting, whereby the trajectory is output via a display of the vehicle and / or transmitted to a system for semi-autonomous and / or autonomous ferry operation.When outputting to the display, it is advantageous to overlay the trajectory on a representation of the road section on the display, enabling particularly easy orientation for the driver. The road section can be displayed based on a model and / or a camera image, among other things.

[0020] Furthermore, it is possible for the segments of the drivable surface to be seamlessly adjacent or overlapping segments, which, for example, have an overlap corresponding to a real distance of 20 cm to 1 m, and preferably 50 cm, or a distance deviating therefrom. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible for overlapping segments to each have a predefined, uniform overlap or overlaps adjusted depending on the respective boundary conditions. For example, it may be useful to reduce overlaps between the segments in areas where curves and / or obstacles, etc., are present within the road section in order to be able to assess drivability in such potentially critical areas particularly reliably.The degree of overlap between uniformly overlapping segments and / or variably overlapping segments can also be determined depending on the available computing power for calculating passability and / or the required response time for determining passability. The overlaps can also be viewed as increments of a virtual vehicle advance within the road section.

[0021] Preferably, each segment is divided into predefined categories depending on its drivability and / or depending on the degree of difficulty (e.g. if the safety distance can not be maintained or can only be maintained with difficulty, etc.). Possible categories include, for example, the categories "impassable", "close distance" and "comfortable distance", which result from the respective distances between the vehicle model and the boundaries of the drivable area in each segment. Alternatively or additionally, all or some of the segments are shown on a vehicle display with their corresponding category identified. The respective categories can be identified, for example, by different colors in which the respective segments and / or boundaries of the drivable area within the segments and / or sub-areas of the segments and / or trajectories are represented.Alternatively or in addition to coloring the segments and / or trajectories, it is also conceivable to use different textures and / or widths of boundary lines, etc., to mark the respective categories.

[0022] Particularly advantageously, the drivable area is determined on the basis of an image analysis using predefined criteria for identifying road boundaries (e.g. natural boundaries, house walls, lampposts, etc.) and / or detected road markings within the road section and / or detected obstacles (e.g. collision-relevant objects such as walls, parked vehicles, etc.) within the road section and / or an assessment of the drivability of detected obstacles and / or potentially changing external dimensions of the vehicle.

[0023] Such potentially variable external dimensions of the vehicle arise, for example, from a folded-in and an unfolded state of at least one exterior mirror of the vehicle. In such a case, the drivability of the road section is determined for both the folded-in and unfolded states of the exterior mirror, and folding of the exterior mirror is initiated (e.g., automatically and / or by issuing a notification to a vehicle user to manually fold in the exterior mirror) if the external dimensions of the vehicle prevent drivability of the respective segment and / or road section when the exterior mirror is unfolded. The above-described identification of categories of the respective segments can accordingly advantageously include an additional identification for drivability with the exterior mirror folded in in an affected segment.

[0024] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises a step for identifying another road user approaching in the area of ​​the road section, a step for determining external dimensions of the other road user, and a step for taking the external dimensions of the other road user into account when determining passability, in which passability is only determined as given if a respective segment can be passed by both the vehicle and the other road user at the same time. In this case, too, it can be advantageous to display a camera image of the road section ahead on a vehicle display, in which areas are marked in which passing the other road user is particularly advantageously possible and / or in which passing is not possible.This can be represented, as described above, among other things, on the basis of different color coding and / or in a different way. In a case in which not every segment of the drivable area, as determined above, can be driven on by the vehicle and the other road user at the same time, one or more simultaneously drivable segments are determined which are suitable as a stopping position for the vehicle and / or the other road user in order to allow the other road user to pass. Alternatively or additionally, it is particularly advantageous to determine temporally coordinated sequences and / or suitable trajectories for the vehicle and / or the other road user for driving through the road section and to use these in the vehicle and / or to transmit them to the other road user (e.g. by means of so-called car2car communication).

[0025] Furthermore, the method is advantageously carried out repeatedly while driving through the road section, so that, for example, a trajectory for the vehicle can be repeatedly planned and displayed in the vehicle in order to give the driver an improved visual impression of how to drive through the bottleneck.

[0026] According to a second aspect, a device for determining whether a bottleneck can be passed by a vehicle is proposed, wherein the device is configured to carry out a method according to the first aspect of the invention. The method is carried out, for example, on the basis of an evaluation unit of the device, which is designed, for example, as an ASIC, FPGA, processor, digital signal processor, microcontroller, or the like. The method is advantageously implemented in the form of a computer program, which is executed by the evaluation unit. The features, combinations of features, and the advantages resulting from them correspond to those explained in connection with the first-mentioned aspect of the invention in such a way that, to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above explanations.

[0027] Short description of the drawings

[0028] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows an exemplary road section being evaluated using a method according to the invention for determining the traversability of a bottleneck with a vehicle;

[0029] Figure 2 shows a further exemplary road section which is evaluated by means of a method according to the invention for determining the passability of a bottleneck with a vehicle and another road user; and

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a vehicle in connection with a device according to the invention.

[0031] Embodiments of the invention

[0032] Figure 1 shows an exemplary road section 10 which is evaluated by means of a method according to the invention for determining the passability of a bottleneck 12 with a vehicle 20, which is designed here as a car.

[0033] In the first step, the road section 10 which is potentially to be driven through by the vehicle 20 is recorded by means of a camera 30 arranged in the front area of ​​the vehicle 20, wherein the camera is designed here as a 2D RGB camera.

[0034] In the second step, a drivable area 14 within the detected road section 10 is determined. The determination is carried out on the basis of an evaluation unit 100 embodied as a processor (see Figure 3), which is configured to execute a computer program that implements the method steps according to the invention. Specifically, boundaries 16 of the drivable area 14 are determined on the basis of the computer program by identifying any road markings and / or obstacles such as parked vehicles and / or transitions between a solid surface and, for example, an adjacent grass strip, etc., based on images captured by the camera 30 and / or an additional sensor of the vehicle.In the third step, the drivable area 14 is divided into a plurality of successive segments 40, wherein adjacent segments 40 each have a predefined minimum overlap and wherein a degree of respective overlaps is adapted in a suitable manner depending on a course of the road section 10 and / or existing obstacles.

[0035] In the fourth step, a drivability for each segment 40 of the drivable surface 14 is determined by comparing external dimensions 22 of the vehicle 20, which are represented here by a simplified contour of the vehicle 20, with respective dimensions of the drivable surface 14 in the respective segment 40.

[0036] In this case, the vehicle 20 is virtually rotated about a vertical axis 24 of the vehicle 20 and / or shifted within the drivable surface 14, if necessary, in order to position the vehicle 20, if possible, completely within the drivable surface 14. The virtual rotation and / or shifting of the vehicle 20 takes place in accordance with the actual movement capabilities of the vehicle 20 between respective successive segments 40 of the drivable surface 14.

[0037] Based on the virtual rotation and / or displacement of the vehicle 20 along the road section 10, a suitable trajectory 70 for the vehicle 20 to travel through the road section 10 is also determined. The trajectory 70 is output via a display (not shown) of the vehicle 20 by superimposing the trajectory 70 on an image of the road section 10 captured by the camera 30 on the display.

[0038] In the fifth step, information representing a passability of the road section 10 with the vehicle 20 is output if the outer dimensions 22 of the vehicle 20 in each segment 40 are smaller by a predefined safety distance than the respective boundaries 16 of the passable area 14 and otherwise information representing a non-passability of the road section 10 is output.

[0039] For this purpose, the trajectory 70 in each segment 40 is shown on the display in a predefined color which corresponds to the respective categories for the drivability of a respective segment 40. Thus, the trajectory 70 is shown in green in a segment 40 in which the safety distance is maintained. In a segment 40 in which the safety distance is not met but drivability is still guaranteed, the trajectory 70 is shown in orange. In a segment 40 in which drivability is not possible due to the dimensions of the vehicle 20 and the dimensions of the drivable area, the trajectory 70 is shown in red. In a segment 40 in which drivability is just still guaranteed if at least one exterior mirror of the vehicle 20 is folded in, the trajectory 70 is shown as an alternating red and orange line.

[0040] In this way, a driver of the vehicle 20 is shown in a simple and reliable manner whether and in what form the road section 10 that is potentially to be driven through is passable and at which positions particularly careful maneuvering is required.

[0041] Figure 2 shows a further exemplary road section 10, which is evaluated by means of a method according to the invention for determining the passability of a bottleneck with a vehicle 20 and another road user 90.

[0042] Due to a bottleneck 12 caused by an obstacle 80 and due to uneven distances between left and right lateral boundaries 16 of a drivable surface 14 in Figure 2, it is not possible for both vehicles 20, 90 to pass each other at all positions on the road section 10.

[0043] For this reason, based on the method according to the invention, the passability of the road section 10 is determined as described in Figure 1, but in this case both for the vehicle 20 and for the oncoming road user 90. A suitable trajectory 70 for the vehicle 20, a suitable trajectory 70' for the other road user 90, and a suitable stopping position 110 for the vehicle 20 are proposed and transmitted to respective control units (not shown) in the vehicles 20, 90, which are configured to display this information on respective displays (not shown) of the vehicles 20, 90. The determination of the joint passability is also based on a subdivision of the road section 10 into individual segments 40.Based on the comparison of the respective external dimensions of the vehicles 20, 90 with the dimensions of the drivable area 14 in the respective segments 40 under consideration, several segments 50 are obtained which can be drivable by the vehicles 20, 90 at the same time.

[0044] Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a vehicle 20 in connection with a device according to the invention, wherein the device has an evaluation unit 100 designed as an ASIC, which is configured to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0045] The evaluation unit 100 is connected in terms of information technology to an environmental sensor 30 of the vehicle 20, which is designed as a lidar sensor, in order to detect a road section 10 ahead, so that the road section 10 can be assessed with regard to its drivability by means of the evaluation unit 100.

[0046] The evaluation unit 100 is also configured to display a result of this evaluation on a display 60 of the vehicle 20.

Claims

Claims 1 . Method for determining the passability of a bottleneck (12) with a vehicle (20), comprising: • a first step for detecting a road section (10) which is potentially to be driven through by the vehicle (20), by means of at least one environment sensor (30) of the vehicle (20), • a second step for determining a drivable area (14) within the detected road section (10), • a third step for dividing the drivable surface (14) into a plurality of successive segments (40), • a fourth step for determining a passability for each segment (40) of the drivable surface (14) by comparing external dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) with respective dimensions of the drivable surface (14) in the respective segment (40), and • a fifth step for outputting information representing the ability of the vehicle (20) to pass through the road section (10) if the external dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) in each segment (40) are smaller by a predefined safety distance than respective boundaries (16) of the passable area (14) and otherwise outputting information representing the non-passability of the road section (10).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the information about the passability or the non-passability • is output to a driver of the vehicle (20) via an interface (60) of the vehicle (20), and / or • is transmitted to a system for a partially autonomous and / or fully autonomous ferry operation of the vehicle (20).

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein • the vehicle (20) when comparing its external dimensions (22) with the dimensions of the drivable surface (14) in the respective Segment (40) is rotated virtually around a vertical axis (24) if necessary and / or is displaced within the drivable area (14) in order to position the vehicle (20) completely within the drivable area (14) if possible, and / or • the virtual turning and / or displacement of the vehicle (20) is carried out in accordance with real movement capabilities of the vehicle (20) between respective successive segments (40) of the drivable surface (14), and / or • on the basis of the virtual rotation and / or displacement, a suitable trajectory (70) for the vehicle (20) to travel through the road section (10) is determined, wherein the trajectory (70) is output via a display (60) of the vehicle (20) and / or is transmitted to a system for a semi-autonomous and / or autonomous ferry operation.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein • the segments (40) of the drivable surface (14) are each seamlessly adjacent or overlapping segments (40), and / or • overlapping segments (40) each have a predefined uniform overlap or overlaps adapted depending on the respective boundary conditions.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein • each segment (40) is divided into predefined categories depending on its passability and / or depending on the degree of difficulty when passing through, and / or • all or some of the segments (40) are displayed in a display (60) of the vehicle (20) with identification of their respective corresponding category.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drivable surface (14) is based on • an image analysis using predefined criteria to identify lane boundaries (16), and / or • detected lane markings within the road section (10), and / or • detected obstacles (80) within the road section (10), and / or • an assessment of the overridability of detected obstacles (80), and / or • potentially variable external dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) are determined.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein • the potentially variable external dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) are each determined by a folded-in and a folded-out state of at least one exterior mirror of the vehicle (20), • a passability is determined for the folded and unfolded state of the exterior mirror, and • the exterior mirror is folded in if the external dimensions (22) of the vehicle (20) prevent the respective segment (40) and / or the road section (10) from being driven through when the exterior mirror is folded out.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: • Identifying another road user (90) approaching in the area of the road section (10), • Determining the external dimensions of the other road user (90), • Taking into account the external dimensions of the other road user (90) when determining the passability, in that the passability is only determined as given if the respective segment (40) can be passed simultaneously by the vehicle (20) and by the other road user (90).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in a case where not each of the segments (40) of the drivable surface (12) is simultaneously drivable by the vehicle (20) and the further road user (90), • one or more simultaneously navigable segments (50) are determined, which serve as a stopping position for the vehicle (20) and / or the other road users (90) are suitable to allow the other road users (20, 90) to pass, and / or • temporally coordinated processes and / or suitable trajectories (70) for the vehicle (20) and / or the other road user (90) for driving through the road section (10) and used in the vehicle (20) and / or transmitted to the other road user (90).

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method is carried out repeatedly while driving through the road section (10).

11. Device for determining the passability of a bottleneck (12) with a vehicle (20), wherein the device is configured to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.

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