Method and device for controlling a vehicle's SALC system based on the presence of a lane separation structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for controlling a SALC system of a first vehicle (11) traveling on a common traffic lane (101) of a road comprising a plurality of lanes (101 to 103). For this purpose, data representing the lanes (101 to 103) are received from an on-board camera. A first piece of information representing the presence or absence of a physical lane separation structure (110) is determined from the data. A second piece of information representing the type of lane marking line (112) at the base of the physical structure (110) is determined from the data. The SALC system is controlled based on the first and second pieces of information. (See Figure 1 for abbreviations.)

Description

Title of the invention: Method and device for controlling a SALC system of a vehicle based on the presence of a lane separation structure Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and devices for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, known as a SALC system, of a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle. The present invention also relates to a method and a device for determining a type of lane adjacent to a lane on which a vehicle is traveling. The present invention also relates to a method and a device for controlling a vehicle, in particular an autonomous vehicle. Technological background

[0002] Some contemporary vehicles are equipped with functions or system(s) or driving assistance, known as AD AS (from the English “Advanced Driver-Assistance System” or in French “Advanced Driving Assistance System”).

[0003] Among these systems, the semi-automatic lane change system, called the SALC system (from the English "Semi-Automatic Lane Change") has the primary function of assisting the driver of a vehicle when the driver wishes to change lanes. Upon detecting the activation of the turn signals on one side of the vehicle to indicate its intention to change lanes from a current lane to a target lane on the side where the turn signals have been activated by the driver, the SALC system operates the lane change after having carried out some checks. Among these checks, the SALC system verifies certain conditions relating to the target lane such as:

[0004] - the quality of the detection of the road marking lines separating the lane from current traffic and the target traffic lane, this quality having to be higher than a threshold to authorize the semi-automatic lane change;

[0005] - the type associated with this line, the ground marking line must be of type discontinuous to allow semi-automatic lane change; and

[0006] - a probability of existence of the ground marking line of discontinuous type, a such probability must be greater than a threshold to authorize semi-automatic lane change.

[0007] These controls, however, prove insufficient to cover all situations in the life or driving of the vehicle, certain situations where changing lanes should be prohibited or inhibited remaining authorized by the SALC system and conversely, certain situations where lane changing could be permitted remaining prohibited or inhibited by the SALC system. Summary of the present invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to improve the operation of a SALC system of a vehicle.

[0010] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC system, of a first vehicle traveling on a current lane of a road comprising a plurality of lanes, the method comprising the following steps:

[0011] - reception of data representative of a portion of the road located in front of the first vehicle according to a direction of travel of the first vehicle, the data being received from a camera on board the first vehicle;

[0012] - determination, from the data, of a first representative information of the presence or absence of a physical lane separation structure laterally separating a set of traffic lanes of the road comprising the current traffic lane from a traffic lane, called a lateral traffic lane, of the road arranged laterally with respect to the set of traffic lanes;

[0013] - determination, from the data, of a second representative information of a type of road marking line separating the lateral traffic lane from the set of traffic lanes;

[0014] - control of the SALC system according to the first information and the second information.

[0015] Taking into account the presence or absence of a structure separating adjacent traffic lanes associated with taking into account the type of road marking line makes it possible to detect new situations in the life of the vehicle in which the SALC system can be activated (or kept activated) or deactivated automatically. This makes it possible to improve the operation of the SALC system by authorizing activation in certain situations and deactivating it in others.

[0016] According to a variant, the determination of the first information comprises the following steps:

[0017] - determination of a probability of existence of the physical separation structure of tracks from the data;

[0018] - comparison of the probability of existence with a determined threshold value,

[0019] the determination of the first information being a function of a result of the comparison.

[0020] According to another variant, the first information is representative of the presence of the physical lane separation structure when the probability of existence is greater than the determined threshold value and the first information is representative of the absence of the physical lane separation structure when the probability of existence is less than the determined threshold value.

[0021] According to an additional variant, the control of the SALC system comprises a deactivation of the SALC system when:

[0022] - the first information is representative of the absence of the physical structure of lane separation; and

[0023] - the first information is representative of the presence of the physical structure of lane separation and the second information is representative of a type other than the type corresponding to a continuous road marking line.

[0024] According to another variant, the method further comprises the following steps:

[0025] - detection, from the data, of a set of second vehicles circulating in a direction of travel opposite to the direction of travel of the first vehicle;

[0026] - determination, from the data, of a lateral distance, called the first distance lateral, between the first vehicle and the physical lane separation structure when the first information is representative of the presence of the physical lane separation structure;

[0027] - determination, from the data, of a lateral distance, called the second distance lateral, between the first vehicle and each second vehicle of the set of second vehicles;

[0028] - comparison between the first lateral distance and each second distance lateral,

[0029] the control of said SALC system furthermore being a function of a result of the comparison.

[0030] According to an additional variant, the control of the SALC system comprises a deactivation of the SALC system when at least a second lateral distance of the assembly is less than the first lateral distance.

[0031] According to another variant, the control of the SALC system comprises an activation of the SALC system when the first information is representative of a presence of the physical lane separation structure, when the second information is representative of a type of ground marking line corresponding to a continuous line and when each second lateral distance is greater than the first lateral distance.

[0032] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC system, of a vehicle, the device comprising a memory associated with a processor configured for implementing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0033] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0034] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for executing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

[0035] Such a computer program may use any programming language, and be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0036] According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0037] On the one hand, the recording medium may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise a storage means, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit type ROM memory, or a magnetic recording means or a hard disk.

[0038] Furthermore, this recording medium may also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or hertzian radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other means. The computer program according to the present invention may in particular be downloaded from an Internet-type network.

[0039] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to perform or to be used in performing the method in question. Brief description of the figures

[0040] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description of the particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the appended figures 1 to 3, in which:

[0041] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates an environment of a vehicle, according to an example particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a device configured to control a semi-automatic lane change system of the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] [Fig.3] illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system for the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Description of examples of implementation

[0044] A method and a device for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC system, of a vehicle will now be described in the following with joint reference to Figures 1 to 3. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description which follows.

[0045] According to a particular and non-limiting example of embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling a SALC system of a first vehicle traveling on a current traffic lane of a road comprising a plurality of lanes comprises receiving, from a camera on board the first vehicle, data representative of a portion of the road located in front of the first vehicle in a direction of travel of the first vehicle.

[0046] These data make it possible to determine:

[0047] - a first piece of information representative of the presence or absence of a structure physical lane separation structure (e.g. a crash barrier (or guardrail)) laterally separating a set of traffic lanes of the road comprising the main traffic lane from a traffic lane, called a lateral traffic lane, of the road arranged laterally with respect to the set of traffic lanes, the set of traffic lanes being arranged on one side of the physical lane separation structure and the lateral traffic lane being arranged on the other side of the physical structure, where applicable; and

[0048] - a second information representative of a type of a ground marking line separating the lateral traffic lane from the set of traffic lanes, this road marking line being associated with the physical structure, i.e. drawn at the edge of the physical structure, when the latter exists.

[0049] The SALC system is then controlled based on the first information and the second information.

[0050] Other examples or particular embodiments of the present invention are described below, in particular with regard to [Fig. 1], for example taking into account one or more second vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the first vehicle.

[0051] [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates an environment 1 in which a first vehicle 11 moves, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] [Fig.l] illustrates a first vehicle 11, for example a motor vehicle, traveling on a portion of road in the environment 1. According to other examples, the first vehicle 11 corresponds to a coach, a bus, a truck, a utility vehicle or a motorcycle, that is to say a vehicle of the motorized land vehicle type.

[0053] The first vehicle 11 corresponds to a vehicle traveling under the total supervision of a driver or traveling in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode. The first vehicle 11 travels according to a level of autonomy equal to 0 or according to a level of autonomy ranging from 1 to 5 for example, according to the scale defined by the American federal agency which has established 5 levels of autonomy ranging from 1 to 5, level 0 corresponding to a vehicle having no autonomy, the driving of which is under the total supervision of the driver, level 1 corresponding to a vehicle with a minimal level of autonomy, the driving of which is under the supervision of the driver with minimal assistance from an AD AS system, and level 5 corresponding to a completely autonomous vehicle.

[0054] The 5 levels of autonomy of the classification of the federal agency responsible for road safety are:

[0055] - level 0: no automation, the vehicle driver has full control of the main vehicle functions (engine, accelerator, steering, brakes);

[0056] - level 1: driver assistance, automation is active for some vehicle functions, with the driver maintaining overall control over the vehicle's driving; cruise control is part of this level, as are other aids such as ABS (anti-lock braking system) or ESP (electro-stabilizer programmed);

[0057] - level 2: automation of combined functions, control of at least two main functions are combined in automation to replace the driver in certain situations; for example, adaptive cruise control combined with lane centering allows a vehicle to be classified as level 2, as does automatic parking assistance;

[0058] - level 3: limited autonomous driving, the driver can give up complete control from the vehicle to the automated system which will then be responsible for critical safety functions; autonomous driving can however only take place in certain specific environmental and traffic conditions (only on motorways for example);

[0059] - level 4: complete autonomous driving under conditions, the vehicle is designed for ensure all critical safety functions alone over a complete journey; driver provides a destination or navigation instructions but is not required to make himself available to regain control of the vehicle;

[0060] - level 5: completely autonomous driving without driver assistance in all the circumstances.

[0061] According to a particular embodiment, the first vehicle 11 travels in a semi-autonomous or autonomous mode, that is to say with a level of autonomy greater than or equal to 2 according to the classification above.

[0062] According to the example of [Fig.l], the first vehicle 11 travels on a portion of road comprising several lanes 101, 102 and 103.

[0063] The traffic lanes 101 and 102 adjacent to each other form, for example, a first set of traffic lanes dedicated to a first direction of traffic.

[0064] The traffic lane 103 adjacent to the traffic lane 102 forms a second set of traffic lanes each dedicated to a second direction of traffic corresponding to the reverse (i.e. the opposite) of the first direction of traffic.

[0065] The number of traffic lanes included in the first set and in the second set is arbitrary, for example equal to 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 lanes.

[0066] The first vehicle 11 travels for example on the traffic lane 101, called the current traffic lane 101, of the first set of lanes. The traffic lane 102 of the first set of lanes is to the left of the current traffic lane 101 in the first direction of travel which corresponds to the direction of travel of the first vehicle 11.

[0067] The current traffic lane 101 and the traffic lane 102 are for example separated by a ground marking line 111 of the “discontinuous” type.

[0068] The traffic lane 103 of the second set of lanes is to the left of the traffic lane 102 of the first set of lanes in the first direction of travel which corresponds to the direction of travel of the first vehicle 11.

[0069] According to the particular example of [Fig.l], the first set of tracks and the second set of tracks are separated by a physical track separation structure 110 (3-dimensional for example) composed of one or more structural elements. The structure 110 corresponds for example to:

[0070] - a safety barrier or barrier (or rail), for example metallic, concrete or wooden;

[0071] - a succession of elements spaced from each other by a distance which can vary, each element corresponding for example to a traffic cone or any element having a height greater than or equal to that of a traffic cone.

[0072] According to the example of [Fig.l], a ground marking line 112 of the “continuous” type is drawn on the roadway along the physical structure 110 on the side of the traffic lane 102 of the first set of lanes.

[0073] The concepts of right and left are defined according to the direction of travel of the first vehicle 11. The traffic lane 101 corresponds, for example, to the “slowest” lane and the traffic lane 102 corresponds, in this example, to the “fastest” lane. The “slowest” lane is on the right in countries where vehicles travel in the right-hand lane (countries such as France, for example). The “slowest” traffic lane 101 is on the left in countries where vehicles travel in the left-hand lane (countries such as the United Kingdom, for example).

[0074] The example in [Fig.l] corresponds to an example in which vehicles travel on the right, as in France. The invention is however not limited to such an example and extends to all road configurations, including those in which vehicles travel on the left.

[0075] Ground marking lines are also called horizontal markings and correspond to a set of lines drawn on the ground. Ground marking lines can be of several types, for example edge lines or center lines, with different characteristics. Ground marking lines can thus be of the continuous line, broken line or mixed line type (comprising a continuous line and a broken line parallel to the continuous line). A broken line can also have different characteristics, with spacing lengths between the lines varying from one type of broken line to another and / or a length of the lines varying from one type to another.

[0076] The first vehicle 11 advantageously incorporates one or more driving assistance systems, called AD AS (from the English “Advanced Driver-Assistance System” or in French “Système d'aide à la conduite supérieur”). For example, the first vehicle 11 incorporates a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC (from the English “Semi-Automatic Lane Change”). Such a system is based in particular on the detection and recognition of the road marking lines to authorize or not the change of lane from a current traffic lane to a traffic lane adjacent to this current traffic lane, and when the change is authorized, to control the maneuver allowing the first vehicle 11 to change lane.

[0077] Among the checks carried out by the SALC system to authorize or not the lane change, the SALC system verifies that the road marking line delimiting the current traffic lane from the target adjacent lane corresponds to a broken line for which the lane change is authorized.

[0078] The first vehicle 11 advantageously carries one or more cameras having in their field of vision a portion of the road comprising the traffic lanes 101 to 103, which portion is located in front of the first vehicle 11 in the direction of travel of the first vehicle 11.

[0079] Each camera is configured to acquire images of the traffic lane taken by the first vehicle 11, for example the portion of road located in front and / or on the sides of the first vehicle 11.

[0080] The data acquired by each image feeds for example:

[0081] - a ground marking detection system;

[0082] - a lane separation element detection system; and

[0083] - a vehicle detection system, such a system detecting in particular the vehicles 12, 13 (called second vehicles) coming in the opposite direction to the first vehicle 11.

[0084] Such systems are known to those skilled in the art and are not described in more detail in the present text. The systems correspond to separate systems (for example each controlled by a different computer) or are combined to form a single system (controlled for example by a single computer).

[0085] One or more of the above systems are for example coupled to the SALC system or integrated into the SALC system.

[0086] One or more image processing operations are for example applied to the images obtained from the camera(s) to determine the presence of the physical structure 110, the presence of lines on the ground, classify these lines into different categories, for example to determine whether the lines on the ground correspond to lines of the “continuous” type (with a continuous line), “discontinuous” (with a dotted line) or “mixed” type. An example of image processing for detecting the lines on the ground is for example described in the document WO2017194890A1.

[0087] The current detection system(s) make it possible to obtain all or part of the following data, parameters or information from the data obtained from the camera(s):

[0088] - data representative of the presence of a physical separation structure of 110 channels, for example a bit taking a value '1' when the presence of a physical structure is detected; and / or

[0089] - data representative of a probability of presence or existence of a physical channel separation structure 110, for example a value between 0 and 1 coded on several bits; and / or

[0090] - data representative of a first lateral distance, noted 'dl', between the first vehicle 11 (or the middle of the traffic lane 101 used by the first vehicle 11) and the physical structure 110, i.e. the distance along the transverse axis of the road between a reference point of the first vehicle 11 (or the middle of the traffic lane 101) and the edge of the physical structure 110 on the side of the first vehicle 11; and / or

[0091] - data representative of the presence of one or more second vehicles 12, 13 in reverse; and / or

[0092] - data representative of a second lateral distance, noted 'd2', between the first vehicle 11 (or the middle of the traffic lane 101) and each second vehicle 12, 13 detected, i.e. the distance along the transverse axis of the road between a reference point of the first vehicle 11 (or the middle of the traffic lane 101) and a reference point of each second vehicle 12, 13 detected; and / or

[0093] - data representative of the type of the ground marking line(s) 111, 112 to the left of the first vehicle 11, and in particular the type of the ground marking line 112 closest to the physical structure 110 (when it exists) on the side of the first vehicle 11.

[0094] A process for controlling the SALC system of the first vehicle 11 traveling on the current traffic lane 101 is advantageously implemented by the first vehicle 11, that is to say by a computer or a combination of computers of the on-board system of the first vehicle 11, for example by the computer(s) responsible for controlling the SALC system.

[0095] In a first operation, data representative of a portion of the road located in front of the first vehicle 11, according to the direction of travel of the first vehicle 11, are received from the camera(s) on board the first vehicle 11.

[0096] These data are for example received from an on-board camera via one or more communication buses of the on-board system of the first vehicle 11, for example a communication bus of the CAN (Controller Area Network) type, CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate) type, FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard), Ethernet (according to the ISO / IEC 802-3 standard) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network) type connecting the computer controlling the camera to the computer implementing the process.

[0097] In a second operation, first information representative of the presence or absence of the physical lane separation structure 110 is obtained from the camera or determined from the data received from the camera.

[0098] This first information corresponds for example to a determined bit taking for example a value '1' when the presence of the physical structure 110 is detected, the bit being at '0' in the opposite case (no physical structure detected).

[0099] According to an alternative embodiment, the first information is determined by comparing the information relating to the probability of existence of the physical structure 110 (obtained from the on-board camera or determined from the data received from the camera) to a specific threshold value, which is for example equal to 0.7, 0.75 or 0.8.

[0100] The determination of the first information representative of the presence or absence of the physical structure 110 is then determined according to the result of the comparison: the first information is representative of the presence of the physical structure 110 when the probability of existence is greater than the determined threshold value and the first information is representative of the absence of the physical structure 110 when the probability of existence is less than the determined threshold value.

[0101] In a third operation, a second information representative of the type of the road marking line 112 separating the lateral traffic lane 103 from the first set of traffic lanes is obtained from the camera or determined from the data received from the camera.

[0102] The type obtained or determined belongs for example to one of the following types: “continuous line” and “discontinuous line”, or to one of the following types: “continuous line”, “discontinuous line” and “mixed line”.

[0103] In a fourth operation, the SALC system is controlled based on the first information and the second operation.

[0104] For example, the SALC system is deactivated (if it was previously active) or put into an inactive state preventing its activation when:

[0105] - the first information is representative of an absence of physical structure separating the lateral traffic lane 103 from the first set of traffic lanes; or

[0106] - the first information is representative of a presence of the physical structure 110 but the second information is representative of a line type for line 112 different from the “continuous line” type, that is to say that the ground marking line 112 was detected as being of the “discontinuous” or “mixed” type for example.

[0107] Such a control makes it possible to deactivate or deactivate the SALC system in the event of detection of elements separating the lanes but which do not correspond to a real physical structure separating the traffic lanes. Such a scenario corresponds for example to the installation of lane separation elements, for example non-permanent, for example during works, which a second vehicle 12, 13 coming in the opposite direction could cross.

[0108] In the event of the presence of a physical lane separation structure preventing any passage of a vehicle from the traffic lane 102 to the traffic lane 103, and vice versa, (for example a physical structure corresponding to a safety barrier), the ground marking line 112 at the foot of the physical structure 110 must correspond to the “continuous line” type. The detection of a line of another type thus indicates that the detected physical structure 110 is not sufficiently secure to authorize the activation of the SALC system.

[0109] According to a particular embodiment, the control of the SALC system is furthermore a function of information relating to the detection of one or more second vehicles 12, 13 traveling in the opposite direction to the first vehicle 11 on one of the traffic lanes of the portion of road, for example lane 102 and / or lane 103.

[0110] This particular embodiment is for example only implemented when the first information is representative of a presence of the physical structure 110 and the second information is representative of a type of line for the line 112 corresponding to the “continuous line” type.

[0111] According to a variant, this embodiment is implemented in all cases, or only when the first information is representative of a presence of the physical structure.

[0112] According to this embodiment, the process further comprises an operation of detecting a set of second vehicles comprising at least one second vehicle 12, 13 traveling in a direction of travel opposite to the direction of travel of the first vehicle 11. The detection information is for example obtained directly from the camera or from the computer controlling the camera or the information is determined from the data received from the camera, for example by image processing making it possible to determine that an object is rapidly approaching the first vehicle (distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle decreasing rapidly as a function of time, the decrease being for example greater than a threshold).

[0113] The lateral distance 'd2' between the first vehicle 11 and each second vehicle 12, 13 is obtained from the on-board camera or determined from the data from the on-board camera.

[0114] The lateral distance 'dl' between the first vehicle 11 and the detected physical structure 110 is obtained from the on-board camera or determined from the data of the on-board camera.

[0115] Each lateral distance 'd2' is compared with the lateral distance 'dl' and the SALC system is further controlled according to the result of this comparison, i.e. in addition to the first and second information.

[0116] For example, the SALC system is kept activated (if it was previously active) or put into a state allowing activation (for example following the detection of the indicators on one side of the first vehicle 11) when the first information is representative of a presence of the physical lane separation structure, when the second information is representative of a type of road marking line corresponding to “continuous line” and when each second lateral distance 'd2' is greater than the first lateral distance 'dl' (i.e., for each value of d2 d2 >dl is obtained).

[0117] Such a case corresponds to the case where the physical separation 110 is detected and corresponds to a physical structure of the safety barrier type, and that in addition all the second vehicles 12, 13 detected as traveling in the opposite direction to the first vehicle are traveling on a traffic lane 103 separated from the first set of traffic lanes comprising the lane on which the first vehicle 11 is traveling by the physical structure (since the distance separating the first vehicle 11 from each second vehicle 12, 13 is greater than the distance separating the first vehicle 11 from the physical lane separation structure 110).

[0118] In all other cases, the SALC system is deactivated (if it was previously in the active state) or is placed in an inactivation state preventing or prohibiting its activation.

[0119] For example, if one or more values ​​of 'd2' is or are less than the value of 'dl' (i.e. there is at least one value of 'd2' for which d2 < dl), the SALC system is deactivated (if it was previously in the active state) or is put into an inactivation state. Such a scenario corresponds to the case where, even if the presence of a physical structure 110 is detected, the presence of a second vehicle 12 traveling in the opposite direction to the first vehicle 11 is detected on a traffic lane (for example lane 102) of the first set of traffic lanes, i.e. the first vehicle 11 and this second vehicle are traveling on the same side relative to the physical structure 110, which represents a danger if the SALC system were activated.

[0120] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a device 2 configured to control a SALC system, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. The device 2 corresponds for example to a device on board the first vehicle 11, for example a computer.

[0121] The device 2 is for example configured for the implementation of the operations described with regard to [Fig. 1] and / or the steps of the method described with regard to [Fig. 3]. Examples of such a device 2 include, but are not limited to, on-board electronic equipment such as an on-board computer of a vehicle, an electronic calculator such as an ECU (“Electronic Control Unit”), a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop. The elements of the device 2, individually or in combination, can be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components. The device 2 can be produced in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or even a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

[0122] The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and / or for executing instructions of the software or software embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21 corresponding for example to a volatile and / or non-volatile memory and / or comprises a memory storage device which may comprise volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

[0123] The computer code of the embedded software(s) comprising the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored in the memory 21.

[0124] According to various particular and non-limiting embodiments, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and / or with communication devices, for example a TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Telematic Control Unit”), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input / output ports.

[0125] According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the “cloud”, or the first vehicle 11 when the device 2 corresponds to a smartphone or a tablet for example. The interface elements of block 22 include one or more of the following interfaces:

[0126] - RF radio frequency interface, for example of the Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), by example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or Sigfox type using UBN radio technology (Ultra Narrow Band), or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced;

[0127] - USB interface (from the English "Universal Serial Bus" or "Universal Serial Bus" in French);

[0128] - HDMI interface (from the English “High Definition Multimedia Interface”, or “ High Definition Multimedia Interface” in French).

[0129] According to another particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 comprises a communication interface 23 which makes it possible to establish communication with other devices (such as other computers of the on-board system or on-board sensors) via a communication channel 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel communication 230. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a wired network of the CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate), FlexRay (standardized by the ISO 17458 standard), Ethernet (standardized by the ISO / IEC 802-3 standard) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network) type.

[0130] According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen, touch-sensitive or not, one or more speakers and / or other peripherals (projection system) via respective output interfaces. According to a variant, one or other of the external devices is integrated into the device 2.

[0131] [Fig. 3] illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC system, of a vehicle traveling on a current traffic lane of a road comprising a plurality of lanes having the same direction of travel, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The method is for example implemented by one or more devices on board the first vehicle 11 such as one or more processors of one or more computers, or by the device 2 of [Fig. 2].

[0132] In a first step 31, data representative of a portion of the road located in front of the first vehicle in a direction of travel of the first vehicle are received from a camera on board the first vehicle.

[0133] In a second step 32, a first item of information representative of the presence or absence of a physical lane separation structure laterally separating a set of traffic lanes of the road comprising the current traffic lane from a traffic lane, called a lateral traffic lane, of the road arranged laterally with respect to the set of traffic lanes is determined from the data received in the first step 31.

[0134] In a third step 33, a second piece of information representative of a type of a road marking line separating the lateral traffic lane from the set of traffic lanes is determined from the data received in the first step 31.

[0135] In a fourth step 34, the SALC system is controlled according to the first information and the second information.

[0136] According to a variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to [Fig.l] apply to the steps of the method of [Fig.3].

[0137] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above but extends to a method for detecting the presence of a structure physical lane separation of the safety barrier type which would include secondary steps without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured for the implementation of such a method.

[0138] The present invention also relates to a SALC system comprising the device 2 of [Fig.2].

[0139] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous land-based motor vehicle, comprising the device 2 of [Fig.2] or the SALC system above.

Claims

1. Claims Method for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC system, of a first vehicle (11) traveling on a current lane (101) of a road comprising a plurality of lanes (101 to 103), said method comprising the following steps: - reception (31) of data representative of a portion of said road located in front of said first vehicle (11) in a direction of travel of said first vehicle (11), said data being received from a camera on board said first vehicle (11); - determination (32), from said data, of first information representative of the presence or absence of a physical structure (110) for separating lanes laterally separating a set of traffic lanes (101, 102) of said road comprising said current traffic lane (101) from a traffic lane, called lateral traffic lane, (103) of said road arranged laterally with respect to said set of traffic lanes (101, 102); - determination (33), from said data, of a second item of information representative of a type of a ground marking line (112) separating said lateral traffic lane (103) from said set of traffic lanes (101, 102); - detection, from said data, of a set of second vehicles (12, 13) traveling in a direction of travel opposite to said direction of travel of said first vehicle (11); - determination, from said data, of a lateral distance, called first lateral distance, between said first vehicle (11) and said physical lane separation structure (110) when said first information is representative of the presence of said physical lane separation structure; - determining, from said data, a lateral distance, called second lateral distance, between said first vehicle (11) and each second vehicle (12, 13) of said set of second vehicles; - comparison between said first lateral distance and each second lateral distance, said control of said SALC system being further dependent on a result of said comparison. - control (34) of said SALC system as a function of said first information, said second information and a result of said comparison.

2. Method according to claim 1, for which the determination of said first information comprises the following steps: - determining a probability of existence of said physical structure (110) for separating paths from said data; - comparing said probability of existence with a determined threshold value, the determination of said first information being a function of a result of said comparison.

3. Method according to claim 2, for which said first information is representative of the presence of said physical structure (110) for separating lanes when said probability of existence is greater than said determined threshold value and said first information is representative of the absence of said physical structure (110) for separating lanes when said probability of existence is less than said determined threshold value.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, for which said control of said SALC system comprises a deactivation of said SALC system when: - said first information is representative of the absence of said physical lane separation structure (110); and - said first information is representative of the presence of said physical lane separation structure (110) and said second information is representative of a type other than the type corresponding to a continuous road marking line.

5. A method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said control of said SALC system comprises deactivation of said SALC system when at least a second lateral distance of said assembly is less than said first lateral distance.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, for which said control of said SALC system comprises an activation of said SALC system when said first information is representative of a presence of said physical structure (110) of separation of paths, when said second information is representative of a type of ground marking line corresponding to a continuous line and when each second lateral distance is greater than said first lateral distance.

7. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when these instructions are executed by a processor.

8. Device (2) for controlling a semi-automatic lane change system, called SALC system, of a vehicle, said device (2) comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured for implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. Vehicle (10) comprising the device (2) according to claim 8.

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