Method for calculating lane along planned driving trajectory, control device, vehicle and computer program

Abstract

Method for calculating lane along planned driving trajectory, control device, vehicle and computer program The method for calculating the lane along the planned driving trajectory (5) is as follows: - providing a running track (5), the running track (5) comprising at least one curved track section, the curvature of the running track (5) having a constant sign, - calculating at least one first polygon (8) whose perimeter describes the vehicle contour (10) at a first vehicle position (11) on the track portion (6, 7) and a second polygon (9) whose perimeter describes the vehicle contour (10) at a second vehicle position (12), - determining a turning point (13) of the vehicle contour (10) that has a maximum distance from the curve (14) when the vehicle (1) moves from the first vehicle position (11) to the second vehicle position (12), and approximating the curve (14) based on at least two sides (16, 17) of at least one triangle (18) that surrounds the curve (14); - forming two convex polygons (22, 23, 27, 28) from the first polygon (8), the second polygon (9), and at least two sides (16, 17) of the triangle (18) as track zone portions (24, 26) of the curved track portion (6, 7); and - calculating a lane from at least one lane portion (24, 26).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for calculating a lane along a planned driving trajectory, the lane approximating an area swept by a vehicle as it moves along the driving trajectory and comprising at least one lane portion. The present invention also relates to a control device, a vehicle and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle trajectory, which describes the vehicle's movement between two points, can be described using various geometrical descriptions. In this case, the trajectory can consist of, for example, circular arcs with a constant radius and / or straight lines with no curvature. To improve driving comfort, trajectories with continuously changing curvatures can also be used.

[0003] Calculating a running trajectory from a clothoid is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. Here, the clothoids each have a continuous curvature progression. To avoid analytical calculation of the clothoids, the clothoids are determined using a geometric approximation method.

[0004] However, using a driving trajectory with a varying curvature can result in increased computational effort for functions based on the progression of the driving trajectory, such as when calculating a lane used for collision detection. For this purpose, a lane approximating the area swept by a vehicle as it moves along the driving trajectory can be compared with the position of objects in the surrounding environment of the driving trajectory, thereby determining a collision with an object in the surrounding environment even before the vehicle moves, for example, predicting a collision based on changes in the progression of the driving trajectory. Since the lane extends along the driving trajectory, the computational effort for calculating the lane generally increases for geometrically complex driving trajectories.

[0005] During partially or fully automated parking maneuvers, computer-based trajectory planning often requires dynamic collision detection, i.e., comparing the calculated lane based on the currently planned and / or currently driven trajectory with a model of the surrounding environment. The model of the surrounding environment may also be continuously updated, so that even during the parking process, it may still be necessary to change the trajectory or its further progression based on the current trajectory position. Such changes require new collision checks and, therefore, new calculations of lane shapes that are adjusted to the trajectory change.

[0006] In particular, in a driving trajectory with a non-constant curvature, lanes may also occur along the driving trajectory that at least partially include areas of varying curvature. However, the calculation of such lanes, and in particular the collision detection based on such lanes, requires a relatively high computing power, and therefore requires the use of a high-performance computing device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102019204651 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an improved method for calculating lane boundaries along a planned driving trajectory, in particular a method that reduces the amount of calculation required when calculating lane boundaries and / or when performing collision detection using lane boundaries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve this object, a method of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph according to the invention comprises: - providing a driving trajectory of a vehicle, the driving trajectory including at least one curved trajectory portion, the curvature of the driving trajectory in the curved trajectory portion having a constant sign; - calculating at least one first polygon whose perimeter describes the vehicle contour at a first vehicle position on the track section and a second polygon whose perimeter describes the vehicle contour at a second vehicle position on the track section; - determining a turning point of the vehicle contour that has a maximum distance from the curve (14) when the vehicle moves from the first vehicle position to the second vehicle position, and approximating the curve based on at least two sides of at least one triangle that encloses the curve; - forming two convex polygons from the first polygon, the second polygon, and at least two sides of the triangle as track zone portions of the curved track portion; and - calculating a lane from at least one lane portion;

[0010] First, a vehicle trajectory is provided, which describes, for example, a parking process, e.g., entering or leaving a parking space, or other driving maneuver. The trajectory includes at least one curved trajectory section, within which the trajectory has a curvature with a constant sign, i.e., the trajectory curves continuously to the left or right in the vehicle's direction of travel, at least within the trajectory section. In particular, the method can be used for trajectories having at least one trajectory section with a curvature that is particularly continuously changing or not constant. The curvature can change, for example, linearly or non-linearly.

[0011] The running track can be composed of multiple track sections with different curvatures or different curvature directions. The running track can also include, for example, a straight track section connecting two curved track sections. Here, the curvature of the curved track can be configured to transition continuously along the track.

[0012] To calculate the travel lane for at least one curved track segment, first, at least a first polygon and a second polygon are determined. Here, the perimeter of the first polygon describes the vehicle contour of the vehicle at a first vehicle position on the track segment. Similarly, the perimeter of the second polygon describes the vehicle contour of the vehicle at a second vehicle position on the track segment. Here, the second vehicle position on the track segment is different from the first vehicle position, i.e., the first vehicle position and the second vehicle position are offset along the track or track segment. In this case, the first vehicle position can be located along the track in the vehicle's direction of travel, particularly before the second vehicle position. As a result, the first vehicle position and the second vehicle position represent planned vehicle positions that the vehicle will assume as it moves along the track, and therefore may differ from the actual vehicle positions at which the vehicle is located.

[0013] In particular, the first polygon can describe the vehicle outline according to the orientation of the vehicle at the first vehicle position, and similarly, the second polygon can describe the vehicle outline according to the orientation of the vehicle at the second vehicle position. In this way, the vehicle outline described by the first polygon or the second polygon, respectively, can reflect the accurate orientation of the vehicle at the first vehicle position or the second vehicle position when traveling along the travel track, thereby enabling accurate calculation of the travel lane.

[0014] Next, a turning point of the vehicle profile is determined, i.e., a point on the circumference of the first or second polygon that has the greatest distance from the curve when the vehicle moves from the first vehicle position to the second vehicle position. The curvature of the curve along which the turning point moves is determined based on the progression of the curved track segment. The turning point is always located on the radially outer edge or on the convexly curved side of the travel path or track segment with respect to the radius of curvature of the track segment. Since the turning point is the point at which the vehicle makes the greatest turn or greatest turning movement when moving from the first position to the second position, all other points of the vehicle profile between the turning point and the track segment are located on the same side as the turning point. The turning point may, for example, be a corner of the vehicle profile.

[0015] The curve along which the turning point moves is then approximated based on two sides of a triangle that surrounds the curve. This triangle is set around the curve so that its two sides are located radially outward or on the convexly curved side of the curve. In this way, it is advantageous to ensure that the sides of the triangle completely surround the area that the vehicle will actually sweep. Approximating the curve based on a triangle in this way advantageously represents a bounded estimate that includes a certain safety zone.

[0016] Next, two convex polygons are formed as the track section, based on the first polygon, the second polygon, and at least two sides of the triangle. A convex polygon is understood here to mean a chain of polygons with only outward-facing corners. Such convex polygons can be easily checked for overlap with further polygons, for example, describing objects located in the surrounding environment of the track. In this case, the convex polygons may differ from each other, in particular from the first and second polygons.

[0017] The use of two convex polygons to describe the track sections has the advantage that collision checks can be performed particularly easily, since for example checking whether an object described by the polygons at least partially overlaps the convex polygons can be performed with relatively low computational power, and therefore the method according to the invention is advantageously suitable for use in computing devices with relatively low computational power.

[0018] The track lane segments of the curved track segments thus calculated are then used to calculate the track lane. For example, if the track has several curved track segments, the track lane can be formed from several track lane segments. The track lane can also have additional track lane segments located along the straight track segments. To achieve the simplest possible collision check, the track lane can be calculated, in particular, as a series of adjacent convex polygons, so that the collision check advantageously only needs to be performed for several convex polygons.

[0019] Preferably, the lane calculated in this way can then be used for collision detection, for example by comparing the lane with the position and / or range of one or more objects in map information describing the position of the objects relative to the lane, to check for the presence or absence of a collision during vehicle movement along the lane.

[0020] If it is determined that a collision has occurred, for example, a new plan for the travel trajectory, or a new plan for at least a part of the travel trajectory, can be executed, and then a collision check can be performed again.

[0021] If the driving trajectory is determined to be collision-free, the vehicle can, for example, move along the driving trajectory or at least along a portion of the driving trajectory in a partially or fully automated manner. For this purpose, the system can be configured to control at least one actuator of the vehicle, for example, a longitudinal guide actuator and / or a lateral guide actuator, based on the determined collision-free driving trajectory. Additionally or alternatively, the display device of the vehicle can also be controlled based on the calculated driving lane.

[0022] The method according to the invention can be used in principle for various track geometries, and even for more complex track geometries, in particular for tracks with at least one non-constant curvature, a simple mathematical description of the associated track section or of the entire track including this track section can be obtained.

[0023] By calculating the track segments assigned to the curved track segments as two convex polygons, the amount of calculation for the collision check can be advantageously reduced, since the track segments thus no longer have curved edges. The curved edges that arise in the conventional formation of track segments due to the movement of the turning point are advantageously approximated by the calculation of the track segments according to the invention on the basis of two sides of a triangle, so that the entire track segment can be described as two adjacent convex polygons.

[0024] In particular, the calculated total track area can have track area segments formed by two convex polygons for all curved track sections of the track, and the corresponding track area segments located along straight track sections can be described as convex polygons, such as rectangles.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a driving path with at least partially continuously changing curvature is used, and / or a clothoid curve or a polynomial is used as the driving path. The calculation of the driving lane by the method according to the present invention is particularly suitable for driving paths with at least partially continuously or constantly changing curvature. Therefore, collision detection can be advantageously performed even on driving paths with particularly high driving comfort.

[0026] Furthermore, by using a driving trajectory that is at least partially non-constant or at least partially continuously changing in curvature, it is possible to take into account the actual tire position of the vehicle when planning the driving trajectory or when re-planning individual sections of the driving trajectory, resulting in a comfortable and smooth control or steering behavior of the vehicle that cannot be achieved with a driving trajectory that is based only on straight sections and sections with constant curvature.

[0027] According to the present invention, the vehicle contour described by the first polygon and the second polygon can be configured to correspond to the contour of the actual vehicle expanded by a safety distance. Thus, the vehicle contour described by each of the first polygon and the second polygon can be expanded relative to the contour of the actual vehicle to provide a safety zone. In this way, the calculated lane represents a bounded estimate over the area swept by the vehicle, thereby taking into account or correcting possible inaccuracies in determining the vehicle position and / or the positions of objects in the vehicle's environment.

[0028] According to the present invention, at least one triangle can be formed by at least two tangents to the curve and lines connecting the tangents to the curve, where each tangent forms one side of the triangle, and this side extends from each of the tangents to the intersection of the tangents, and the third side of the triangle is thus formed by the line connecting the two tangents to the curve.

[0029] To calculate the tangent, a further polygon describing the vehicle contour as well as the position of the turning point can be determined, for example, at a further vehicle position incrementally displaced along the driving trajectory from the first or second vehicle position. In this way, an approximation of the desired tangent is obtained from a straight line passing through each turning point, provided that the incremental distance between this further vehicle position and the first or second vehicle position is as small as possible. The incremental distance may be, for example, 1% of the length of the curved portion. However, other relative or absolute incremental distances can also be selected depending on the desired accuracy of the tangent approximation.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first vehicle position may be located at the start of the track segment and the second vehicle position may be located at the end of the track segment, or the first vehicle position and / or the second vehicle position may be located between the start and end of the track segment.

[0031] According to the present invention, the distance between the first and second vehicle positions along the travel path can be determined as a function of a height threshold indicating the maximum allowable height of at least one triangle. The smaller the selected height threshold, the greater the number of vehicle positions on the path segment required to approximate the curve with triangles while respecting the height threshold. Furthermore, for a given height threshold, a path segment with a greater curvature requires a greater number of vehicle positions or triangles on the path segment than a path segment with a smaller curvature.

[0032] According to the present invention, two convex polygons can be configured to be formed so as to collectively completely encompass at least the area encompassed by the first polygon, the second polygon, and the at least one triangle. The convex polygons can also cover a further area, for example, facing the at least one triangle and corresponding to the area swept by the vehicle on the radially inner or concave side of the track section. Depending on the positions of the first and second vehicle positions, the two convex polygons can also include further ranges or areas.

[0033] According to the invention, it can be arranged that a collision check is carried out on the basis of the calculated lane and map information describing at least one object in the surrounding environment of the travel path.

[0034] Here, the object location and / or geometric extent of the object can be compared with a calculated lane, which describes the area swept by the vehicle as it moves along the lane. If the lane overlaps with an object described in the map information, the presence of a colliding object can therefore be inferred.

[0035] Object information can then be generated based on the objects in the map information, and the object information includes one or more objects based on the map information that collide with the vehicle or vehicle portions of the vehicle during movement along the travel path or that the vehicle will collide with during this movement.

[0036] According to the present invention, when a collision with an object is determined during a collision check, a collision-free path for the vehicle along the travel path can be calculated, where the calculation of the collision-free path can include one or more of the following steps: - providing object information; - calculating the position and arrangement of a plurality of contour information each describing a contour of the vehicle or vehicle part for various positions of the vehicle or vehicle part along the travel path; - calculating contour information of a collision with an object and contour information of a non-collision object located closer to the starting point of the travel trajectory; - dividing the area between the non-colliding contour information and the colliding contour information into a plurality of cells, each cell being assigned to a contour portion of the contour information; - calculating the cells that overlap with the object and calculating the non-collision portion of the movement of the contour portion assigned to the overlapping cell within the overlapping cell; determining a collision location on the travel path based on the non-collision portion; and - calculating a collision-free movement of the vehicle along the travel trajectory based on the collision location.

[0037] Here, the collision-free driving path can be calculated for the entire driving track or for at least one track portion for which a driving lane has been calculated.

[0038] According to the present invention, object information can be calculated based on map information describing one or more objects in the surrounding environment of the driving trajectory and the driving lane, the lane at least approximately describing the area swept by the vehicle as it travels along the driving trajectory.

[0039] The object location and / or geometric extent of the object can be compared to a lane or an area swept by a vehicle as it moves along the driving track. If the lane overlaps with an object described in the map information, the presence of a colliding object can therefore be inferred. Object information can then be generated based on the objects in the map information, including objects based on the map information that collide with or will collide with the vehicle as it moves along the driving track. In addition to using lane marks to calculate a colliding object, other methods are possible for determining a potential collision between an object and a vehicle as it moves along the driving track.

[0040] The positions and arrangements of a plurality of contour information pieces each describing a contour of the vehicle or vehicle portion of the vehicle are determined for various positions of the vehicle along the travel path so that it can be determined how far the vehicle or vehicle portion of the vehicle can move along the travel path before colliding with a collision object. The positions at which the contour information pieces are each determined can be calculated, for example, based on a defined absolute distance interval along the travel path and / or based on a defined relative distance with respect to the entire travel path.

[0041] Here, the contour information may reflect the actual vehicle geometry or may describe a simplified shape and / or a shape that only approximates the actual shape of the vehicle contour, and may be slightly enlarged relative to the actual vehicle contour to provide additional safety distance.

[0042] In the case of vehicle parts, the contour information can also describe the actual geometry or a simplified geometry of the vehicle part. According to the present invention, the vehicle part can be a vehicle part that can move relative to the body of the vehicle, in particular a wheel of the vehicle. As the contour information of the wheel, for example, a rectangle can be used. In addition to the wheel, the method according to the present invention can also take into account collisions of further vehicle parts, for example, collisions of movable body superstructures, such as crane jibs, bucket arms, etc.

[0043] Subsequently, contour information of the collision with the object is calculated from the plurality of contour information, which can be calculated based on the overlap of the vehicle contour and the object contour described by the contour information, for example, if the vehicle contour and the object contour are mapped on a common map, or by comparing a mathematical description of the vehicle contour or contour information and the object contour in a common coordinate system.

[0044] Further contour information that does not collide with an object and further contour information that is located closer to the start of the travel path are calculated, where the positions assigned to the additional contour information along the travel path correspond in particular to positions that the vehicle can approach from the start of the travel path without colliding with an object.

[0045] The area between the non-colliding contour information and the colliding contour information is divided into a number of cells, each of which is assigned to a contour portion or edge of the contour information. Thus, each cell describes an area extending between a contour portion of the vehicle position assigned to the non-colliding contour information and a vehicle position assigned to the colliding contour information. Here, the shape of the cell can depend on the geometry of the vehicle contour described by the contour information, in particular the geometry of the contour portion. The contour portions can each be, in particular, a straight or curved edge of the vehicle contour described by the contour information.

[0046] In a next step, cells overlapping with the object and non-colliding portions of the movement of the vehicle contour portion assigned to the overlapping cells are calculated. In this case, the cells overlapping with the object can be calculated based on, for example, a geometric overlap between the cell description and the object description in a common coordinate system. The non-colliding portions of the movement of the contour portion are related, for example, to the ratio of a partial distance between a contour portion in the non-colliding contour information and a contour portion in the colliding contour information, where the vehicle and the object do not collide or the contour portion does not overlap with the object information, to a partial distance where the contour portion touches and / or overlaps or intersects with the object.

[0047] The non-collision portion is then used to calculate the collision position on the driving trajectory, in other words, the non-collision portion represents a measure of the non-collision portion of the vehicle movement from the vehicle position assigned to the non-collision contour information to the vehicle position assigned to the collision contour information, and this measure can be transferred to the driving trajectory, for example.

[0048] A collision-free movement of the vehicle along the travel path can then be calculated based on the collision position. At least one actuator of the vehicle, for example, a lateral guide actuator and / or a longitudinal guide actuator, can then be controlled based on the calculated collision-free movement. In this way, the vehicle can be driven, for example, by a partially automated or fully automated driving maneuver, in particular by a partially automated or fully automated parking maneuver.

[0049] Additionally or alternatively to controlling the at least one actuator, a display device of the vehicle may also be controlled based on the calculated collision-free movement, the display device presenting the collision-free movement and / or information derived from the collision-free movement to a user of the vehicle.

[0050] The method can be performed in particular by a control device or a computing device. The control device can in particular be a control device of the vehicle. Alternatively, a control device external to the vehicle can be used, in which case the external control device is in particular communicatively connected to the vehicle for data transmission.

[0051] By taking into account the collision-free and collision-related contour information and by calculating the collision-free portion of the movement assigned to the contour portion of the vehicle contour described by the contour information, the amount of calculations required to calculate the collision-free path can be reduced. In particular, for driving trajectories with relatively complex mathematical descriptions, the calculation of the collision-free path along the driving trajectory can be divided into several geometrically simple substeps, each of which can be calculated at low cost. In this way, the amount of calculations required in a computing device configured to perform the method according to the present invention is advantageously reduced, which allows the method to be performed on a computing device with an overall relatively low computing power.

[0052] Calculating a collision-free path along a travel path has the further advantage that, for example, in the case of a travel path assigned to a parking maneuver, such as a loading or unloading process, the vehicle's maneuvering along the travel path is simplified. Based on the calculated collision position or the collision-free path up to the collision position, the vehicle's maneuvering or steering is significantly reduced, since, based on the already calculated travel path, the replanning of the travel path or travel path segments is only necessary at least from the collision position onwards.

[0053] The calculated trajectory where a collision with an object occurs can be advantageously used to consider at least a collision-free movement, thereby allowing the necessary trajectory replanning at least from the collision point onwards while the vehicle is moving along a collision-free path, thereby contributing to faster driving maneuvers that are performed partially or fully automatically depending on the trajectory.

[0054] According to the present invention, when there are multiple pieces of contour information that collide with an object, the contour information that collides with the object that is closest to the start point of the travel path is calculated as the colliding contour information. Here, the closest object may be, in particular, the object that is closest in the direction of movement of the vehicle along the travel path, i.e., the object that the vehicle approaches first or the object that the vehicle will collide with first as the vehicle moves along the travel path.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, polygons, particularly convex polygons, can be used as the contour information, and / or edges of the contour information can be used as the contour information. By describing each of the contour information as a polygon, particularly a convex polygon, it is possible to easily calculate collisions or overlaps of the contour information with colliding objects described in the object information. The first polygon or the second polygon determined for calculating the travel lane can be used as one or more of the contour information.

[0056] According to the present invention, if there are multiple objects overlapping a cell, at least one additional contour information can be calculated, and this at least one additional contour information can be located between the initial positions on the driving path. In other words, if one of the cells between the non-colliding contour information and the colliding contour information overlaps with two or more objects, the distance between the vehicle positions at which the contour information is respectively determined can be selected to be small. In this way, additional contour information is calculated at further positions on the driving path between the vehicle positions assigned to the colliding contour information and the non-colliding contour information. This allows for refinement of the spatial resolution, and in particular, it can be repeated until the cell overlaps with only a single object. In this way, the collision-free movement of the vehicle along the driving path can be determined until the collision with the first colliding object on the driving path.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a collision-free movement can be calculated to an end point that is a safe distance away from the collision position. By taking the safe distance into consideration when calculating the collision-free movement, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a collision with an object during actual vehicle movement due to inaccuracies in determining the vehicle position and / or inaccuracies in the description of the object in the object information.

[0058] The control device according to the invention is configured to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0059] A vehicle according to the present invention is configured to include the control device according to the present invention.

[0060] The vehicle may be a motor vehicle, such as a car, a freight vehicle, or a utility vehicle, or may be a mobile vehicle, in particular a robot, a mobile platform, or the like, that is mobile, in particular capable of moving freely in space.

[0061] The computer program according to the invention comprises instructions for causing a control device to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0062] All advantages and features described above with respect to the method according to the invention also apply to the vehicle according to the invention, to the vehicle according to the invention and to the computer program according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0063] Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the drawings described below, which are schematic and show: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0064] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a first example of a running track comprising two track sections for illustrating an example embodiment of the method according to the invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a graph plotting the curvature of a traveled trajectory along its length to illustrate an example embodiment of the method according to the invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a first example of a vehicle movement along a track section of a travel track to illustrate an example embodiment of the method according to the invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows an area swept by a vehicle during vehicle movement according to a first example for illustrating an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates the approximation of a curve based on triangles according to an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows the track sections calculated by an embodiment of the method according to the invention, assigned to the track sections traveled according to the first example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a second example of a running track comprising two track sections for illustrating an example embodiment of the method according to the invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the track sections calculated by an embodiment of the method according to the invention, assigned to the track sections traveled according to the second example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a method according to the present invention. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a further example embodiment of a method according to the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing contour information that collides with an object and contour information that does not collide, for explaining an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows the calculation of non-colliding portions in the movement of contour portions within an allocation cell to explain an example embodiment of the method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0065] 1 illustrates an example embodiment of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 includes a controller 2, a plurality of environmental sensors 3, and at least one actuator 4. The environmental sensors 3 may each be configured as, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a radar, a lidar, or the like. The at least one actuator 4 may be a longitudinal guide actuator or a lateral guide actuator of the vehicle 1. The environmental sensors 3 and the at least one actuator 4 are communicatively coupled to the controller 2, although for clarity, corresponding connections are not shown.

[0066] The control device 2 is configured to execute a method for calculating travel lanes along a planned travel path 5. Such a travel path 5 is shown by way of example in Fig. 2. The travel path 5 comprises two curved track portions 6, 7, the first curved track portion 6 extending between points A and B and the second curved track portion 7 extending between points B and C.

[0067] 3 shows the curvature K of the travel path 5 over the length s of the path 5. The track sections 6, 7 each have a curvature with a constant sign, i.e., a curvature in only one direction. In this case, in the exemplary vehicle travel direction from point A to point C, the first track section 6 curves to the right, while the second track section 7 curves to the left. Preferably, the method for calculating the travel lane uses a travel path 5 whose curvature varies at least partially continuously and / or is a clothoid curve or a polynomial.

[0068] The lane calculated by the control device 2 is an approximation of the area swept by the vehicle 1 as it moves along the driving path 5, and can be used, for example, to determine a collision between the vehicle 1 and an object located in the surrounding environment of the driving path 5. The method for calculating the lane begins with the step of providing the driving path 5 of the vehicle 1.

[0069] 4, at least one first polygon 8 and one second polygon 9 (shown here by dashed lines) are then calculated for the vehicle 1 to move along the first curved trajectory portion 6. Here, the perimeter of the first polygon 8 and the perimeter of the second polygon 9 each represent a vehicle outline 10, with the first polygon 8 representing the vehicle outline 10 at a first vehicle position 11 on the travel trajectory 5 and the second polygon 9 representing the vehicle outline 10 at a corresponding second vehicle position 12 on the travel trajectory 5.

[0070] The first vehicle position 11 can be located, for example, at the start of the track segment 6, i.e., for example, point A, and the second vehicle position 12 can be located, for example, at the end of the track segment 6, i.e., for example, point B. Alternatively, the first vehicle position 10 and / or the second vehicle position 11 can be located between the start and end of the track segment 6, for example, depending on the accuracy required for the desired lane calculation.

[0071] For the first vehicle position 11 and the second vehicle position 12, respectively, corresponding radii of curvature r, r' are shown diagrammatically, where the radii of curvature r, r' may in particular be different from one another or the track section 6 may in particular have a continuously varying curvature K with a constant sign.

[0072] The vehicle contour 10 represented by each of the polygons 8 and 9 can, for safety reasons, be selected to be slightly larger than the actual contour of the vehicle 1. The vehicle contour represented by the first polygon 8 and the second polygon 9 can therefore correspond in particular to the contour of the actual vehicle 1 enlarged by a safety distance. Furthermore, the description of the vehicle contour 10 by the polygons 8 and 9 is carried out using simplified geometric shapes, which allows the polygons 8 and 9 to be mathematically described as simply as possible.

[0073] Then, a turning point 13 of the vehicle contour 10 is determined that has the greatest distance from the curve 14 when the vehicle 1 moves from the first vehicle position 11 to the second vehicle position 12. Here, the turning point 13 may in particular be a corner of the vehicle contour 10 that is located radially outward with respect to the radii of curvature r, r' or a corner of the polygon 8, 9. In this case, in other words, the turning point 13 is located on the convexly curved side of the track section 6. Here, the position of the turning point 13 with respect to the vehicle contour 10 may depend on the direction of movement of the vehicle 1 during its movement along the track sections 6, the progression of the curvature of the respective track section 6, and the position of the steering wheel 25 of the vehicle 1.

[0074] 5 shows an area 15 swept by a vehicle 1 as it moves from a first vehicle position 10 to a second vehicle position 11. In this case, the area 15 includes the area of ​​a first polygon 8, the area of ​​a second polygon 9, and the area located between the polygons 8, 9 and the curve 14. The area 15 shown in FIG. 5 has the disadvantage, when used in, for example, a collision detection lane, that it requires a relatively expensive mathematical description, particularly to describe the portion of the perimeter of the area 15 that follows the curve 14.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 6, in an example embodiment of calculating the lane, approximating the curve 14 based on at least two sides 16, 17 of at least one triangle 18 surrounding the curve 14 allows the area 15 swept by the vehicle 1 as it moves from the first vehicle position 10 to the second vehicle position 11 to be simply mathematically described as a lane portion of the lane.

[0076] Here, triangle 18 is formed by two tangents to curve 14 and a line 21 connecting points of contact 19, 20 of the tangents to curve 14, each of which indicates one of triangle sides 16, 17. Points of contact 19, 20 correspond to turning points 13 of the vehicle contour at first vehicle position 11 and second vehicle position 12, respectively. Advantageously, based on sides 16, 17 of triangle 18, curve 14 is approximated slightly larger outward relative to the area swept by vehicle 1, so that the area actually swept by vehicle 1 is always encompassed by the subsequently calculated lane portion.

[0077] Tangents corresponding to sides 16 and 17 can each be approximated based on a straight line passing through each turning point 13 at the location of vehicle 1 at two vehicle positions incrementally displaced along the travel path 5 or track portion 6. To calculate the tangent corresponding to side 16, the turning point 13 at the first vehicle position 10 and the turning point 13 at a further vehicle position incrementally displaced along the track portion 6 in the direction of travel of vehicle 1 relative to vehicle position 10 can be used. Here, the increment can be, for example, 1 / 100 of the length of track portion 6. Thus, the tangent corresponding to side 17 can pass through both the turning point 13 at the second vehicle position 11 and the turning point 13 at a further vehicle position incrementally displaced along the track portion 6 in the direction of travel. In this way, sides 16 and 17 can each be easily calculated based on two points.

[0078] To enable the curve 14 to be approximated as accurately as possible based on triangles 18, the distance between the first vehicle position 11 and the second vehicle position 12 along the travel path 5 or track portion 6 can be determined according to a height threshold indicating the maximum allowable height of at least one triangle 18. In this case, the approximation of the curve 14 can be performed based on multiple adjacent triangles 18 according to the height threshold of at least one triangle 18. The smaller the height threshold, the greater the number of triangles 18 required to approximate the curve 14. The more triangles 18 used to approximate the curve 14, the more accurately the course of the curve 14 can be approximated based on two sides per triangle 18. If no height threshold is used or if the height threshold is considered to be infinite, each curve 14 can be approximated based on a single triangle 18. Here, the height threshold used represents a measure of an additional safety distance when approximating the curve 14.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 7 , two convex polygons 22, 23 are formed as a trackway portion 24 of the curved track portion 6 from the first polygon 8, the second polygon 9, and two sides 16, 17 of the triangle 18. The two convex polygons 22, 23 are formed to completely encompass the area encompassed by at least the first polygon 8, the second polygon 9, and the at least one triangle 18. The entire area encompassed by the first polygon 8, the second polygon 9, and the at least one triangle 18 can be divided without depending on the geometric shapes of the first polygon 8, the second polygon 9, and the triangle 18, resulting in a total of two convex polygons 22, 23. In particular, the convex polygons can be formed so that one of the convex polygons encompasses the area of ​​all the triangles. This reduces the amount of calculation required for subsequent collision checks because, for example, when the second vehicle position 12 changes, only the second convex polygon 23 needs to be newly checked for collisions. 7, the dividing line 29 between the two convex polygons passes through point 30, which is located on the rear axle of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned in a position midway between the first vehicle position 11 and the second vehicle position 12 on the track section. A further point 31 through which the dividing line 29 passes is selected so that the entire triangle 18 is part of the second convex polygon 23.

[0080] Depending on the situation of the first and second vehicle positions 12 or the positions of the first and second polygons 8 and 9, at least one of the convex polygons may also include an area located on the side of the running track 5 opposite to the at least one triangle 18 and corresponding to the area swept by the vehicle 1 during movement.

[0081] Here, the entire track for the running track 5 can be formed from multiple running track portions 24. These running track portions 24 can be calculated for each curved track portion of the running track 5 in the same way as the first curved track portion 6. If the sign of the curvature of the running track 5 changes, in particular, the running track 5 can be divided into two adjacent track portions 6 at a point corresponding to zero curvature, and a running track portion can be calculated for each resulting track portion. If the running track 5 includes further straight track portions, for example, rectangular running track portions can be calculated for each of these track portions and used to form the entire running track.

[0082] A second example of vehicle movement is shown in Figure 8. For simplicity, the track section 6 is also used in this example embodiment. Unlike the first example of vehicle movement, in this example the vehicle 1 moves backwards, and the first vehicle position 11 corresponds to, for example, point B on the track section 6, and the second vehicle position 12 corresponds to point A on the track section 6.

[0083] In addition to the reversed direction of movement, the position of the steering tires 25 of the vehicle 1 is also different, resulting in a different area swept as the vehicle 1 moves along the track portion 6 compared to the first embodiment example.

[0084] During this vehicle movement, the pivot point 13 of the vehicle contour 10 is located at the rear, radially outer corner of the vehicle contour 10 with respect to the curvature of the track section 6. In this case too, the pivot point 13 moves along a curve 14 that is approximated on the basis of the two sides 16, 17 of the triangle 18, as described above, in order to form the track section 6 assigned to this track section of the vehicle movement.

[0085] 9 shows a track section 26 of the track section 6 corresponding to the second vehicle movement. Here, the track section 26 is formed by two new convex polygons 27, 28. As described above for the first example of vehicle movement, these are formed based on the first polygon 8 at the first vehicle position 11, the second polygon 9 at the second vehicle position 12, and at least one triangle 18 obtained by approximating the curve 14. Because the position of the steering wheel 25 of the vehicle 1 is different during the second vehicle movement, the track section 26 has a different geometric shape from the track section 24 of the first vehicle movement.

[0086] As described above, the trackway segments 24, 26 can be calculated for the first and second vehicle positions 11, 12, which correspond to the start and end points of each track segment. Alternatively, the trackway segments can be calculated along each track segment for other vehicle positions 11, 12 or pairs of vehicle positions 11, 12. In this case, the distance along the track 5 or the track segment under consideration between each vehicle position 11, 12 or additional vehicle positions can be set as a percentage of the length of the respective track segment, as a fixed length, or according to additional boundary conditions. For example, the boundary conditions can require that the first and second vehicle positions 11, 12 used in calculating the trackway segments are selected such that the first polygon 8 and the second polygon 9 at least partially overlap each other. Additionally or alternatively, additional types of boundary conditions can also be used.

[0087] The lane formed by at least one lane segment 5 and 20, 26 can then be compared for collision detection. For this purpose, for example, the overlap of the lane or lane segments, in particular the convex polygons forming the lane segments, with objects in the surrounding environment of the lane 5 can be checked. Here, the objects in the surrounding environment of the vehicle can be both stationary objects and moving objects, such as other vehicles. In this case, the objects can also be described as polygons and can be detected, for example, based on measurement data obtained using the surrounding environment sensor 3 of the vehicle 1. The objects or the object descriptions assigned to the objects can be stored, for example, in an environment map, and a collision detection can be performed based on this environment map.

[0088] Advantageously, the method for calculating the lane according to the invention simply checks for overlap using a convex polygon forming the lane or at least one lane portion. Based on the collision check, the control device 2 can, for example, control at least one actuator 4 of the vehicle 1 so as to move the vehicle 1 along a trajectory 5 that has been assessed as collision-free.

[0089] Alternatively, for example, a detected threat of collision with an object can also stop the movement of the vehicle 1 already taking place along the travel path 5. Such a threat can arise, for example, only if the object is detected from the movement of the vehicle 1 and / or from the movement of the object itself, without the object having been taken into account during the initial planning of the travel path 5. If the vehicle is not moving, the travel path 5 and / or at least one of the trajectory portions 6, 7 of the travel path 5 can be recalculated during the collision determination, so that a travel path 5 can eventually be reached in which there is no imminent risk of collision with an object in the surrounding environment.

[0090] FIG. 10 shows a block diagram illustrating steps of a method for calculating a lane along a planned driving trajectory according to the present invention, where the lane approximates an area swept by a vehicle as it moves along the driving trajectory and has at least one lane portion (24, 26).

[0091] Here, step S1 indicates a step of providing a running track 5 of the vehicle 1, wherein the running track 5 includes at least one curved track portion 6, 7, and the curvature of the running track 5 in the curved track portion 6, 7 has a constant sign.

[0092] Step S2 represents the step of calculating at least one first polygon 8 whose perimeter describes the vehicle contour 10 at a first vehicle position 11 on the track portion 6, 7 and a second polygon 9 whose perimeter describes the vehicle contour 10 at a second vehicle position 12 on the track portion 6, 7.

[0093] Step S3 indicates a step of determining a turning point 13 of the vehicle contour 10 that has the maximum distance from the curve 14 when the vehicle 1 moves from the first vehicle position 11 to the second vehicle position 12, and approximating the curve 14 based on at least two sides 16, 17 of at least one triangle 18 that surrounds the curve 14.

[0094] Step S4 shows a step of forming two convex polygons 22, 23, 27, 28 as running track portions 24, 26 of the curved track portions 6, 7 from the first polygon 8, the second polygon 9, and at least two sides 16, 17 of the triangle 18.

[0095] Step S5 shows the step of calculating the lane from at least one lane portion 24, 26.

[0096] 11 shows a flow diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention that can be executed by the control device 2 of the vehicle 1. This second exemplary embodiment comprises method steps for calculating a collision-free path for the vehicle 1 along the driving trajectory.

[0097] In the second embodiment, steps S1 to S5 can be performed first. Then, a collision check can be performed based on the calculated lane and map information describing at least one object in the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. If it is determined that no collision will occur, the method can be terminated after the collision check. On the other hand, if it is determined that a collision will occur, method steps Z1 to Z7 can be performed according to the flow diagram shown in Figure 11. Steps Z1 to Z7 will be described below with reference to Figures 12 and 13.

[0098] In step Z1 of the method, a travel path 106 and object information, exemplarily shown in FIG. 12, are provided. The object information describes the positions of the vehicle 1 and objects 7 that may collide with the vehicle 1 during its movement along the travel path 6 relative to the travel path 6, in order to calculate a collision-free path. The travel path 106 is, for example, the travel path 5 or at least one of the track portions 6, 7 for which the travel lane was calculated. Alternatively, the travel path 106 may be another track that includes at least one portion of the travel path 5 or at least one of the track portions 6, 7.

[0099] The travel trajectory 106 used to calculate the collision-free travel path can in particular have a curvature with a constant sign that is at least partly continuously variable. The travel trajectory 106 can be described, for example, by a clothoid curve or a polynomial.

[0100] The travel trajectory 106 may be a trajectory segment of the entire travel trajectory that describes a maneuver, in particular a parking maneuver. Thus, the entire travel trajectory assigned to the maneuver may be divided into a plurality of trajectory segments, each representing a travel trajectory 106, and a method for calculating a collision-free travel path for one or more of the trajectory segments or travel trajectories 106 is correspondingly performed.

[0101] The object information describing an object 107 that will collide with the vehicle 1 as it moves along the planned driving path 106 can be calculated, for example, based on map information describing one or more objects 107 in the environment of the driving path 106 and on driving lanes. Here, the driving lanes can at least approximately describe the area swept by the vehicle 1 as it moves along the driving path 106. If the object 107 overlaps with the driving lanes, for example, if they are mapped to a common coordinate system or if corresponding geometric calculations are performed, a collision can be detected. Here, the collision determination can be performed, in particular, by using the control device 2. Alternatively, the collision determination can be performed by a further calculation device that transmits the object information and / or map information to the vehicle 1.

[0102] Additionally or alternatively, the map information can also be calculated based on sensor data acquired using the surrounding environment sensors 3 of the vehicle 1. The surrounding environment sensors 3 can, in particular, capture the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 both before the vehicle 1 moves along the travel path 106 and while the vehicle 1 moves along the travel path 106, thereby enabling the map information to be continuously updated.

[0103] Next, in step Z2, the positions and orientations of the plurality of contour information 108, 109 are calculated for different positions 110, 111 of the vehicle 1 along the travel path 106. Here, the contour information 108 is assigned to a first position 110 of the vehicle 1 on the travel path 106, and the contour information 109 is assigned to a second position 111 of the vehicle 1 on the travel path 106, the positions 110, 111 being associated with, for example, a rear axle center 112 of the vehicle 1. In this case, the first position is located closer to the start point 120 of the travel path 106 than the second position 111. The positions and orientations of each of the contour information 108, 109 correspond to the position and orientation of the vehicle 1 at the positions 110, 111 when traveling along the travel path 106.

[0104] The contour information 108, 109 is each a convex polygon, and each of the contour information 108, 109 describes the same geometric shape or defines the same area portion. The contour information 108, 109 each describes the contour 113 of the vehicle 1. In this case, the contour information 108, 109 each defines an area portion that is larger than the actual contour 113 of the vehicle. In this way, a safety clearance and, if necessary, the space required for the movement of the steering wheels 114 of the vehicle 1 when turning can be taken into account.

[0105] The positions 110, 111 at which the contour information 108, 109 is determined can be determined, for example, based on a predetermined absolute length interval along the running track 106. For example, a distance of 10 cm to 1 m can be selected as the length interval, although other distances are also possible. Alternatively, the length of the interval between the positions 110, 111 can be determined relative to the total length of the running track 106. In this case, for example, a value of 1% to 10% of the total length of the running track 106 can be used as the distance between the positions. In FIG. 12, for the sake of clarity, only two contour information 108, 109 are shown; however, additional contour information at additional positions along the running track 106 can also be determined within the scope of the method.

[0106] The vehicle positions 11, 12 can be used as the positions 110, 111. Alternatively, different positions 110, 111 can be used. Thus, the contour information 108, 109 can be the pre-calculated polygons 8, 9 assigned to the positions 11, 12, since both of these similarly describe a "snapshot" of the vehicle 1 at a specific position of the vehicle 1 on the trajectory 106. Therefore, here too, the same mathematical or geometric description can be advantageously relied upon.

[0107] In step Z3 of this method, contour information that will collide with the object 107 and contour information that will not collide and is located closer to the starting point of the traveling trajectory are calculated. In FIG. 12, contour information 109 is contour information that will collide with the object 107. Contour information 108 is contour information that will not collide and is located closer to the starting point of the traveling trajectory 106. In this case, contour information 108 may be, in particular, contour information that is adjacent to the colliding contour information 109 and located on the traveling trajectory 106, from a predetermined set of contour information.

[0108] A collision between the contour information 109 and the object 107 can be determined, for example, by the overlap of the contour information 109 with the object 107, which is also described as a polygon. Furthermore, the contour information 108 and the object 107 do not overlap each other and therefore do not collide. If multiple contour information pieces are considered to collide with the object 107, the contour information piece closest to the start point 120 of the travel trajectory 106 or the contour information piece considered to collide with the object 107 closest to the start point 120 can be selected as the colliding contour information 109. Here, the contour information piece closest to the start point 120 or the object 107 closest to the start point 120 can be selected, particularly with respect to the vehicle movement along the travel trajectory 106.

[0109] Next, in step Z4 of the method, the area between the non-colliding contour information 108 and the colliding contour information 109 is divided into a plurality of cells 116, 117, and 118, each of which is assigned to a contour portion 115 of the contour information 108, 109, as exemplarily shown in Figure 13. Figure 13 represents a portion of the scene shown in Figure 12, where the contour information 108, 109 are shown to be located close to each other for clarity, and the scene shown in Figure 13 uses a first position 110 and a second position 111 located close to each other on the driving trajectory 106. Here, the straight edges of the contour information 108, 109 are used as the contour portion 115, and each cell extends between the corresponding edges of the non-colliding contour information 108 and the colliding contour information 109, respectively.

[0110] Thereafter, in step Z5, cells 116 to 118 that overlap with object 107 are calculated. In the example shown in FIG. 13, cell 117 overlaps with object 107, so cell 117 is calculated as an overlapping cell. In addition, a non-colliding portion R of the movement of outline portion 115 assigned to the overlapping cell within overlapping cell 117 is determined. Here, the non-colliding portion refers to, for example, a portion of the path along which outline portion 115 can proceed from non-colliding outline information 108 to colliding outline information 109 without coming into contact with object 107. Here, non-colliding portion R can be calculated, for example, using the following equation. R=a / (a+b) (1) Here, a indicates the length of the path portion that does not collide, and b indicates the length of the path portion that is already inside the object 107 and therefore collides with the object.

[0111] If the contour information 109 collides with two or more objects 107, at least one further contour information can be calculated, and the further contour information is determined at a further position on the driving trajectory 106, in particular, located between the initial positions 110, 111 of the originally used colliding contour information 109 and the collision-free contour information 108.

[0112] Next, in step Z6 of the method, a collision position 119 on the traveling trajectory 106 is determined based on the non-colliding portion R. The collision position 119 is schematically shown in Figure 12. The collision position 119 is located between a position 110 of the non-colliding contour information 108 and a position 111 of the colliding contour information 109.

[0113] The collision position 119 can be calculated based on, for example, the non-collision portion R, the distance between the positions 110 and 111, and / or the curvature change of the traveling trajectory 106 between the positions 110 and 111. In this case, the collision position 119 can be determined starting from the first position 10 by taking the position 110 as the starting point and considering the path portion or curvature change portion corresponding to portion R. In other words, the path or curvature change between the positions 110 and 119, and therefore portion R of the path or curvature change between the positions 110 and the collision position 119, is used. In this way, the collision position 119 can be determined or approximated at low cost. Here, the curvature change can be taken into account, particularly in the case of the traveling trajectory 106 described as a clothoid with a constant curvature change.

[0114] Subsequently, in step Z7 of the method, a collision-free movement of the vehicle 1 can be calculated based on the collision position 119. For example, the collision-free movement is calculated from the collision position 119 to an end point displaced by a safety distance in the direction of the start point 120 of the travel path 106. In this way, when the vehicle 1 moves to this end point, a collision between the vehicle 1 and the object 107 can be avoided. The collision-free movement can be performed, for example, by the control device 2 controlling at least one actuator 4 of the vehicle 1.

[0115] Steps Z1 to Z7 for calculating a collision-free driving path can be performed before the vehicle 1 moves along the driving trajectory 106. The method can also be performed again if a further object 107 is detected in the environment of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 moves along the driving trajectory 106 and is evaluated as a collision object 107, for example, based on a comparison with the driving lane. This can be the case, for example, if there is a moving object in the environment of the vehicle 1 and / or if there is an object that could not be detected from the start point 120 of the driving trajectory 106, for example, due to the presence of a shadow and / or a further object.

[0116] Instead of the contour information 108, 109 describing the vehicle contour, contour information 108, 109 can be used which each describes a vehicle part 121 of the vehicle 1. In this way, it is possible to determine in particular a collision with a vehicle part 121 which may be movable relative to the body of the vehicle 1, for example one of the wheels 114 of the vehicle 1.

[0117] Similar to the above embodiment, using contour information 108, 109 describing the contour of the vehicle 1, it is also possible to determine a collision between the movable vehicle part 121 and the object 107. In this case, the contour information 108, 109 may take into account the relative positioning of the vehicle part 121 at the respective positions 110, 111, which in the case of the wheels 114 of the vehicle 1 can be obtained, for example, from the current steering angle.

[0118] Based on the non-collision portion R of the movement of the vehicle portion 121 obtained using this method, it is possible to estimate the collision position or vehicle position along the driving trajectory 106 where no collision occurs, taking into account the relative positioning of the vehicle portion 121 on the vehicle 1.

Claims

1. A method for calculating a lane along a planned driving trajectory (5), the lane approximating an area swept by a vehicle (1) as it moves along the driving trajectory (5) and having at least one lane portion (24, 26), comprising: providing the running track (5) of the vehicle (1), the running track (5) comprising at least one curved track portion (6, 7), the curvature of the running track (5) in the curved track portion (6, 7) having a constant sign, - calculating at least one first polygon (8) whose perimeter describes a vehicle contour (10) at a first vehicle position (11) on said track section (6, 7) and a second polygon (9) whose perimeter describes said vehicle contour (10) at a second vehicle position (12) on said track section (6, 7), - determining a turning point (13) of the vehicle contour (10) that has the greatest distance from a curve (14) when the vehicle (1) moves from the first vehicle position (11) to the second vehicle position (12), and approximating the curve (14) based on at least two sides (16, 17) of at least one triangle (18) that encloses the curve (14); - forming two convex polygons (22, 23, 27, 28) from the first polygon (8), the second polygon (9) and the at least two sides (16, 17) of the triangle (18) as track lane portions (24, 26) of the curved track portions (6, 7); and - calculating said lane from said at least one lane portion (24, 26).

2. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a running track (5) is used whose curvature changes at least partly continuously and / or a clothoid curve or a polynomial is used as the running track (5).

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vehicle contour (10) described by the first polygon (8) and the second polygon (9) corresponds to the contour of the actual vehicle (1) enlarged by a safety distance.

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one triangle (18) is formed by two tangents to the curve (14) at the pivot point (13) at the first position (10) and the second position (12) respectively, and a straight line (21) connecting the tangent points (19, 20) of the tangents to the curve (14).

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first vehicle position (11) is located at the start of the track section (6, 7) and the second vehicle position (12) is located at the end of the track section (6, 7), or the first vehicle position (11) and / or the second vehicle position (12) are located between the start and end of the track section (6, 7).

6. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the first vehicle position (11) and the second vehicle position (12) along the driving path (5) is determined in dependence on a height threshold indicating a maximum allowable height of the at least one triangle (18).

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two convex polygons (22, 23, 27, 28) are formed so as to collectively completely contain at least the area encompassed by the first polygon (8), the second polygon (9) and the at least one triangle (18).

8. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a collision check is performed based on the calculated lane and map information describing at least one object in the surrounding environment of the driving trajectory.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein if during the collision check at least one object is detected that may collide with the vehicle moving along the driving trajectory, a collision-free path for the vehicle along the driving trajectory is calculated.

10. A control device configured to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A vehicle equipped with a control device (2) according to claim 10.

12. A computer program comprising instructions for causing a control device (2) to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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