Method for providing information to a motor vehicle regarding whether shoulder riding is permitted and / or prohibited

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for providing a motor vehicle (1) with information about whether travel on a shoulder (22) is permitted and / or prohibited, the method comprising the steps of: providing sensor information (11) describing the situation around the motor vehicle (1); determining shoulder information (13) describing whether a road (20) on which the motor vehicle (1) is traveling has a shoulder (22); and, if the road (20) has a shoulder (22), determining whether the shoulder (22) is at least temporarily open to traffic or whether travel on the shoulder (22) is prohibited. The method includes a step (S5) of determining road sign information (15) describing a road sign (25) stating that the shoulder (22) is permitted as a travel lane (21); and a step (S6) of verifying whether the shoulder (22) is permitted as a travel lane (21), and if so, providing a notification message (16) stating that travel on the shoulder (22) is permitted (S7), and / or if not, providing a warning message (19) stating that travel on the shoulder (22) is prohibited (S10).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for providing a motor vehicle with information about whether driving on the shoulder of a road is permitted and / or prohibited, and also to a motor vehicle, a control device for the motor vehicle, and a computer program product for carrying out such a method. [Background technology]

[0002] Roads, especially highways, can have at least one hard shoulder or breakdown lane. Driving on the hard shoulder is usually prohibited. In many countries, there are even penalties, such as fines, for driving on the hard shoulder. It can therefore be inconvenient for motor vehicle drivers to drive on the hard shoulder. Drivers should therefore be informed, if necessary, whether driving on the hard shoulder is prohibited.

[0003] It is also possible that the shoulder may be permitted as an additional lane of the road, at least temporarily. This may be useful, for example, during times of high traffic volume, such as rush hour. However, in such situations it may be necessary to inform drivers of motor vehicles that they can drive on the shoulder, as they may otherwise believe, for example, that driving on the shoulder is prohibited.

[0004] DE 10 2020 215 778 A1 shows a method for planning an at least partially automated driving process using a driver assistance system of a vehicle, in which multiple paths for a future driving process are determined independently of one another and verified, and all paths that successfully pass the verification are entered into a driving path list, and the driving process is then carried out based on a path selected from the driving path list.

[0005] DE 10 2015 201266 A1 shows a method for operating a longitudinal control device of a motor vehicle that can be driven in an automated manner, whereby the situation of the motor vehicle is recorded and a signal is output to other road users if the motor vehicle leaves the road and enters an area not intended for normal roads.

[0006] WO 2021 / 148178 A1 describes a method for operating an automated lane guidance system for a motor vehicle, taking into account image data determined by a first sensor system. The sensor data is determined by a second sensor system for evaluating the performance of the automated lane guidance. The determined sensor data is used to evaluate whether the lane guidance is being performed correctly.

[0007] WO 2017 / 125184(A1) describes a method for providing lane change assistance information to a driver of a vehicle. When another vehicle approaching the driver's vehicle is detected, it is verified whether the vehicle can and is allowed to move into another lane on the same road. The driver of the vehicle is then notified to manually or automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a solution that can be used to ensure that a warning is given when shoulder driving is not permitted and / or to provide instructions when shoulder driving is permitted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for providing information to a motor vehicle regarding whether shoulder driving is permitted and / or prohibited. The method can be used to provide information to a driver and / or another occupant of the motor vehicle regarding whether shoulder driving is permitted or prohibited for the motor vehicle. The method can only provide information regarding whether shoulder driving is permitted or prohibited, where the information is provided by providing a message, for example, a notification message if shoulder driving is permitted and / or a warning message if shoulder driving is prohibited. The shoulder is assigned to the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling. The shoulder may alternatively be referred to as a shoulder strip.

[0011] The method includes providing sensor information describing a situation surrounding the motor vehicle. The sensor information may, for example, describe still and / or video images of the situation surrounding the motor vehicle. The sensor information preferably describes at least a portion of the situation adjacent to a front area of ​​the motor vehicle. The sensor information may describe at least a portion of a road along which the motor vehicle is traveling. The sensor information may, for example, be provided to or by a controller of the motor vehicle.

[0012] The method includes determining shoulder information by applying shoulder detection criteria to the provided sensor information. The shoulder information describes whether a shoulder is present on a road along which the motor vehicle is traveling. The shoulder detection criteria are algorithms and / or rules that can be used to determine whether a shoulder is present on a road along which the vehicle is traveling, for example, based on image analysis or image processing methods. The shoulder can be detected as a shoulder based on, for example, road markings. In this regard, for example, known methods for determining road edges or road markings that identify the shoulder itself can be used.

[0013] If the road has a shoulder according to the shoulder information, traffic sign information is determined by applying traffic sign detection criteria to the provided sensor information. The traffic sign information describes traffic signs that clarify whether the shoulder is permitted as a lane at least temporarily or whether traveling on the shoulder is prohibited. The traffic signs include, for example, character strings indicating that traveling on the shoulder is permitted or prohibited. If a traffic sign indicating that the shoulder is permitted as a lane at least temporarily is not detected or determined, it can be assumed at any time that traveling on the shoulder is prohibited, for example. The traffic sign detection criteria are algorithms and / or rules used to evaluate the sensor information in such a way that at least one traffic sign, preferably a road sign, is identified as such and its content is evaluated. In this case, the traffic sign detection criteria specifically searches for traffic signs that address whether traveling on the shoulder is permitted or prohibited.

[0014] Traffic sign information is preferably only sought after it is clear that the road has a shoulder, but if it is clear that there is no shoulder at all, the method can be terminated and in particular the seeking of traffic sign information can be omitted.

[0015] The method includes verifying whether the shoulder is permitted as a lane based on the determined traffic sign information. If so, a notification message is provided that identifies at least that shoulder travel is permitted. Thus, once it is determined that the determined traffic sign information identifies that the shoulder is available as a possible lane, this can be communicated to a driver of the motor vehicle, for example, by outputting a provided notification message. The provided notification message can be output within the motor vehicle, for example, and / or used within the vehicle, for example, by a driver assistance system and / or another vehicle function of the motor vehicle.

[0016] If it is determined during verification that shoulder driving is prohibited based on the determined traffic sign information, a warning message is provided that at least makes it clear that shoulder driving is prohibited. Thus, if it is determined that the determined traffic sign information makes it clear that the shoulder is not available as a possible lane, this can be communicated to the driver of the motor vehicle, for example by outputting the provided warning message. The provided warning message can be output within the motor vehicle, for example, and / or used within the vehicle, for example, by a driver assistance system and / or another vehicle function of the motor vehicle.

[0017] The notification message and the warning message can be provided alternatively or in addition to each other. Therefore, it may be the case that only a notification message is provided, but it has not been verified at all whether driving on the shoulder is prohibited based on the traffic sign information, and therefore it has not been verified whether a warning message should be provided. The same applies in the reverse case, i.e., it is possible to verify only whether a warning message should be provided, but not whether a notification message should be provided. Alternatively or additionally, an information message corresponding to the content of the notification message and / or the warning message can be provided.

[0018] As a result of the provided notification and / or warning message, the motor vehicle, in particular the driver and / or another occupant of the motor vehicle, is informed whether shoulder driving is currently permitted or prohibited. The driver can therefore be informed at any time whether or not to drive on the shoulder. The present invention therefore ensures that a warning is given when shoulder driving is not permitted and / or that a notification is provided when shoulder driving is permitted.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment, lane information is determined if a road has a shoulder based on the shoulder information. The lane information describes the lane of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. The lane information can be determined by applying lane detection criteria to the sensor information. The lane detection criteria are algorithms and / or rules used to evaluate sensor information describing at least the surrounding conditions to establish whether the motor vehicle is in a normal lane or on the shoulder of the road. Alternatively, or in addition, the lane information can be determined by evaluating provided position information, for example, by a position-determining device of the motor vehicle. The position determination can be based, for example, on data from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Alternatively, or in addition, the lane information can be provided by locating the motor vehicle on a map stored within the motor vehicle and / or provided to the motor vehicle by an external computing device.

[0020] Based on the lane information, it is verified whether the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road. Only if there is no correspondence, i.e., only if the lane described by the lane information is not the shoulder of the road, is a notification message provided. Therefore, if the motor vehicle is already positioned on the shoulder, it is no longer indicated that the use of the shoulder is permitted. This is regardless of whether it was previously clear that a traffic sign was present that made it possible to travel on the shoulder. This prevents, for example, the unnecessary provision of information about whether the shoulder is permitted as an additional lane after the driver of the motor vehicle has already voluntarily entered the shoulder and is traveling on it.

[0021] In a further exemplary embodiment, lane information describing a lane of a road on which a motor vehicle is traveling is determined if, based on the shoulder information, the road has a shoulder. The lane information can be determined in a manner similar to that described above. Then, based on the lane information, it is verified whether the lane corresponds to a shoulder of the road. If so, i.e., if the motor vehicle is located on the shoulder, a warning message is provided regardless of traffic sign information. Therefore, whenever the motor vehicle is traveling on the shoulder, the driver of the motor vehicle can be informed that traveling on the part of the road on which the motor vehicle is currently located is actually prohibited, for example, as a result of the provided warning message. The warning message is provided regardless of traffic signs and therefore in a manner generalized to traveling on the shoulder. For example, the warning message can include at least the fact that the motor vehicle is currently traveling on the shoulder and that traveling on the shoulder is generally prohibited. Therefore, it can be indicated that the warning message was provided regardless of traffic sign information. This makes it easy to remember at any time that traveling in such a manner is generally not permitted when traveling on the shoulder.

[0022] In another exemplary embodiment, the provided warning message is provided to the motor vehicle only if, in accordance with the determined traffic sign information, driving on the shoulder is prohibited and, in accordance with the determined lane information, the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road. Therefore, as an alternative to providing the warning message independently of the traffic sign information, the warning message can be output only if the corresponding traffic sign information is actually requested. Nevertheless, the warning message is provided only if the motor vehicle is already driving on the shoulder. This prevents the driver from receiving unnecessary notifications about the prohibition of driving on the shoulder when the driver has no intention of driving onto the shoulder and / or has not shown any indication of doing so.

[0023] According to a further exemplary embodiment, if the motor vehicle is currently changing lanes onto the shoulder based on the lane information, a warning message is provided only when the motor vehicle is completely on the shoulder. This approach is based on the knowledge that a driver assistance system, such as a lane departure warning system, may already be activated in the motor vehicle. The lane departure warning system may be designed to at least semi-automatically, and in particular fully automatically, remain in the lane in which the motor vehicle is currently traveling. This allows the driver assistance system to first intervene if the lane is to the left before a warning message is provided. For example, the driver assistance system may also output a warning message and / or actively prevent the lane from changing to the left, for example by appropriately intervening in the directional control. The warning message may be provided in accordance with the method according to the present invention only after the lane change is completed, for example, when the driver assistance system is paused or shut down. In this case, for example, the driver may first be notified or warned by the driver assistance system that the current lane has been left, and only after the motor vehicle is completely on the shoulder can the driver be notified and warned using a provided warning message about the prohibition of shoulder travel. This prevents the method of providing information about whether shoulder travel is permitted and / or prohibited from being activated unnecessarily, for example, when only a small portion of the motor vehicle has deviated onto the shoulder only partially.

[0024] In a preferred exemplary embodiment, lane information is determined and verified if the shoulder is permitted as a lane according to the determined traffic sign information. In particular, lane information can be determined and verified only if the shoulder is permitted as a lane according to the determined traffic sign information. As soon as it becomes clear based on the lane information that the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road, the traffic sign information is continuously determined and verified again. During this verification, as soon as it becomes clear based on newly determined traffic sign information that shoulder travel is prohibited, a warning message is provided. Therefore, while the vehicle is traveling on a permitted shoulder, it is verified whether the permission, in particular at least temporary permission, for the vehicle to travel on the shoulder is still valid. For example, if it becomes clear by detecting a traffic sign specifying that shoulder travel is prohibited that shoulder travel is no longer permitted now or in the future, a warning message is provided.

[0025] However, while traveling on the shoulder, if the requested traffic sign information continues to make it clear that traveling on the shoulder is permitted, the warning message is suppressed, i.e., no warning message is provided. Therefore, the ability of the motor vehicle to remain on the shoulder is continuously monitored, which can be particularly advantageous for the driver because the driver does not have to actively pay attention to where they will have to leave the shoulder again.

[0026] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments, the shoulder detection criteria take into account the color and / or line type of road markings. In some countries, for example, a shoulder may be recognizable based on a specific color of the road markings, e.g., orange road markings. The line type of the road markings may, for example, identify the shoulder itself. This may be the case, for example, when a solid line is placed next to one or more lanes, and another solid line is placed next to that, with the distance between the two solid lines being large enough to allow the area of ​​the road at that location to represent the shoulder that could be used as a lane if permitted.

[0027] Alternatively, or in addition, the shoulder detection criteria may take into account the surface finish of the road. The shoulder may have a different road finish, e.g., a rougher surface than the adjacent lane, which may have a smoother surface compared to the shoulder. Surface finish may alternatively be referred to as surface topography and / or surface texture.

[0028] Alternatively, or in addition, the road shoulder detection criteria may include a road edge detection method. Such a method is often referred to as a road edge detection method. For example, a change from the typical surface finish of a road to the typical surface of vegetation adjacent to the road, i.e., from asphalt or concrete on one side to grass, forest, and / or sand on the other side, may be detected. Known methods for detecting road edges may be used here.

[0029] Therefore, various criteria and indicators can be used to reliably and accurately detect the road shoulder.

[0030] In a further exemplary embodiment, it is verified whether a road has shoulders on both sides of at least one lane in one direction of travel. If a shoulder is present, traffic sign information is determined and verified for each of the two shoulders. Thus, for example, on a road with right-hand traffic, shoulders may exist not only at the right end of multiple lanes in a common direction of travel, but also at the left end of the opposite side of these lanes. Similarly, on a road with left-hand traffic, shoulders may exist on both sides of multiple lanes in a common direction of travel. If lanes in both directions of travel on a road are considered, therefore, there are a total of up to four shoulders on both sides for each direction of travel. In such cases, all these shoulders are taken into account by the method, for example, by providing notification and / or warning messages for each shoulder. However, only shoulders permitted for travel in the direction of travel on the road in which the motor vehicle is traveling are considered.

[0031] In a further exemplary embodiment, the provided notification and / or warning messages are output in the motor vehicle using an audio and / or visual output device. Therefore, the corresponding messages can be output in the motor vehicle as audio output, for example, using a speaker device including at least one speaker. Alternatively, or in addition, the corresponding messages can be displayed using a display device, for example, as a text message, a symbol, and / or a light signal. The display device can be, for example, a screen, in particular a touch-sensitive screen, a head-up display, and / or a light-emitting device, in the motor vehicle. Alternatively, or in addition, the output device can be included in a mobile device located in the motor vehicle. The mobile device can be, for example, a smartphone and / or a tablet. Therefore, the driver can be reliably informed by the output notification and / or warning messages without being distracted from the driving situation, as would be the case with audio output.

[0032] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the output is provided only as soon as the motor vehicle has traveled past a traffic sign specifying that the shoulder is at least temporarily permitted as a lane or that travel on the shoulder is prohibited. Therefore, a notification and / or warning message can be provided immediately in the vehicle, for example, using a control device of the motor vehicle. However, the procedure is suspended, for example, by waiting until the section of the road to which the traffic sign applies actually begins, after the motor vehicle has traveled past the traffic sign and the audio and / or visual output is actually executed using the output device. This prevents the driver from being notified too early about the upcoming shoulder authorization, for example, immediately after entering the shoulder and before the point at which the shoulder is permitted as a lane.

[0033] Alternatively, the notification and / or warning messages may be output in the motor vehicle at any time, immediately after the notification and / or warning message is provided.

[0034] Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, the provided sensor information is recorded using a camera device of the motor vehicle. The camera device may be, for example, a front camera, a side camera, and / or a rear camera of the motor vehicle. Preferably, data from a front camera is used, which is arranged in the area of ​​the windshield of the motor vehicle, for example, at the vertical top of the motor vehicle. The sensor information recorded using the camera device is then transmitted, for example, to a control device of the motor vehicle and then provided by said control device. Therefore, the motor vehicle itself preferably determines the sensor information based on which the roadside information and traffic sign information are determined.

[0035] Alternatively, or in addition, the motor vehicle may receive sensor information, roadside information, and / or traffic sign information from an external computing device, such as a server, a backend, and / or a cloud. To this end, a wireless communication connection may be provided between the motor vehicle and the external computing device. The communication connection may be provided via a wireless local area network (WLAN), a Bluetooth® connection, and / or a cellular data network based on, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), fifth generation (5G), or sixth generation (6G) mobile radio standards.

[0036] Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments, at least one variable traffic sign assigned to a road may be taken into account as a traffic sign when applying the traffic sign detection criteria. A variable traffic sign is a traffic sign that can be displayed, changed, and / or cancelled as needed. Alternatively, a variable traffic sign may be referred to as a dynamic traffic sign. The variable traffic sign may be luminous, for example, may have at least one light-emitting diode for that purpose, and / or may be in the form of a colorful sign. This makes it clear how driving on the shoulder of the road is at least temporarily permitted and / or prohibited, since a dynamically actuable traffic sign, a variable traffic sign, is used. The traffic sign detection criteria may, for example, be configured to specifically detect variable traffic signs and evaluate their content.

[0037] A further aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle that performs the described method. Accordingly, the motor vehicle is designed to perform the above-described method. The motor vehicle may be, for example, a car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, and / or a moped. The motor vehicle may have a control device.

[0038] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a control device for an automotive vehicle, the control device being designed to perform the above-described method. The control device performs the described method, in particular an exemplary embodiment or a combination of exemplary embodiments of the described method. The control device comprises a processing device. The processing device may include at least one microprocessor, at least one microcontroller, at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processing device may comprise program code, which may alternatively be referred to as a computer program product. The program code may be stored in a data memory of the processing device.

[0039] A further aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product, which is a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, for example a control unit of a motor vehicle, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method according to the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] The exemplary embodiments described in relation to the method according to the invention may, where applicable, be applied individually and in combination with one another in any suitable manner to the motor vehicle according to the invention, the control device according to the invention, and the computer program product according to the invention. The invention includes any combination of the exemplary embodiments described. [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle equipped with multiple cameras. [Figure 2] A simplified diagram of a road with shoulders is shown. [Figure 3] 1 shows a schematic signal flow diagram of a method for providing information to a motor vehicle about whether shoulder driving is permitted and / or prohibited. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 including a camera device 2, where the camera device 2 includes, for example, a front camera 3, at least one side camera 4, and / or a rear camera 5. The camera device 2 preferably has at least the front camera 3. The side cameras 4 are arranged here in respective side mirrors 6 of the motor vehicle 1. The front camera 3 is arranged in the area of ​​the windshield 7 of the motor vehicle 1, which is arranged at the top of the motor vehicle 1 in the vertical direction. The rear camera 5 is arranged in the rear area 8 of the motor vehicle 1.

[0042] The motor vehicle 1 has a control device 9, which may alternatively be called a computing device. Furthermore, the motor vehicle 1 may have an output device 10. The output device 10 may be in the form of a display device, i.e., for example, in the form of a screen, in particular a touch-sensitive screen and / or a head-up display in the motor vehicle 1. Alternatively, or additionally, the output device 10 may be designed for audio output, i.e., may include a speaker device having at least one speaker. Alternatively, or additionally, the output device 10 may be comprised in a mobile terminal located in the motor vehicle 1.

[0043] 2 shows a typical surroundings that the method of the present invention addresses. The surroundings include a road 20 with two lanes 21. In addition, the road 20 has a shoulder 22. Arrows are used to outline a direction of travel 26, which applies to all lanes 21 depicted here. The individual lanes 21 are marked using road markings 23 that are applied to the surface of the road 20. For this purpose, dashed lines are provided as road markings 23 between the individual lanes 21, while a solid line as road markings 23 separates the outer lane 21 from the shoulder 22. Here, a road edge 24 is present on the side of the shoulder 22, which may be, for example, covered with grass.

[0044] Typically, travel on the shoulder 22 is prohibited. However, a traffic sign 25 can also be used to indicate that travel on the shoulder 22 is permitted, at least temporarily. The traffic sign 25 is depicted here purely by way of example as a variable traffic sign, e.g., in luminous form, displaying an arrow indicating that travel on the shoulder 22 is at least currently permitted. Travel on the shoulder 22 is therefore permitted. If travel on the shoulder 22 is currently prohibited, the traffic sign 25 can display, for example, a cross (x). The traffic sign 25 can alternatively or additionally be in the form of a mechanically variable traffic sign, e.g., a colorful sign. Alternatively or additionally, non-dynamic, static traffic signs 25 are also possible.

[0045] In conjunction with the shoulder 22, a further shoulder 22 may be located on the opposite side of the lane 21. The road 20 may therefore have a shoulder 22 on each side of the lane 21 relative to the direction of travel 26, although this is not shown here.

[0046] 3 shows the method steps of a method for providing a motor vehicle 1 with information about whether travel on a road shoulder 22 is permitted and / or prohibited. In method step S1, sensor information 11 is recorded using a camera arrangement 2, in particular at least a front camera 3. The sensor information 11 describes the surroundings of the motor vehicle 1. The sensor information describes at least a portion of a road 20 on which the motor vehicle 1 is traveling. The sensor information 11 is provided in method step S2. For this purpose, the sensor information is provided, for example, to or using a control device 9 of the motor vehicle 1. The subsequent method steps S3 to S10 are also preferably performed using the control device 9 of the motor vehicle 1.

[0047] The shoulder detection criteria 12 are applied to the sensor information 11 provided in method step S3 to determine shoulder information 13. The shoulder information describes whether a shoulder 22 is present on the road 20 on which the motor vehicle 1 is traveling. The shoulder detection criteria 12 may take into account the color and / or line type of the road markings 23 on the road 20. Alternatively, or in addition, the shoulder detection criteria may take into account the surface finish of the road 20. Alternatively, or in addition, the shoulder detection criteria 12 may include or be based on a road edge detection method.

[0048] Then, in method step S4, it is verified whether the road 20 has a shoulder 22 based on the shoulder information 13. If a shoulder 22 is present, method step S5 is performed. If a shoulder 22 is not present, i.e. if no shoulder 22 is detected, method step S1 can for example be repeated.

[0049] If the shoulder information 13 reveals that the road 20 has a shoulder 22, then in method step S5 traffic sign information 15 is determined. This is done by applying traffic sign detection criteria 14 to the provided sensor information 11. The traffic sign information 15 describes traffic signs 25 that reveal that the shoulder 22 is permitted as a lane 21, at least temporarily, or that travel on the shoulder 22 is prohibited. If the road 20 has shoulders 22 on each side of the direction of travel 26, for example, at least one lane 21, then traffic sign information 15 can be determined for both shoulders 22, and therefore for all shoulders 22, and can be verified as described below.

[0050] In method step S6 it is verified based on the determined traffic sign information 15 whether the shoulder 22 is permitted as a lane 21. If so, a notification message 16 is provided in method step S7, which makes clear that travel on at least the shoulder 22 is permitted.

[0051] Alternatively, or in addition, if it becomes clear from the determined traffic sign information 15 that the shoulder 22 is not permitted as a lane 21, i.e. travel on the shoulder 22 is prohibited, a warning message 19 is provided in method step S10. The warning message 19 makes clear at least that travel on the shoulder 22 is prohibited.

[0052] The notification message 16 or the warning message 19 can be used to inform the driver of the motor vehicle 1 whether driving on the shoulder 22 is permitted or prohibited. Preferably, the provided notification message 16 and / or warning message 19 are output using an audio and / or visual output device 10 of the motor vehicle 1 and / or a mobile terminal in the motor vehicle 1.

[0053] In method step S8, lane information 18 can be determined if, according to the shoulder information 13, the road 20 has a shoulder 22. For this purpose, for example, lane detection criteria 17 can be applied to the sensor information 11. The lane information 18 describes the lane 21 in which the motor vehicle 1 is traveling. If method steps S5 to S7 and S10 are not performed, method step S8 can occur directly after method step S4.

[0054] In method step S9, it can be verified based on the lane information 18 whether the lane 21 corresponds to the shoulder 22 of the road 20. Only if this does not occur is method step S7 executed, i.e., notification message 16 is provided. However, if in method step S9 it becomes clear based on the lane information 18 that the lane 21 corresponds to the shoulder 22 of the road 20, then it is possible to provide for a warning message 19 to be provided in method step S10, regardless of the traffic sign information 15, i.e., without having to determine any traffic sign information 15. Alternatively, it is possible to provide for a warning message 19 to be provided in method step S10 only if, in light of the determined traffic sign information 15, travel on the shoulder 22 is prohibited and, in light of the lane information 18, the lane 21 corresponds to the shoulder 22 of the road 20. In this case, all method steps S1 to S6 and S8 to S10 are executed in this order.

[0055] Also, if the motor vehicle 1 is currently changing lanes onto the shoulder 22 based on the lane information 18, the warning message 19 may be provided only when the motor vehicle 1 is completely on the shoulder 22, before which time a lane departure warning system or another driver assistance system may be given time to respond to the lane change, for example.

[0056] It is also possible that the lane information 18 is determined and verified only if, in light of the determined traffic sign information 15, the shoulder 22 is permitted as a lane 21. As soon as it becomes clear based on the lane information 18 that the lane 21 corresponds to the shoulder 22 of the road 20, i.e., as soon as it becomes clear that travel on the shoulder 22 is permitted and the motor vehicle 1 is already positioned on the shoulder 22, the traffic sign information 15 is determined and verified again continuously. This results in method steps S5' and S6'. In method step S5', the traffic sign information 15 is determined again in a manner similar to method step S5, so that newly determined traffic sign information 15' is provided. In method step S6', the newly determined traffic sign information 15' is verified, and if travel on the shoulder 22 is prohibited in light of the newly determined traffic sign information 15', a warning message 19 is provided in method step S10. Driving on the shoulder 22 is therefore permitted even without a corresponding warning message 19, only if the traffic sign information 15, 15' makes it clear that driving on the shoulder 22 is permitted. As soon as this permission no longer exists, for example because a different traffic sign 25 has been detected accordingly, method step S10 is executed again.

[0057] The notification message 16 and / or the warning message 19 may be output in the motor vehicle 1 using the audio and / or visual output device 10 only when the motor vehicle 1 passes a traffic sign 25 .

[0058] Generally, these examples illustrate the detection and warning of road shoulders 22. Based on lane and road edge detection, the motor vehicle 1 classifies the rightmost (or leftmost) lane 21 between the rightmost (or leftmost) lane marking and the road edge as a shoulder 22 in countries / regions with right-hand traffic. The shoulder line is typically different (e.g., in type and / or color) from other lane markings that can be easily detected by a lane detection system. For roads 20 with shoulders 22 on both sides of each direction of travel 26, both shoulders 22 are classified.

[0059] If the driver enters and drives onto the shoulder 22, the motor vehicle 1 outputs a visual / audio warning to the driver. (Note: If the driver unintentionally crosses the lane line of the shoulder 22, the lane departure warning system of the motor vehicle 1 should be activated before warning about the shoulder 22.)

[0060] When the motor vehicle 1 detects the traffic sign 25 "Shoulder strip permitted" and the conditions for moving onto the shoulder 22 are met, the motor vehicle 1 outputs a visual / audio warning (notification message 16) to the driver. In the case of the traffic sign 25 "Shoulder strip permitted", the shoulder strip warning (warning message 19) is suppressed. When the motor vehicle 1 detects the traffic sign 25 "Shoulder strip not permitted", the shoulder strip warning (warning message 19) is no longer suppressed.

Claims

1. 1. A method for providing a motor vehicle (1) with information about whether travel on a road shoulder (22) is permitted and / or prohibited, the method comprising: providing (S2) sensor information (11) describing the situation around the motor vehicle (1); determining (S3) shoulder information (13) describing whether a shoulder (22) is present on the road (20) on which the motor vehicle (1) is traveling by applying shoulder detection criteria (12) to the provided sensor information (11); If the road (20) has a shoulder (22) according to the shoulder information (13), applying traffic sign detection criteria (14) to the provided sensor information (11) to determine traffic sign information (15) describing a traffic sign (25) that indicates that the shoulder (22) is permitted as a lane (21) at least temporarily or that travel on the shoulder (22) is prohibited; a step (S6) of verifying whether the shoulder (22) is permitted as the lane (21) based on the determined traffic sign information (15), and if so, providing a notification message (16) indicating at least that travel on the shoulder (22) is permitted (S7), and / or if not, providing a warning message (19) indicating at least that travel on the shoulder (22) is prohibited (S10); A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining (S8) lane information describing the lane of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling if the road has a shoulder according to the shoulder information, verifying (S9) whether the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road, and providing the notification message only if the lane does not correspond to the shoulder.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining lane information describing a lane of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling if the road has a shoulder according to the shoulder information, verifying based on the lane information whether the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road, and providing the warning message independently of the traffic sign information if so.

4. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the provided warning message is provided in the motor vehicle only if, in light of the determined traffic sign information, driving on the shoulder is prohibited and, in light of the determined lane information, the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road.

5. 5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein if the motor vehicle (1) is currently changing lanes onto the shoulder (22) based on the lane information (18), the warning message (19) is provided only if the motor vehicle (1) is traveling entirely on the shoulder (22).

6. 6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lane information is determined and verified only if the shoulder is permitted as the lane in light of the determined traffic sign information, and as soon as it becomes clear based on the lane information that the lane corresponds to the shoulder of the road, the traffic sign information is determined and verified again continuously, and as soon as it becomes clear based on newly determined traffic sign information that travel on the shoulder is prohibited, the warning message is provided.

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the road shoulder detection criteria (12) take into account the color and / or line type of road markings (23) of the road (20) and / or the surface finish of the road (20), and / or the road shoulder detection criteria (12) include a road edge detection method.

8. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein it is verified whether the road (20) has a shoulder (22) on each side of at least one of the lanes (21) in one direction of travel (26), and if the shoulder (22) is present, the traffic sign information (15) is obtained and verified for each of the two shoulders (22).

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the provided notification message (16) and / or warning message (19) are output in the motor vehicle (1) by means of an audio and / or visual output device (10).

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the output is provided only as soon as the motor vehicle (1) has driven past the traffic sign (25) that identifies that the shoulder (22) is at least temporarily permitted as the lane (21) or that travel on the shoulder (22) is prohibited.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the provided sensor information (11) is recorded (S1) using a camera device (2) of the motor vehicle (1).

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least one variable traffic sign assigned to the road (20) is taken into account as the traffic sign (25) when applying the traffic sign detection criterion (14).

13. A motor vehicle (1) designed to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A control device (9) for a motor vehicle (1), the control device (9) being designed to carry out the steps provided for said control device (9) of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

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