Method, computer program product, parking assistance system and vehicle

Abstract

Method, computer program product, parking assistance system and vehicle A method is proposed for operating a parking assistance system (110) of a vehicle (100). The parking assistance system (110) is designed for autonomous control of the vehicle (100). The method comprises: a step (S1) of receiving a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors (122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) disposed on the vehicle (100), each of the sensor signals being indicative of an obstacle (300) disposed in a particular region (102, 104, 106, 108) within an area surrounding the vehicle (100), a first number of the sensor signals being indicative of a first lateral region (106) of the vehicle (100) and a second number of the sensor signals being indicative of a second lateral region (108) of the vehicle (100) opposite the first lateral region (106); determining (S2) whether an obstacle (300) is present in the first and / or second lateral regions (106, 108) based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals; determining (S3) a trajectory (TR) of the vehicle (100) passing through the first or second side region (106, 108) when it is determined that there is no obstacle (300) in each side region (106, 108); A step (S4) of starting autonomous movement along the determined trajectory (TR); Includes.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for operating a parking assistance system, a computer program product, a parking assistance system and a vehicle comprising such a parking assistance system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional parking assistance systems are designed to assist the user of a vehicle in parking and unparking. For example, the parking process can be semi-autonomous, where the vehicle steers automatically but the user controls the accelerator and brake. Fully autonomous systems are also known, where the user does not need to take any action themselves.

[0003] One problem with such parking assistance systems is capturing the surrounding environment. Especially in dynamic environments where moving objects and other road users exist, the surrounding environment around the vehicle may constantly change, so the surrounding environment needs to be captured regularly, preferably in a timely manner. Conventional parking assistance systems capture the surrounding environment using ultrasonic sensors in the front and rear areas of the vehicle. For example, the sensors capture the surrounding environment in front and rear of the vehicle as well as a limited lateral area within the fender area. However, the sides of the vehicle are "blind" to the parking assistance system when the vehicle is stationary. When the vehicle is moving at a certain minimum speed, the scanning area, especially the lateral area, can be used to estimate whether there is an object on the side of the vehicle. However, when the vehicle is below the minimum speed or stationary, this is not possible because a moving object may enter the area next to the vehicle at any time. Therefore, during autonomous driving in this state, it is important to ensure that the vehicle first moves forward or backward before turning to avoid the "blind" area.

[0004] The patent application WO 2007 / 024444 discloses an arrangement of environmental sensors on a vehicle that encompasses the side areas of the vehicle, whereby when a door is opened by a vehicle user, the detected sensor signals are used to warn the user if there is an obstacle to the side of the vehicle and / or to prevent or stop the door from being opened in that case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0078130 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Against this background, one of the objects of the present invention is to improve the operation of parking assistance systems.

[0007] Therefore, a method for operating a parking assistance system for a vehicle is proposed, the parking assistance system being designed for autonomous control of the vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors disposed on the vehicle, each sensor signal indicating an obstacle disposed in a particular region within an area surrounding the vehicle, a first number of the sensor signals indicating a first lateral region of the vehicle, and a second number of the sensor signals indicating a second lateral region of the vehicle opposite the first lateral region; determining whether an obstacle is present in the first and / or second lateral regions based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals; determining a trajectory of the vehicle passing through the first or second side area when it is determined that there is no obstacle in each side area; Initiating autonomous movement along the determined trajectory; Includes.

[0008] This method has the advantage that the areas to the sides of the vehicle are not "undetectable" areas, so the parking assistance system can use these areas to determine a trajectory, especially from a stationary state, when they are clear. Conventional parking assistance systems, which cannot detect obstacles in the side areas, must move forward approximately one vehicle length in a straight line to cover the side areas, so that the detection range of the vehicle's front or rear sensors passes through the entire side area. This method is particularly advantageous when a vehicle is parked in a vertically or angled parking space and is expected to autonomously unpark. In these situations, a better trajectory can be achieved if the vehicle moves over the side areas of the parked vehicle, but this is only possible if these areas are free of obstacles. Compared to vehicles that have side sensors but only consider detected obstacles for door protection purposes, the proposed method is particularly different in that it uses the side areas to determine a trajectory based on the strength of obstacle detection.

[0009] The parking assistance system is designed for semi-autonomous or fully autonomous control or operation of the vehicle. Semi-autonomous control is understood to mean, for example, that the parking assistance system controls the steering system and / or the automatic gear selection system. Fully autonomous operation is understood to mean, for example, that the parking assistance system also controls the drive and braking systems. The control is based, inter alia, on received sensor signals indicative of the operating state of the vehicle and the area surrounding the vehicle.

[0010] Each number of sensor signals may include one or more sensor signals. For example, the number may be selected based on the strength of the respective sensor technology so that they can be used to estimate the location of each obstacle. For example, three ultrasonic sensor signals may be advantageous for this purpose, and these signals may be used to trilaterate the obstacle. Alternatively or additionally, a single radar, lidar, or image signal from a 3D camera, such as a stereo or time-of-flight camera, may be sufficient for this purpose.

[0011] The respective side areas extend in particular between the front and rear axles of a two-axle vehicle, and in the case of a four-door vehicle, the side areas in particular include the door areas.

[0012] If the parking assistance system determines that there are no obstacles on the sides of the vehicle based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals, the parking assistance system can plan a trajectory that includes the side areas. If the parking assistance system determines that there are obstacles in each side area, it plans a trajectory that excludes collisions with the found obstacles. This improves both safety and vehicle efficiency in autonomous driving mode. Additionally, a trajectory that passes through each side area means that the vehicle does not need to move as far forward, thereby avoiding, for example, using oncoming traffic lanes.

[0013] The situation where the track passes through a first or second lateral region is understood to mean that the vehicle passes through each lateral region at least in places as it travels along the track, for example with the rear wheels of the vehicle passing through the lateral region.

[0014] The trajectory does not necessarily have to pass through each side region if the respective region is free of obstacles, rather the trajectory is planned accordingly if it provides benefits such as safer operation of the vehicle and / or a simpler and faster trajectory.

[0015] Initiating autonomous movement along the determined trajectory involves outputting appropriate control signals to each vehicle system, such as the steering system in semi-autonomous driving mode, and also the motors in fully autonomous driving mode.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the method, the plurality of identified regions form a substantially enclosed region around the vehicle.

[0017] This means that it is possible to determine, based on the received sensor signals, the presence of an obstacle located anywhere within a certain maximum distance around the vehicle. "Substantially surrounded" means that smaller areas, such as an area up to 5 cm wide, may not be encompassed.

[0018] In an embodiment, the plurality of specific regions form an enclosed region around the vehicle, in particular a completely enclosed region.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the method, each of the first and / or second number of sensor signals includes at least three ultrasonic sensor signals.

[0020] The position of the obstacle relative to the vehicle can be determined by trilaterating the detected obstacle based on the three ultrasonic sensor signals, which come from three different ultrasonic sensors.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the method, each of the first and / or second number of sensor signals includes at least one radar sensor signal, a lidar sensor signal and / or a camera sensor signal.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the method, the environmental sensors from which the first and second number of sensor signals are received are activated only if the speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined upper speed limit, the upper speed limit being selected in the range of 2 to 60 km / h, in particular 3 to 30 km / h, preferably 10 km / h, preferably 7 km / h, more preferably 5 km / h.

[0023] This is advantageous because it can save energy and processing power. Further environmental sensors, such as those detecting areas to the sides of the fenders, may continue to operate. The obstacles detected by these environmental sensors to the front and / or rear sides of the vehicle can be used to estimate whether there are obstacles in the respective side areas, so turning off the aforementioned environmental sensors does not have any adverse effects. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for ultrasonic sensors.

[0024] According to another embodiment of the method, the method is performed for autonomously unparking a vehicle, and the determined trajectory connects the parked position of the vehicle with the driving position of the vehicle.

[0025] In the driving position of the vehicle, the user of the vehicle is in particular in control of the vehicle.

[0026] According to another embodiment of the method, the vehicle has not moved for more than a predetermined minimum time before the method is performed.

[0027] When the vehicle is stationary, an object or obstacle may move into the side area of ​​the vehicle. This may occur without the environmental sensors noticing. Therefore, it cannot be reliably assumed that a previously free side area will still be free after a predetermined stopping time. The predetermined minimum time is, for example, 10 seconds, preferably 5 seconds, and preferably 3 seconds.

[0028] According to another embodiment of the method, the received first number and the received second number of sensor signals are further used to determine whether an obstacle is present in a pivot area of ​​the vehicle door, and a predetermined action is performed if an obstacle is found in the pivot area.

[0029] This means that each environmental sensor from which the first and second number of sensor signals are received performs a dual function, thereby reducing the complexity of the vehicle and the parking assistance system and saving resources. The predetermined action may include, for example, outputting a warning message to the vehicle user, preventing the door from opening, and / or preventing the door from opening beyond a predetermined range. The predetermined range depends, inter alia, on the distance between the detected obstacle and the vehicle.

[0030] According to a second aspect, a computer program product is proposed comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the first aspect.

[0031] The computer forms, inter alia, a parking assistance system.

[0032] A computer program product, such as a computer program means, may be available as a storage medium, e.g. a memory card, a USB stick, a CD-ROM, a DVD, etc. or may be provided or supplied in the form of a downloadable file from a server in a network, e.g. by transmitting the computer program product or a corresponding file containing the computer program means in a wireless communication network.

[0033] According to a third aspect, a parking assistance system for a vehicle is proposed. The parking assistance system is designed for autonomous control of the vehicle. The parking assistance system comprises: a receiver for receiving a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors disposed on the vehicle, each sensor signal indicating an obstacle disposed in a particular region within an area surrounding the vehicle, a first number of the sensor signals indicating a first lateral region of the vehicle, and a second number of the sensor signals indicating a second lateral region of the vehicle opposite the first lateral region; a detection unit that determines whether an obstacle is present in the first and / or second side regions based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals; a determination unit that determines a trajectory of the vehicle passing through the first or second side region when no obstacle is found in the respective side region; a control unit that starts autonomous movement along the determined trajectory; It has.

[0034] The embodiments and features described for the proposed method according to the first aspect apply mutatis mutandis to the proposed parking assistance system.

[0035] Each unit of the parking assistance system can be implemented in hardware and / or software. In a hardware implementation, each unit may be in the form of, for example, a computer or a microprocessor. In a software implementation, each unit may be in the form of a computer program product, a function, a routine, an algorithm, a portion of program code, or an executable object. Furthermore, each unit mentioned in this specification may be in the form of a part of a higher-level control system of the vehicle, such as a central electronic control unit and / or an engine control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit).

[0036] The parking assistance system is especially designed to carry out the method according to the first aspect.

[0037] According to a fourth aspect, a vehicle is proposed. The vehicle has a plurality of environmental sensors, each designed to detect obstacles located in a specific region of an area surrounding the vehicle and output a corresponding sensor signal, a first number of environmental sensors designed to detect a first lateral region of the vehicle, and a second number of environmental sensors designed to detect a second lateral region of the vehicle opposite the first lateral region. The vehicle also includes a parking assistance system according to the third aspect.

[0038] The vehicle is, for example, a car or a truck. The embodiments and features described for the parking assistance system according to the third aspect and the embodiments and features described for the method of operating the parking assistance system according to the first aspect apply mutatis mutandis to the vehicle and vice versa.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the vehicle, the plurality of environmental sensors includes one or more ultrasonic sensors, one or more radar sensors, one or more lidar sensors, and / or one or more cameras.

[0040] According to another embodiment of the vehicle, at least one of the first and second number of environmental sensors is arranged on a vehicle side of the vehicle corresponding to the respective lateral region.

[0041] For example, the respective environmental sensors are arranged in the door area of ​​the vehicle, in particular in the area of ​​the vehicle door, the side mirror area, the B-pillar area and / or the C-pillar area.

[0042] According to another embodiment of the vehicle, each at least one environmental sensor is arranged in a portion of a side of the vehicle between a front axle of the vehicle and a rear axle of the vehicle.

[0043] According to another embodiment of the vehicle, each of the first and second numbers of environmental sensors includes at least three ultrasonic sensors, each of the three ultrasonic sensors being positioned on a side of the vehicle corresponding to a respective lateral region so as to define a plane.

[0044] The three ultrasonic sensors are arranged in a triangle, or one could say they form a triangle. This arrangement allows obstacles to be trilaterated. It is therefore possible to determine height information about the obstacles in particular, which means that surmountable obstacles, such as curbs, can be distinguished from insurmountable obstacles, such as other road users. The ultrasonic sensors are not arranged in a particular row.

[0045] Further possible implementations of the present invention also include combinations of features or embodiments described in the preceding or following exemplary embodiments that are not explicitly mentioned. Those skilled in the art will also add individual aspects to each basic form of the present invention as improvements or supplements.

[0046] Further advantageous configurations and aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and exemplary embodiments of the invention described below. The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0047] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first traffic situation. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second traffic situation. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a parking assistance system. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a parking assistance system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] In the drawings, identical or functionally identical elements are designated by the same reference numbers unless otherwise stated.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a schematic overhead view of a vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may be, for example, an automobile. The automobile 100 may include, for example, a parking assistance system 110 in the form of a control unit. Additionally, multiple environmental sensors 120 are disposed on the automobile 100, which are combined for purposes of illustrating the present invention into environmental sensor groups 122, 124, 126, and 128. Each group 122, 124, 126, and 128 has a respective detection range 102, 104, 106, and 108. To provide a better overview, the detection ranges 102 and 104 in front of and behind the vehicle 100 are shown with dashed lines, while the detection ranges 106 and 108 to the sides are shown using solid lines. It should be noted that combining the environmental sensors into groups 122, 124, 126, and 128 only serves to provide a better overview. Each environmental sensor 120 and its respective detection range can also be viewed individually (not shown).

[0050] Group 122 includes six individual environmental sensors 120, and group 124 also includes six individual environmental sensors 120, e.g., ultrasonic sensors that collectively form respective ultrasonic sensor arrays. Groups 122, 124 are designed to detect obstacles 300 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 ) within regions 102, 104 located in front of and behind vehicle 100. Regions 102, 104 each extend to some extent laterally around vehicle 100, e.g., to the front and rear axles of vehicle 100. The placement of ultrasonic sensors 120 within groups 122 and 124 is known and is used, among other things, in parking assistance systems, e.g., to warn the driver of obstacles in front of or behind the vehicle and / or their distance from the vehicle, and / or to provide autonomous parking functionality.

[0051] However, the areas 102, 104 detected by the known groups 122, 124 are at a large distance from each other to the sides of the vehicle 100, resulting in large areas on either side of the vehicle that are not detected by these groups 122, 124. Therefore, two further groups 126, 128 of environmental sensors 120 are provided to also detect obstacles 300 present in the respective side areas 106, 108, whose detection ranges 106 and 108 specifically fill the gap between the detection ranges 102 and 104. Thus, all of the detection ranges 102, 104, 106 and 108 together form an enclosed area, specifically around the vehicle 100.

[0052] It should be noted that a single environmental sensor 120, such as a single radar sensor, a single lidar sensor, or a single 3D camera, may be provided in place of each of the groups 122, 124, 126, 128. Also, several further environmental sensors 120 and / or groups 122, 124, 126, 128 may be replaced by a corresponding single environmental sensor 120, provided that the single environmental sensor 120 has an appropriately large detection range. For example, a single radar or lidar sensor located on the roof of the vehicle 100 may be sufficient to detect an enclosed area around the vehicle 100.

[0053] Additionally, the automobile 100 may include various additional sensor devices, such as wheel speed sensors, wheel angle sensors, microphones, acceleration sensors, antennas with associated receivers for receiving electromagnetically transmittable data signals, and the like.

[0054] The parking assistance system 110 has a configuration such as that shown in Fig. 5, and is designed to execute the method of Fig. 6. The advantages of the parking assistance system 110 will be described below with reference to Figs.

[0055] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a first traffic situation. Parking spaces 210 are positioned vertically on the sides of a road 200. On either side of the vehicle 100 in Figure 1, for example, there are obstacles 300. In this example, these are other parked vehicles 300. The side areas 106, 108 therefore contain obstacles 300 that are detected by the respective number of environmental sensors 126, 128 (see Figure 1).

[0056] To unpark the vehicle 100 in this situation, the vehicle 100 must first move forward from the parking space to avoid a collision with the adjacently parked vehicle 300. As an example, a corresponding trajectory TR is shown, which is planned or determined by the parking assistance system 110 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 5) based on received sensor signals. Dashed lines I-IV indicate the trajectories along which each wheel of the vehicle 100 follows as the vehicle 100 moves out of the parking space according to the trajectory TR. Line I corresponds to the left front wheel, line II to the left rear wheel, line III to the right front wheel, and line IV to the right rear wheel. It can be seen that in this case the lateral area 108 is essentially not crossed, but the vehicle 100 clearly moves into the oncoming lane (in the case of right-hand traffic).

[0057] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a second traffic situation similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2, except that no other vehicle 300 is parked to the right of the vehicle 100. Therefore, no obstacles 300 exist in the side area 108 adjacent to the vehicle 100. This is determined by the parking assistance system 110 based on sensor signals indicating the right side area 108 of the vehicle 100. Therefore, the parking assistance system 110 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 5) can plan or determine a trajectory TR for unparking the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 crosses the side area 108 when unparking. This is indicated by dashed lines I-IV, which indicate the trajectories along which each wheel of the vehicle 100 passes. The relationship between the lines and the wheels is as described with reference to FIG. 2. In particular, the vehicle 100 can turn away from a standstill, which means that the right rear wheel passes through the side area 108. It can also be said that the trajectory TR passes through the side area 108. On this trajectory TR, the vehicle 100 advantageously does not enter the oncoming lane, making the unparking maneuver safer.

[0058] It should be noted that a conventional parking assistance system that does not receive a sensor signal based on whether an obstacle 300 is detected on the side of the vehicle 100 must still plan the trajectory TR depicted with reference to Figure 2 in this situation to ensure that the side region 108 is not crossed, since the conventional parking assistance system does not know whether an obstacle 300 is present in the side region 108 due to the lack of an appropriate sensor signal.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a vehicle 100 equipped with a parking assistance system 110. The parking assistance system 110 may be configured as shown in FIG. 5 and may be designed to perform the method of FIG. 6. The left side of the vehicle is shown. The vehicle 100 has two doors (not shown). Each door is equipped with a respective group 131, 132 of three ultrasonic sensors, each shown as a black dot. Each group 131, 132 is designed to detect an obstacle 300 (see FIG. 2 or 3) within a corresponding side region 106, 108 of the vehicle 100 (see FIGS. 1-3). The ultrasonic sensors 131, 132 may be visibly or invisibly arranged on the vehicle 100. The triangular arrangement shown here allows the height of the obstacle 300 to be determined using trilateration, thereby making it possible to distinguish, for example, a curb from a larger obstacle.

[0060] A further environmental sensor 133 is further shown in the upper region of the B-pillar of the vehicle 100, for example a radar or lidar sensor. This single sensor 133 may be sufficient to completely cover the left side region 106 (see FIG. 1 ) of the vehicle 100, meaning that it can be used, for example, as a replacement for the groups 131, 132. In other words, for example, only the sensor 133 may be present and the groups 131, 132 can be omitted without any functional limitations.

[0061] 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a parking assistance system 110 for, for example, the vehicle 100 of FIGS. 1-4. The parking assistance system 110 is designed for autonomous control of the vehicle 100. The parking assistance system 110 includes a receiver 112 that receives a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133 (see FIGS. 1 and 4) disposed on the vehicle, each of the sensor signals indicating an obstacle 300 (see FIG. 2 or 3) located in a specific region 102, 104, 106, 108 (see FIGS. 1-3) within an area surrounding the vehicle 100, wherein a first number of the sensor signals indicate a first lateral region 106 of the vehicle 100 and a second number of the sensor signals indicate a second lateral region 108 of the vehicle 100 opposite the first lateral region 106.

[0062] The parking assistance system 110 also includes a detection unit 114 that determines whether there is an obstacle 300 in the first and / or second lateral areas 106, 108 based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals, a determination unit 116 that determines a trajectory TR (see Figure 2 or Figure 3) of the vehicle 100 passing through the first or second lateral area 106, 108 if no obstacle 300 is found in the respective lateral areas 106, 108, and a control unit 118 that starts autonomous movement along the determined trajectory TR.

[0063] The parking assistance system 110 is designed to carry out the method described with reference to FIG.

[0064] 6 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a parking assistance system 110 (see FIGS. 1-4) for a vehicle 100, such as the parking assistance system 110 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5. The parking assistance system 110 is designed for autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A first step S1 includes receiving a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 4) disposed on the vehicle, each sensor signal indicating an obstacle 300 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) located in a specific region 102, 104, 106, 108 (see FIGS. 1-3) within an area surrounding the vehicle 100, wherein a first number of the sensor signals indicate a first lateral region 106 of the vehicle 100 and a second number of the sensor signals indicate a second lateral region 108 of the vehicle 100 opposite the first lateral region 106. A second step S2 includes determining whether there is an obstacle 300 in the first and / or second lateral regions 106, 108 based on the strengths of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals. A third step S3 includes determining a trajectory TR (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) of the vehicle 100 passing through the first or second lateral region 106, 108 if there is no obstacle 300 in the respective lateral region 106, 108, and a fourth step S4 includes starting autonomous movement along the determined trajectory TR.

[0065] Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, the invention can be varied in many different ways. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 100 vehicles 102 areas 104 areas 106 areas 108 areas 110 Parking Assist System 112 Receiving unit 114 Detector 116 Decision Section 118 Control Unit 120 Environmental Sensors 122 Multiple Environmental Sensors 124 Multiple Environmental Sensors 126 Multiple Environmental Sensors 128 Multiple Environmental Sensors 131 Multiple Environmental Sensors 132 Multiple Environmental Sensors 133 Multiple Environmental Sensors 200 road 210 parking spaces 300 Obstacles I trajectory II Trajectory III Trajectory IV Trajectory S1 Method step S2 Method step S3 Method step S4 Method step TR orbit

Claims

1. A method of operating a parking assistance system (110) for a vehicle (100), the parking assistance system (110) being designed for autonomous control of the vehicle (100), the method comprising: a step (S1) of receiving a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) disposed on the vehicle (100) parked in a parking space, each of the sensor signals indicating an obstacle (300) disposed in a specific region (102, 104, 106, 108) within an area surrounding the vehicle (100), a first number of the sensor signals indicating a first lateral region (106) of the vehicle (100), and a second number of the sensor signals indicating a second lateral region (108) of the vehicle (100) opposite the first lateral region (106); determining (S2) whether an obstacle (300) is present in the first and / or second lateral regions (106, 108) based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals; determining (S3) a trajectory (TR) of the vehicle (100) moving from the parking space through one of the first and second lateral regions (106, 108) that is determined to be free of an obstacle (300); a step (S4) of starting autonomous movement along the determined trajectory (TR); A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identified regions (102, 104, 106, 108) form an enclosed area around the vehicle (100).

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the first and / or second number of sensor signals comprises at least three ultrasonic sensor signals.

4. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the first and / or second number of sensor signals comprises at least one radar sensor signal, a lidar sensor signal and / or a camera sensor signal.

5. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the environmental sensors (126, 128, 131, 132, 133) from which the first and second number of sensor signals are received are activated only when the speed of the vehicle (100) is below a predetermined upper speed limit, the upper speed limit being between 2 and 60 km / h.

6. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the method is performed for autonomously unparking the vehicle (100), and the determined trajectory (TR) connects a parked position of the vehicle (100) with a driving position of the vehicle (100).

7. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vehicle (100) is stationary for more than a predetermined minimum period before the method is executed.

8. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number and the second number of received sensor signals are further used to determine whether an obstacle is present in a pivot area of ​​a door of the vehicle, and a predetermined action is performed if an obstacle is found in the pivot area.

9. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when said program is executed by a computer, cause said computer to carry out the method according to claim 1 or 2.

10. A parking assistance system (110) for a vehicle (100), said parking assistance system (110) being designed for autonomous control of said vehicle (100), a receiver (112) configured to receive a plurality of sensor signals from a corresponding plurality of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) disposed on the vehicle (100) parked in a parking space, each of the sensor signals indicating an obstacle (300) disposed in a specific region (102, 104, 106, 108) within an area surrounding the vehicle (100), a first number of the sensor signals indicating a first lateral region (106) of the vehicle (100), and a second number of the sensor signals indicating a second lateral region (108) of the vehicle (100) opposite the first lateral region (106); a detection unit (114) that determines whether an obstacle (300) is present in the first and / or second side regions (106, 108) based on the strength of the received first and / or second number of sensor signals; a determination unit (116) for determining a trajectory (TR) of the vehicle (100) moving from the parking space through one of the first and second lateral regions (106, 108) in which the obstacle (300) is not found; a control unit (118) that starts autonomous movement along the determined trajectory (TR); A parking assistance system (110) comprising:

11. A vehicle (100), a plurality of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133), each of which is designed to detect an obstacle (300) located in a specific region (102, 104, 106, 108) of an area surrounding the vehicle (100) and output a corresponding sensor signal; a plurality of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133), one of the environmental sensors (126) designed to detect a first side region (106) of the vehicle (100), and a second of the environmental sensors (128) designed to detect a second side region (108) of the vehicle (100) opposite the first side region (106); A vehicle (100) comprising a parking assistance system (110) according to claim 10.

12. 12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the plurality of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) comprises one or more ultrasonic sensors, one or more radar sensors, one or more lidar sensors, and / or one or more cameras.

13. 13. The vehicle according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that at least one of the first number and the second number of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) is arranged on a vehicle side of the vehicle (100) corresponding to each of the lateral regions (106, 108).

14. 14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein each of the at least one environmental sensor (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) is arranged in a portion of the vehicle side between a front axle of the vehicle (100) and a rear axle of the vehicle (100).

15. 13. The vehicle according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that each of the first number and the second number of environmental sensors (120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 131, 132, 133) comprises at least three ultrasonic sensors (131, 132), and each of the three ultrasonic sensors (131, 132) is arranged on a side of the vehicle corresponding to each of the lateral regions so as to define a plane.

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