Infrastructure-based control of a driverless vehicle with trailer

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for the infrastructure-based control of driverless vehicles, comprising a central control unit (1) for determining trajectories for each of the vehicles (3) to be moved, wherein the control unit (1) is designed to transmit movement commands to each vehicle (3), so that a relevant vehicle (3) executes a given trajectory following the movement commands, characterised in that the system comprises a sensor unit (5) for acquiring data with geometric information, wherein the central control unit (1) is designed, on the basis of the data from the sensor unit (5), to identify whether a relevant vehicle (3) has a trailer (7) coupled to it, and, if applicable from the data from the sensor unit (5), to determine geometric dimensions of the trailer (7), and, on the basis of the determined geometric dimensions, to determine the movement commands for the vehicle (3) with the detected trailer (7).

Description

[0001] INFRASTRUCTURE-BASED CONTROL OF A DRIVERLESS VEHICLE WITH TRAILER

[0002] The invention relates to a system for infrastructure-based control of driverless vehicles.

[0003] Automated vehicles can take over driving independently. The extent to which human driver intervention or monitoring is still necessary depends on the vehicle's level of automation. From simple speed control systems to automated lane-keeping assistants, highly automated vehicles can eliminate the need for human intervention while driving. Only fully autonomous vehicles will completely take over route guidance and local maneuver planning.

[0004] Since a highly automated vehicle is typically designed to perform its own maneuver planning, numerous individually acting road users act as agents. However, globally optimal traffic management could be achieved if a central control center coordinates all road users and takes over maneuver planning for them. In general traffic situations, this idea usually fails due to the size of traffic spaces and the sensors required. However, if a confined traffic space is present, such as a factory site or parking garage, this idea can be easily implemented, with a central control unit not only coordinating the vehicles' interactions with one another but also optimizing the individual maneuver planning of the vehicles, so that, for example, they can be parked in very tight parking spaces, which would be almost impossible for human drivers.

[0005] For this purpose, it is common practice for the individual vehicles to be controlled by the control center to transmit information about themselves to the control center, particularly geometric information when parking maneuvers are planned. However, trailers attached to the vehicles are typically not taken into account in zones such as the driverless "Automated Valet Parking System." This can lead to problems: Firstly, there is a risk of incorrect calculations for the space required by the vehicle with a trailer if the trailer is not noticed by the control center. For example, if the space required for route planning and maneuver planning of the vehicle-trailer combination is calculated solely based on data transmitted from the towing vehicle, a collision with obstacles, buildings, or other vehicles can occur, particularly when cornering or reversing.On the other hand, the trailer itself could be mistakenly identified by the control center as an obstacle, preventing the towing vehicle from reversing out of a parking space, for example, because the control center assumes that the towing vehicle would otherwise collide with the obstacle, which is actually the trailer. The vehicle's reversing would then be aborted or even not started in the first place.

[0006] The maneuvering and parking of vehicle combinations of highly automated vehicles is approached in several ways in the state of the art:

[0007] WO 2020 210808 A1 relates to a method for autonomously parking a vehicle-trailer system. The method comprises receiving sensor system data from a sensor system supported by the vehicle. The sensor data includes environmental images along a route of the vehicle-trailer system. The method comprises determining a local map based on the sensor system data. The local map contains the environment along the route. The method comprises receiving a user selection of an image position within the images. The image position represents a position in the local map that is linked to a selected position in the environment.The method includes determining a parking path from a current position of the vehicle-trailer system to the position based on the local map and instructing a drive system to perform an autonomous parking behavior, causing the vehicle-trailer system to autonomously drive along the parking path and autonomously park at the selected location.

[0008] DE 11 2018 003 590 T5 further relates to a method for determining a vehicle path for a vehicle system for parking in a parking lot, the method comprising: receiving at a path control device one or more images; recognizing by the path control device one or more available parking spaces based on the one or more images; displaying on a user interface connected to the path control device a representation of the recognized one or more available parking spaces; receiving at the user interface a driver selection of a representation of the recognized one or more available parking spaces; determining by the path control device a path from a current position of the vehicle system to an available parking space that is associated with the driver selection of the representation of the recognized one or more available parking spaces;and instructing a drive system of the vehicle system, which is in communication with the path control device, to drive the vehicle system autonomously along the determined path;

[0009] The object of the invention is to improve the central infrastructure-based control for remote control of at least one vehicle with a trailer.

[0010] The invention is based on the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] A first aspect of the invention relates to a system for infrastructure-based control of driverless vehicles, comprising a central control unit for coordinating the vehicles and for determining trajectories for maneuver planning for each of the vehicles to be moved, wherein the control unit is designed to transmit movement commands to a respective one of the vehicles, so that a respective one of the vehicles, following the movement commands and moved by its own drive, executes a respective predetermined trajectory, characterized in that the system has a sensor unit for acquiring data with geometric information, wherein the central control unit is designed to detect, based on the data from the sensor unit, whether a respective vehicle has a trailer coupled to it, and if so, to determine geometric dimensions of the trailer from the data from the sensor unit,and to determine the movement commands for the vehicle with the detected trailer based on the determined geometric dimensions.

[0012] The infrastructure-based control system is used, for example, in a demarcated area such as a parking garage, on a factory site, in a logistics area, or elsewhere. A prerequisite for its proper use is that at least one vehicle is available that can be controlled by the central control unit. The central control unit is designed to calculate route planning and a trajectory for a respective vehicle within such an area that can be reached by the central control unit, particularly wirelessly, in order to transmit the movement commands to the respective vehicles.

[0013] While in conventional systems, the vehicles themselves typically transmit their geometric dimensions (or a vehicle identification or model designation for reference in a database of dimensions) to the system to enable optimal path planning by the central control unit, the proposed system detects when a vehicle is towing a trailer and, in this case, independently determines the trailer's dimensions. Thus, for optimal path planning, not only the geometric dimensions of the towing vehicle but also those of the trailer can be considered.

[0014] The sensor unit provides the data that allows the central control unit to measure the trailer. The sensor data must exhibit appropriate properties. Depending on the sensor unit used, various methods for geometric interpretation are employed. References on the ground or on another static object with known geometric dimensions can be used, allowing the central control unit to use a distance-dependent geometric reference. If lidar systems, artificial neural networks with distance estimation, time-of-flight cameras, or suitable 3D cameras are used, the geometric data can sometimes be obtained more easily and without a stationary reference.

[0015] By knowing the geometric dimensions of the towing vehicle and the trailer, the central control unit can adapt movement data beyond the geometric dimensions, for example, adjusting curve radii or envelopes around the curve radii that must be available as the required driving path. The geometric dimensions determined by the central control unit include, in particular, the length, width, and height of the trailer.

[0016] By determining a sufficient data set, the sensor unit allows the central control unit to obtain the required information about the geometric dimensions and, optionally, the key data that are crucial for the trailer's kinematic behavior (e.g., the position of the axle(s) on the trailer and the drawbar length, etc.), the fact that the required data about the trailer is often only partially known to an arriving driver in the vehicle itself, or only partially known, is taken into account, and thus cannot be transmitted directly to the central control unit. This is therefore advantageously achieved independently and fully automatically through the interaction of the sensor unit and the central control unit of the stationary system.

[0017] In principle, the central control unit is configured to coordinate multiple vehicles; however, only a single vehicle can be commanded at a time within the area covered by the infrastructure-based control system. However, if multiple vehicles are present in the area, appropriate trajectory planning must be carried out, taking the large number of vehicles into account, to prevent collisions between the vehicles and ensure a globally optimized traffic flow.

[0018] One advantageous effect of the invention is that a trailer is recognized, and its size can be estimated, too. Thanks to the additional data about the trailer, particularly difficult driving tasks with the trailer can be safely performed by the system's central control unit in a confined area such as an underground car park. This also includes automated reversing and the loading and unloading of vehicles with trailers, for example, a passenger car with a 750 kg trailer in a DIY store parking lot. Industrial trucks, trucks, and other work machines that have a trailer attached can thus also be safely and reliably controlled by the central control unit.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment, the central control unit is designed to determine a required travel path for a respective vehicle with a trailer depending on the determined geometric dimensions of the trailer, and to generate the movement commands depending on the required travel path.

[0020] The required driving path specifies the corridor with a specific width that must be available for the vehicle with trailer so that the vehicle can travel along the corridor without collision. The required driving path for combinations consisting of a towing vehicle and trailer can be larger, especially in curves, than that of single-vehicle towing vehicles. The actual size of the required driving path depends in particular on the drawbar length, the arrangement of the axles or the individual axle on the trailer, and whether a kinematic device is installed on the trailer to fulfill or approximate the Ackermann condition, for example, by means of a steering trapeze for one or more pairs of wheels.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the central control unit is designed to determine, based on the data of the sensor unit, at least one of: a position of the axles or the wheels on the trailer, a track width of the trailer, a position of the attachment point of the trailer, a drawbar length of the trailer, the number and position of the wheels articulated by means of the drawbar, and to determine the required travel distance based thereon.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the central control unit is designed to define the axle position lying in the region of a rear end of the trailer if the actual axle position cannot be determined by the central control unit using the data from the sensor unit.

[0023] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the central control unit is designed to define the track width by equating it with the determined width of the trailer if the actual track width cannot be determined by the central control unit using the data from the sensor unit.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the sensor unit comprises at least one of the following: lidar unit, camera unit, 3D camera, time-of-flight camera, ultrasonic distance measuring unit.

[0025] The sensor unit is preferably arranged stationary on elements of the infrastructure, for example a roof of a parking garage, a mast on a privately used logistics site, or similar.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the sensor unit is arranged in an entrance zone of an area with the infrastructure-based control.

[0027] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the system further comprises a receiver unit designed to receive data transmitted from a vehicle via its trailer, wherein the central control unit is designed to combine the data received from the receiver unit with the data about the trailer generated by the central control unit by means of the sensor unit.

[0028] If relevant data can actually be transmitted from a vehicle via its trailer to the central control unit, then this opportunity can be used according to this embodiment. The data transmission can be initiated, for example, by the driver of the vehicle or another user via an application on a mobile device, or for example via an online portal. The time frame is largely irrelevant, so that previously stored data can also be used. Further advantages, features and details emerge from the following description, in which at least one exemplary embodiment is described in detail - if necessary with reference to the drawing. Identical, similar and / or functionally equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0029] They show:

[0030] Fig. 1: An infrastructure-based control for a driverless vehicle with a trailer according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0031] Fig. 2: A situation of a track guidance of a vehicle with a trailer.

[0032] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a system for the infrastructure-based control of driverless vehicles. It depicts the arrival area of ​​an underground car park. This underground car park forms a special zone separated from public traffic, allowing automated vehicles 3 to be controlled by a central control unit 1. A human driver is not required for this. Rather, the system's central control unit 1 transmits movement commands to the vehicle 3. The movement commands are implemented in the vehicle 3, for example, to load or unload the vehicle 3, or to park it forwards or backwards. The vehicle 3 has a corresponding interface for receiving the movement commands from the central control unit 1 and for implementing them on the specific hardware of the vehicle 3 so that the movement commands can actually be executed.This presents the difficulty that vehicle 3 has a trailer 7 attached. In order to precisely maneuver vehicle 3 based on the path planning of central control unit 1, central control unit 1 needs to know the geometric dimensions not only of vehicle 3, but also those of trailer 7. On the one hand, it is important for central control unit 1 to detect trailer 7 right from the start in order to avoid mistakenly interpreting it as a stationary obstacle and preventing vehicle 3 from reversing. On the other hand, it is important for central control unit 1 to know the geometric dimensions and dynamic properties of trailer 7 in order to optimally perform path planning.Part of the procedure of the central control unit 1 is to determine a required driving path that must be free of obstacles in order to be able to move the vehicle 3 together with the trailer 7 without collision. This situation is shown as an example in Fig. 2, where the determined driving path is represented by dashed lines for the cornering envelope of the vehicle 3. Since the trailer 7 is not clearly in line with the vehicle 3, a wider driving path is required than when the vehicle 3 is traveling alone. To take this into account, the system in Fig. 1 detects the trailer 7 using a camera-based sensor unit 5, and data from the cameras is transmitted to the central control unit 1. This calculates geometric properties of the trailer 7 from the image data from the cameras 5, in particular a drawbar length, the number of axles of the trailer 7, and the track width of the trailer 7. While in Fig.1 shows a short trailer 7 with relatively good tracking behavior, to illustrate a worse situation a longer trailer 7 with poorer tracking behavior is sketched in Fig. 2.

[0034] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of variations exist. It is also clear that exemplary embodiments are truly only examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope, possible applications, or configuration of the invention in any way.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

[0035] List of reference symbols

[0036] 1 control unit

[0037] 3 vehicles

[0038] 5 Sensor unit

[0039] 7 followers

Claims

Patent claims 1. A system for the infrastructure-based control of driverless vehicles, comprising a central control unit (1) for determining trajectories for maneuver planning for each of the vehicles (3) to be moved, wherein the control unit (1) is designed to transmit movement commands to a respective one of the vehicles (3) so that a respective one of the vehicles (3) follows the movement commands and moves under its own power, following a respective predetermined trajectory, characterized in that the system has a sensor unit (5) for acquiring data with geometric information, wherein the central control unit (1) is designed to detect, based on the data from the sensor unit (5), whether a respective vehicle (3) has a trailer (7) coupled to it, and if so, to determine geometric dimensions of the trailer (7) from the data from the sensor unit (5),and to determine the movement commands for the vehicle (3) with the detected trailer (7) based on the determined geometric dimensions.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the central control unit (1) is designed to determine a required travel path for a respective vehicle (3) with trailer (7) depending on the determined geometric dimensions of the trailer (7), and to generate the movement commands depending on the required travel path.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the central control unit (1) is designed to determine, based on the data of the sensor unit (5), at least one of: a position of the axles or the wheels on the trailer (7), a track width of the trailer (7), a position of the attachment point of the trailer (7), a drawbar length of the trailer (7), the number and position of the wheels articulated by means of the drawbar, and to determine the required travel distance based thereon.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the central control unit (1) is designed to define the axle position in the region of a rear end of the trailer (7) if the actual axle position cannot be determined by the central control unit (1) using the data of the sensor unit (5).

5. System according to one of claims 3 to 4, wherein the central control unit (1) is designed to define the track width by equating it with the determined width of the trailer (7) if the actual track width cannot be determined by the central control unit (1) using the data from the sensor unit (5).

6. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor unit (5) comprises at least one of the following: lidar unit, camera unit, 3D camera, time-of-flight camera, ultrasonic distance measuring unit.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor unit (5) is arranged in an entrance zone of an area with the infrastructure-based control.

8. System according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a receiver unit which is designed to receive data transmitted from a vehicle (3) via its trailer (7), wherein the central control unit (1) is designed to combine the data received from the receiver unit with the data about the trailer (7) generated by the central control unit (1) by means of the sensor unit (5).

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