Method and device for determining the position of an environment sensor on a vehicle

Abstract

A method for determining the position of an environment sensor (4) on a vehicle (2) comprises: positioning at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b) at a first position in front of the vehicle (2); capturing a first image of the vehicle (2) by means of the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b) and determining the position of the vehicle (2) in a coordinate system of the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b); identifying the environment sensor (4) in the first image and determining the position of the environment sensor (4) in the coordinate system of the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b); positioning the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b) at a second position in front of the vehicle (2); capturing a second image of the vehicle (2) by means of the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b) and determining the position of the vehicle (2) in the coordinate system of the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b); identifying the environment sensor (4) in the second image and determining the position of the environment sensor (4) in the coordinate system of the at least one image-capturing device (12a, 12b); and determining a vehicle reference system from the captured images of the vehicle (2) and determining the position of the environment sensor (4) in the vehicle reference system.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title to determine the position of a em

[0003] The invention relates to a method and a device for determining the position of an environmental sensor on a vehicle, in particular on a motor vehicle.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Modern vehicles are often equipped with driver assistance systems that support the driver in driving the vehicle. A driver assistance system typically includes at least one environmental sensor designed to detect the vehicle's surroundings. Such environmental sensors can include, for example, optical cameras, radar sensors, and laser sensors, particularly LIDAR sensors.

[0006] While optical cameras are usually installed behind the windshield or rear window of the vehicle, radar sensors and laser sensors are often mounted directly on the body of the vehicle, for example behind a bumper.

[0007] After a vehicle repair, especially after a repair of the body, the positions of the environmental sensors in relation to the body must be checked and corrected if necessary to prevent incorrect data from being transmitted from the environmental sensors to the driver assistance system, which could result in a malfunction of the driver assistance system.

[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a method and a device which make it possible and in particular easier to determine and check the positions of environmental sensors on a vehicle. A method according to the invention for determining the position of an environmental sensor mounted on a vehicle comprises: positioning at least one image recording device at a first position in front of the vehicle; recording a first image of the vehicle with the at least one image recording device and determining the position of the vehicle in a coordinate system of the at least one image recording device; identifying the environmental sensor in the first image and determining the position of the environmental sensor in the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device.The method further comprises positioning the at least one image recording device at a second position in front of the vehicle; recording a second image of the vehicle with the at least one image recording device and determining the position of the vehicle in the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device; identifying the environmental sensor in the second image and determining the position of the environmental sensor in the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device.

[0009] The method comprises determining a vehicle reference system from the first or second recorded image of the vehicle and a transformation between this vehicle reference system and the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device.

[0010] The method further comprises determining a transformation between the first and second positions of the at least one image recording device in front of the vehicle from the images recorded in the first position and in the second position of the at least one image recording device, and using this transformation to determine the position of the environmental sensor in the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device by triangulation.

[0011] Finally, the method comprises using the previously determined transformation between the vehicle reference system and the coordinate system of the image recording devices to determine the position of the environmental sensor in the vehicle reference system from the previously determined position of the environmental sensor in the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device. The invention also encompasses a device for optical vehicle measurement ("vehicle measurement device"), which has at least one image recording device and is designed to carry out a method according to the invention for determining the position of an environmental sensor mounted on a vehicle.

[0012] A method and a device according to the invention make it possible to quickly, conveniently and reliably determine and check the position at which an environmental sensor is attached to a vehicle, in particular the position of an environmental sensor of a driver assistance system.

[0013] According to the invention, the position of the environmental sensor can be checked using a standardized procedure, and a digital record of the checking and calibration of the environmental sensor can be created.

[0014] With a method according to the invention and by using a device according to the invention, the risk of human error can be reduced. This can also improve the road safety of a vehicle equipped with a driver assistance system.

[0015] A method and a device according to the invention can be used in particular in the workshop area in order to be able to quickly and reliably determine and check the positions of environmental sensors after repairs, in particular after repairs to the body of the vehicle.

[0016] A device according to the invention can be a vehicle measurement device, such as those often already available in workshops. The additional costs incurred in the workshop area for implementing a method according to the invention can be reduced in this way.

[0017] Determining the position of the vehicle in the coordinate system of the at least one image recording device may, in particular, include determining the geometric longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The environmental sensor whose position is checked may be a radar sensor or a laser sensor, in particular a LIDAR sensor.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method comprises displaying the previously determined position of the environmental sensor in the vehicle reference system on a display device and / or outputting the determined position of the environmental sensor in the vehicle reference system via an output device. This makes it possible to verify the position of the environmental sensor on the vehicle.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method comprises comparing the position of the environmental sensor on the vehicle, determined according to the invention, with a predefined reference position of the environmental sensor. The method can, in particular, comprise issuing an error or warning message if the position of the environmental sensor on the vehicle, determined according to the invention, deviates from the predefined reference value by more than a predefined tolerance range. In this way, the position of the environmental sensor can be checked automatically. Checking the position of the environmental sensor can thus be simplified and accelerated, and the risk of human error can be further reduced.

[0020] In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying the environmental sensor using classical image pattern recognition methods in the captured images.

[0021] Alternatively or additionally, the method may comprise identifying the environmental sensor in the recorded images using artificial intelligence methods, e.g. using neural networks.

[0022] In one embodiment, the method comprises attaching at least one measuring plate to the vehicle and identifying it in the captured images of the vehicle. The at least one measuring plate can, in particular, be attached to at least one of the vehicle's wheels. By using at least one measuring plate, the accuracy and reliability of the method can be improved. In one embodiment, the method comprises attaching a measuring plate to each of two or four wheels of the vehicle. By using multiple measuring plates, the accuracy and reliability of the method can be further improved.

[0023] If multiple measurement boards are used, the vehicle reference system can be determined solely from the images of the measurement boards. The use of multiple measurement boards therefore makes it possible to determine a vehicle reference system even when the shape of the vehicle body is unknown.

[0024] The origin of the vehicle reference system can, for example, be set to the center point of a virtual line connecting the two measuring plates attached to the wheels of an axle, in particular the wheels on a front axle of the vehicle. The longitudinal axis of the vehicle can be defined as an axis oriented orthogonally to this virtual line and passing through the origin of the vehicle reference system.

[0025] In one embodiment, the at least one image recording device is part of a device for optical vehicle measurement.

[0026] In one embodiment, an existing device for optical vehicle measurement is upgraded cost-effectively to a vehicle measurement device according to the invention by updating the software of the device ("software update"), which is capable of carrying out a method according to the invention.

[0027] The device for optical vehicle measurement can, for example, be a device for optical vehicle measurement such as that offered by BOSCH under the names DAS3000 or SCT-418.

[0028] In this way, an existing device for optical vehicle measurement can be expanded so that it can be used cost-effectively to carry out a method according to the invention. The at least one image recording device can be a mono image recording device or a stereo image recording device. Two mono image recording devices can also be used, interacting to provide the functions of a stereo image recording device.

[0029] Images from multiple image recording devices can also be used to carry out a method according to the invention. In particular, a device according to the invention can be equipped with multiple image recording devices designed to provide images of the vehicle.

[0030] By using multiple images provided by multiple image acquisition devices, the accuracy and reliability of the method can be further improved.

[0031] An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0032] Short the

[0033] Figure 1 A shows a schematic view of a measuring station with a vehicle and with a device according to the invention for determining the position of an environmental sensor of the vehicle, wherein the device is arranged at a first position.

[0034] Figure 1 B shows a schematic view of the measuring station with the vehicle and with the device according to the invention for determining the position of the environmental sensor of the vehicle, wherein the device is arranged at a second position.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method according to the invention for determining the position of an environmental sensor on a vehicle.

[0036] Description of the figures Figure 1 A shows a schematic view of a measuring station 1 with a vehicle 2 which is equipped with an environmental sensor 4 and with a device 10 for optical vehicle measurement which is arranged at a first position on the measuring station 1.

[0037] Figure 1B shows a schematic view of a measuring station 1 with a vehicle 2 equipped with an environmental sensor 4 and with the device for optical vehicle measurement arranged at a second position on the measuring station 1, wherein the first position differs from the second position.

[0038] The device 10 for optical vehicle measurement is also referred to below as vehicle measurement device 10.

[0039] The environmental sensor 4 can be, for example, a radar sensor or a laser sensor, in particular a LIDAR sensor. The environmental sensor 4 can be mounted on or in the body of the vehicle 2. The environmental sensor 4 can, in particular, be mounted in, on, or behind a bumper 5 of the vehicle 2.

[0040] Although only a single environmental sensor 4 is shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the vehicle 2 can also be equipped with multiple environmental sensors 4. A method according to the invention, as described below, can in this case be carried out for each of the environmental sensors 4 installed in or on the vehicle 2.

[0041] The vehicle 2 has four wheels 6, with a measuring plate 8 attached to each of the four wheels 4. It is also possible for a measuring plate 8 to be attached to none, only one, or only two of the four wheels 6 of the vehicle 2.

[0042] The vehicle measuring device 10 has two image recording devices 12a, 12b and an evaluation device 14.

[0043] In alternative embodiments, vehicle measurement device 10 may also be equipped with only a single image capture device 12a, 12b. Each of the image capture devices 12a, 12b may be a mono image capture device 12a, 12b or a stereo image capture device 12a, 12b.

[0044] The vehicle measuring device 10 can, for example, be a vehicle measuring device 10 such as that offered by BOSCH under the names DAS3000 or SCT-418.

[0045] The evaluation device 14 of a device 10 according to the invention is designed to carry out a method according to the invention for determining the position of the environmental sensor 4 on the vehicle 2.

[0046] The evaluation device 14 can have at least one microprocessor 15 which is intended to execute a program which allows the device 10 to carry out a method according to the invention.

[0047] The vehicle measurement device 10 may have a display device 16 and / or another type of output device 18, e.g. a printer and / or a data interface, to enable the position of the environmental sensor determined according to the invention to be displayed on the display device 16 and / or output via the output device 18.

[0048] The data interface can be designed for wired and / or wireless data transmission.

[0049] Figure 2 is a schematic flow diagram of a method for determining the position of an environmental sensor on a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0050] The method comprises, in a first step S11, positioning the vehicle measuring device 10 with the image recording devices 12a, 12b at a first position in front of the vehicle, as shown by way of example in Figure 1A. The method also comprises, in a second step S12, recording a first image of the vehicle 2 with the image recording devices 12a, 12b of the vehicle measuring device 10 and, in a third step S13, determining the position of the vehicle 2 or of the measuring panels 8 attached to the vehicle 2 in a coordinate system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b. In a fourth step S14, the environmental sensor 4 is identified in the first image, and the position of the environmental sensor 4 in the coordinate system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b is determined.

[0051] The vehicle measuring device 10 with the image recording devices 12a, 12b is then positioned in step S21 at a second position, which differs from the first position, in front of the vehicle 2, as shown by way of example in Figure 1B.

[0052] After the vehicle measuring device 10 has been positioned at the second position, the steps S12 to S14 previously performed in the first position are repeated at the second position of the vehicle measuring device 10: In step S22, a second image of the vehicle 2 is recorded using the image recording devices 12a, 12b, and in a subsequent step S23, the position of the vehicle 2 or of the measuring panels 8 attached to the vehicle 2 is determined in a coordinate system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b.

[0053] With this information, a vehicle reference system F is determined in step S25 in the coordinate system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b, and a transformation T ve hicie between these two coordinate systems.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle reference system F and an associated transformation Tvehicie between the coordinate systems may also be determined based on the position of the vehicle 2 determined in step S13 while the vehicle measurement device 10 is positioned at the first position.

[0055] In step S24, environmental sensor 4 is identified in the second image and the position of the environmental sensor 4 in the coordinate system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b is determined.

[0056] In a method according to the invention, the vehicle 2 and / or the environmental sensor 4 can be identified in the recorded images using known classical methods of optical pattern recognition and / or artificial intelligence methods. In a subsequent step S30, a transformation T C ameraicamera2 between the two positions of the vehicle measuring device 10.

[0057] In step S40, this transformation T C ameraicamera2 between the two positions of the vehicle measuring device 10 is used to determine the 3D position T by triangulation. spo t of the environmental sensor 4 in the reference system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b.

[0058] Using the transformation T previously determined in step S25 ve hicie is then in step S50 the position T determined in step S40 spot of the environmental sensor 4 in the reference system of the image recording devices 12a, 12b is transformed into the position of the environmental sensor 4 in the vehicle reference system F.

[0059] In step S60, the result, ie the position of the environmental sensor 4 in the reference system of the vehicle 2 determined in this way, is displayed to the user on the display device 16 of the vehicle measuring device 10 and / or output via the output device 18.

[0060] The method may also include comparing the previously determined position of the environmental sensor 4 in the vehicle reference system F with a predetermined reference value T re f and to output a message indicating whether the position of the environmental sensor 4 determined in a method according to the invention is within a predetermined tolerance range around the predetermined reference value T ref, so that the position of the environmental sensor 4 on the vehicle 2 can be considered correct, or whether the determined position of the environmental sensor 4 is outside the specified tolerance range around the specified reference value T re f, so that the position of the environmental sensor 4 on the vehicle 2 must be considered faulty.

[0061] With a method according to the invention and a vehicle measuring device 10 according to the invention, the position of the environmental sensor 4 on the vehicle 2 can be determined and checked quickly and reliably.

Claims

1. A method for determining the position of an environmental sensor (4) on a vehicle (2), the method comprising: positioning at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) at a first position in front of the vehicle (2) (S11); recording a first image of the vehicle (2) with the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) (S12) and determining the position of the vehicle (2) in a coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) (S13); identifying the environmental sensor (4) in the first image and determining the position of the environmental sensor (4) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) (S14); positioning the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) at a second position in front of the vehicle (2) (S21);to record a second image of the vehicle (2) (S22) with the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) and to determine the position of the vehicle (2) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) (S22); to identify the environmental sensor (4) in the second image and to determine the position of the environmental sensor (4) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) (S24); to determine a vehicle reference system (F) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) from the first or the second recorded image of the vehicle (2) and to perform a transformation (T; ve hicie) between the vehicle reference system (F) and the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) (S25); a transformation (T Cameraicamera2) between the first position and the second position of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) in front of the vehicle (2) (S30), and using this transformation (T C americamera2) to determine (S40) the position of the environmental sensor (4) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) by triangulation; using the previously determined transformation (T ve hicie) between the vehicle reference system (F) and the coordinate system (B) of the image recording devices, from the previously determined position of the environmental sensor (4) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device, to determine the position of the environmental sensor (4) in the vehicle reference system (F) (S50).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises displaying the position of the environmental sensor (4) determined according to the invention on a display device (16) and / or outputting it via an output device (18) (S60).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method comprises comparing the position of the environmental sensor (4) determined according to the invention with a predetermined reference position (T re f) of the environmental sensor (4) and to output the comparison result.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises performing classical image pattern recognition methods to identify the environmental sensor (4) in the recorded images.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises identifying the environmental sensor (4) in the recorded images using artificial intelligence methods, in particular using a neural network.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises attaching at least one measuring panel (8) to the vehicle (2) and identifying the at least one measuring panel (8) in the recorded images in order to determine the position of the vehicle (2) in the coordinate system (B) of the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method comprises attaching at least one measuring panel (8) to at least one of the wheels (6) of the vehicle (2), wherein the method in particular comprises attaching a measuring panel (8) to two or four wheels (6) of the vehicle (2).

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the environmental sensor (4) is a radar sensor or a laser sensor, in particular a LIDAR sensor.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) is part of a vehicle measuring device (10) for optical vehicle measurement.

10. Vehicle measuring device (10) for optical vehicle measuring, which has at least one image recording device (12a, 12b) and which is designed to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 8.

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