Determining a scope of surroundings information to be provided to a vehicle in the form of an electronic horizon

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining a scope of surroundings information to be provided to a vehicle (10) in the form of an electronic horizon, in particular comprising information concerning speed limits to be applied to the vehicle (10), the method comprising the steps of: detecting the surroundings (38) of the vehicle (10) at its position; predicting a receiving situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the surroundings information on the basis of the detected surroundings (38); and determining the scope of the surroundings information to be provided to the vehicle (10) on the basis of the predicted receiving situation of the vehicle (10). The invention also relates to a corresponding driving assistance system (12) for a vehicle (10) for carrying out at least one driving assistance function on the basis of surroundings information to be provided to the vehicle (10) in the form of an electronic horizon, in particular comprising information concerning speed limits to be applied to the vehicle (10), the system being designed to carry out the above method for determining a scope of surroundings information to be provided to the vehicle (10) in the form of an electronic horizon, in particular comprising information concerning speed limits to be applied to the vehicle (10).

Description

[0001] Determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to speed limits to be applied to the vehicle.

[0003] The present invention also relates to a driving assistance system for a vehicle for carrying out at least one driving assistance function based on environmental information to be provided to the vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to speed limits to be applied to the vehicle.

[0004] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a system comprising the above-mentioned driving assistance system and a cloud server for the cloud-based provision of environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits.

[0005] Electronic horizon-type systems, such as eHorizon, are technical platforms that expand a vehicle's visible horizon so that even features not yet visible or recognizable by the vehicle itself can be detected in advance. This allows features in the vehicle's surroundings to be reliably detected, including behind curves or crests. Based on this information, predictive driving can prevent accidents and optimize a route and driving parameters, such as speed, to reach a destination in the shortest possible time with minimal fuel consumption and the greatest possible safety.For this purpose, various types of information, such as topography, road geometry, navigation information, traffic sign information, traffic information, weather information, and / or road conditions, can be provided and / or transmitted to the vehicle. Depending on the information provided, a three-dimensional image of a route ahead can be generated in the vehicle, for example.

[0006] A vehicle's electronic horizon can serve as the basis for various assistance or information functions based on its current position. Furthermore, such a system is particularly important for at least partially automated driving. This allows the vehicle to optimize its route or increase speed before an uphill section and reduce it accordingly before a downhill section, to name just a few examples.

[0007] Environmental information of the type electronic horizon can be provided alone or in combination from a vehicle memory or from the cloud, i.e. from an external cloud server, via a data connection.

[0008] If the surrounding information is stored in the vehicle's memory in the manner of an electronic horizon, the electronic horizon can be generated directly in the vehicle. However, this requires high computing power in the vehicle and the provision and regular updating of the stored surrounding information, such as map data. Accordingly, frequent updates with large amounts of data are required to update the surrounding information stored in the vehicle.

[0009] If the environmental information is provided in the cloud, similar to the electronic horizon, and transmitted to the vehicle on demand, the storage and updating of large amounts of data in the vehicle is not necessary. However, this requires the provision of continuously high transmission rates to transmit the electronic horizon for a current area depending on the vehicle's position. In practice, this is not always possible, as mobile communication networks with sufficient bandwidth are not available everywhere, and this can also be associated with high costs. The available bandwidth of such mobile communication networks can quickly be used up, especially when a large number of users use such a service in parallel. The risk is even greater in traffic jams, for example.This problem can be mitigated by providing a coverage map for wireless data transmission over mobile communication networks, allowing areas with restricted data transmission to be identified. This allows the electronic horizon to be provided from the cloud and transmitted to the vehicle in such a way that, when traveling in areas with restricted data transmission, the vehicle receives the electronic horizon for these areas from the cloud in advance.

[0010] This already makes it easier to continuously provide an electronic horizon from the cloud. However, such a map only indicates a general coverage of mobile communications networks at a given location. Furthermore, such a coverage map is also subject to errors and cannot adequately account for dynamic changes in the provision and performance of mobile communications networks. For example, even when correctly deployed and functioning, such mobile communications networks can be overloaded, which can impair the continuous provision of the electronic horizon from the cloud.

[0011] An important component of such electronic horizon-type ambient information is applicable speed limits. This information is used by intelligent speed assistance systems (ISA) to determine a current speed limit applicable to the vehicle. Intelligent speed assistance systems can inform a driver of the current speed limit and / or warn them if the current speed limit is exceeded and / or set the preferred speed for a cruise control system. Legislation (e.g., EU GSR2) and NCAP safety ratings (e.g., Euro NCAP) require high functional performance of the ISA in all vehicles, which means that the error rate must be low.

[0012] The environmental information, such as the electronic horizon with the applicable speed limits, can thus be used in addition to or as an alternative to camera-based detection of the applicable speed limits. To achieve the required performance, access to current environmental information is therefore necessary. This can hardly be ensured based on the environmental information stored in the vehicle. Therefore, cloud-based applications are preferred. This poses the problem of optimally expanding the electronic horizon, i.e.The distance, including all possible routes the driver can take within that distance, for which the information should be transmitted to the vehicle in advance, in order to ensure the required system quality / performance and the required bandwidth and volume of transmitted environmental information. This also takes into account both foreseen and unforeseeable temporary or permanent interruptions in the reception of environmental information.

[0013] Based on the above-mentioned prior art, the invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a method for determining the scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle, as well as a driving assistance system for a vehicle for carrying out at least one driving assistance function based on environmental information to be provided to the vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle, and a system with the above-mentioned driving assistance system and a cloud server for the cloud-based provision of environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits,which enable improved provision of environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon for vehicles.

[0014] The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0015] According to the invention, a method for determining a circumference of a

[0016] Environmental information to be provided to the vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle, comprising the steps of detecting an environment of the vehicle at its position, predicting a reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment, and determining the extent of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle.

[0017] According to the invention, a driving assistance system for a vehicle for carrying out at least one driving assistance function based on environmental information to be provided to the vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle, is also specified, comprising a communication unit for establishing a communication connection with a cloud server, a computing unit, and a data connection which connects the communication unit and the computing unit to one another, wherein the driving assistance system is designed to carry out the above method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle.

[0018] Furthermore, according to the invention, a system is specified with the above-mentioned driving assistance system and a cloud server for the cloud-based provision of environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits, the cloud server comprising a communication device for establishing a communication connection with the communication unit of the driving assistance system, a database with environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits, and a computing device, wherein the communication device, the database and the computing device are connected by data technology, and the system is designed to use the above-mentioned method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon,in particular with information regarding applicable speed limits for the vehicle. The basic idea of ​​the present invention is therefore to determine in advance the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle depending on the prediction of the reception situation, so that the environmental information required by the vehicle can always be provided in an up-to-date manner and functions based on this, such as various driving assistance functions, can be provided reliably and without failures. The prediction of the vehicle's reception situation for receiving the environmental information is a dynamic prediction, which here depends on the vehicle's surroundings. The predicted reception situation can thus be used to determine whether the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle needs to be adjusted. If, therefore, the predicted reception situation results inIf the vehicle's environmental information cannot be provided to a sufficient extent in the future, the environmental information required by the vehicle can be transmitted to the vehicle in advance. By adjusting the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle, for example, the transmission of environmental information can be reduced to a necessary minimum in good reception conditions, while ensuring that sufficient environmental information is provided in the vehicle for all required applications if reception deteriorates. This reduces the overall amount of data to be transmitted and thus the costs of data transmission.

[0019] Predicting the reception situation goes beyond using a static map of a mobile network's coverage or coverage. Such a static map can only inadequately cover the actual reception situation, and in particular, dynamic changes in the reception situation cannot be taken into account.

[0020] Based on the thus determined scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle, depending on the further design of the method and the driving assistance system, or even the system comprising the driving assistance system and the cloud server, the environmental information can be transmitted from the cloud server to the vehicle or the driving assistance system. If the vehicle or the driving assistance system determines the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle, it can request a transmission of the corresponding environmental information from the cloud server. Alternatively, the cloud server can determine the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle and transmit the corresponding environmental information to the vehicle or the driving assistance system.

[0021] Based on the environmental information provided to the vehicle, similar to an electronic horizon, the vehicle or any driving assistance system can perform a corresponding assistance function. This applies, for example, to an intelligent speed assistance system (ISA), which determines the current speed limit applicable to the vehicle. Such an intelligent speed assistance system can inform a driver of the current speed limit and / or warn them if the current speed limit is exceeded. Alternatively or additionally, the ISA can set a preferred speed for a cruise control system.

[0022] By detecting the vehicle's surroundings at its position, information can be collected to predict the vehicle's reception situation for receiving the surrounding information. Details are provided below.

[0023] Predicting the vehicle's reception situation for receiving ambient information can consider various detected environmental features alone or jointly, as also explained in detail below. Predicting the vehicle's reception situation can include both short-term and long-term aspects, so that, for example, if the reception situation deteriorates, the ambient information to be provided to the vehicle can be provided in a timely manner before the vehicle's reception situation no longer allows it.

[0024] The scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle is determined based on the vehicle's predicted reception situation in such a way that the environmental information is continuously provided in the vehicle according to the type of electronic horizon, so that functions based on it can be provided without interruption. Based on the vehicle's predicted reception situation, the scope of environmental information to be provided can thus be adjusted accordingly.

[0025] The driving assistance system is designed to perform at least one driving assistance function based on environmental information provided to the vehicle, similar to an electronic horizon. In particular, the driving assistance system is designed as an intelligent speed assistance system (ISA).

[0026] The communication unit is used to establish the communication connection with the cloud server in order to receive the environmental information and, if necessary, to carry out further communication with the cloud server.

[0027] The computing unit can be any data processing unit that performs the method for determining the scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle. Such computing units are known in the automotive sector as electronic control units (ECUs).

[0028] The data connection connects the communication unit and the processing unit. The data connection can comprise a data bus that connects the communication unit and the processing unit, as well as other optional components. Various bus systems such as CAN, FlexRay, LON, and others are known as data buses in the automotive sector. Alternatively, the data connection can comprise at least a point-to-point connection between the communication unit and the processing unit.

[0029] The system comprising the driving assistance system and the cloud server enables the provision of environmental information to the vehicle. Furthermore, the system can perform the method for determining the scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in a distributed manner, with the driving assistance system and the cloud server jointly performing all required steps. The cloud server is in communication with the vehicle, i.e., with the communication unit of the driving assistance system, via the communication device. Environmental information similar to an electronic horizon, in particular information relating to applicable speed limits, is stored in the database. Corresponding systems for providing environmental information similar to an electronic horizon are known.

[0030] The computing device can be any data processing device. The communication device, the database, and the computing device can be connected via a data bus, for example. Alternatively or additionally, at least one point-to-point connection can be provided between the communication device, the database, and the computing device.

[0031] Particularly advantageously, the system comprises not just one driver assistance system, but multiple driver assistance systems. This allows the cloud server to easily determine the scope of environmental information to be provided to a plurality of vehicles.

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the detection of an environment of the vehicle at its position comprises a detection of weather features in the environment of the vehicle that restrict or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular precipitation, air humidity, thunderstorms or the like, and the prediction of a reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment takes place taking into account the reception of the

[0033] Weather features in the vehicle's surroundings that limit or prevent environmental information. In practice, air humidity and various types of precipitation in particular impair the reception of environmental information, for example via a mobile telecommunications network. This is why information about the weather features can help to pre-assess the transmission of environmental information via the mobile telecommunications network and, based on this, determine the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle. The detection of weather features in the vehicle's surroundings that limit or prevent reception of environmental information can be carried out, for example, using corresponding vehicle sensors, such as a rain sensor or a sensor that detects windshield wiper operation.Alternatively or additionally, an environmental sensor of the vehicle, in particular an optical camera, can be used to detect weather characteristics based on image information from the optical camera. The same applies when using other environmental sensors such as LiDAR-based environmental sensors, radar sensors, or even ultrasonic sensors. The latter can, for example, detect the presence of spray while the vehicle is moving, which may indicate precipitation. Alternatively, the detection of weather characteristics in the vehicle's surroundings that limit or prevent the reception of environmental information can be achieved by receiving weather information, for example, from a cloud server as a cloud weather service, depending on the vehicle's location.

[0034] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, detecting the surroundings of the vehicle at its position comprises detecting environmental features in the surroundings of the vehicle that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular tunnels, galleries, ravines, valleys or the like, and predicting a reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment takes place taking into account the environmental features in the surroundings of the vehicle that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information. In practice, for example, structures such as tunnels or galleries with a high proportion of iron orMetal generally impairs the reception of environmental information, for example, via a mobile telecommunications network. This is why information about the environmental features can help to assess the transmission of environmental information via the mobile telecommunications network in advance and, based on this, to determine the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle. The same applies to vegetation or corresponding terrain structures. If such environmental features are present that limit or prevent the reception of environmental information, the environmental information can be transmitted to the vehicle as needed before this is not possible or only possible to a limited extent / unreliably due to the existing environmental features.The detection of environmental features in the vehicle's surroundings that limit or prevent the reception of environmental information can be carried out, for example, using corresponding environmental sensors of the vehicle, in particular an optical camera, in order to detect the environmental features based on image information from the optical camera. The same applies when using other environmental sensors, such as LiDAR-based environmental sensors or radar sensors. Alternatively or additionally, the detection of environmental features in the vehicle's surroundings that limit or prevent the reception of environmental information can be carried out based on map or navigation data stored in the vehicle, which contain information about such environmental features, and a position of the vehicle.Further alternatively or additionally, the detection of the environmental features in the environment of the vehicle that restrict or prevent the reception of the environmental information can be carried out based on environmental information from the cloud, for example from a cloud server as a cloud information service, and the position of the vehicle.

[0035] In the aforementioned cases, the electronic horizon can be extended, for example, when appropriate weather or environmental features are detected, whereby environmental information for a larger area of ​​the vehicle's surroundings can be transmitted to the vehicle, and vice versa.

[0036] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, predicting a reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the ambient information based on the detected environment comprises determining a current reception situation of the vehicle and predicting the reception situation taking into account the current reception situation of the vehicle. Predicting the reception situation can be carried out easily based on the current reception situation. This allows local and current influences on the reception of the ambient information to be reliably taken into account when predicting the vehicle's reception situation for the future. For example, the current reception situation can be projected into the future for predicting the reception situation, assuming, for example, a slow change in the current reception situation.If the current reception situation is monitored over a specific period of time, predicting the reception situation may include interpolating the reception situation based on a history of the current reception situation. Further preferably, the current reception situation for a plurality of vehicles at or near the position of the vehicle may be taken into account by having this information provided by a plurality of vehicles and processed jointly, for example, by a cloud server.

[0037] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method comprises determining a current reception situation of the vehicle and storing the current reception situation together with the position of the vehicle, particularly in the case of poor and / or interrupted reception of the ambient information, and predicting the reception situation of the vehicle is carried out based on the stored reception situation(s) at the position of the vehicle. The reception situation is stored together with the associated position in the vehicle, for example in the driving assistance system, for example when a route is driven. The stored data can then be accessed when the route is driven again. The reception situation can be detected, for example, by determining whether sufficient ambient information according to the type of electronic horizon was available at a position.In this case, the reception situation can be determined independently of, for example, the current network coverage of a mobile network, since the measure of the reception situation is defined by the result of the provision of the environmental information, i.e., the data processing and provision. Thus, even at a location where there is, in principle, mobile network coverage, the reception situation can be poor, and vice versa.

[0038] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the current reception situation, along with the vehicle's position, can be stored jointly by multiple vehicles, for example, in the cloud. Thus, a reliable prediction of the vehicle's reception situation can be made based on the reception situations of multiple vehicles at a given location.

[0039] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, predicting a reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the ambient information based on the detected environment comprises predicting the reception situation based on a basic reception situation, which results in particular from a reception map in the area of ​​the vehicle's position, in combination with a dynamic reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the ambient information based on the detected environment. The basic reception situation defines a state from which there is a deviation depending on the dynamic reception situation. The basic reception situation can be a global value, or the basic reception situation can be different for different positions of the vehicle. In particular, the basic reception situation can be specified based on the reception map, which, for example, specifies a basic network coverage of a mobile communications network.Such a baseline reception situation can be determined particularly easily. The dynamic reception situation can be defined by an actual reception situation, or independently of network coverage by information about whether sufficient environmental information was previously available at a given location, based on the type of electronic horizon.

[0040] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method comprises a step for determining a minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle, and determining the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle based on the minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle comprises expanding the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle based on the reception situation of the vehicle. The minimum value indicates, for example, a minimum distance from the vehicle for which the environmental information must be provided in the vehicle in order to provide the electronic horizon. Alternatively or additionally, the minimum value can, for example, indicate a minimum travel time of the vehicle for which the environmental information must be provided in the vehicle. Other definitions of the minimum value are also possible.The minimum value can already include a buffer for potential problems in receiving the ambient information. Therefore, a sufficient amount of ambient information must always be provided to provide the electronic horizon based on the minimum value. By expanding the scope of ambient information provided to the vehicle, more ambient information is provided accordingly, i.e., additional ambient information is transmitted to the vehicle. In the event of a subsequent deterioration in reception or even a failure of data transmission in the vehicle, sufficient ambient information is available for the electronic horizon until the reception situation is expected to improve again.

[0041] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, detecting the surroundings of the vehicle at its position comprises detecting the surroundings of the vehicle based on sensor information provided by at least one environmental sensor of the vehicle, which at least partially covers the surroundings of the vehicle. Accordingly, the driving assistance system has at least one environmental sensor for providing sensor information that at least partially covers the surroundings of the vehicle. Such environmental sensors can provide various types of sensor information for predicting the reception situation of the vehicle. Such environmental sensors can, for example, be selected and used from a group comprising optical cameras, LiDAR-based environmental sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, or rain sensors, alone or in any combination.Environmental sensors can be used to detect various features directly or indirectly. For example, an optical camera can be used to detect environmental features, but also to detect weather features such as fog. Ultrasonic sensors can detect weather features by detecting spray, for example.

[0042] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method comprises detecting the position of the vehicle based on the reception of satellite navigation signals, and detecting the surroundings of the vehicle at its position comprises detecting the surroundings of the vehicle based on map information at the detected position of the vehicle. The surroundings of the vehicle at its position can already be detected when the position of the vehicle is known, and information for detecting the surroundings can be carried out based on the position of the vehicle. For example, the information relating to the surroundings of the vehicle can be stored in the manner of a map or according to the type of stored reception situation(s) at various positions of the vehicle, i.e. according to the type of reception map, and retrieved from the memory depending on the position of the vehicle.The map information can, in particular, contain information about environmental features such as tunnels, galleries, ravines, or similar, which can be evaluated accordingly, while the stored reception situation(s) can be used directly. In particular, the map information can be used in the vehicle, for example, to record environmental features. Such environmental features are typically immutable or at least highly static, so no updates are required.

[0043] The vehicle's position can be determined based on the reception of satellite navigation signals using a receiver for satellite data from a global navigation satellite system. Satellite data can be received using one of the GPS, Galileo, Beidou, or GLONASS standards. Suitable receivers are known as such. A combination of several global navigation satellite systems can also be used to determine the vehicle's position. Particularly in areas with poor or disrupted satellite data reception, such as in tunnels, the vehicle's position can be determined using odometry data, such as wheel revolutions (wheel tics) or a steering angle.

[0044] In principle, the map information can be stored in the vehicle so that the vehicle or the driving assistance system can autonomously detect the surroundings of the vehicle. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method comprises transmitting the detected position of the vehicle to a cloud server, and the steps of detecting the surroundings of the vehicle are carried out in the cloud server, wherein the detection of the surroundings of the vehicle is carried out by the cloud server based on map information at the detected position of the vehicle, predicting a reception situation of the vehicle for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment, and determining the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle.The method is thus carried out in a distributed manner in that the cloud server itself can record the vehicle's surroundings based on its map information at the detected position of the vehicle. In addition, the cloud server can carry out the necessary steps to determine the scope of the environmental information to be made available to the vehicle. The cloud server can then immediately start transmitting the environmental information to be made available to the vehicle. Overall, this is a simple implementation of the method because, on the one hand, the vehicle only has to record its position and transmit it to the cloud server, and, on the other hand, the cloud server can immediately start transmitting the environmental information to be made available to the vehicle. Any possible time delay is thus minimized, as is the amount of data to be transmitted. The environment can be recorded by the cloud server in different ways.For example, the cloud server can take environmental features such as weather features into account when capturing the environment.

[0045] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the driving assistance system comprises a positioning unit for detecting the position of the vehicle based on the reception of satellite navigation signals. The positioning unit, in particular, has a receiver for satellite data from a global navigation satellite system. The receiver for satellite data can be designed according to one of the GPS, Galileo, Beidou, or GLONASS standards. Corresponding receivers are known per se. A combination of several global navigation satellite systems can also be used. In addition, an odometry sensor can be used to supplement the position of the vehicle using odometry data, for example, wheel revolutions (wheel tics) or a steering angle.

[0046] Features and advantages of the described methods can be readily transferred to the described driving assistance system and / or the described system, and vice versa. Individual steps of the methods can also be performed in any desired order. The methods are not limited to the sequence of method steps described by way of example, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the description.

[0047] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The features shown can represent an aspect of the invention, both individually and in combination. Features of various embodiments are transferable from one embodiment to another.

[0048] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle with a driving assistance system according to a first preferred embodiment,

[0049] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a system comprising the driving assistance system from the vehicle of Fig. 1 together with a cloud server and a communication connection established therebetween in accordance with the first embodiment,

[0050] Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to speed limits to be applied to the vehicle, according to a first embodiment,

[0051] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle, according to a second embodiment, and

[0052] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to speed limits to be applied to the vehicle, according to a third embodiment.

[0053] Figure 1 shows a vehicle 10 with a driver assistance system 12 according to a first preferred embodiment. The driver assistance system 12 can be part of a combination of various driver assistance systems known as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), or part of another driver assistance system or part of a system for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving.

[0054] In this exemplary embodiment, the driving assistance system 12 is designed to perform at least one driving assistance function based on environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 in the manner of an electronic horizon. In particular, the driving assistance system 12 in this exemplary embodiment is designed as an intelligent speed assistance system (ISA). The ISA informs a human driver of the vehicle 10 about a current speed limit and additionally warns them if the current speed limit is exceeded. To this end, the driving assistance system 12 uses the environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon with the information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle 10. The driving assistance system 12 is a standalone system in this exemplary embodiment.Alternatively, the driving support system 12 can be part of another, for example a higher-level driving support system 12.

[0055] In this exemplary embodiment, the driving assistance system 12 comprises a positioning unit 14 for detecting the position of the vehicle 10 based on the reception of satellite navigation signals based on satellite data received by a receiver for a global navigation satellite system. In this exemplary embodiment, the receiver is designed integrally with the positioning unit 14. The receiver can be designed according to one of the GPS, Galileo, Beidou, or GLONASS standards. Corresponding receivers are known per se. A combination of several receivers for global navigation satellite systems or one receiver for receiving satellite data from several global navigation satellite systems can also be used.

[0056] In this exemplary embodiment, the driving assistance system 12 also includes a communication unit 16 for establishing a communication connection to receive the environmental information and, if necessary, to conduct further communication. In this exemplary embodiment, the driving assistance system further includes an environmental sensor 36 for providing sensor information that at least partially covers an environment 38 of the vehicle 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the environmental sensor 36 is embodied as an optical camera.

[0057] In this exemplary embodiment, the driving assistance system 12 additionally comprises a computing unit 18. The computing unit 18 is any desired data processing unit and includes a processor and a memory for executing a program for performing an assistance function of the driving assistance system 12, as well as for carrying out the method described below. Such computing units 18 are known in the automotive sector as electronic control units (ECUs). The computing unit 18 receives and processes the position of the vehicle 10 determined by the position determination unit 14 and sensor information from the environmental sensor 36.

[0058] The driving assistance system 12 further includes a data connection 20, which interconnects the position-determining unit 14, the communication unit 16, the environmental sensor 36, and the computing unit 18. The data connection 20 can include a data bus, which interconnects the position-determining unit 14, the communication unit 16, the environmental sensor 36, and the computing unit 18, as well as other optional components. Various bus systems such as CAN, FlexRay, LON, or others are known as data buses in the automotive sector. Alternatively, the data connection 20 can be implemented with point-to-point connections between the position-determining unit 14, the communication unit 16, the environmental sensor 36, and the computing unit 18.

[0059] Figure 2 shows the driving assistance system 12 together with a cloud server 22. The cloud server 22 serves for the cloud-based provision of environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon.

[0060] The cloud server 22 comprises a communication device 24, via which it communicates with the vehicle 10, i.e., with the communication unit 16 of the driver assistance system 12. For this purpose, a communication connection 26 is established between the communication unit 16 and the communication device 24. In this exemplary embodiment, the communication unit 16 and the communication device 24 are designed for communication according to a mobile communication standard such as UMTS, LTE, or 5G.

[0061] The cloud server 22 also includes a database 28 with environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information regarding applicable speed limits, and a computing device 30. The communication device 24, the database 28, and the computing device 30 are connected for data processing purposes via a communication bus 32. The computing device 30 can be any data processing device.

[0062] The cloud server 22 and the driving assistance system 12 may additionally form a system 34 for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle 10.

[0063] A method for determining the scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle 10 in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular including information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle 10, is described below. As will become apparent from the following description, not all components of the driving assistance system 12 described above are required in all embodiments.

[0064] A method according to a first embodiment begins in step S100 by determining a minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10. The minimum value indicates, for example, a minimum distance from the vehicle 10 for which the environmental information is provided in the vehicle 10 to provide the electronic horizon. Alternatively or additionally, the minimum value can indicate a minimum travel time of the vehicle 10 for which the environmental information is provided in the vehicle 10. Step S110 relates to detecting the position of the vehicle 10 based on the reception of satellite navigation signals.

[0065] The position of the vehicle 10 is determined using the satellite data receiver of a global navigation satellite system of the positioning unit 14. The satellite data is received according to one of the GPS, Galileo, Beidou, or GLONASS standards. Particularly in areas with poor or disrupted satellite data reception, such as in tunnels, the position of the vehicle 10 can be determined using odometry data, such as wheel revolutions (wheel tics) or a steering angle.

[0066] Step S120 relates to detecting an environment 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position.

[0067] In this exemplary embodiment, detecting the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position comprises detecting the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 based on map information at the detected position of the vehicle 10. In this exemplary embodiment, information relating to the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 is stored in the vehicle 10 in the manner of a map and additionally in the manner of stored reception situation(s) at various positions of the vehicle 10, i.e., in the manner of a reception map, and can be retrieved depending on the position detected as in step S110. The map information includes information about environmental features such as tunnels, galleries, ravines, or the like, while the stored reception situation(s) can be used directly.Thus, detecting the environment 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position includes detecting such environmental features in the environment 38 of the vehicle 10 that limit or prevent the reception of the environmental information, ie tunnels, galleries, ravines, valleys or the like.

[0068] In the first exemplary embodiment, information relating to the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 is stored in the vehicle 10 in the form of a map or also in the form of stored reception situation(s) at various positions of the vehicle 10, i.e., in the form of a reception map, and can be retrieved depending on the position as detected in step S110. The map information includes information about environmental features in the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information, such as tunnels, galleries, ravines, or the like, while the stored reception situation(s) can be used directly.

[0069] Step S130 involves determining a current reception situation of the vehicle 10 and storing the current reception situation together with the position of the vehicle 10, particularly in the case of poor and / or intermittent reception of the ambient information. The reception situation is stored together with the associated position in the vehicle 10, for example, in the driving assistance system 12, for example, when a route is being traveled.

[0070] The reception situation can be detected by determining whether sufficient environmental information was available at a given location, based on the type of electronic horizon. Alternatively or additionally, the reception situation can be detected by determining the speed of transmission of the environmental information to the communication unit 16 of the driving assistance system 12 at the respective location.

[0071] The stored reception situation together with the corresponding position of the vehicle 10 forms the above-mentioned reception map, which is used when repeatedly driving at the position in step S120.

[0072] Step S140 relates to predicting a reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment 38.

[0073] Predicting the reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information is a dynamic prediction depending on the environment 38 of the vehicle 10.

[0074] The prediction of the reception situation is performed based on the current reception situation. Predicting the reception situation involves interpolating the reception situation based on a history of the current reception situation. In addition, the prediction of the reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information is performed based on the detected environment 38, taking into account the environmental features in the environment 38 of the vehicle 10 that limit or prevent the reception of the environmental information.

[0075] The prediction of the reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information is carried out here based on a baseline reception situation resulting from the reception map in the area of ​​the position of the vehicle 10, in combination with a dynamic reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment 38. The baseline reception situation defines a state from which a deviation occurs depending on the dynamic reception situation. The baseline reception situation can be a global value, or the baseline reception situation can be different for different positions of the vehicle 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the baseline reception situation is specified based on the reception map. The dynamic reception situation is defined by the actual reception situation together with the detected environmental features.

[0076] In step S150, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 is determined based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle 10.

[0077] If the predicted reception situation indicates that the environmental information cannot be provided to vehicle 10 in sufficient quantities in the future, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to vehicle 10 is increased. This allows the environmental information required by vehicle 10 to be transmitted to vehicle 10 in advance.

[0078] In detail, starting from the minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 based on the reception situation of the vehicle 10, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 is expanded as needed, whereby additional environmental information can be transmitted to the vehicle 10.

[0079] As can be seen from the above description, the environmental sensor 36 is not required to carry out the method of the first embodiment. The cloud server 22 is also not required to carry out the method. The method is carried out entirely in the driver assistance system 12 of the vehicle 10. The communication unit 16 serves here merely to provide the environmental information to the extent determined in the vehicle 10, for example, by the cloud server 22.

[0080] A method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle 10 in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to speed limits to be applied to the vehicle 10, according to a second embodiment will be described below.

[0081] The method of the second embodiment begins in step S200 by determining a minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10, as already described above for step S100.

[0082] Step S210 relates to detecting the position of the vehicle 10 based on the reception of satellite navigation signals, as already described above for step S110.

[0083] Step S215 involves transmitting the detected position of the vehicle 10 to the cloud server 22. The position is transmitted from the computing unit 18 via the data connection 20 to the communication unit 16 and from there via the communication connection 26 to the communication device 24, which then provides the detected position of the vehicle 10 to the computing device 30 via the communication bus 32. Step S220 involves detecting an environment 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position. In this exemplary embodiment, step S220 is performed by the cloud server 22.

[0084] In the second exemplary embodiment, detecting the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position also includes detecting the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 based on map information at the detected position of the vehicle 10, as described above with reference to step S120. Unlike step S120, the map information here is stored in the database 28, which the computing device 30 accesses via the communication bus 32. This also applies to a map based on the type of stored reception situation(s).

[0085] In this exemplary embodiment, detecting the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position additionally includes detecting weather features in the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular precipitation, humidity, thunderstorms, or the like. The weather features are detected in the cloud server 22 based on the detected position of the vehicle 10.

[0086] Step S230 relates to determining a current reception situation of the vehicle 10 and storing the current reception situation together with the position of the vehicle 10, in particular in the case of poor and / or interrupted reception of the environmental information, as already described above for step S130.

[0087] In this embodiment, step S230 comprises transmitting the determined current reception situation of the vehicle 10 together with the position of the vehicle 10 to the cloud server 22, which uses the information to create and maintain the reception map.

[0088] Step S230 is optional, as the receipt card can also be created and maintained in other ways.

[0089] Step S240 relates to predicting a reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment 38. In this embodiment, step S240 is performed by the cloud server 22.

[0090] Step S240 is based on step S140 above. However, the weather features in the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 that limit or prevent the reception of the environmental information are also taken into account.

[0091] In step S250, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 is determined based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle 10, as already described above for step S150. However, in the second embodiment, step S250 is also performed by the cloud server 22.

[0092] As can be seen from the above description, the environmental sensor 36 is not required to carry out the method of the second embodiment.

[0093] A method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle 10 in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to speed limits to be applied to the vehicle 10, according to a third embodiment will be described below.

[0094] The method of the third embodiment begins in step S300 by determining a minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10, as already described above for step S100.

[0095] Step S320 relates to detecting an environment 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position. In this exemplary embodiment, step S320 is performed by the driving assistance system 12.

[0096] In the third exemplary embodiment, the detection of the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position is carried out based on sensor information provided by the environmental sensor 36 of the vehicle 10, which at least partially covers the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10. In the third exemplary embodiment, the detection of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 at its position comprises detecting environmental features in the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 that restrict or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular tunnels, galleries, ravines, valleys, or the like. The environmental features are detected based on the sensor information provided by the optical camera 36, ​​i.e., image information from the optical camera 36. The environmental features are detected using object recognition methods in the image information from the optical camera 36.

[0097] In the third exemplary embodiment, detecting the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 at its position additionally includes detecting weather features in the surroundings 38 of the vehicle 10 that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular precipitation, humidity, thunderstorms, or the like. The weather features are detected based on the sensor information provided by the optical camera, ie, image information from the optical camera 36.

[0098] Step S340 relates to predicting a reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment 38.

[0099] Predicting the reception situation of the vehicle 10 for receiving the environmental information is a dynamic prediction depending on the environment 38 of the vehicle 10.

[0100] The prediction of the reception situation of the vehicle 10 for the reception of the environmental information based on the detected environment 38 takes place taking into account the environmental features that limit or prevent the reception of the environmental information as well as the weather features in the environment 38 of the vehicle 10.

[0101] In step S350, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 is determined based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle 10, as already described above for step S150. In the second embodiment, step S350 is performed by the driving assistance system 12.

[0102] If the predicted reception situation indicates that the environmental information cannot be provided to vehicle 10 in sufficient quantities in the future, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to vehicle 10 is increased. This allows the environmental information required by vehicle 10 to be transmitted to vehicle 10 in advance.

[0103] In detail, starting from the minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 based on the reception situation of the vehicle 10, the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 is expanded as needed, whereby additional environmental information is transmitted to the vehicle 10.

[0104] As can be seen from the above description, the environmental sensor 36 is used to carry out the method of the third embodiment, but not the position determination unit 14. Also, the method of the third embodiment is carried out entirely in the driving assistance system 12 of the vehicle 10.

[0105] Following the described methods, based on the thus determined scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10, the environmental information can be transmitted from the cloud server 22 to the vehicle 10 or the driving assistance system 12. When the vehicle 10 or the driving assistance system 12 determines the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10, it can request a transmission of the corresponding environmental information from the cloud server 22. Alternatively, the cloud server 22 can determine the scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10 and automatically initiate and / or carry out the transmission of the corresponding environmental information to the vehicle 10 or the driving assistance system 12. The system 24 comprising the driving assistance system 12 and the cloud server 22 enables the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle 10.

[0106] Depending on the implementation of the method, various components of the driving assistance system 12 are optional and can be omitted. When implementing the method, it also becomes apparent that the detection and use of the current reception situation is optional in the methods of the first and second embodiments.

[0107] List of reference symbols

[0108] 10 vehicles

[0109] 12 Driving assistance system

[0110] 14 Positioning unit

[0111] 16 Communication unit

[0112] 18 computing unit

[0113] 20 Data connection

[0114] 22 cloud servers

[0115] 24 Communication device

[0116] 26 Communication connection

[0117] 28 Database

[0118] 30 Calculating device

[0119] 32 Communication bus

[0120] 34 Systems

[0121] 36 Environmental sensor, optical camera

[0122] 38 Surroundings

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to a vehicle (10) in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle (10), comprising the steps Detecting an environment (38) of the vehicle (10) at its position, predicting a reception situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment (38), and Determining the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle (10).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection of an environment (38) of the vehicle (10) at its position comprises detecting weather features in the environment (38) of the vehicle (10) that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular precipitation, air humidity, thunderstorms or the like, and the prediction of a reception situation of the vehicle (10) for reception of the environmental information based on the detected environment (38) takes place taking into account the weather features in the environment (38) of the vehicle (10) that limit or prevent reception of the environmental information.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the detection of an environment (38) of the vehicle (10) at its position comprises detecting environmental features in the environment (38) of the vehicle (10) that restrict or prevent reception of the environmental information, in particular tunnels, galleries, ravines, valleys or the like, and predicting a reception situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment (38) takes place taking into account the environmental features in the environment (38) of the vehicle (10) that restrict or prevent the reception of the environmental information.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that predicting a reception situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment (38) comprises determining a current reception situation of the vehicle (10) and predicting the reception situation taking into account the current reception situation of the vehicle (10).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises determining a current reception situation of the vehicle (10) and storing the current reception situation together with the position of the vehicle (10), in particular in the case of poor and / or interrupted reception of the environmental information, and predicting the reception situation of the vehicle (10) based on the stored reception situation(s) at the position of the vehicle (10).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that predicting a reception situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment (38) comprises predicting the reception situation based on a basic reception situation, which results in particular from a reception map in the area of ​​the position of the vehicle (10), in combination with a dynamic reception situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment (38).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises a step for determining a minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10), and determining the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) based on the minimum value for the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) comprises expanding the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) based on the reception situation of the vehicle (10).

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that detecting an environment (38) of the vehicle (10) at its position comprises detecting the environment (38) of the vehicle (10) based on sensor information provided by at least one environment sensor (36) of the vehicle (10), which at least partially covers the environment (38) of the vehicle (10).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises detecting the position of the vehicle (10) based on the reception of satellite navigation signals, and detecting an environment (38) of the vehicle (10) at its position comprises detecting the environment (38) of the vehicle (10) based on map information at the detected position of the vehicle (10).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the method comprises transmitting the detected position of the vehicle (10) to a cloud server (22), and in the cloud server (22) the steps are carried out for Detecting the surroundings (38) of the vehicle (10), wherein the detection of the surroundings (38) of the vehicle (10) is carried out by the cloud server (22) based on map information at the detected position of the vehicle (10), Predicting a reception situation of the vehicle (10) for receiving the environmental information based on the detected environment (38), and Determining the scope of the environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) based on the predicted reception situation of the vehicle (10).

11. Driving assistance system (12) for a vehicle (10) for carrying out at least one driving assistance function based on environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle (10), with a communication unit (14) for establishing a communication connection (26) with a cloud server (22), a computing unit (18), and a data connection (20) which connects the communication unit (14) and the computing unit (18) to one another, wherein the driving assistance system (12) is designed to carry out the method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle (10), according to one of claims 1 to 9.

12. Driving assistance system (12) according to claim 11, characterized in that the driving assistance system (12) comprises a position determination unit (14) for detecting the position of the vehicle (10) based on the reception of satellite navigation signals, wherein the position determination unit (14) in particular has a receiver for satellite data of a global navigation satellite system.

13. Driving assistance system (12) according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the driving assistance system (12) has at least one environmental sensor (36) for providing sensor information which at least partially covers the environment (38) of the vehicle (10).

14. System (34) with a driving assistance system (12) according to claim 12 and a cloud server (22) for the cloud-based provision of environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits, the cloud server (22) comprising a communication device (24) for establishing a communication connection (26) with the communication unit (16) of the driving assistance system (12), a database (28) with environmental information in the manner of an electronic horizon, in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits, and a computing device (30), wherein the communication device (24), the database (28) and the computing device (30) are connected by data technology, and the system (34) is designed to carry out the method for determining a scope of environmental information to be provided to the vehicle (10) in the manner of an electronic horizon,in particular with information relating to applicable speed limits for the vehicle (10), according to claim 10.,

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