Method for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment, processing device and computer program

Abstract

The invention is directed at a method for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment (12), wherein the environment (12) comprises a parking lot with a number of line-markings (14), wherein a respective line-marking (14) indicates the position of a parking slot (16). The method comprises determining (S1) a starting point (18) of each of a predetermined set of line-markings (14), fitting (S2) a line (26) through the starting points (18), determining (S3) an average orientation of the line-markings (14) with respect to the fitted line (26), generating (S4) a set of virtual line-markings (24) with the average orientation, and displaying (S5) the set of virtual line-markings (24) as part of the synthetic view of the motor vehicle environment (12) on a display assembly of the motor vehicle (10).

Description

[0001] Method for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment, processing device and computer program

[0002] The invention is directed at a method, in particular at a computer-implemented method, for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment in a line-parking scenario. In other words, the invention is directed at generating a synthetic view of the environment, wherein the environment comprises a parking lot with a number of line-markings, wherein a respective line-marking indicates the position of a parking slot. Preferably, the synthetic view is an icon view, and not a camera overlay of the environment.

[0003] Further aspects of the invention are directed at a processing device with a computing unit, which is configured to perform steps of the method according to the invention, and at a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computing unit, cause the computing unit to carry out the steps of the method according to the invention. A further aspect of the invention is directed at a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program.

[0004] In many known driver assistance systems, for example in low speed maneuvering systems (LSMS) such as park assistance systems for automatically or semi-automatically parking a motor vehicle in an environment of the motor vehicle, input is generated based on sensor data describing features in the environment. Usually, data from sensors of an environmental sensor system of the motor vehicle are used. Such sensor systems may comprise camera sensors, which capture images or scenes of the environment or the respective features in the environment. The images or scenes may be processed by the LSMS by means of computer vision.

[0005] Computer vision algorithms, which may also be denoted as machine vision algorithms or algorithms for automatic visual perception, may be considered as computer algorithms for performing a visual perception task automatically. A visual perception task, also denoted as computer vision task, may for example be understood as a task for extracting visual information from image data. In particular, the visual perception task may in several cases be performed by a human in principle, who is able to visually perceive an image corresponding to the image data. In the present context, however, visual perception tasks are performed automatically without requiring the support by a human. For example, a computer vision algorithm may be understood as an image processing algorithm or an algorithm for image analysis, which is trained using machine learning and may for example be based on an artificial neural network, in particular a convolutional neural network. For example, such a computer vision algorithm may include an object detection algorithm, an obstacle detection algorithm, an object tracking algorithm, a classification algorithm, a segmentation algorithm, and / or a depth estimation algorithm.

[0006] In the context of line detection by means of computer vision, in particular in the context of detecting line-markings of parking slots, a known problem comprises the processing of incomplete input lines, which may be broken, faded or covered, for example by snow. In this context, US 2021 / 0248753 A1 describes an image processor with an imaging device that captures an image of a road surface around a vehicle, and a control portion that detects a marker drawn on the road surface from the captured image. The control portion connects a plurality of broken markers to create a single marker when the detected marker is broken into plural.

[0007] Apart from that, however, input lines detected by computer vision are often incoherent or in mismatch with the reality in terms of orientation angle, length, starting point and / or end point of a respective line-marking. In other words, the line-markings may be detected with different orientations, although in reality, the line-markings follow a regular pattern. Known line-marking patterns are for example parallel parking slots, fishbone-type parking slots or a grid-like pattern of parking slots. The incoherence or mismatch may be caused by characteristics of the features themselves, such as broken or faded lines. However, the incoherence may also be caused by errors during detection. For example, if the vehicle sensor is tilted with respect to the ground, geometrical effects may lead to the incorrect detection of line-markings on the ground.

[0008] This incoherence or discrepancy or mismatch makes it hard for an LSMS to localize the motor vehicle in the environment and / or to select a specific parking slot for parking the motor vehicle. Also in human based parking scenarios, wherein a human driver relies on a synthetic view of the environment, the incoherence makes it hard for the driver to localize himself in the environment and to select a specific parking slot for manually or semi- automatically parking the motor vehicle.

[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention to facilitate the localization of a motor vehicle in an environment, namely a line-parking scenario. The object is solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are described by the dependent claims, the following description and the figures.

[0010] The invention is directed at a method, in particular at a computer-implemented method, for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment, wherein the environment comprises a parking lot with a number of line-markings, wherein a respective line-marking indicates the position of a parking slot.

[0011] The inventive method comprises the steps of

[0012] - determining a starting point of each of a predetermined set or number of line-markings,

[0013] - fitting a line through the starting points,

[0014] - determining an average orientation of the line-markings with respect to the fitted line,

[0015] - generating a set of virtual line-markings with the average orientation, and

[0016] - displaying the set of virtual line-markings as part of the synthetic view of the motor vehicle environment on a display assembly of the motor vehicle.

[0017] The predetermined set of line-markings may comprise a number, for example two or more, real line-markings in the environment of the motor vehicle. As such, the linemarkings may be captured by a sensor system of the motor vehicle, for example by a camera sensor. The predetermined set, however, may comprise line-markings that have already been pre-processed by a computer vision algorithm, for example by a computer vision algorithm, which is run by an assistance system of the motor vehicle. In other words, the predetermined set of line-markings may be the result of a processing step, wherein an image of real line-markings may have been processed by a computer vision algorithm to provide a pre-processed version of the real line-markings.

[0018] The starting point of each of the line-markings from the predetermined set may be determined from an image of the line-markings, which may be captured by a sensor of the motor vehicle, for example by the camera sensor. The camera sensor may transfer the image to a computing unit for further processing in the course of the inventive method. Alternatively or in addition, the computing unit may receive the above-described pre- processed version of the line-markings or of the image of the line-markings. The computing unit may also receive data describing the predetermined set of line-markings from a digital map, which can be provided to the computing unit by an online service or by a navigation module of the motor vehicle. The line may be initially fitted to two of the starting points by the computing unit by using standard line fitting techniques. The initially fitted line may be adjusted to the further starting points of the rest of the line-markings by considering the standard deviation of each further starting point from the initially fitted line.

[0019] For determining the average orientation of the line-markings with respect to the fitted line, a method of weighted averages may be used. To this end, first the average orientation of at least two line-markings with respect to the fitted line may be determined. If a further line-marking orientation deviates from this initially determined average by more than a predetermined tolerance, the orientation of the further line-marking has less weight than the orientation of other line-markings, that lie within the predetermined tolerance. Like this, the confidence of the average orientation of the whole set of line-markings is increased with each further line-marking that is added to the calculation.

[0020] The computing unit then generates the set of virtual line-markings, wherein all of the virtual line-markings have the determined average orientation. The number of virtual linemarkings may be equal to the number of line-markings of the predetermined set. Alternatively, the number of virtual line-markings may differ from the number of linemarkings from the predetermined set. In other words, additional virtual line-markings may be predicted from the set of real line-markings based on the determined average. As a result, the set of virtual line-markings may comprise more line-markings than the predetermined set of real line-markings.

[0021] The set of virtual line-markings may be transferred by the computing unit to the display assembly of the motor vehicle. As a result, the set of virtual line-markings, all having the same orientation, namely the above-described average orientation of the line-markings of the predetermined set, is displayed to the driver of the motor vehicle via the display assembly or apparatus. The display assembly may be realized as a Human Machine Interface (HMI). It may for example comprise a touch surface, which is designed to receive an input from the driver via a touch gesture. The driver may for example select one of the parking slots, which is marked by one or more of the virtual line-markings. He may then park the motor vehicle manually in the selected parking slot. Alternatively, an automated parking assistance system of the motor vehicle may park the motor vehicle (semi-)automatically inside the selected parking slot. Although the virtual line-markings do not necessarily represent the reality, due to their regularity, a localization of the motor vehicle in the synthetic view of the environment comprising the virtual line-markings is greatly facilitated.

[0022] The invention also includes embodiments that provide additional advantages.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the line-markings of the predetermined set are assigned to different predetermined classes of line-markings based on their respective orientation, wherein only line-markings from the same class are used as a basis for generating the set of virtual line-markings. For each class, a predetermined class-specific orientation may be defined. Line-markings with an orientation deviating by more than a predetermined tolerance angle from the predetermined class-specific orientation can be excluded from the set of line-markings based on which the average orientation is determined. In other words, the line-markings of the predetermined set, preferably the real line-markings, are classified based on their respective orientation. For the classification, the orientation of each of the line-markings from the predetermined set of line-markings may be determined in a classification step, which may be performed before calculating or determining the average orientation of the line-markings of the predetermined set. In other words, in the classification step, a decision is made regarding the line-markings that should or should not be used for calculating the average orientation and for generating the set of virtual line-markings. This pre-selection of line-markings decreases the potential mismatch between the average orientation and the single orientations of the line-markings of the predetermined set. Additionally, the confidence in the average orientation is further increased.

[0024] Classes of line-markings may comprise a class of parallel line-markings with an orientation of about 90 degrees with respect to the fitted line and / or a class of parallel linemarkings with an orientation other than 90 degrees with respect to the fitted line (fishbonetype line-markings) and / or grid-like arranged line-markings. In particular, the fishbone-type line-markings may have an orientation of about 40 to 60 degrees with respect to the fitted line.

[0025] According to an embodiment, an intersection of a respective line-marking of the predetermined set with the fitted line is determined and used as starting point for a respective virtual line-marking. In other words, the computing unit may determine the intersections between the line-markings of the predetermined set and the fitted line, which is fitted to the starting points of the line-markings of the predetermined set. This may be done by a comparison of the coordinates of the starting points and the fitted line. In other words, the computing unit may establish a common coordinate system for the linemarkings of the predetermined set and the fitted line. In this common coordinate system, the coordinates of the starting points and the fitted line may be compared in order to determine the intersections. Each of the virtual line-markings may then be anchored to a respective starting point. Like this, the virtual line-markings will automatically have the same spacing as the line-markings of the predetermined set, which may correspond to the spacing of the real line-markings. This can further facilitate localization of the motor vehicle and selection of an appropriate parking slot for the motor vehicle in the environment.

[0026] According to further embodiments, an end point of each and / or an average length of the line markings of the predetermined set may be considered in generating the set of virtual line-markings. This further enhances the similarity between the synthetic view of the environment and the real environment and facilitates localization of the motor vehicle and selection of an appropriate parking slot for the motor vehicle in the environment.

[0027] According to an embodiment, a spacing between adjacent line-markings of the predetermined set is determined, wherein the set of virtual line-markings is generated in consideration of the determined spacing. In other words, the spacing between two adjacent line-markings from the predetermined set of line-markings of the predetermined set may be determined. The spacing may be used for predicting missing line-markings in the set of line-markings of the predetermined set, preferably of the real line-markings. Line-markings in the set of real line-markings may for example be missing due to snow coverage or the like. Based on the determined spacing, such gaps in the set of real linemarkings may be filled by predicting the missing line-markings. Like that, a complete set of real line-markings may be used for generating the virtual line-markings.

[0028] As already described, a map of the environment may be provided to the computing unit. According to an embodiment, additional features from the environment of the motor vehicle are extracted from map data, wherein the set of virtual line-markings is generated in consideration of the additional features. The map data may describe objects in the environment, wherein the map data may be used for generating the set of virtual linemarkings. The objects or additional features may comprise an orientation of a curb and / or an orientation of a wall in the environment. In other words, these orientations may be included in the determination of the average orientation of the line-markings. This may for example be feasible in scenarios, where a curb and / or wall runs more or less parallel to the line-markings of the predetermined set.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the method may comprise the step of highlighting available parking slots in the displayed set of virtual line-markings. For example, the computing unit may determine a parking slot, which is suitable for the motor vehicle in terms of dimensions and / or distance and / or distance to an entrance of the parking lot and / or according to preset user preferences. Such a suitable parking slot could be displayed in a different color than the rest of the parking slots in the environment. Like that, the driver of the motor vehicle can spot the suitable parking slot quickly and maneuver the vehicle there.

[0030] Optionally, the set of virtual line-markings can be provided or transferred to an electronic vehicle guidance system of the motor vehicle for automatically or semi-automatically guiding the motor vehicle to a selected available or suitable parking slot. An electronic vehicle guidance system may be understood as an electronic system, configured to guide by means of at least one control signal a vehicle in a fully automated or a fully autonomous manner and, in particular, without a manual intervention or control by a driver or user of the vehicle being necessary. The vehicle carries out all required functions, such as steering maneuvers, deceleration maneuvers and / or acceleration maneuvers as well as monitoring and recording the road traffic and corresponding reactions automatically. In particular, the electronic vehicle guidance system may implement a fully automatic or fully autonomous driving mode according to level 5 of the SAE J3016 classification. An electronic vehicle guidance system may also be implemented as an advanced driver assistance system, ADAS, assisting a driver for partially automatic or partially autonomous driving. In particular, the electronic vehicle guidance system may implement a partly automatic or partly autonomous driving mode according to levels 1 to 4 of the SAE J3016 classification. Here and in the following, SAE J3016 refers to the respective standard dated April 2021 .

[0031] Guiding the vehicle at least in part automatically may therefore comprise guiding the vehicle according to a fully automatic or fully autonomous driving mode according to level 5 of the SAE J3016 classification. Guiding the vehicle at least in part automatically may also comprise guiding the vehicle according to a partly automatic or partly autonomous driving mode according to levels 1 to 4 of the SAE J3016 classification. The at least one control signal may for example be provided to one or more actuators of the motor vehicle, including for example one or more braking actuators and / or one or more steering actuators and / or one or more propulsion motors of the motor vehicle. The one or more actuators may affect a longitudinal and / or lateral control of the motor vehicle in order to guide the motor vehicle at least in part automatically.

[0032] The assistance information may be output by means of an output device of the motor vehicle, for example a display and / or an audio output system and / or a haptic output system.

[0033] As described earlier, according to an embodiment, at least one of the starting points and / or the orientation and / or the end points and / or the spacing of the line-markings of the predetermined set is determined based on sensor data from sensors of an environmental sensor system of the motor vehicle. For example, an environmental sensor system can be understood as a sensor system, which is able to generate sensor data or sensor signals, which depict, represent or image an environment of the environmental sensor system. In particular, the ability to capture or detect electromagnetic or other signals from the environment, cannot be considered a sufficient condition for qualifying a sensor system as an environmental sensor system. For example, cameras, lidar systems, radar systems or ultrasonic sensor systems may be considered as environmental sensor systems.

[0034] For use cases or use situations which may arise in a method according to the invention and which are not explicitly described herein, it may be provided that, in accordance with the method, an error message and / or a prompt for user feedback is output and / or a default setting and / or a predetermined initial state is set.

[0035] A further aspect of the invention is directed at a method for guiding a motor vehicle at least partly semi-automatically in an environment of the motor vehicle, comprising the following steps:

[0036] - providing a synthetic view of the motor vehicle environment to an electronic vehicle guidance system of the motor vehicle, wherein the synthetic view is generated according to a method according to any of the above-described embodiments of the present invention, and

[0037] - guiding the motor vehicle based on the synthetic view by the electronic vehicle guidance system. A further aspect of the invention is directed at an electronic vehicle guidance system, comprising an environmental sensor system and a computing unit, configured to perform a method according to any of the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] If it is mentioned in the present disclosure that a component, in particular the computing unit, is adapted, configured or designed et cetera, to perform or realize a certain function, to achieve a certain effect or to serve a certain purpose, this can be understood such that the component, beyond being usable or suitable for this function, effect or purpose in principle or theoretically, is concretely and actually capable of executing or realizing the function, achieving the effect or serving the purpose by a corresponding adaptation, programming, physical design and so on.

[0039] A further aspect is directed at a motor vehicle with an electronic vehicle guidance system. The motor vehicle can be a passenger car, a truck, a passenger bus or a motorcycle.

[0040] A further aspect of the invention is directed at a processing device with a computing unit configured to perform the steps of the method described herein.

[0041] Unless stated otherwise, all steps of the computer-implemented method may be performed by the processing device, which comprises at least one computing unit, in particular a data processing apparatus of the vehicle. In particular, the at least one computing unit is configured or adapted to perform the steps of the computer- implemented method. For this purpose, the at least one computing unit may for example store a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one computing unit, cause the at least one computing unit to execute the computer- implemented method.

[0042] All computing units of the at least one computing unit may be comprised by the vehicle. However, it is also possible that all computing units of the at least one computing unit are part of an external computing system external to the vehicle, for example a backend server or a cloud computing system. It is also possible that the at least one computing unit comprises at least one vehicle computing unit of the vehicle as well as at least one external computing unit comprised by the external computing system. The at least one vehicle computing unit may for example be comprised by one or more electronic control units, ECUs, and / or one or more zone control units, ZCUs, and / or one or more domain control units, DCUs, of the vehicle. In the present disclosure, a computing unit may for example be understood as a data processing device with processing circuitry. A computing unit can therefore perform computing operations in order to process data. The computing operations may also include indexed accesses to a data structure, for example a look-up table, LUT.

[0043] In particular, a computing unit may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, ASIC, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, FPGA, and / or one or more systems on a chip, SoC. The computing unit may also include one or more processors, for example one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units, CPU, one or more graphics processing units, GPU, and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors, DSP. The computing unit may also include a physical or a virtual cluster of computers or other of said units.

[0044] A computing unit may also comprise one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units. Therein, a memory unit may be implemented as a volatile data memory, for example a dynamic random access memory, DRAM, or a static random access memory, SRAM, or as a non-volatile data memory, for example a readonly memory, ROM, a programmable read-only memory, PROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, an electrically erasable programmable readonly memory, EEPROM, a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory, FRAM, a magnetoresistive random access memory, MRAM, or a phase-change random access memory, PCRAM.

[0045] If it is mentioned in the present disclosure that a component of the motor vehicle and / or the data processing device according to the invention, in particular the computing unit, is adapted, configured or designed et cetera, to perform or realize a certain function, to achieve a certain effect or to serve a certain purpose, this can be understood such that the component, beyond being usable or suitable for this function, effect or purpose in principle or theoretically, is concretely and actually capable of executing or realizing the function, achieving the effect or serving the purpose by a corresponding adaptation, programming, physical design and so on.

[0046] According to another aspect of the invention, a computer program comprising instructions is provided. When the instructions are executed by at least one computing unit, the instructions cause the at least one computing unit to carry out a method according to the invention. The instructions may be provided as program code, for example. The program code can for example be provided as binary code or assembler and / or as source code of a programming language, for example C, and / or as program script, for example Python.

[0047] According to a further aspect of the invention, a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program according to the invention is provided.

[0048] The computer program and the computer-readable storage medium are respective computer program products with the instructions.

[0049] Further implementations of the further aspects according to the invention follow directly from the various embodiments of the method according to the invention and vice versa. In particular, individual features and corresponding explanations as well as advantages relating to the various implementations of the method according to the invention can be transferred analogously to corresponding implementations of the further aspects according to the invention. In particular, the data processing device according to the invention is designed or programmed to carry out the method according to the invention. In particular, the data processing device according to the invention carries out the method according to the invention.

[0050] Further features of the invention are apparent from the claims, the figures and the figure description. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of figures and / or shown in the figures may be comprised by the invention not only in the respective combination stated, but also in other combinations. In particular, embodiments and combinations of features, which do not have all the features of an originally formulated claim, may also be comprised by the invention. Moreover, embodiments and combinations of features, which go beyond or deviate from the combinations of features set forth in the recitations of the claims may be comprised by the invention.

[0051] In the following, the invention will be explained in detail with reference to specific exemplary implementations and respective schematic drawings. In the drawings, identical or functionally identical elements may be denoted by the same reference signs. The description of identical or functionally identical elements is not necessarily repeated with respect to different figures. In the figures:

[0052] Fig. 1 shows a schematic top view of a motor vehicle in an environment, wherein the environment comprises a parking lot with a plurality of line-markings indicating the positions of parking slots;

[0053] Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an output of a detection of the line-markings as shown in Fig. 1 ;

[0054] Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a set of virtual line-markings generated based on the output as shown in Fig. 2 according to an embodiment of the method according to the invention; and

[0055] Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a method for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment according to an embodiment according to the invention.

[0056] The embodiments explained below are exemplary embodiments of the invention. In the embodiment examples, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that are to be considered independently of one another, which also further form the invention independently of one another and are thus also to be regarded as components of the invention individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the embodiments described can also be supplemented by further of the features of the invention already described. In the figures, identical reference signs denote elements with identical functions.

[0057] Fig. 1 shows schematic top view of a motor vehicle 10 in an environment 12, wherein the environment 12 comprises a parking lot with a plurality of line-markings 14 indicating the positions of parking slots 16. For the sake of readability, only one of the plurality of linemarkings 14 and of the plurality of parking slots 16 are marked with the respective reference sign.

[0058] When driving through the environment 12, a sensor system of the motor vehicle 10, comprising one or more sensors, may capture feature data describing different features of the environment 12. For example, starting points 18 and / or end points 20 and / or a length 22 of the line-markings 14 may be captured by the sensor system. Also for the sake of readability of the figure, only one of the respective starting points 18, end points 20 and lengths 22 of the line-markings 14 is marked with the respective reference sign.

[0059] The sensor system of the motor vehicle 10 may transfer the feature data to a computing unit of the motor vehicle 10. The computing unit may calculate from the feature data an output file as shown in Fig. 2.

[0060] The output file comprises a view of the environment 12, comprising information about the line-markings 14 and the parking slots 16. As can be seen from a comparison of Figs. 1 and 2, the orientation of the line-markings 14 in the output file as shown in Fig. 2 differs from the real orientation of the line-markings 14 as shown in Fig. 1. The difference or incoherence can be due to a flawed detection of the line-markings 14 by the sensor system of the motor vehicle 10. Based on such an output file, it is hard to localize the motor vehicle 10 accurately in the environment 12. From the output file as shown in Fig. 2, line-markings 14 can be selected as a predetermined set of line-markings 14, based on which a set of virtual line-markings 24 as described in the following in the context of Fig. 3 may be generated. Alternatively or additionally, also a predetermined set or number of the real line-markings 14 as shown in Fig. 1 can be used as basis for the generation of the set of virtual line-markings 24.

[0061] Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a set of virtual line-markings 24 generated by the computing unit of the motor vehicle 10 based on the output as shown in Fig. 2. In order to generate the virtual line-markings 24, the computing unit may determine from the output file a starting point 18 of each of a predetermined number of line-markings 14 and fit a line 26 through the starting points 18. This may be done using standard line fitting techniques. As a next step, the computing unit may determine an average orientation of the line markings 14 with respect to the fitted line 26. This may be done using weighted averaging. In a next step, the computing unit may generate a set of virtual line-markings 24 with the average orientation and display the set of virtual line-markings 24 as part of a synthetic view of the environment 12 to a driver of the motor vehicle 10.

[0062] Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a method for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment 12, wherein the environment 12 comprises a parking lot with a number of line-markings 14, wherein a respective line-marking 14 indicates the position of a parking slot 16. A step S1 may comprise determining a starting point 18 of each of a predetermined set or number of line-markings 14. A step S2 may comprise fitting a line 26 through the starting points 18. A step S3 may comprise determining an average orientation of the linemarkings 14 with respect to the fitted line 26. A step S4 may comprise generating a set of virtual line-markings 24 with the average orientation. A step S5 may comprise displaying the set of virtual line-markings 24 as part of the synthetic view of the motor vehicle environment 12 on a display assembly of the motor vehicle 10.

[0063] Overall, the examples show how assistance to a driver can be provided during park slot selection for a parking lot with line slots. As described, input lines detected by computer vision are often incoherent in terms of orientation angle, length and starting point although in reality, the park lines are usually drawn in a grid like manner.

[0064] This proposed solution can be part of a function, Mapview, that shall construct and display a selective synthetic view of the near environment to the vehicle, in order to aid the driver in localizing themselves in an environment for selecting a parking slot.

[0065] The invention is focused on correcting and displaying park marks (lines) in line parking scenarios. Therein, line orientation, line length, line starting point, line spacing (slot width) and / or line prediction (in a regular slot when a middle line is missing due to bad quality in reality, it can be predicted given neighboring information) shall be considered.

[0066] Moreover, this invention uses other existing structures from the environment to improve the generation of the synthetic view such as existing curbs and walls.

[0067] In an exemplary situation, the driver is driving through a big parking lot with perpendicular line slots. The driver activates park slot search mode of a parking assistance function of his vehicle. Multiple parking offers are available in the parking lot. A display of the vehicle may display a synthetic approximation of the environment, including a set of virtual linemarkings, to help the driver localize himself in the parking lot and select the desired parking offer.

Claims

Claims1 . Method for generating a synthetic view of a motor vehicle environment (12), wherein the environment (12) comprises a parking lot with a number of line-markings (14), wherein a respective line-marking (14) indicates the position of a parking slot (16), the method comprising the steps of- determining (S1) a starting point (18) of each of a predetermined set of linemarkings (14),- fitting (S2) a line (26) through the starting points (18),- determining (S3) an average orientation of the line-markings (14) with respect to the fitted line (26),- generating (S4) a set of virtual line-markings (24) with the average orientation, and- displaying (S5) the set of virtual line-markings (24) as part of the synthetic view of the motor vehicle environment (12) on a display assembly of the motor vehicle (10).

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the line-markings (14) of the predetermined set are assigned to different predetermined classes of line-markings (14) based on their respective orientation, wherein only line-markings (14) from the same class are used as a basis for generating the set of virtual line-markings (24).

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined classes of line-markings (14) of the predetermined set comprise line-markings (14) for at least one of parallel parking slots (16) and / or fishbone-type parking slots (16) and / or grid-like arranged parking slots (16).

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an intersection of a respective line-marking (14) of the predetermined set with the fitted line (26) is determined and used as starting point for a respective virtual line-marking (24).

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of determining an end point (20) of each of the predetermined set of line-markings (14), wherein aline is fitted through the end points (20), wherein the set of virtual line-markings (24) is generated in consideration of the fitted line (26).

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims comprising the step of determining an average length (22) of the line-markings (14) of the predetermined set, wherein the set of virtual line-markings (24) is generated in consideration of the average length (22).

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of determining a spacing between adjacent line-markings (14) of the predetermined set, wherein the set of virtual line-markings (24) is generated in consideration of the determined spacing.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein missing line-markings (14) in the predetermined set of line-markings (14) are predicted in the set of virtual linemarkings (24) in consideration of the spacing.

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the average orientation is determined based on a weighted averaging algorithm.

10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of receiving a map of the environment (12) of the motor vehicle (10), comprising map data, which describe objects in the environment, wherein the map data are used for generating the set of virtual line-markings (24).11 . Method according to claim 10, wherein the objects comprise a curb, preferably the orientation of the curb, and / or a wall, preferably the orientation of the wall, in the environment (12).

12. Method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of highlighting available parking slots (16) in the displayed set of virtual line-markings (24).

13. Method according to claim 12, comprising the step of providing the set of virtual linemarkings (24) for an electronic vehicle guidance system for automatically or semi- automatically guiding the motor vehicle (10) to a selected available parking slot (16).

14. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the starting points (18) and / or the orientation and / or the end points (20) and / or the spacing of the line-markings (14) of the predetermined set is determined based on sensor data from sensors of an environmental sensor system of the motor vehicle (10).

15. Method for guiding a motor vehicle (10) at least partly semi-automatically in an environment (12) of the motor vehicle (10), comprising the following steps:- providing a synthetic view of the motor vehicle environment (12) to an electronic vehicle guidance system of the motor vehicle (10), wherein the synthetic view is generated according to a method according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 14,- guiding the motor vehicle (10) based on the synthetic view by the electronic vehicle guidance system.

16. Electronic vehicle guidance system, comprising an environmental sensor system and a computing unit, configured to perform a method according to any of the preceding claims.

17. Motor vehicle (10) with an electronic vehicle guidance system according to claim 16.

18. Processing device with a computing unit configured to perform the steps of the method according to any of the claims 1 to 15.

19. Computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computing unit, in particular by a computing unit of a processing device according to claim 18 and / or by a computing unit of an electronic vehicle guidance system according to claim 16, cause the computing unit to carry out the steps of the method according to any of claims 1 to 15.

20. Computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program according to claim 19.

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