Method and apparatus for testing a driver assistance system

• US 10,604,157 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gerber, Nils, Fraatz, Tobias, Bauer, Franziskus, Haase, Sascha, Stauff, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam D
• Application Number:
  US15/712,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/04 Monitoring the functioning of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2304/09 Testing or calibrating during manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus that tests a driver assistance system. In a method that tests a driver assistance system in a vehicle, the vehicle includes at least one visual sensor, and the driver assistance system initiates a vehicle reaction based on input data provided by the visual sensor. A provision of the input data is modified using at least one virtual object. In this ease, this modification is carried out by virtue of an image captured by the visual sensor, or scenery captured by the visual sensor being enriched using the at least one virtual object before being captured by the visual sensor.

Claims

1. A method for testing a driver assistance system in a vehicle comprising:

linking at least one virtual object with actual vehicle environment data via a combiner unit;

generating an enriched image using the at least one virtual object and the actual vehicle environment data;

displaying the enriched image on a see-through display positioned within a field-of-view of a camera on-board the vehicle;

capturing the enriched image using the camera as input data indicative of an image or scenery outside of the vehicle;

transmitting the input data from the camera to the driver assistance system; and

initiating a vehicle reaction using the driver assistance system based on the input data by generating a control signal and transmitting the control signal to a corresponding vehicle actuator.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising linking actual vehicle environment data to the input data after enriching.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a virtual road marking.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a virtual third-party vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a virtual traffic sign.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle reaction is initiated to brake, accelerate and/or steer the vehicle in response to the input data.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising generating the at least one virtual object via a computer via simulation.

6. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, comprising:

a camera positioned on-board the vehicle and configured to capture an image indicative of scenery within a field-of-view of the camera and outside the vehicle;

a combiner unit configured to (i) link at least one virtual object with actual vehicle environment data, (ii) generate an enriched image using the at least one virtual object and the actual vehicle environment data, and (iii) display the enriched image on a see-through display positioned within the field-of-view of the camera; and

a control module in communication with the camera and the combiner unit, the control module configured to, in response to receiving input data from the camera representative of the enriched image, initiate a vehicle reaction by generating a control signal and transmitting the control signal to a corresponding vehicle actuator.

7. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a road marking.

8. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a third-party vehicle.

9. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a traffic sign.

10. A vehicle comprising:

at least one vehicle actuator configured to brake, accelerate and/or steer the vehicle;

a camera disposed on an exterior of the vehicle, the camera configured to generate input data indicative of an image of scenery within an environment outside of the vehicle and within a field-of-view of the camera;

a combiner unit configured to (i) link at least one virtual object with actual vehicle environment data, (ii) generate an enriched image using the at least one virtual object and the actual vehicle environment data, and (iii) display the enriched image within the field-of-view of the camera;

a see-through display positioned within the field-of-view of the camera, wherein the combiner unit is configured to display the enriched image on the see-through display; and

a control module in communication with the camera, the combiner unit, and the at least one vehicle actuator, the control module configured to, in response to receiving input data from the camera representative of the enriched image, initiate a reaction to the input data by generating a control signal and transmitting the control signal to the at least one vehicle actuator.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the virtual object is indicative of a road marking.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a second virtual object indicative of a third-party vehicle, wherein the combiner unit is further configured to generate the enriched image with the virtual objects.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a third virtual object indicative of a traffic sign, wherein the combiner unit is further configured to generate the enriched image with the virtual objects.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a computer in communication with the combiner unit, the computer configured to generate the at least one virtual object via simulation.