Monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring a surroundings of a vehicle for use in controlling motions of the vehicle comprising sensing the objects in the surroundings with a touchless surface sensor which generates data, grouping the sensed data in monitoring strips which extend parallel to a driving direction of the vehicle, determining a relative speed of the vehicle in a direction parallel to its driving direction for each monitoring strip, with the data generated by the surface sensor determining a position of the object relative to the vehicle, distinguishing between a plurality of objects in the surroundings as a function of at least one of the speed of the vehicle and the position of the object, calculating when a collision between the vehicle and the object can occur, and generating and transmitting a signal to the vehicle for adjusting at least one of its speed and its driving direction to prevent the collision.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for monitoring the surroundings of vehicles, especially driverless transport vehicles, and controlling the vehicle. Objects in the surroundings of the vehicle are monitored with a surface sensor. Data generated by the surface sensor is grouped into monitoring strips that run parallel to the driving direction of the vehicle. A speed relative to the vehicle and parallel to the driving direction is determined for each monitoring strip. The positions of objects relative to the vehicle are determined, and objects are distinguished from each other on the basis of their relative speeds and/or positions. The possible occurrence of a collision of the vehicle with the object is calculated, and a signal is generated and sent to the vehicle for adjusting its speed and/or driving direction so that a collision with the object is prevented. The application also concerns apparatus for practicing the method.
53 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. A method for monitoring a surroundings of a vehicle for use in controlling motions of the vehicle comprising sensing the objects in the surroundings with a touchless surface sensor which generates data, grouping the sensed data in monitoring strips which extend parallel to a driving direction of the vehicle, determining a relative speed of the vehicle in a direction parallel to its driving direction for each monitoring strip, with the data generated by the surface sensor determining a position of the object relative to the vehicle, distinguishing between a plurality of objects in the surroundings as a function of at least one of the speed of the vehicle and the position of the object, calculating when a collision between the vehicle and the object can occur, and generating and transmitting a signal to the vehicle for adjusting at least one of its speed and its driving direction to prevent the collision.
- 9. Apparatus for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle comprising a touchless surface sensor for detecting objects located within the surroundings which generates data concerning the relative location of the objects, a processor which groups the data from the surface sensor into monitoring strips that extend parallel to the driving direction of the vehicle, a device which determines a speed parallel to the driving direction and relative to the vehicle, a discriminator that distinguishes the objects on the basis of at least one of their relative speeds and positions, a processor adapted to calculate a possible collision between the vehicle and the objects, and a transmitter relaying to the vehicle a signal for adjusting at least one of the vehicle'"'"'s speed and driving direction for preventing the collision.
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11. Apparatus according to 9 wherein the touchless surface sensor for monitoring the surroundings is mounted at a predefined position on the vehicle.
Specification