Method for Determining the Plausibility of Objects in Driver Assistance Systems

• US 20090055095A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Henn, Ruediger-Walter, Urban, Werner, Moser, Viktor
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control

Abstract

A method for determining the plausibility of objects in driver assistance systems of motor vehicles includes the following steps:

• • statistical analysis of the lateral offsets (Y) of stationary objects to detect left and right roadway boundaries,
  • analysis of the lateral offsets (Y_H) of moving objects to detect any adjacent lanes,
  • calculating a probability value Q_R that the host vehicle is in the extreme right traffic lane of the roadway, and a probability value Q_L that the host vehicle is in the extreme left traffic lane, and
  • varying the width and/or lateral position of the travel route envelope as a function of the probability values Q_R and Q_L.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for determining a plausibility of an object detected by a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system includes a locating system, the method comprising:

locating, by the locating system, objects in the surroundings of the vehicle;

measuring, by the locating system, lateral offsets of the located objects in the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle;

defining a travel route envelope for the motor vehicle; and

determining the plausibility of moving objects based on whether the moving objects are one of inside or outside of the travel route envelope, wherein the plausibility determination includes;

statistical analysis of the lateral offsets of stationary objects to detect left and right roadway boundaries;

analysis of the lateral offsets of moving objects to detect any adjacent lanes;

calculating a first probability value that the host vehicle is in the extreme right traffic lane of the roadway, and a second probability value that the host vehicle is in the extreme left traffic lane; and

varying at least one of the width and the lateral position of the travel route envelope as a function of the first and second probability values.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the width of a right half of the travel route envelope is varied as a function of the first probability value, and wherein the width of a left half of the travel route envelope is varied as a function of the second probability value.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

forming a third probability value and a fourth probability value by statistical analysis of the lateral offsets of stationary objects, wherein the third and fourth probability values indicate the probability that motor vehicle is close to one of the right or the left boundary of the roadway, and wherein the third probability value is incorporated into the first probability values and the fourth probability value is incorporated into the second probability value in a manner that increases probability.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a first statistical quality parameter characterizing the quality of detection of the left roadway boundary is incorporated into the third probability value and a second statistical quality parameter characterizing the quality of detection of the right roadway boundary is incorporated into the fourth probability value in a manner that increases probability.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the third probability value is determined on the basis of a predefined roadway-edge profile as a function of a lateral offset value for the right roadway boundary, and wherein the fourth probability value is determined on the basis of the predefined roadway-edge profile as a function of a lateral offset value for a lateral offset value for the left roadway boundary.

18. The method as recited in claims 15, wherein the third and fourth probability values are subjected to a low-pass filtering before being incorporated into the first and second probability values.

19. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

determining a first adjacent-lane probability indicating the probability that an adjacent lane is to the right next to the vehicle and a second adjacent-lane probability indicating the probability that an adjacent lane is to the left next to the vehicle, wherein the first and second adjacent-lane probabilities are determined on the basis of a predefined traffic-lane profile as a function of the lateral offsets of the moving objects.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein a first filtered probability value is formed by subjecting the first adjacent-lane probability for each located object moving in the same direction as the motor vehicle to a low-pass filter cycle, and wherein a second filtered probability value is formed by subjecting the second adjacent-lane probability for each located object moving in the same direction as the motor vehicle to a low-pass filter cycle, and wherein the first and second filtered probability values are incorporated into the corresponding first and second probability values, respectively, in a manner that lowers probability.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein at least one further filtered probability value is formed by subjecting the second adjacent-lane probability for each located object moving in the opposite direction with respect to the motor vehicle to a low-pass filter cycle, and wherein the at least one further filtered probability value is incorporated into the second probability value in a manner that increases probability.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

forming at least one widening parameter, wherein the at least one widening parameter increases if at least one of the first and second probability values increases, and wherein the at least one widening parameter remains constant if the first and second probability values decrease, and wherein the at least one widening parameter is reset to one of the first probability value and the second probability value when;

a) an object is located on the roadway side;

b) the object has one of the first and second adjacent-lane probabilities above a predetermined threshold value;

c) the object is moving at a different speed than the motor vehicle in the same direction as the motor vehicle.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the width of the travel route envelope is between a predetermined standard value and a predetermined maximum value as long as no reset exists, and wherein in response to a reset the width of the travel route envelope is reduced for a specified time to a predetermined basic width which is less than the predetermined standard width.

24. A driver assistance system of a motor vehicle configured to determine a plausibility of a detected object, comprising:

a locating system configured to locate objects in the surroundings of the vehicle and determine lateral offsets of the located objects in the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle;

means for defining a travel route envelope for the motor vehicle; and

means for determining the plausibility of moving objects based on whether the moving objects are one of inside or outside of the travel route envelope, wherein the plausibility determination includes;

statistical analysis of the lateral offsets of stationary objects to detect left and right roadway boundaries;

analysis of the lateral offsets of moving objects to detect any adjacent lanes;

calculating a first probability value that the host vehicle is in the extreme right traffic lane of the roadway, and a second probability value that the host vehicle is in the extreme left traffic lane; and

varying at least one of the width and the lateral position of the travel route envelope as a function of the first and second probability values.