Method and Device for Estimating the Number of Lanes and/or the Lane Width on a Roadway

• US 20140324325A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: SCHLENSAG, Andreas, IRRGANG, Peter, STENMANNS, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,132,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/116
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions

Abstract

A system for estimating the lane width and/or the number of lanes on a roadway includes environmental sensors mounted on a vehicle to monitor respective detection areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle. The sensors detect a roadway edge and the system determines a distance to the roadway edge. The system further determines a value or accesses a predefined nominal value of a lane width, and then estimates the number of lanes by evaluating the roadway edge distance with reference to the lane width value.

Claims

1. A method for a driver assistance system for a subject vehicle that drives on a roadway and that is equipped with a sensor system arranged to monitor a detection area laterally behind the subject vehicle, wherein the method comprises the steps:

a) obtaining a lane width value of a lane width of a lane of the roadway;

b) evaluating sensor data from the sensor system and thereby attempting to recognize, from the sensor data, at least one roadway edge of the roadway; and

if the step b) recognizes the at least one roadway edge, then further performing the following steps;

c) determining an edge distance of the at least one roadway edge;

d) comparing the edge distance with the lane width value to produce a comparison result; and

e) from the comparison result, determining an estimated number of lanes on the roadway.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step d), the comparing comprises dividing the edge distance by the lane width value to produce a quotient thereof as the comparison result.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step e) comprises determining the estimated number of lanes as a whole number part of the quotient.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one roadway edge consists of a single roadway edge on one side of the subject vehicle, the edge distance is a distance to the single roadway edge relative to the subject vehicle, and the estimated number of lanes is an estimated value of a number of one or more lanes on the roadway between the subject vehicle and the single roadway edge on the one side B of the subject vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one roadway edge includes two roadway edges respectively on opposite left and right sides of the subject vehicle, the edge distance is a distance between the two roadway edges, and the estimated number of lanes is an estimated value of a number of one or more lanes on the roadway between the two roadway edges.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lane width value is a predefined nominal lane width value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the step a), the obtaining of the predefined nominal lane width value comprises setting or selecting the predefined nominal lane width value dependent on a speed of the subject vehicle or of objects detected by the sensor system.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the step a), the obtaining of the predefined nominal lane width value comprises setting or selecting the predefined nominal lane width value dependent on informations regarding a surrounding environment in which the vehicle is located, wherein the informations are based on data from a camera system, a radio-based information system, or a navigation system of the subject vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step b), the recognizing of the at least one roadway edge further comprises determining and utilizing at least one of:

a) a course of a subject lane on which the subject vehicle is driving,

b) positions of stationary objects in a lateral area to a side of the subject vehicle,

c) positions of stationary objects in a rearward area behind the subject vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining an actual lane width from the edge distance determined in the step c) and the estimated number of lanes determined in the step e).

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining of the actual lane width comprises forming a quotient of the edge distance divided by the estimated number of lanes.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising determining a warning zone dependent on the actual lane width, and emitting a warning when an object is detected within the warning zone and the subject vehicle is commencing a lane change procedure.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a warning zone dependent on the number of lanes, and emitting a warning when an object is detected within the warning zone and the subject vehicle is commencing a lane change procedure.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following additional steps if the step b) does not recognize the at least one roadway edge:

f) evaluating sensor data from the sensor system in order to thereby determine at least one lateral spacing distance relative to the subject vehicle, said at least one lateral spacing distance being selected from a lateral spacing distance of another vehicle that is overtaking the subject vehicle, a lateral spacing distance of another vehicle that is being overtaken by the subject vehicle, a lateral spacing distance of an oncoming vehicle that is approaching the subject vehicle, and a lateral spacing distance of a following vehicle that is following behind and laterally offset from the subject vehicle;

g) comparing the at least one lateral spacing distance with the lane width value to produce a comparison result; and

h) from the comparison result, determining an estimated number of lanes on the roadway.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the lane width value is a predefined nominal lane width value, and wherein in the step a), the obtaining of the predefined nominal lane width value comprises setting or selecting the predefined nominal lane width value dependent on a speed of the subject vehicle or of objects detected by the sensor system.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising determining an actual lane width from the at least one lateral spacing distance determined in the step f) and the estimated number of lanes determined in the step h).

17. A driver assistance system for performing the method according to claim 1 in a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor system configured and arranged to monitor a detection area laterally behind the subject vehicle,

a memory storing a program to perform the method, and

a processing circuit that is connected to the sensor system and to the memory, and that is configured to execute the program to perform the method.

18. A method for a driver assistance system for a subject vehicle that drives on a roadway and that is equipped with a speed sensor and an environmental sensor system, wherein the method comprises the steps:

a) using the speed sensor, determining the driving speed of the subject vehicle;

b) determining a valid lane width range dependent on the driving speed;

c) using the environmental sensor system, detecting at least one roadway edge of the roadway;

d) determining an edge distance of the at least one roadway edge;

e) obtaining hypothetical values of a number of lanes on the roadway;

f) forming respective quotients of the edge distance respectively divided by the respective hypothetical values of the number of lanes;

g) comparing the quotients to the valid lane width range; and

h) determining an estimated lane width of a lane on the roadway as one of the quotients that falls within the valid lane width range.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising determining an estimated number of lanes on the roadway by dividing the edge distance by the estimated lane width.

20. A method for estimating the number of lanes for a vehicle comprising a system for detecting the environment, which monitors an area laterally behind a vehicle, in particular for lane change assistance,

characterized in that a distance to the roadway edge is determined and is compared with a presettable value for a lane width, and from this the number of lanes is estimated.