Method for Calibrating a Plurality of Environment Sensors in a Vehicle

• US 20150012172A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG), Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG), Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Hegemann, Stefan, Komar, Matthias, Lueke, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/52 Discriminating between fixed and moving objects or between objects moving at different speeds
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52004 Means for monitoring or calibrating short-range imaging G01S7/5205

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for calibrating a plurality of environment sensors in a vehicle. To this end, traffic light signals are detected and identified from the data of at least one environment sensor. The plurality of environment sensors are calibrated when it has been determined that a traffic light signal that is relevant for the vehicle has turned red (R).

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a plurality of environment sensors in a vehicle, comprising performing detection and identification of a traffic light signal that is relevant for the vehicle from data of at least one environment sensor, evaluating the data to determine whether the traffic light signal has turned red, and performing a calibration of a plurality of environment sensors when it has been determined that the traffic light signal relevant for the vehicle has turned red.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising sensing whether the vehicle is stationary, and performing the calibration only after the vehicle is stationary.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the calibration is performed based on data regarding at least one stationary object in an environment of the vehicle, which is detected by at least two different environment sensors.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one environment sensor which provides the data for the detection and identification of the traffic light signal comprises a camera sensor.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the detection and identification of the traffic light signal is performed from data of a vehicle communication unit (Car-2-X).

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising preparing to perform the calibration already when it has been determined that the traffic light signal relevant for the vehicle has completed a green phase and will turn red in the near future.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein during the calibration the environment sensors are functional to a limited extent.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a full of the functionality of the environment sensors is restored when it has been determined that the traffic light signal relevant for the vehicle has completed a red phase.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the calibration is performed by two monocular sensors of a stereo camera included among said environment sensors.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the calibration is performed by camera sensors of a panorama view sensor system included among said environment sensors.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the calibration is performed by at least one environment sensor of a first type and at least one environment sensor of a second type, and wherein the calibration comprises entering the data of the environment sensors of the first and second types into a common occupancy grid.

12. A device for calibrating a plurality of environment sensors in a vehicle, comprising a first unit for the detection and identification of traffic light signals from data of at least one environment sensor, a calibration unit for calibrating a plurality of environment sensors, and a decision unit that activates the calibration unit when the first unit determines that a traffic light signal relevant for the vehicle has turned red.