METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20180093674A1
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Published: 04/05/2018
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,604,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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:

initiating a vehicle reaction using the driver assistance system based on input data provided by a visual sensor disposed on the vehicle indicative of an image or scenery captured by the visual sensor; and

modifying a provision of the input data using at least one virtual object by enriching the input data using the at least one virtual object.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein enriching the input data includes placing the at least one virtual object in a field-of-view of the visual sensor.

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

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

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

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

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

at least one visual sensor configured to capture an image indicative of scenery; and

a control module configured to, in response to an enrichment of the image with at least one virtual object that generates a modified provision of the image, initiate a vehicle reaction using the modified provision.

8. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the modified provision places the at least one virtual object in a field-of-view of the visual sensor.

9. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control module is further configured to link an environment from the scenery within the field-of-view to the modified provision.

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

11. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a third-party vehicle.

12. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one virtual object is indicative of a traffic sign.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a visual sensor disposed on an exterior of the vehicle, the visual sensor being configured to generate input data indicative of an image of scenery within an environment of the vehicle; and

a control module configured to, in response to a provision of the input data being modified with a virtual object that generates enriched input data, initiate a reaction to the enriched input data.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the provision places the virtual object in a field-of-view of the visual sensor.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to link the environment from the image within the field-of-view to the provision.

16. The vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the virtual object is indicative of a road marking.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a second virtual object indicative of a third-party vehicle, wherein the control module is further configured to modify the provision of the input data with the virtual objects.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a third virtual object indicative of a traffic sign, wherein the control module is further configured to modify the provision of the input data with the virtual objects.