Method for identifying obstacles for a motor vehicle, using at least three distance sensors for identifying the lateral extension of an object

• US 6,947,841 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Uwe, Pruksch, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/467,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/96, 340/903, 340/904, 342/70
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons

Abstract

In order to refine a method, as well as a system for detecting at least one object, in particular for detecting its specific parameters such as the relative position of the object or the relative speed of the object, such that the objects to be detected may be classified with respect to their spatial dimensioning, in particular with respect to their lateral extension, the spatial, in particular the lateral, extension of the object is detected using at least three distance-resolving units, mounted in particular on a means of transportation.

Claims

1. A method for detecting at least one object, comprising:

detecting a spatial extension of the at least one object using at least three distance-resolving units mounted on a transportation apparatus by assigning coefficients to measured minimum distance values and assigning the coefficients to model coefficients that characterize the spatial extension of the at least one object.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the spatial extension corresponds to a later extension of the at least one object.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the method is for detecting a parameter of the at least one object, the parameter including one of a relative position of the at least one object and a relative speed of the at least one object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

measuring, using at least one of the at least three distance-resolving unit, distance values between the at least one object and an associated ones of the at least three distance-resolving units, in order to produce measured distance values corresponding to measured minimum distance values;

wherein in the assigning of the coefficients to the measured minimum distance values, the coefficients belong to at least one polynomial (f(z)=a·

zⁿ+b·

z<sup>n−

1</sup>+. . . +c) of the n^th order, n being a natural number greater than 1.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein:

by assigning the coefficients to the model coefficients, the spatial extension is recognized and differentiated of the at least one object in the form of one of;

at least one individual point-shaped object,

at least two symmetrically positioned point-shaped objects, and

at least one extended object.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

combining the measured distance values in the form of distance lists; and

recognizing reflex clusters in the distance lists.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

tracking the coefficients by;

continuously measuring as a function of time the distance values, and

filtering the coefficients assigned to the measured distance values, the coefficients belonging to at least one polynomial (f(z)=a·

zⁿ+b·

z<sup>n−

1</sup>+ . . . +c) of the n^th order, n being a natural number greater than 1, as well as derivations based on time of the distance values, with respect to whether at least one of results fall below defined lower threshold values and exceed defined upper threshold values.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

calculating one of a relative position of the at least one object and a relative speed of the at least one object from one of the filtered coefficients and the time (t)-based derivations with regard to at least one reference point defined by locations of the sensor units.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the model coefficients for point-shaped objects are calculated at a calculated relative position and compared with the filtered coefficients, and subsequently a measurement is generated for a deviation of a target object from a point shape.

10. A system for detecting at least one object, comprising:

a processor arrangement; and

at least three distance-resolving units mounted on a transportation apparatus and for detecting a spatial extension of the at least one object with the processor arrangement, by assigning coefficients to measured minimum distance values and assigning the coefficients to model coefficients that characterize the spatial extension of the at least one object.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the system is for detecting a parameter of the at least one object, the parameter including one of a relative position of the at least one object and a relative speed of the at least one object.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the spatial extension corresponds to a later extension of the at least one object.