Method for determining relevant objects

• US 8,005,616 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Steiner, Werner, Beuschel, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen; Lin B
• Application Number:
  US11/665,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/70, 701/301, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for determining relevant objects in the vicinity of a motor vehicle by an environmental detection sensor. A calculation of the probable trajectory of objects is thus not necessary. The only objects that are classified as relevant are those with a greater probability of a collision despite an average driver response such as evasive action and/or braking. The probability of a collision is determined in accordance with at least two values that are calculated from vehicle and environmental data. A first value describes future evasive action or evasive action that has already been initiated and a second value describes a deceleration operation. Each of the two or more values is delimited by a threshold value, which indicates the start of a critical range. The braking devices are activated if at least one of the determined values lies in the critical range.

Claims

1. A method for determining relevant objects in a vicinity of a motor vehicle by using an environmental detection sensor, the method comprising:

calculating a distance and relative speed to an object and a current state of movement of the vehicle;

classifying objects as relevant only when despite an average driver response a collision occurs with greater probability, wherein

at least two collision-relevant values are calculated using at least one of a vehicle sensor data value and an environmental sensor data value;

the at least two collision-relevant values include a first collision-relevant value that describes possible future evasive action or evasive action that has already been initiated and a second collision-relevant value that describes a deceleration operation for preventing a collision;

each of the collision-relevant values is limited by a threshold value, which indicates the beginning of a critical range;

the related threshold values are only determined from vehicle sensor data;

the first collision-relevant value indicates a distance (x) between vehicle and object and the related threshold value indicates a relevant distance (x_rel), at which it is possible to drive around an object with an average evasive action, and in case of driving straightforward the relevant distance (x_rel) is determined from the intersection of an external detection range of the environmental detection sensor and a projected vehicle trajectory with minimum radius and a deceleration size, the minimum radius being determined subject to the vehicle speed (v_car); and

activating a braking device if at least one of the collision-relevant values lies in the associated critical range.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein during a curve drive of the vehicle the relevant distance (x_rel) is defined as a function of the steering angle and starting from a current steering angle a certain future change is assumed in the steering direction in both directions within a certain time.

3. A method according to claim 1, including a multi-channel environmental detection sensor with a spatial resolution for determining the relevant distance (x_rel) for each channel.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein an extension of an object is used for assessing the relevant distance.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second collision-relevant value indicates a braking deceleration (a), which is necessary to not drive into a detected object, and the related threshold value is indicated by a relevant deceleration (a_rel), wherein the relevant deceleration (a_rel) depends on the relative speed (Δ

v) and on the distance (x) between the vehicle and the detected object and on additional safety parameters and the relevant deceleration (a_rel) indicates the maximum deceleration, which an average driver would initiate.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the relevant deceleration (a_rel) takes a value between 0.2 g and 0.4 g.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the strength of a braking intervention for prevention of a collision and the relevant deceleration (a_rel) are scaled with the vehicle speed.

8. A method for determining relevant objects in a vicinity of a motor vehicle by using an environmental detection sensor, the method comprising:

calculating a distance and relative speed to an object and a current state of movement of the vehicle;

classifying objects as relevant only when despite an average driver response a collision occurs with greater probability, wherein at least two collision-relevant values are calculated using at least one of a vehicle sensor data value and an environmental sensor data value;

the at least two collision relevant values include a first collision-relevant value that describes possible future evasive action or evasive action that has already been initiated and a second collision-relevant value that describes a deceleration operation for preventing a collision;

each of the collision-relevant values is limited by a threshold value, which indicates the beginning of a critical range;

the related threshold values are only determined from vehicle sensor data;

the first collision-relevant value indicates a distance (x) between vehicle and object and the related threshold value indicates a relevant distance (x_rel), at which it is possible to drive around an object with an average evasive action, and in case of driving straightforward the relevant distance (x_rel) is determined from the intersection of an external detection range of the environmental detection sensor and the projected vehicle trajectory with minimum radius and a deceleration size, the minimum radius being determined subject to the vehicle speed (v_car); and

activating a braking device if at least one of the collision-relevant values lies in the associated critical range, wherein the method is carried out only in a predefined range of the vehicle speed, which is correlated with the detection range of the sensor.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the method is not carried out during a reverse drive.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the detection range of the environmental detection sensor is substantially smaller than 15 m.

11. A device comprising:

an environmental detection sensor; and

a control device with a stored programming for carrying out a method for determining relevant objects in a vicinity of a motor vehicle by using an environmental detection sensor, the method comprising;

calculating a distance and relative speed to an object and a current state of movement of the vehicle;

classifying objects as relevant only when despite an average driver response a collision occurs with greater probability, wherein

at least two collision-relevant values are calculated using at least one of a vehicle sensor data value and an environmental sensor data value;

the at least two collision-relevant values including a first collision-relevant value that describes possible future evasive action or evasive action that has already been initiated and a second collision-relevant value that describes a deceleration operation for preventing a collision;

each of the collision-relevant values is limited by a threshold value, which indicates the beginning of a critical range;

the related threshold values are only determined from vehicle sensor data;

the first collision-relevant value indicates a distance (x) between vehicle and object and the related threshold value indicates a relevant distance (x_rel), at which it is possible to drive around an object with an average evasive action, and in case of driving straightforward a relevant distance (x_rel) is determined from the intersection an external detection range of the environmental detection sensor and a projected vehicle trajectory with minimum radius and a deceleration size, the minimum radius being determined subject to the vehicle speed (v_car); and

activating a braking device if at least one of the collision-relevant values lies in associated the critical range.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the device is provided for a motor vehicle.