Method for automatically controlling a vehicle

• US 8,589,060 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Becker, Jan-Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/444,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/301, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/903
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/865 Combination of radar systems with lidar 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 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A method for automatically controlling a vehicle, in which information about at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle is taken into account in order to provide an evasion trajectory of the vehicle with respect to an obstacle.

Claims

1. A method for automatically controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle;

providing information about the at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle; and

taking into account the information about at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle to provide an evasion trajectory of the vehicle with respect to an obstacle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for evading the obstacle, the vehicle is controlled so that the evasion trajectory of the vehicle proceeds through the area detected to be freely passable.

3. The method of claim 1, in which a trajectory that is driven by the vehicle is predicted cyclically.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method is implemented only when, in the predicted trajectory, the vehicle heads toward a detected obstacle, and it is possible to drive in the area that is detected to be freely passable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a check is performed to determine whether a person controlling the vehicle is able to evade the obstacle by suitable control commands.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein first data for detecting obstacles in surroundings of the vehicle and second data for detecting freely passable areas in the surroundings are processed together, and the freely passable area suitable for evasion is determined based on the first data and the second data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first data for detecting the obstacles are provided by at least one first sensor of the vehicle, and wherein the second data for detecting freely passable areas are provided by at least one second sensor of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

performing a cell-grid-based analysis of the surroundings.

9. A device for automatically controlling a vehicle, comprising:

a detecting arrangement to detect at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle;

a information arrangement to provide information about the at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle; and

a processing arrangement to take into account the information about at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle to provide an evasion trajectory of the vehicle with respect to an obstacle.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein for evading the obstacle, the vehicle is controlled so that the evasion trajectory of the vehicle proceeds through the area detected to be freely passable.

11. The device of claim 9, in which a trajectory that is driven by the vehicle is predicted cyclically.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the information is only taken into account when, in the predicted trajectory, the vehicle heads toward a detected obstacle, and it is possible to drive in the area that is detected to be freely passable.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein a check is performed to determine whether a person controlling the vehicle is able to evade the obstacle by suitable control commands.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein first data for detecting obstacles in surroundings of the vehicle and second data for detecting freely passable areas in the surroundings are processed together, and the freely passable area suitable for evasion is determined based on the first data and the second data.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first data for detecting the obstacles are provided by at least one first sensor of the vehicle, and wherein the second data for detecting freely passable areas are provided by at least one second sensor of the vehicle.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein a cell-grid-based analysis of the surroundings is performed.

17. A computer-readable data medium having a computer program which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for automatically controlling a vehicle by performing the following;

detecting at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle;

providing information about the at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle; and

taking into account the information about at least one area that is freely passable by the vehicle to provide an evasion trajectory of the vehicle with respect to an obstacle.

18. The computer-readable data medium of claim 17, wherein for evading the obstacle, the vehicle is controlled so that the evasion trajectory of the vehicle proceeds through the area detected to be freely passable.

19. The computer-readable data medium of claim 17, in which a trajectory that is driven by the vehicle is predicted cyclically.

20. The computer-readable data medium of claim 19, wherein the method is implemented only when, in the predicted trajectory, the vehicle heads toward a detected obstacle, and it is possible to drive in the area that is detected to be freely passable.

21. The computer-readable data medium of claim 17, wherein a check is performed to determine whether a person controlling the vehicle is able to evade the obstacle by suitable control commands.

22. The computer-readable data medium of claim 17, wherein first data for detecting obstacles in surroundings of the vehicle and second data for detecting freely passable areas in the surroundings are processed together, and the freely passable area suitable for evasion is determined based on the first data and the second data.

23. The computer-readable data medium of claim 22, wherein the first data for detecting the obstacles are provided by at least one first sensor of the vehicle, and wherein the second data for detecting freely passable areas are provided by at least one second sensor of the vehicle.

24. The computer-readable data medium of claim 22, wherein a cell-grid-based analysis of the surroundings is performed.