Collision monitoring for a motor vehicle

• US 8,862,382 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Zeller, Joerg, Latsch, Nico, Schliemann, Mike, Kloss, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US13/504,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20120277989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 701300-302, 701/96, 340/425.5, 340435-436
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A method for collision monitoring for a motor vehicle, in which a surrounding area is monitored, including: providing a reference state for at least one first object situated in the surrounding area, as reference object in a first stop operation, the reference state including reference position data of the at least one first object; in a second stop operation, determining whether the motor vehicle has traveled a predefined minimum distance between the first and second stop operations, and/or whether a predefined minimum time has elapsed; if it is determined that the motor vehicle has traveled a distance that is greater than the predefined minimum distance between the first and second stop operations, and/or that a time that is greater than the predefined minimum time has elapsed, the reference state is updated with position data of at least one second object situated in the surrounding area, as reference object; if subsequent drive-off is intended, determining actual position data of the at least one second object as actual state; and detecting a potential collision when the actual state and the reference state indicate a distance of more than a predefined value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for collision monitoring for a motor vehicle, in which a surrounding area is monitored by at least one object sensor, the method comprising:

at least one computer processor performing the following;

providing a reference state for at least one first object situated in the surrounding area, as a reference object in a first stop operation, the reference state including reference position data of the at least one first object;

in a subsequent second stop operation, determining at least one of whether the motor vehicle has traveled a predefined minimum distance between the first stop operation and the second stop operation, and whether a predefined minimum time has elapsed;

if it is determined at least one of (i) that the motor vehicle has traveled a distance that is greater than the predefined minimum distance between the first stop operation and the second stop operation, and (ii) that a time that is greater than the predefined minimum time has elapsed, updating the reference state with position data of at least one second object situated in the surrounding area, as a reference object;

if a subsequent drive-off is intended, determining actual position data of the at least one second object as an actual state; and

detecting a potential collision when the actual state and the reference state indicate a distance of more than a predefined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the motor vehicle has neither traveled the predefined minimum distance nor the predefined minimum time has elapsed, the reference state determined during the first stop operation is updated with the position data of the motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the length of the predefined minimum distance is selected so that it corresponds at least to a length of the region in the environment of the motor vehicle that a driver of the vehicle is unable to see.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined minimum distance corresponds to the length of the motor vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined minimum distance corresponds to the sum of the length of the motor vehicle and the lengths of the surrounding area in front of and behind the motor vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the surrounding area is monitored with the aid of object sensors mounted on the motor vehicle, the object sensors including at least one of ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, laser sensors, and analyzing video recordings of the surrounding area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a warning signal is output to a driver of the vehicle when a potential collision is detected.

8. A device for collision monitoring for a motor vehicle having at least one object sensor for monitoring a surrounding area, comprising:

a collision monitoring device including a computer processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform the following;

providing a reference state for at least one first object situated in the surrounding area, as a reference object in a first stop operation, the reference state including reference position data of the at least one first object;

in a subsequent second stop operation, determining at least one of whether the motor vehicle has traveled a predefined minimum distance between the first stop operation and the second stop operation, and whether a predefined minimum time has elapsed;

if it is determined at least one of (i) that the motor vehicle has traveled a distance that is greater than the predefined minimum distance between the first and the second stop operation, and (ii) that a time that is greater than the predefined minimum time has elapsed, updating the reference state with position data of at least one second object situated in the surrounding area, as a reference object;

if a subsequent drive-off is intended, determining actual position data of the at least one second object as an actual state; and

detecting a potential collision when the actual state and the reference state indicate a distance of more than a predefined value.

9. A computer readable medium having a computer program for a control device, the computer program being executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for collision monitoring for a motor vehicle, in which a surrounding area is monitored, by performing the following;

providing a reference state for at least one first object situated in the surrounding area, as a reference object in a first stop operation, the reference state including reference position data of the at least one first object;

in a subsequent second stop operation, determining at least one of whether the motor vehicle has traveled a predefined minimum distance between the first stop operation and the second stop operation, and whether a predefined minimum time has elapsed;

if it is determined at least one of (i) that the motor vehicle has traveled a distance that is greater than the predefined minimum distance between the first stop operation and the second stop operation, and (ii) that a time that is greater than the predefined minimum time has elapsed, updating the reference state with position data of at least one second object situated in the surrounding area, as a reference object;

if a subsequent drive-off is intended, determining actual position data of the at least one second object as an actual state; and

detecting a potential collision when the actual state and the reference state indicate a distance of more than a predefined value.