Method for operating a motor vehicle and motor vehicle

• US 9,207,088 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Firl, Jonas, Stuebing, Hagen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/335,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 701/461, 701/408, 701/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle is disclosed which includes determining of a current position of the motor vehicle and accessing a data of map data stored in at least one vehicle-external storage device. The accessed data set contains map data of surroundings of the determined current position of the motor vehicle. The method further include, classifying objects contained in the map data according to stationary objects and moveable objects, and transmitting data contained in the map data of the accessed data set regarding objects classified stationary to at least one interface of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle, wherein the method comprises:

determining a current position of a motor vehicle with a position determining device arranged in the motor vehicle;

accessing a vehicle-external storage device stored external to the motor vehicle to obtain an accessed data set by the communication device arranged in the motor vehicle, wherein the accessed data set includes map data for at least one region of surroundings with respect to the determined current position of the motor vehicle having at least one object therein, wherein the accessed data set further includes high-resolution image data for the at least one region of surroundings;

processing the high-resolution image data to;

classify the at least one object as a stationary objects or as a moveable object by a classification device arranged in the motor vehicle;

filter objects classified as moveable objects; and

determine a position of objects classified as stationary objects; and

determining a relative position of the motor vehicle, based on the determined position of objects classified as stationary objects.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises transmitting data contained in the accessed data set regarding the at least one objects classified as a stationary object to at least one interface of the motor vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the accessed data set contains the high-resolution image data of an image taken by at least one optical camera, and wherein classifying the at least one object contained in the accessed data set includes an image evaluation of the image data by an image evaluation unit arranged in the motor vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises determining a probable travel route of the motor vehicle, wherein accessing the vehicle-external storage device takes place such that the accessed data set contains map data for at least one region of the probable travel route of the motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises transmitting data contained in the accessed data set includes transmitting a position data of the at least one object classified as a stationary object when the data contained in the accessed data set includes the position data of at least one object classified as a stationary object.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises determining a current position of the at least one object relative to the motor vehicle based on the determined current position of the motor vehicle and the position data of the at least one object classified as a stationary object.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting an object within a predetermined detection range with at least one sensor arranged in the motor vehicle; and

determining a current position of the detected object relative to the motor vehicle based on data determined by the at least one sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises comparing the current position of the detected object with the current position of the object classified stationary as a stationary object based on the position data contained in the accessed data set.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the data contained in the accessed data set regarding the at least one objects classified as a stationary object to at least one driver assistance system of the motor vehicle.

10. A motor vehicle comprising:

a position determining device configured to determine a current position of the motor vehicle;

a communication device configured to access a data set of map data stored external to the motor vehicle to obtain an accessed data set, wherein the accessed data set includes map data for at least one region of surroundings with respect to the determined current position of the motor vehicle having at least one object therein, wherein the accessed data set further includes high-resolution image data for the at least one region of surroundings;

a classification device comprising at least an image evaluation unit, the classification device configured to process the high-resolution image data to;

classify the at least one object contained in the accessed data set as a stationary object or a moveable object;

filter objects classified as movable objects; and

determine a position of objects classified as stationary objects; and

wherein the position determining device is further configured to determine a relative position of the motor vehicle, based on the determined position of objects classified as stationary objects.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 10 further comprising a transmission device configured to transmit data contained in the accessed data set regarding the at least one object classified as a stationary object to at least one interface of the motor vehicle.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a mobile radio communication device.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit the data contained in the accessed data set regarding the at least one object classified as a stationary object stationary to at least one driver assistance system of the motor vehicle.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program product which, when it is executed on a computer of a motor vehicle instructs the computer to carry out a process comprising:

determining a current position of a motor vehicle with a position determining device arranged in the motor vehicle;

accessing, using a mobile radio communication device operating according to Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication standard, a vehicle-external storage device stored external to the motor vehicle to obtain an accessed data set by a communication device arranged in the motor vehicle, wherein the accessed data set includes map data for at least one region of surroundings with respect to the determined current position of the motor vehicle having at least one object therein, and wherein the accessed data set further includes high-resolution image data for the at least one region of surroundings;

processing the high-resolution image data to;

classify the at least one object as a stationary objects or as a moveable object by a classification device arranged in the motor vehicle;

filter objects classified as movable objects;

determine a position of objects classified as stationary objects; and

determine a relative position of the motor vehicle, based on the determined position of objects classified as stationary objects; and

transmitting data contained in the accessed data set regarding the at least one objects classified as a stationary object to at least one interface of the motor vehicle.