Method and device for warning against cross traffic when leaving a parking space

• US 9,630,556 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Max, Stephan, Baumann, Peter, Katzwinkel, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US14/442,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 3404255, 340933, 340436, 180271
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9317 Driving backwards

Abstract

A method for warning the driver of a vehicle against cross traffic when leaving a parking space, wherein the motor vehicle has far-field sensors at least in the region of the rear-end corners for detecting possible cross traffic and lateral near-field sensors for detecting the near surroundings of the vehicle and wherein the warning is generated if at least one of the far-field sensors detects cross traffic. The method surveys the nearby lateral surroundings of the driver'"'"'s vehicle while leaving the parking space, determines from the results of the near-field detection whether the far-field sensors have a free view of the cross traffic, and generates a notification to the driver if one or both far-field sensors do not have a free view of the cross traffic.

Claims

1. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle against cross traffic when leaving a parking space, the motor vehicle having, at least in a region of rear vehicle corners, long-range sensors for detecting possible cross traffic and lateral short-range sensors for detecting a nearby vehicle environment, the method comprising:

measuring a nearby lateral environment of the motor vehicle using the short-range sensors to generate a short range-detection when the motor vehicle is leaving the parking space;

entering measurements of the nearby lateral environment into an environment map;

detecting possible cross traffic using the long-range sensors; and

generating a warning in response to at least one of the long-range sensors detecting cross traffic,

using the environmental map to determine whether the long-range sensors have a clear view of the cross traffic, and generating an indication for the driver in response to one or both long-range sensor(s) not having the clear view of the cross traffic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver is informed of which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of long-range sensors without a clear view is optically presented in a display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the display generates a representation of the motor vehicle and its nearby environment such that it is optically represented which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication of blocked visual contact is effected by a symbol which is inserted in the representation of the vehicle environment in the region of the blocked long-range sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indication is removed from the display when the visual blocking of the long-range sensor is removed.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein both the blocked long-range sensors and the long-range sensors having visual contact are represented in the display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining and entering distances to obstacles from the short-range detection in the environment map and evaluating the environment map in the region of the assumed visual contact between the long-range sensors and possible cross traffic.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the likelihood of when there is visual contact of a blocked long-range sensor is calculated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed when the motor vehicle leaves the parking space by reversing from the parking space.

11. A device for warning a driver of a motor vehicle against cross traffic when leaving a parking space, the device comprising:

long-range sensors which are arranged at least in a region of rear corners of the motor vehicle and configured to detect possible cross traffic;

lateral short-range sensors for sensing a nearby motor vehicle environment, wherein the short-range sensors are configured to measure a nearby lateral environment of the motor vehicle to generate a short range-detection when the motor vehicle is leaving the parking space,

an environment map into which the measurements of the nearby lateral environment are entered;

a warning device for warning against cross traffic;

wherein the environment map is used to determine whether the long-range sensors have a clear view of the cross traffic, and an indication is generated for the driver in response to one or both long-range sensor(s) not having the clear view of the cross traffic;

a display which displays the indication of which long-range sensor does not have visual contact with the cross traffic.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device has an apparatus for generating the environment map from the measurement results from the short-range sensors, the likelihood of a clear view of the long-range sensors being determined from the environment map in the region of an assumed visual contact with possible cross traffic.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the driver is informed of which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the indication of long-range sensors without a clear view is optically presented on the display.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the indication of blocked visual contact is effected by a symbol which is inserted in the representation of the vehicle environment in the region of the blocked long-range sensor.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the indication is removed when the visual blocking of the long-range sensor is removed.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein both the blocked long-range sensors and the long-range sensors having visual contact are represented in the display.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the display generates a representation of the motor vehicle and its nearby environment such that it is optically represented which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein distances to obstacles are determining and from short-range detection in the environment map and the environment map is evaluated in the region of an assumed visual contact between the long-range sensors and possible cross traffic.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein a likelihood of when there is visual contact of a blocked long-range sensor is calculated.