Creation of an obstacle map

• US 9,738,278 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hasberg, Carsten, Muehlmann, Karsten, Pink, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao Long T
• Application Number:
  US14/759,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20150353083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701409, 701455, 701519, 701300, 701301, 345667, 345671, 340435, 340436, 34099515
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/21 Collision detection, intersection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/61 Scene description
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4007 based on interpolation, e.g. bilinear interpolation image demosaicing G06T3/4015; edge-driven or edge-based scaling G06T3/403
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• 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 creating an obstacle map of an area surrounding a motor vehicle on a road includes preparing a rasterized obstacle map, scanning an area surrounding the motor vehicle, dividing the surrounding into cells, recording those of the cells that are occupied by an obstacle, and identifying grid points of the obstacle map that correspond to occupied cells in the surrounding area. The dimensions of the cells are determined as a function of the position thereof relative to the course of the road.

Claims

1. A method for creating an obstacle map of an area surrounding a motor vehicle on a road, the method comprising:

preparing, by processing circuitry, a rasterized obstacle map;

obtaining, by the processing circuitry, a scan of an area surrounding the motor vehicle;

dividing, by the processing circuitry, the scanned surrounding area into cells, respective dimensions of each of which are determined as a function of respective positions of the cells relative to a course of the road, wherein the dimensions of the cells are adapted to an elevation profile of the road;

recording, by the processing circuitry, which of the cells are occupied by an obstacle; and

identifying, by the processing circuitry, grid points of the rasterized obstacle map that correspond to the recorded occupied cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dividing includes determining respective geometric shapes of the cells as a function of the respective positions of the cells relative to the course of the road.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a respective main axis of each of at least some of the cells is oriented as a function of the course of the road.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising interpolating the course of the road is based on a sequence of route points downloaded from a map memory of a navigation system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sizes of the cells and dimensions of grid points increase as distance of the respective cells from the motor vehicle, in a direction of movement of the motor vehicle, increases.

6. A method for controlling a motor vehicle on a road, the method comprising:

creating, by processing circuitry, an obstacle map of an area surrounding the motor vehicle by;

preparing a rasterized obstacle map;

obtaining a scan of an area surrounding the motor vehicle;

dividing the scanned surrounding area into cells, respective dimensions of each of which are determined as a function of respective positions of the cells relative to a course of the road, wherein the dimensions of the cells are adapted to an elevation profile of the road;

recording which of the cells are occupied by an obstacle; and

identifying grid points of the rasterized obstacle map that correspond to the recorded occupied cells; and

generating, by the processing circuitry, control signals for the motor vehicle based on the obstacle map to avoid a collision between the motor vehicle and an obstacle.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored program code that is executable by a processing device and that, when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

creating an obstacle map of an area surrounding the motor vehicle by;

preparing a rasterized obstacle map;

obtaining a scan of an area surrounding the motor vehicle;

dividing the scanned surrounding area into cells, respective dimensions of each of which are determined as a function of respective positions of the cells relative to a course of the road, wherein the dimensions of the cells are adapted to an elevation profile of the road;

recording which of the cells are occupied by an obstacle; and

identifying grid points of the rasterized obstacle map that correspond to the recorded occupied cells.

8. A device for creating an obstacle map of an area surrounding a motor vehicle on a road, the device comprising:

a data storage configured for storing a rasterized obstacle map;

a scanning device configured to scan an area surrounding the motor vehicle; and

a processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to (a) divide the scanned surrounding area into cells, respective dimensions of each of which are determined as a function of respective positions of the cells relative to a course of the road, wherein the dimensions of the cells are adapted to an elevation profile of the road, (b) record which of the cells are occupied by an obstacle, and (c) identify grid points of the rasterized obstacle map that correspond to the recorded occupied cells.