Control system and control method for determining a likelihood of a lane change by a preceding vehicle

• US 10,449,960 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keller, Martin, Goette, Christian, Bertram, Torsten, Homann, Andreas, Wissing, Christian, Glander, Karl-Heinz, Hass, Carsten, Nattermann, Till, Buss, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US15/673,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20180043890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2310/266 releasing distance control, e.g. inhibiting control if target vehicle lost or changing lane
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4043 Lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/803 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/00274 considering possible movement changes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 : Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/254 : of classification results, e.g. of results related to same input data
• 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: G06V 20/588 : Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A control system that is suitable for use in a host motor vehicle (10) is configured and intended for detecting (S100) another motor vehicle (20), using the road, located in front of the host motor vehicle (10) by means of the at least one surroundings sensor, determining (S106) a lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20) relative to a lane (12, 16) in which the other motor vehicle (20) or the host motor vehicle (10) is present, and computing (S108) a movement-based likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the determined lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20). In addition, the control system is configured and intended for determining (S110, S112, S114) an instantaneous traffic situation in accordance with the surroundings data obtained by means of the surroundings sensor, computing (S116) a traffic situation-based likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the determined instantaneous traffic situation, and computing (S118) an overall likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the movement-based likelihood and the traffic situation-based likelihood.

Claims

1. A control system which for use in a host motor vehicle (10) is configured and intended for recognizing, based on surroundings data obtained from at least one surroundings sensor associated with the host motor vehicle (10), preceding motor vehicles and preferably stationary objects situated ahead, wherein the at least one surroundings sensor is configured for providing an electronic controller of the control system with surroundings data that represent an area in front of the host motor vehicle (10), and the control system is at least configured and intended for

detecting (S100) another motor vehicle (20), using the road, located in front of the host motor vehicle (10) by means of the at least one surroundings sensor,

determining (S106) a lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20) relative to a lane (12, 16) in which the other motor vehicle (20) or the host motor vehicle (10) is present,

computing (S108) a movement-based likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the determined lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20),

determining (S110, S112, S114) an instantaneous traffic situation in accordance with the surroundings data obtained by means of the surroundings sensor,

computing (S116) a traffic situation-based likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the determined instantaneous traffic situation,

computing (S118) an overall likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the movement-based likelihood and the traffic situation-based likelihood,

ascertaining (S204) a host lane (12) in which the host motor vehicle (10) is present,

ascertaining (S206) an additional lane (16) in which a motor vehicle in the area in front of the host motor vehicle (10) is present,

determining (S210) that the motor vehicle in the area in front of the host motor vehicle (10) is the other motor vehicle (20) that is to be detected, when the additional lane (16) is adjacent to the host lane (12),

detecting, over a predetermined time period or continuously, the other motor vehicle (20) using the road, by means of the at least one surroundings sensor, in order to determine the lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20), which for determining the lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20) is further configured and intended for

determining, during the predetermined time period or continuously, a change in a distance (d_lateral) between a longitudinal axis (L) of the other motor vehicle (20) and a centerline (18), at least one lane boundary, or at least one lane marker of the lane in which the other motor vehicle (20) or the host motor vehicle (10) is present, which for determining the instantaneous traffic situation is further configured and intended for

detecting other motor vehicles (22, 24) using the road and/or objects in front of the host motor vehicle (10), by means of the at least one surroundings sensor, and

determining (S110) a distance (d_front) between the other motor vehicle (20) and an additional motor vehicle (22) or object located in front of the other motor vehicle, as well as a speed difference (Δ

v_front) between the other motor vehicle (20) and the additional motor vehicle (22) or object located in front of the other motor vehicle, wherein the other motor vehicle (20) and the additional motor vehicle (22) or object located in front of the other motor vehicle are present in the same lane.

2. The control system according to claim 1, which is further configured and intended for outputting (S122) a signal that in accordance with the computed overall likelihood is suitable for

warning a driver of the host motor vehicle (10) of a likely lane change by the other motor vehicle (20) and/or

carrying out an autonomous speed adaptation by the host motor vehicle (10) and/or

carrying out an autonomous driving maneuver by the host motor vehicle (10).

3. The control system according to claim 1, which for determining the instantaneous traffic situation is further configured and intended for determining a distance (d_front,offset) between the other motor vehicle (20) and a motor vehicle (24) or object that is offset in front of the other motor vehicle, as well as a speed difference (Δ

v_front,offset) between the other motor vehicle (20) and the motor vehicle (24) or object that is offset in front of the other motor vehicle, wherein the other motor vehicle (20) and the motor vehicle (24) or object that is offset in front of the other motor vehicle are in different lanes.

4. The control system according to claim 1, which for determining the instantaneous traffic situation is further configured and intended for determining a distance (d_{behind,offset}) between the other motor vehicle (20) and a motor vehicle that is located behind the other motor vehicle, as well as a speed difference (Δ

v_{behind,offset}) between the other motor vehicle (20) and the motor vehicle that is located behind the other motor vehicle, wherein the other motor vehicle (20) and the motor vehicle that is located behind the other motor vehicle are in different lanes.

5. The control system according to claim 4, which is further configured and intended for determining whether an additional motor vehicle is present between the other motor vehicle (20) and the host motor vehicle (10), and determining the host motor vehicle (10) to be the rear motor vehicle when no other motor vehicle is present between the other motor vehicle (20) and the host motor vehicle (10).

6. A control method, which in a host motor vehicle (10), based on surroundings data obtained from at least one surroundings sensor associated with the host motor vehicle (10), recognizes preceding motor vehicles and preferably stationary objects situated ahead, wherein the control method is carried out in particular by means of a control system, and the control method includes the following steps:

providing surroundings data to an electronic controller of the control system, the surroundings data representing an area in front of the host motor vehicle (10),

detecting another motor vehicle (20), using the road, located in front of the host motor vehicle (10) by means of the at least one surroundings sensor,

determining a lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20) relative to a lane (12, 16) in which the other motor vehicle (20) or the host motor vehicle (10) is present,

computing a movement-based likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the determined lateral movement of the other motor vehicle,

determining an instantaneous traffic situation in accordance with the surroundings data obtained by means of the surroundings sensor,

computing a traffic situation-based likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the determined instantaneous traffic situation, and

computing an overall likelihood of a lane change by the other motor vehicle (20), based on the movement-based likelihood and the traffic situation-based likelihood,

ascertaining an additional lane in which a motor vehicle in the area in front of the host motor vehicle is present,

determining that the motor vehicle in the area in front of the host motor vehicle (10) is the other motor vehicle (20) that is to be detected, when the additional lane is adjacent to the host lane,

the other motor vehicle (20) using the road is detected, over a predetermined time period or continuously, by means of the at least one surroundings sensor in order to determine the lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20),

wherein for determining the lateral movement of the other motor vehicle (20), a change in a distance (d_lateral) between a longitudinal axis (L) of the other motor vehicle (20) and a centerline (18), at least one lane boundary, or at least one lane marker of the lane (12, 16) in which the other motor vehicle (20) or the host motor vehicle (10) is present is determined during the predetermined time period or continuously,

detecting additional motor vehicles (22, 24) using the road and/or objects located in front of the host motor vehicle (10) by means of the at least one surroundings sensor in order to determine the instantaneous traffic situation, and

wherein for determining the instantaneous traffic situation, the control method includes the following additional step;

determining a distance (d_front) between the other motor vehicle (20) and an additional motor vehicle (22) or object located in front of the other motor vehicle, as well as a speed difference (Δ

v_front) between the other motor vehicle and the additional motor vehicle or object located in front of the other motor vehicle, wherein the other motor vehicle (20) and the additional motor vehicle (22) or object located in front of the other motor vehicle are present in the same lane.

7. The control method according to claim 6,

wherein for determining the instantaneous traffic situation, the control method preferably includes one or more of the following additional steps:

determining a distance (d_front,offset) between the other motor vehicle (20) and a motor vehicle (24) or object that is offset in front of the other motor vehicle, as well as a speed difference (Δ

v_front,offset) between the other motor vehicle and the motor vehicle or object that is offset in front of the other motor vehicle, wherein the other motor vehicle (20) and the motor vehicle (24) or object that is offset in front of the other motor vehicle are in different lanes, and

determining a distance (d_{behind,offset}) between the other motor vehicle (20) and a motor vehicle that is located behind the other motor vehicle, as well as a speed difference (Δ

v_{behind,offset}) between the other motor vehicle and the motor vehicle that is located behind the other motor vehicle, wherein the other motor vehicle (20) and the motor vehicle that is located behind the other motor vehicle are in different lanes, and the motor vehicle that is located behind the other vehicle is preferably the host motor vehicle (10).