Model-supported allocation of vehicles to traffic lanes

• US 20020183928A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kederer, W., Detlefsen, J., Lueder, Jens, Winter, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4004 of parts of a radar system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4026 Antenna boresight
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/403 in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4052 by simulation of echoes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 during normal radar operation

Abstract

Proposed is a method as well as a device for the lane allocation of consecutive vehicles, the lane allocation being carried out in a model-based manner via a frequency distribution of the lateral displacements of detected radar objects. The method is additionally used for detecting the misalignment of the sensor.

Claims

1. A method for the lane allocation of consecutive vehicles on multi-lane roads,

wherein the lane allocation is carried out in a model-based manner via a frequency distribution of the lateral displacements of detected radar objects.

2. A device for implementing the method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the determined frequency distribution is correlated with stored models for frequency distributions of lateral displacements, lane allocation for multi-lane roads (e.g. 3 lanes) having a defined width or, alternatively, characteristic lateral displacement histograms for the different lanes used by the succeeding vehicle being used in these models (see FIG. 1).

3. The device for implementing the method as recited in at least one of claims 1 or 2,

wherein the model part having the highest correlation to the determined frequency distribution is output as the lane hypothesis (number of lanes as well as the lane used by one'"'"'s own vehicle).

4. A method for detecting the misalignment of a sensor on the basis of reflection, which can be used, in particular, for implementing a method as a recited in at least one of the preceding claims,

wherein the horizontal misalignment can be detected from the position of the average values for the lanes in a histogram with respect to the vehicle axis.

5. A device for implementing the method as recited in claim 4,

wherein, in addition to a histogram for the lateral displacement dyv or, alternatively, dyc, a further histogram for the distance of the observed object can be stored with equivalent object treatment, and a misalignment angle can be determined by determining the centroid of the histograms.