METHOD OF ANALYZING THE SURROUNDINGS OF A VEHICLE

• US 20100164701A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arriver Software AB (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bärgman, Jonas, Källhammer, Jan-Erik, Rönnbäck, Sven, Fredriksson, Hâkan, Bergiund, Tomas, Hyypää, Kalevi
• Granted Patent: US 8,558,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging

Abstract

A method of analysing the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: gathering data regarding objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; analysing the data to determine regions of empty space around the vehicle; creating one or more signatures representing at least some of the regions of empty space; and storing the signatures for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

gathering data regarding one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle;

analyzing the data to determine regions of empty space around the vehicle;

creating one or more signatures by creating one or more primitives describing at least some of the regions of empty space; and

storing the signatures for later retrieval.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of creating one or more primitives comprises the step of expanding a shape around a position until a perimeter of the shape reaches the object which is detected.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising the step, when a perimeter of the shape reaches the object which is detected defining one or more further shapes and expanding the further shapes in directions that avoid the object which is detected.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein an initial shape is defined to expand from a position which relates substantially to the location of the vehicle, and the steps of expanding a shape and defining one or more further shapes are repeated until substantially all of the available empty space around the vehicle has been analyzed.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the shape is a sector of a circle, and wherein expansion of the sector occurs around a chord thereof.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein a detected object may be disregarded if the object is determined to be moving.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein a detected object may be disregarded if the shape of the object substantially matches a predetermined shape.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a detected object may be disregarded if the number of detected measurements comprising the object is below a predetermined threshold.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein if the same region of space is analyzed on multiple occasions, the object which is detected may be disregarded if the object is not detected on every occasion.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a signature comprises one or more primitives.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein a signature comprises an expression of a relationship between two primitives.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein a signature comprises an expression of a relationship between two subsequently determined primitives.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the signatures comprises the step of storing the signatures in combination with a position determined from a positioning system.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of comparing newly-detected signatures with stored signatures associated with identical or similar positions to the newly-detected signatures, to determine the location of the vehicle with respect to the stored signatures.

15. A method according to claim 13, comprising the step of storing multiple signatures associated with identical or similar positions to improve the accuracy of the stored signatures.

16. A method according to any one of claims 13, further comprising the step of correcting the position of the vehicle, with respect to the positioning system, based on one or more matches between one or more newly-detected signatures and one or more stored signatures.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an output signal if the object which is detected in a location which had previously been determined to comprise empty space.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the output signal is a collision avoidance signal, to activate automatic collision avoidance systems of the vehicle in an attempt to avoid a collision with the object.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the output signal is an alarm signal, to generate an alarm.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signatures are compiled into voronoi graphs.

21. A method of analyzing the surroundings of a vehicle, according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of plotting a course for the vehicle based upon the stored signatures.

22. A method according to claim 21, comprising the steps of:

analyzing the surroundings of the vehicle or receiving data gathered; and

plotting a course for the vehicle that passes through or close to the centers of each of a plurality of successively-determined primitives.

23. A vehicle comprising:

an object detection arrangement;

a positioning arrangement;

a processing arrangement operable to carry out the steps of gathering data regarding one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle;

analyzing the data to determine regions of empty space around the vehicle;

creating one or more signatures by creating one or more primitives describing at least some of the regions of empty space;

storing the signatures for later retrieval, and

a memory to store the signatures.

24. A vehicle according to claim 23 in which the vehicle is driver controlled.

25. A vehicle according to claim 23 in which the vehicle is autonomous or semi-autonomous.

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)