Device for classifying at least one object in the surrounding field of a vehicle

• US 8,301,344 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Simon, Stephan, Lindner, Sebastian, Voelz, Henning
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US10/566,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,036 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/65, 701/500, 701/532, 701/535, 382/159, 382/165, 382/170, 382/224, 382/227, 707/705, 707/754, 707/763, 707/769, 707/770, 707/771, 707790-793, 707802-804, 707821-831
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A device for classifying at least one object in the surrounding field of a vehicle with the aid of an environmental sensor system, the device classifying the at least one object on the basis of its shape and its dimensions, and the environmental sensor system ascertaining the dimensions.

Claims

1. A device for classifying at least one object in a surrounding field of a vehicle, comprising:

an environmental sensor system; and

a classifier that classifies the at least one object into one of a plurality of classes including object classes and a reject class, based on a three-dimensional shape of the at least one object and dimensions of the object, the environmental sensor system ascertaining the shape and the dimensions, wherein the classifier performs temporal filtering in classifying the at least one object by taking into consideration a previous classification of the at least one object, and wherein each object class has assigned properties which describe at least one of characteristic features of the class and differences from other classes, the properties of the object classes being stored in a model database, and wherein the at least one object is classified as belonging to the reject class if the at least one object does not correspond to any of the properties of the object classes stored in the model database.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the classifier is configured to take into account, during the classification, a velocity of the at least one object according to at least one of magnitude and a direction.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the classifier is configured to take into account, during the classification, an orientation of the at least one object.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the classifier is configured to check validity of the classification using data from a database.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is coupled to at least one vehicle system in such a manner that the device controls the at least one vehicle system as a function of the classification.

6. The device as recited in claim 5, wherein the vehicle system is a protection system.

7. The device as recited in claim 5, wherein the vehicle system is a driver-assistance system.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the environmental sensor system includes at least one of a stereoscopic camera, a monoscopic camera having a stereo motion sensor, a LIDAR sensor, and a scanning radar sensor.