Method for scanning a surrounding environment of a vehicle

• US 8,577,534 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Dorenkamp, Stephan, Brichzin, Volker, Schirm, Ulrich, Bordes, Maria-Eugenia Garcia
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US12/308,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/118, 701/403, 701/2, 701/23, 701/26, 701/27, 701/28, 701/29.8, 701/30.1, 701/30.2, 701/30.3, 701/30.8, 701/30.9, 701/31.1, 701/31.3, 701/31.7, 701/32.3, 701/38, 701/43, 701/76, 701/79, 701/80, 701/96, 701/97, 701/98, 701/116, 701/117, 701/119, 701/121, 701/122, 701/411, 701/414, 701/415, 701/423, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/903, 180/167, 180/169, 180/179, 382/103, 382/104
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A method and a device are described for scanning the surrounding environment of a vehicle. When the vehicle falls below a first boundary speed a timer is triggered whose state is incremented until the vehicle exceeds a boundary speed, a check of the unobstructed view of the scanning device being carried out upon expiration of the time period recorded by the state of the timer and in which the state of the counter is incremented.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for scanning a surrounding environment of a vehicle using a scanning device of the vehicle, comprising:

at a processor of a computer, triggering a timer when a speed of the vehicle falls below a first predefined boundary speed;

incrementing a count of the timer while the timer is triggered, until the speed of the vehicle exceeds a second predefined boundary speed that is greater than the first predefined boundary speed; and

responsive to the count reaching a specified value corresponding to a predefined time period measured from when the timer was triggered, determining by the processor whether the scanning device is able to measure at least one object to within a specified performance requirement.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the scanning device by the processor in response to determining that the scanning device is unable to measure at least one object to within the specified performance requirement.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the timer by the processor in response to determining that the scanning device is able to measure at least one object to within the specified performance requirement.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

resetting the timer if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the second predefined boundary speed.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

resetting the timer if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the second predefined boundary speed.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

resetting the timer if the speed of the vehicle exceeds the second predefined boundary speed.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

performing a distance measurement using the scanning device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

using the distance measurement in an adaptive speed regulation.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the performance requirement includes the scanning device being able to successfully measure an object that is continuously situated at a minimum distance during a specified time period.

9. A system for scanning a surrounding environment of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a scanning device positioned one of in or on the motor vehicle; and

a timer configured to be triggered when a speed of the motor vehicle falls below a first predefined boundary speed, and wherein a count of the timer is incremented while the timer is triggered, until the speed of the vehicle exceeds a second predefined boundary speed that is greater than the first predefined boundary speed;

wherein the scanning device is configured to, responsive to the count reaching a specified value corresponding to a predefined time period measured from when the timer was triggered, determine whether the scanning device is able to measure at least one object to within a specified performance requirement.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable data-storage medium storing a computer program having a plurality of program codes which, when executed on a computer, controls a method for scanning a surrounding environment of a vehicle using a scanning device of the vehicle, the method comprising:

at a processor of the computer, triggering a timer when a speed of the vehicle falls below a first predefined boundary speed;

incrementing a count of the timer while the timer is triggered, until the speed of the vehicle exceeds a second predefined boundary speed that is greater than the first predefined boundary speed; and

responsive to the count reaching a specified value corresponding to a predefined time period measured from when the timer was triggered, determining by the processor whether the scanning device is able to measure at least one object to within a specified performance requirement.