Method and device for ascertaining a position of an object in the surroundings of a vehicle

• US 9,250,063 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Foltin, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/352,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 340/937, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/33 Driving situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• 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

Abstract

A method for ascertaining a position of an object in surroundings of a vehicle. The method includes a step of input of a light signal from an optical sensor, the light signal representing a brightness, a degree of reflection of light emitted by a headlight of the vehicle from an object, and/or a sharpness of a boundary line of the object illuminated by light from a headlight. Furthermore, the method includes determining a distance of the object from the vehicle by using the light signal to determine the position of the object in the surroundings of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for ascertaining a position of an object in surroundings of a vehicle, the method comprising:

inputting a light signal from an optical sensor;

determining a light distribution from the light signal;

comparing the determined light distribution, affected by a reflection of light emitted by a headlight of the vehicle, to a stored expected light distribution of the headlight; and

determining a position of the object relative to the vehicle based on a result of the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the input step an angle is also input, at which the light signal has been detected with respect to an orientation of the vehicle, the position of the object being determined by using the angle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light signal includes a plurality of light signals, each of the plurality of lights signals corresponding to a respective different position of the object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a structural infrastructure measure when a region in the direction of travel ahead of the vehicle has a greater brightness than would be expected without the presence of the structural infrastructure measure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the structural infrastructure measure is detected in the detecting when a distance from the object is determined in the position determination as being smaller than a predetermined safety margin.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, in the detection step, the structural infrastructure measure is detected as being situated on the side of the vehicle on which the region having the greater than expected brightness has been detected.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

adapting a light emission of the headlight of the vehicle and/or a light emission parameter for the light emission of light of the headlight of the vehicle when the structural infrastructure measure has been detected in the detecting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein before the inputting, a triggering of a movement of at least one headlight is carried out, the triggering being carried out to pivot a light emission of light of the headlight of the vehicle in a direction which is essentially across the direction of travel of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a warning signal when a distance of the object from the vehicle, determined as part of the position determination, is smaller than a warning distance.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing intervention of a driver assistance system into the steering of the vehicle in response to a distance of the object from the vehicle determined as part of the position determination, the intervention being performed as part of at least one of a lane holding assistant, an assistance system for maintaining a distance from a preceding vehicle, an assistance system for monitoring a lateral approach to a boundary, a brake assistance system, and a parking assistance system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the determined position, adjusting the headlights between a low beams setting and a high beams setting.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the position of the object includes determining presence of a structural lane separator, the method further comprising:

prolonging the time for turning up the headlights from low beams to high beams in response to the determination of the presence of the structural lane separator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison between the light distributions includes comparing brightness values.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison between the light distributions includes comparing sharpness values.

11. A device for ascertaining a position of an object in surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:

processing circuitry; and

an interface by which the processing circuitry is configured to obtain a light signal from an optical sensor;

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to;

determine a light distribution from the light signal;

compare the determined light distribution, affected by a reflection of light emitted by a headlight of the vehicle, to a stored expected light distribution of the headlight; and

determine a position of the object relative to the vehicle based on a result of the comparison.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, the computer program comprising program code for ascertaining a position of an object in surroundings of a vehicle, by performing the following:

inputting a light signal from an optical sensor;

determining a light distribution from the light signal;

comparing the determined light distribution, affected by a reflection of light emitted by a headlight of the vehicle, to a stored expected light distribution of the headlight; and

determining a position of the object relative to the vehicle based on a result of the comparison.