Method for performing a reaction to persons on vehicles

Abstract

A method initiates a reaction of a first vehicle to a person in the environment of a second vehicle. The person is on a road on which the first vehicle is travelling and the second vehicle is detected. Measurement data determined by at least one sensor unit are received by a control unit. The control unit carries out a classification and registers the evaluated data as a person and as a second vehicle. Motion vectors of the person are determined and the expected movement of the person is calculated. A position and width of the vehicle doors of the second vehicle are determined or estimated on the basis of the measurement data. A probability of the person opening a vehicle door is calculated. A reaction of the first vehicle is initiated by the control unit depending on the calculated probability.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a reaction of a first vehicle to a person in the environment of a second vehicle, the person is on a road on which the first vehicle is travelling and the second vehicle is detected, the method comprising: determining measurement data with at least one sensor unit; receiving the determined measurement data with a control unit; classifying with the control unit; registering evaluated data as the person and as the second vehicle; determining motion vectors of the person; calculating expected movements of the person; determining or estimating a position and a width of vehicle doors of the second vehicle based on the determined measurement data; calculating a probability of the person opening a first vehicle door of the second vehicle; and initiating a reaction of the first vehicle with the control unit depending on the calculated probability.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining or estimating a protrusion of the first vehicle door of the second vehicle into a lane and/or an effect of an open vehicle door of the second vehicle on a planned trajectory of the first vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining or interpreting external signs of the person with the control unit in order to determine the probability of opening the first vehicle door.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the probability of the person opening the first vehicle door based on a distance from the person to the first vehicle door.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: initiating the reaction of the first vehicle to the first vehicle door that is open or likely to open with the control unit as a reaction model; and selecting a situation-dependent reaction model based on an action of the person predicted by the control unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: deriving a road restriction based on a door width of the second vehicle when the first vehicle door is open as determined or estimated by the control unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: calculating a new trajectory based on the determined road restriction and/or reducing a speed of the first vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: initiating a braking process of the first vehicle in an event of an expected collision of the first vehicle with the opened first vehicle door of the second vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: adjusting a trajectory for avoidance with the control unit in an event of sufficient passing width on the road of the first vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: observing boundaries of the road based on a width of the first vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: initiating continuation of the first vehicle after the person closes the first vehicle door of the second vehicle or leaves the road.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to carry out the method.

13. A non-transitory machine readable memory medium storing a computer program, which when executed by a control unit, carries out the method of claim 1.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the probability of the person opening the first vehicle door based on a direction of view of the person.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the probability of the person opening the first vehicle door based on a posture of the person.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the probability of the person opening the first vehicle door based on the person's interaction with the second vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are explained in more detail below based on greatly simplified schematic representations. In the figures

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a traffic situation for illustrating a method according to an exemplary embodiment and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of the method according to the exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) In FIG. 1, a schematic representation of a traffic situation 1 for illustrating a method 2 according to an embodiment is shown.

(5) A narrowed road 4 is shown. The road 4 is being travelled on by a first vehicle 6. A number of second vehicles 8, 10 are parked at both lateral edges 5 of the road 4. The second vehicles 8, 10 are parked and are thus static objects or obstacles for the first vehicle 6.

(6) The first vehicle 6 is designed as a highly automated vehicle according to the BASt definition. The respective actuators and control units for maintaining the highly automated operation are not shown for the sake of the overview.

(7) The first vehicle 6 has an environment sensor system 12. The environment sensor system 12 can consist, for example, of at least one camera sensor, a lidar sensor, a radar sensor and the like. The environment sensor system 12 provides information about the vehicle environment in the form of measurement data.

(8) Furthermore, the first vehicle 6 has a control unit 14. The control unit 14 is set up to receive and evaluate the measurement data of the environment sensor system 12. Furthermore, the control unit 14 is set up to influence the vehicle control of the first vehicle 6 based on the evaluations carried out on the measurement data.

(9) The control unit 14 may be designed as a control unit that is also responsible for the automated operation of the vehicle 6. Alternatively, the control unit 14 may be a separate control unit or a module of such a control unit.

(10) The first vehicle 6 requires a lane width B defined by the vehicle dimensions for unhindered travel. The lane 16 of the first vehicle 6 is determined based on the lane width B.

(11) Furthermore, in the traffic situation 1, a person 18 or a pedestrian that is moving on the road 4 is represented. A corresponding motion vector 20 of the person 18 is also shown. The motion vector 20 is determined by the control unit 14 by evaluating the measurement data. Based on the determined motion vector 20, a future behavior of the person 18 is estimated. For this purpose, for example, the motion vector 20 or the motion vectors can be approximately extended for the next 1 to 20 seconds. This allows the control unit 14 to determine that the person 18 is specifically moving towards the second vehicle 8 in a deliberate manner. The person 18 is outside the lane 16 of the first vehicle 6 and therefore does not constitute a traffic obstruction.

(12) The control unit 14 calculates a probability that the person 18 will open a vehicle door 22 of the second vehicle 8 based on the measurement data of the environment sensor system 12. This probability is over 70% in the case shown.

(13) In parallel with this, the control unit 14 can determine the size of the vehicle door 22. This may be done by directly evaluating the measurement data or by determining a vehicle make and reading out the size of the vehicle door 22 from a database. Based on the dimension of the vehicle door 22, the control unit 14 can determine whether an open vehicle door 22 would protrude into the lane 16 and thus impair the onward travel of the first vehicle 6.

(14) According to the exemplary embodiment, opening the vehicle door 22 would cause a protrusion into the width B of the lane 16 and thus constitute a road restriction 24 for the first vehicle 6.

(15) Based on the information obtained by the control unit 14, with an open vehicle door 22 an avoidance maneuver cannot be performed. Due to the high probability that the person 18 will open the door 22, the vehicle speed of the first vehicle 6 is reduced in advance, so that timely braking to a standstill is comfortably possible.

(16) The control unit 14 has a machine readable memory medium 26, in which a computer program can be stored that is suitable to perform the method. The control unit H can access and execute the computer program stored in the memory medium 26 for this purpose.

(17) FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method 2 according to an embodiment. The method 2 is used to initiate a reaction of the first vehicle 6 to a person 18 in the environment of the second vehicle 8. In particular, the person 18 may be on the road 4 on which the first vehicle 6 is travelling.

(18) With the method, in a step 30 at least one person 18 on a road 4 being travelled on by the first vehicle 6 and at least one second vehicle 8, 10 are detected 30 by at least one sensor unit or environment sensor system 12.

(19) The at least one second vehicle is preferably a parked vehicle that the person probably wants to enter. To do this, a vehicle door must first be opened by the person, which can protrude into the lane of the first vehicle and affect road safety. The at least one sensor unit may, for example, be one or more cameras, at least one lidar sensor, at least one radar sensor and the like. In particular, the sensor unit may be designed as an environment sensor system of the first vehicle.

(20) The measurement data determined by the at least one sensor unit are received 31 by the control unit 14.

(21) Based on the received measurement data, the control unit 14 carries out a classification 32 and registers the evaluated data as a person 18 and as a second vehicle 8.

(22) In a further step, motion vectors 20 of the person 18 are determined and expected movements of the person 18 are calculated 33.

(23) Subsequently, a position and a width of the vehicle doors 22 of the second vehicle 8 are determined or estimated on the basis of the measurement data 34.

(24) In a further step of the method 2, a probability for the opening of a vehicle door 22 by the person 18 is calculated 35. Depending on the calculated probability, a reaction of the first vehicle 6 is initiated by the control unit 14 or at least prepared 36.