Enabling reverse motion of a preceding vehicle at bunched traffic sites

Abstract

A method for adjusting a safety distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle preceding the first vehicle at a bunched traffic site by at least one control device is disclosed which includes receiving measurement data of at least one sensor unit with the at least one control device. The method includes evaluating the measurement data of the at least one sensor unit with the at least one control device to identify a bunched traffic site in front of the second vehicle and identifying a safety distance of the first vehicle from the second vehicle, wherein the identified safety distance accounts for a possible reverse motion of the second vehicle. The method further includes establishing the identified safety distance with the at least one control device based upon the identified bunched traffic site. A control device, a computer program and a machine-readable storage medium are further disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a safety distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle preceding the first vehicle at a bunched traffic site by at least one control device, comprising: receiving measurement data of at least one sensor unit with the at least one control device; evaluating the measurement data of the at least one sensor unit with the at least one control device to identify a bunched traffic site in front of the second vehicle; identifying a safety distance of the first vehicle from the second vehicle, wherein the identified safety distance accounts for a possible reverse motion of the second vehicle; establishing the identified safety distance with the at least one control device based upon the identified bunched traffic site; and operating the first vehicle to position the first vehicle the established safety distance from the second vehicle at the bunched traffic site.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received measurement data is measurement data of at least one sensor unit of at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received measurement data is measurement data of at least one sensor unit of at least one of a third vehicle and an infrastructure unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification of the bunched traffic site is based upon identification of at least one of parking vehicles and static objects.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control device includes an external server, the method further comprising: transmitting the measurement data of the at least one sensor unit to the external server unit; and transmitting data associated with the identified bunched traffic site using the external server.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein map data is used in the identification of the bunched traffic site.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified safety distance is identified based on at least one dimension of the second vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the identified safety distance corresponds to at least a length of the second vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified safety distance is identified based on a length of a blocked region when a region of a traffic lane of a third vehicle is blocked at the bunched traffic site by the second vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the identified safety distance is at least the length of the blocked region.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the identified safety distance of the first vehicle from the second vehicle is predefined.

12. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising: predefining at least one further safety distance for a predefined driving situation of the first vehicle; identifying that the first vehicle is in the predefined driving situation; and establishing the predefined at least one further safety distance with the at least one control device based upon the identified predefined driving situation.

13. A vehicle control system, for adjusting a safety distance between a first vehicle and a second vehicle preceding the first vehicle at a bunched traffic site, comprising: a machine-readable storage medium on which command instructions are stored; and at least one control device operably connected to the machine-readable storage and configured to execute the command instructions to: receive measurement data of at least one sensor unit, evaluate the measurement data of the at least one sensor unit to identify a bunched traffic site in front of the first vehicle, identify a safety distance of the first vehicle from the second vehicle, wherein the identified safety distance accounts for a possible reverse motion of the second vehicle, establish the identified safety distance based upon the identified bunched traffic site, and operate the first vehicle to position the first vehicle the established safety distance from the second vehicle at the bunched traffic site.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device is configured to execute the command instructions to receive the measurement data from at least one sensor unit of at least one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device is configured to execute the command instructions to receive the measurement data from at least one of a third vehicle and an infrastructure unit.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device is configured to execute the command instructions to identify a bunched traffic site in front of the first vehicle based upon identification of at least one of parking vehicles and static objects.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device includes an external server, the external server configured to execute the command instructions to: transmit data associated with the identified bunched traffic site to the first vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device is configured to execute the command instructions to identify a bunched traffic site in front of the first vehicle based upon map data.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device is configured to execute the command instructions to identify the safety distance based on at least one dimension of the second vehicle.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one control device is configured to execute the command instructions to identify the safety distance based on a length of a blocked region when a region of a traffic lane of a third vehicle is blocked at the bunched traffic site by the second vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are explained in more detail below with reference to highly simplified schematic illustrations. Here

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a bunched traffic site to illustrate a method according to one form of embodiment,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a bunched traffic site to illustrate the method according to the form of embodiment, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of the method according to one form of embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) A schematic plan view of a bunched traffic site 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1 to illustrate a method 2 according to one form of embodiment. The bunched traffic site 1 is, by way of example, configured as a traffic region of a T-junction with poor overview.

(6) A first vehicle 4 follows a second vehicle 6. The first vehicle 4 is, for example, configured as a vehicle that can be operated automatically in accordance with the BASt definition, and is in a fully automatic operating mode.

(7) The first vehicle 4 comprises a control device 8 that receives and evaluates measurement data from a surroundings sensor system. The surroundings sensor system 10 is here used in simplified form for one or a plurality of sensor units which can, for example, comprise camera sensors, lidar sensors, radar sensors, GNSS sensors and the like.

(8) The control device 8 is connected to a machine-readable storage medium 12 on which one or a plurality of computer programs are stored which can be executed by the control device 8 in order, for example, to carry out the method 2.

(9) The control device 8 is furthermore connected to a communication unit 14 that serves to establish a communication link 16 to an external server unit 18.

(10) The server unit 18 serves to receive measurement data and to provide bunched traffic sites with poor overview that have been ascertained. The bunched traffic sites with poor overview can, in particular, be made available to other traffic participants such as, for example, a third vehicle 20.

(11) The arrows illustrate by way of example the communication links 16 and the data exchange between the vehicles.

(12) To extend the sampling region of the first vehicle 4, measurement data of the second vehicle 6, of the at least one third vehicle 20, of an infrastructure unit 22 and of parked vehicles 24 can be taken into account in the evaluation. The second vehicle 6 and the third vehicle 20 can also, for example, comprise sensor units 26, 28 for this purpose.

(13) Parked vehicles 24 and static objects 30 such as, for example, building sites or containers can be ascertained with the aid of the sensors 10, 26, 28 and employed for an assessment of the traffic situation by the control device 8 and/or the server unit 18.

(14) According to the exemplary embodiment, the second vehicle 6 turns into a traffic lane 32 in which the view is obstructed. The view of the traffic lane 32 is restricted by parked vehicles 24 and a static object 30. The driver of the second vehicle 6 can therefore not recognize the third vehicle 20 at an early stage. The arrows illustrate the anticipated trajectories of the vehicles 6, 20.

(15) The driver of the second vehicle 6 edges forward carefully into the traffic lane 32, and can, for example, be too late to recognize the third vehicle 20. It may be necessary for the second vehicle 6 to reverse in order to avoid a traffic jam.

(16) FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a bunched traffic site 1 to illustrate the method 2 according to the form of embodiment. The way in which the first vehicle 4 sets up a safety distance 34 after a recognition of a traffic region 1 with a poor view is illustrated here in particular.

(17) An adequate safety distance can refer here to that distance that the driver of the second vehicle 6 in front must reverse in order to clear the relevant traffic lane 32 again. As an alternative, this distance can also be chosen such that the driver of the second vehicle 6 in front again also fits fully into the safety distance 34.

(18) According to the exemplary embodiment, a safety distance 34 is ascertained having a length that corresponds to a length of a blocked region 36 on the traffic lane 32.

(19) FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic flow diagram of the method 2 according to one form of embodiment. The method 2 serves to adjust a safety distance 34 between a first vehicle 4 and the preceding second vehicle 6 inasmuch as the traffic situation requires this. Such a traffic situation or a traffic region is preferably present when the visibility of the traffic lane 32 that is to be driven is restricted. In such traffic regions at least one traffic lane 32 can also be only usable in a restricted manner as a result of parked vehicles 24 or static objects 30.

(20) In a step 40, measurement data from at least one sensor unit 10, 26, 28 of the first vehicle 4 or of at least one of the other traffic participants 6, 20, 22 are received by the control device 8. Alternatively or in addition, the measurement data can also be received from the server unit 18.

(21) Through evaluating 41 the measurement data of the at least one sensor unit 10, 26, 28, a bunched traffic site 1 is recognized in front of the second vehicle 6. The measurement data of the sensor units 10, 26, 28 can in particular be checked from the point of view of a presence of a bunched traffic site. The checking of the measurement data can take place continuously or at defined temporal intervals.

(22) In the event of an upcoming bunched traffic site 1 being recognized, a safety distance 34 of the first vehicle 4 from the second vehicle 6 is ascertained, and an observance 42 of the ascertained safety distance 34 is instigated 43 by the control device 8.