METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING AT LEAST ONE ARTICULATION ANGLE OF A VEHICLE COMBINATION

Abstract

A method for determining at least one articulation angle of a vehicle combination. The method includes: ascertaining of radar data by at least one radar sensor situated on a vehicle of the vehicle combination; calculating, on the basis of the ascertained radar data, at least one item of position information that relates to a vehicle position of at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination; and calculation of the at least one articulation angle between the vehicle and the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination, using the calculated position information.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for determining at least one articulation angle of a vehicle combination, having the steps: ascertaining radar data by at least one radar sensor situated on a vehicle of the vehicle combination; calculating, based on the ascertained radar data, at least one item of position information that relates to a vehicle position of at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination; and calculating the at least one articulation angle between the vehicle having the at least one radar sensor and the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination, using the calculated item of position information.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the calculation of the at least one item of position information includes determining an item of micro-Doppler information based on the ascertained radar data, a position and/or number of wheels of the at least one additional vehicle being ascertained based on the micro-Doppler information.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one articulation angle is estimated based on a vehicle combination model, the at least one articulation angle calculated based on the radar data being corrected using the at least one articulation angle estimated on based on the vehicle combination model.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein an assignment of the ascertained radar data to the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination is carried out using the at least one articulation angle estimated based on the vehicle combination model.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one articulation angle is estimated using at least one item of driving information of the vehicle on which the radar sensor is situated.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the estimation of the at least one articulation angle is carried out for a multiplicity of vehicle combination models, and a vehicle combination model that best describes the vehicle combination is selected from the multiplicity of vehicle combination models based on a comparison of the at least one articulation angle estimated based on the multiplicity of vehicle combination models with the at least one articulation angle calculated based on the radar data.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the following is further calculated based on the calculated item of position information: an axial position of at least one axis of the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination, a length of the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination, and a type of the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the type of the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination is calculated based on the axial position and/or the length of the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one radar sensor is situated on a towing vehicle of the vehicle combination.

20. A device for determining at least one articulation angle of a vehicle combination, comprising: an interface configured to receive radar data that are ascertained by at least one radar sensor situated on a vehicle of the vehicle combination; and a computing device configured to: calculate at least one item of position information that relates to a vehicle position of at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination based on the ascertained radar data, and calculate the at least one articulation angle between the vehicle having the at least one radar sensor and the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination using the calculated item of position information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a device for determining at least one articulation angle of a vehicle combination according to a specific example embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of radar reflections and positions of a towing vehicle and of a trailer.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method for determining at least one articulation angle of a vehicle combination according to a specific example embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The numbering of method steps is done for ease of comprehension, and is not generally intended to imply any particular temporal sequence. In particular, a plurality of method steps can also be carried out simultaneously.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a device 1 for determining at least one articulation angle of the vehicle combination. Device 1 includes an interface 2 that is coupled to one or more radar sensors 4, for example by a cable connection or a contactless connection. Via interface 2, device 1 receives radar data from the at least one radar sensor 4. Radar sensor 4 is situated on a vehicle of the vehicle combination, preferably on a towing vehicle. Device 1 can be integrated in the radar sensor or can be part of a driver assistance system. In particular, device 1 can also be situated in the vehicle in which the at least one radar sensor 4 is situated, i.e. preferably in the towing vehicle.

[0030] The vehicle combination can be a tractor-trailer, i.e. a truck with a trailer, a semi truck and semi-trailer, a bus combination, i.e. a combination of a bus and bus trailer, a tour trolley, i.e. a combination of a towing vehicle and towed passenger wagons, a camping trailer combination, i.e. a towing vehicle and a camping trailer, a motorcycle combination, i.e. a motorcycle with a trailer, a towing vehicle with a wagon, and the like, The present invention is not limited to a vehicle combination having a particular number of vehicles, but in particular is applicable for any number of trailers.

[0031] The received radar data are provided to a computing device 3 of device 1. Computing device 3 includes at least one processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit, or the like. In addition, computing device 3 includes a memory for storing the received radar data.

[0032] On the basis of the radar data ascertained by the at least one radar sensor 4, computing device 3 calculates at least one item of position information relating to a vehicle position of at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination, i.e. preferably of a trailer. In particular, the position information can include information relating to at least a part of a contour and/or of a position of wheels of the at least one additional vehicle.

[0033] On the basis of the calculated position information, computing device 3 calculates an articulation angle between the vehicle having the radar sensor and the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination. If the vehicle combination includes more than two vehicles, a corresponding multiplicity of articulation angles can be calculated by computing device 3.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of radar reflections and positions of a towing vehicle 5 and of a trailer 6, which form a vehicle combination 7. The radar data include a multiplicity of reflection points 11 that originate at least in part from trailer 6. By ascertaining items of micro-Doppler information, positions 8, 9 of rims of wheels of trailer 6 can be ascertained by evaluating items of speed information 10. On the basis of the radar data, an item of position information relating to trailer 6 can be ascertained. In particular, a contour line 12 can be calculated. Contour line 12 runs parallel to an axis A2 of trailer 6. Articulation angle α is calculated as an angle between calculated contour line 12, or axis A2, of trailer 6 and an axis A1 of towing vehicle 5.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method for determining at least one articulation angle of a vehicle combination.

[0036] In a first method step, n vehicle combination models are provided, S11 through Sn, where n is any natural number greater than 1. The vehicle combination models can differ from one another in the type of the model vehicle combination, in particular in the dimensions of the vehicles, and/or in the number of axes of the vehicles.

[0037] In a further method step S2, radar data are acquired by a radar sensor 4 situated on a vehicle 5 of the vehicle combination.

[0038] In a further method step S3n, for each vehicle combination model articulation angles and/or axial positions of at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination, preferably of a trailer, are estimated. On the basis of the radar data, in this method step the location and speed of reflecting objects in the environment of the vehicle combination are determined. On the basis of the estimated articulation angle and/or the estimated axial position, those radar data are selected that are to be assigned to the at least one additional vehicle of the vehicle combination. In this way, an assignment of the radar data to the trailer takes place.

[0039] In a further method step S4n, for each vehicle combination model those radar data are ascertained that, using the Doppler speed, can be assigned to the rotating wheels and thus to the axes of the at least one additional vehicle. In this way, items of micro-Doppler information are ascertained.

[0040] In a further method step Syn, for each vehicle combination model items of position information are calculated, in particular contours of the at least one additional vehicle. The at least one articulation angle is calculated on the basis of the calculated position information.

[0041] In a further method step S6n, for each vehicle combination model the at least one articulation angle calculated on the basis of the radar data is corrected using the at least one articulation angle estimated on the basis of the vehicle combination model.

[0042] In a method step S7, a classification is carried out. For this purpose, errors between radar-based articulation angles and model-based articulation angles are used. Through comparison, from the multiplicity of vehicle combination models the vehicle combination model is selected that best describes the vehicle combination. This is done taking into account that different trailer types move differently due to the different kinematic behavior, which is reflected in the different vehicle combination models. Correspondingly, the error of a vehicle combination model that describes the kinematic behavior of the actual trailer is in general smaller than for a vehicle combination model that does not take this kinematic behavior into account. In addition, the information about the wheel positions, and thus axial positions, and in particular the recognized number of axes of the at least one additional vehicle can be evaluated so that the trailer types can be unambiguously distinguished in many cases.

[0043] During driving operation, steps S2 through S6n are repeated, using the selected vehicle combination model.