METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A TRACTOR INCLUDING A TRAILER

Abstract

A method and a device for operating a tractor including a trailer. The method includes detecting the surroundings behind the tractor through the clearance underneath the trailer using a surroundings sensor system, which, for this purpose, is mounted close to the roadway surface from the tractor, in particular underneath a connection between the tractor and the trailer, the surroundings sensor system including at least one video sensor. The method further includes determining objects in these surroundings, which are not encompassed by the trailer, by recognizing individual, in particular moving, integral parts of the trailer as such and excluding these in a targeted manner, determining a driving strategy for the tractor depending on the objects in the surroundings, and operating the tractor depending on the driving strategy.

Claims

1. A method for operating a tractor including a trailer, comprising the following steps: detecting surroundings behind the tractor through a clearance underneath the trailer using a surroundings sensor system which is mounted close to the roadway surface from the tractor underneath a connection between the tractor and the trailer, the surroundings sensor system including at least one video sensor; determining objects in the surroundings, which are not encompassed by the trailer, by recognizing individual integral parts of the trailer as parts of the trailer and excluding the individual integral parts of the trailer in a targeted manner; determining a driving strategy for the tractor depending on the objects in the surroundings; and operating the tractor depending on the driving strategy.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recognized individual parts of the trailer include moving parts of the trailer.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the individual integral parts of the trailer are excluded by distinguishing the individual integral parts from the objects in the surroundings by utilizing an optical flow.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a neural network is used for determining the objects and/or for excluding the individual integral parts of the trailer.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determination of the objects includes determining a radiation characteristic of at least one further vehicle in the surroundings and the determination of the driving strategy is carried out depending on the radiation characteristic.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the surroundings are detected using the surroundings sensor system additionally including at least one further, non-identical sensor, and the objects are determined using the surroundings detected using the video sensor fused with the surroundings detected with the at least one further, non-identical sensor.

7. The method as recited claim 6, wherein the at least one further, non-identical sensor is a radar sensor.

8. A device, comprising: a control unit configured to operate a tractor including a trailer, the control unit configured to: detect surroundings behind the tractor through a clearance underneath the trailer using a surroundings sensor system which is mounted close to the roadway surface from the tractor underneath a connection between the tractor and the trailer, the surroundings sensor system including at least one video sensor; determine objects in the surroundings, which are not encompassed by the trailer, by recognizing individual integral parts of the trailer as parts of the trailer and excluding the individual integral parts of the trailer in a targeted manner; determine a driving strategy for the tractor depending on the objects in the surroundings; and operate the tractor depending on the driving strategy.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable memory medium on which is stored a computer program for operating a tractor including a trailer, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps: detecting surroundings behind the tractor through a clearance underneath the trailer using a surroundings sensor system which is mounted close to the roadway surface from the tractor underneath a connection between the tractor and the trailer, the surroundings sensor system including at least one video sensor; determining objects in the surroundings, which are not encompassed by the trailer, by recognizing individual integral parts of the trailer as parts of the trailer and excluding the individual integral parts of the trailer in a targeted manner; determining a driving strategy for the tractor depending on the objects in the surroundings; and operating the tractor depending on the driving strategy.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are represented in the figures and are described in greater detail below.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention for operating a tractor including a trailer.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention for operating a tractor including a trailer.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention for operating a tractor including a trailer in the form of a flowchart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of method 300 according to the present invention, a tractor 100 including a trailer 120 being shown here in a simplified manner and in a side view, which are coupled to each other with the aid of a connection 130. Tractor 100 includes device 110 according to the present invention. Moreover, tractor 100—shown here merely by way of example—includes a surroundings sensor system 105, which, in order to carry out method 300, is mounted for this purpose close to the roadway surface from tractor 100, in particular underneath connection 130. This enables a detection 310 of the surroundings behind tractor 100 through the clearance underneath trailer 120 due to the fact that, due to the distance between an underbody of trailer 120 and the roadway, recordings may be recorded behind trailer 120, for example, with the aid of a video sensor.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of method 300 according to the present invention, a tractor 100 including a trailer 120 being shown here in a simplified manner and in a top view, which are coupled to each other with the aid of a connection 130. Tractor 100 includes device 110 according to the present invention and a surroundings sensor system 105. Due to the position of the surroundings sensor system in relation to tractor 100—in particular underneath connection 130—it is possible to detect the surroundings and objects 210, 220, 230 in these surroundings behind tractor 100 through the clearance underneath trailer 120. Here, possible detection ranges 140 are shown merely by way of example, the detected surroundings behind tractor 100 being understood to mean the surroundings behind trailer 120 as well as to the left and/or to the right next to trailer 120. The detection ranges are limited or non-continuous, for example, due to the wheels of trailer 120.

[0032] Here, is it shown merely by way of example, how, in this way, for example, an object 210 behind trailer 120 may be detected and determined to be an obstacle, for example, with respect to backing up. Moreover, in this way, for example, a pedestrian next to trailer 120 may be detected as object 220 and determined to be a person or a potential risk. Moreover, in this way, for example, a further vehicle next to trailer 120 may be detected as object 230 and a driving maneuver of this vehicle and, depending thereon, a driving strategy for tractor 100 may be determined, for example, on the basis of the radiation characteristic (flashers, etc.) of the further vehicle.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method 300 for operating 340 a tractor 100 including a trailer 120.

[0034] Method 300 starts in step 301.

[0035] In step 310, the surroundings behind tractor 100 are detected through the clearance underneath trailer 120 with the aid of a surroundings sensor system 105.

[0036] In step 320, objects 210, 220, 230 in these surroundings, which are not encompassed by trailer 120, are determined by individual, in particular moving, integral parts of trailer 120 being recognized as such and excluded in a targeted manner.

[0037] In step 330, a driving strategy for tractor 100 is determined depending on objects 210, 220, 230 in the surroundings.

[0038] In step 340, tractor 100 is operated depending on the driving strategy.

[0039] Method 300 ends in step 350.