METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for operating a vehicle having a plurality of environmental sensors for acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle, including acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle using each of the environmental sensors, ascertaining of object data, corresponding to objects, for each environmental sensor, based on the raw data of the corresponding environmental sensor, fusion of the respective object data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused object data are ascertained, fusion of the respective raw data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused raw data are ascertained, ascertaining of raw object data, corresponding to objects, based on the fused raw data, comparison with one another of the fused object data and the raw object data, controlling of at least one vehicle system as a function of the comparison. A device for operating a vehicle and a computer program are also described.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for operating a vehicle that has a plurality of environmental sensors for acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle, the method comprising: acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle using each of the environmental sensors, so that the environmental sensors each provide raw data that correspond to the surrounding environment acquired by the corresponding environmental sensor; ascertaining of object data, corresponding to objects, for each environmental sensor, based on the raw data of the corresponding environmental sensor; fusing the respective object data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused object data are ascertained; fusing the respective raw data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused raw data are ascertained; ascertaining raw object data, corresponding to objects, based on the fused raw data; comparing with one another the fused object data and the raw object data; controlling at least one vehicle system as a function of the comparison.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the controlling includes controlling of a warning signal device for providing a warning signal to a driver of the vehicle in such a way that a warning signal is provided when the fused object data and the raw object data have differences that are outside a specified error tolerance range.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the controlling includes controlling a driver assistance system of the vehicle in such a way that the driver assistance system provides a limited driver assistance function if the fused object data and the raw object data have differences that are outside a specified error tolerance range.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the controlling includes controlling a processing device in such a way that at least some of the data are discarded and newly ascertained if the fused object data and the raw object data have differences that are outside a specified error tolerance range.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the ascertaining of the object data is carried out internally in the corresponding environmental sensor, which correspondingly provides the ascertained object data.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the environmental sensors provide their raw data externally, so that the ascertaining of the object data for each environmental sensor is carried out externally from the corresponding environmental sensor.

17. A device for operating a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of environmental sensors for acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle, the environmental sensors being fashioned respectively to provide raw data that correspond to the surrounding environment acquired by the corresponding environmental sensor; a processing device that is fashioned to ascertain object data, corresponding to objects, for each of the environmental sensors, based on the raw data of the corresponding environmental sensor, fuse the respective object data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused object data are ascertained, fuse the respective raw data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused raw data are ascertained, and ascertain raw object data, corresponding to objects, based on the fused raw data, and compare with one another the fused object data and the raw object data; and a control device for controlling at least one vehicle system as a function of the comparison.

18. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the processing device includes a plurality of processing units for ascertaining the object data, the environmental sensors each include a processing unit, so that the environmental sensors can output the ascertained object data.

19. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the processing device include at least one processing unit for ascertaining the object data that is provided externally from the environmental sensors, so that in order to ascertain the object data the environmental sensors can output their raw data to the at least one processing unit.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program including program code for operating a vehicle that has a plurality of environmental sensors for acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle, the program code, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform: acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle using each of the environmental sensors, so that the environmental sensors each provide raw data that correspond to the surrounding environment acquired by the corresponding environmental sensor; ascertaining of object data, corresponding to objects, for each environmental sensor, based on the raw data of the corresponding environmental sensor; fusing the respective object data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused object data are ascertained; fusing the respective raw data of the environmental sensors with one another, so that fused raw data are ascertained; ascertaining raw object data, corresponding to objects, based on the fused raw data; comparing with one another the fused object data and the raw object data; and controlling at least one vehicle system as a function of the comparison.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a device for operating a vehicle.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method for operating a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a device 101 for operating a vehicle (not shown).

[0047] Device 101 includes a plurality of environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109. For example, environmental sensor 103 can be a video sensor. Environmental sensor 105 can for example be a radar sensor. Environmental sensor 107 can for example be a lidar sensor. Environmental sensor 109 can for example be an ultrasound sensor. The four environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109 are fashioned in each case to provide raw data that correspond to the surrounding environment acquired by the corresponding environmental sensor.

[0048] These raw data are provided to a processing device 111 that includes a plurality of processing devices 113, 115, 117, and 119. More precisely, the raw data of environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109 are provided to processing unit 115. Processing unit 115 fuses the raw data of environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109 with one another, so that fused raw data are ascertained. Based on the fused raw data, processing unit 115 ascertains raw object data corresponding to objects.

[0049] In environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109 themselves, in each case object data corresponding to objects are internally ascertained for each environmental sensor based on the raw data of the corresponding environmental sensor. This is preferably carried out using respective processing units (not shown here) that are for example situated in each sensor control device. These processing units (not shown) are also included in processing device 111. These object data of the respective environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109 are provided to a further processing unit 113 of processing device 111. Further processing unit 113 fusions the respective object data of environmental sensors 103, 105, 107, and 109 with one another, so that fused object data are ascertained.

[0050] Both the raw object data and the fused object data are provided to a further processing unit 117. This unit compares the fused object data and the raw object data with one another.

[0051] Device 101 further includes a control device 121 that is fashioned to control at least one vehicle system as a function of the comparison. That is, in particular, further processing unit 117 can provide the result of the comparison to control device 121. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, control device 121 is situated externally from processing device 109. In a specific embodiment that is not shown, it can for example be provided that control device 121 is integrated in processing device 111.

[0052] Processing device 111 has, in addition, a further processing unit 119 that can carry out additional calculations for example based on the comparison. Such calculations can for example include a fusion of the fused object data and the raw object data. The fusion of the fused object data and of the raw object data can for example be parameterized; i.e., a parameterized fusion. The parameterization is in particular based on the comparison, i.e., on a result of the comparison. In the case of a new calculation, for example other parameters can be used. The fusion of fused object data and the raw object data can for example calculate a quality level for the result of the fusion. A quality level can for example be a probability. That is, object data, i.e., in particular fused object data, including a quality level can make a statement concerning with what probability Z an object X is present at a particular location.

[0053] In a specific embodiment not shown, more than or fewer than four environmental sensors can be provided.

[0054] According to a specific embodiment, it can be provided that, based on the fused raw data, an environmental model is ascertained for the surrounding environment of the vehicle. This is done, in particular, using processing unit 115. In particular, a further environmental model is ascertained based on the fused object data. This is done, in particular, using processing unit 113. These two environmental models are compared to one another. This is done, in particular, using processing unit 117. This comparison of the two environmental models is in particular included by the step of comparing the fused object data and the raw object data with one another. If the two environmental models lie outside a specified error tolerance range, for example a new calculation can be provided of at least one of the two environmental models, preferably of both environmental models. The data on which the environmental models are based can for example be discarded.

[0055] An error tolerance range can for example include a specified number of objects that are not present both in the fused object data and in the raw object data. If for example according to the fused object data three objects are situated in the surrounding environment of the vehicle, but according to the raw object data six objects should be in the surrounding environment of the vehicle, then three objects are not present both in the fused object data and also in the raw object data. As a function of the concrete value of the specified number, this can have the result that there are differences (three objects) that are outside or within the error tolerance range (specified number). Thus, the specified number could for example be two. In this case, the differences are outside the specified error tolerance range. Thus, the specified number could for example be four. In this case, the differences are within the specified error tolerance range. It will be noted that the above values and object numbers are intended only for illustration, but are not limiting. Other values are possible, depending on the concrete individual case.

[0056] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method for operating a vehicle that has a plurality of environmental sensors for acquiring a surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0057] According to a step 201, the plurality of environmental sensors each include a surrounding environment of the vehicle, so that the environmental sensors each provide raw data that correspond to the environment acquired by the corresponding environmental sensor. In a step 203, object data are ascertained for each environmental sensor based on the raw data of the corresponding environmental sensor, the object data corresponding to objects. In the step 205, the respective object data of the environmental sensors are fused with one another, so that fused object data are ascertained.

[0058] In a step 207, the respective raw data of the environmental sensors are fused with one another so that fused raw data are ascertained. In a step 209, raw object data corresponding to objects are ascertained based on the fused raw data.

[0059] In a step 211, the fused object data and the raw object data are compared to one another, so that according to a step 213 at least one vehicle system is controlled as a function of the comparison.

[0060] According to a specific embodiment that is not shown, it can be provided that a plurality of vehicle systems are controlled as a function of the comparison. The vehicle systems can for example be fashioned identically or preferably differently from one another.