METHOD FOR OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle, in which an object situated in a sensor region is detected with the aid of a sensor in surroundings of the motor vehicle; A piece of position information relating to the object is created. The position information is retained when the object is moved out of the sensor region, due to a movement of the motor vehicle, the distance of the object to the motor vehicle not increasing. The invention further relates to a motor vehicle and a computer program product.

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising: detecting an object situated in a sensor region with the aid of a sensor in a surrounding of the motor vehicle; creating a piece of position information relating to the object; and retaining the position information when the object is moved out of the sensor region due to a movement of the motor vehicle, wherein a distance of the object to the motor vehicle is not increasing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is retained only if the object has a shorter distance when moving out of the sensor region than upon detection.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is retained only if the distance to the object is reduced during a continued movement of the motor vehicle along a current trajectory.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is retained only if the object is stationary.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is adapted depending on a vehicle speed.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment path of an electromotive door positioner is set depending on the position information.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sensor is used, whose sensor region is in a longitudinal direction behind the motor vehicle, the sensor being activated at the start of a reverse travel of the motor vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a radar sensor or an ultrasonic sensor is the sensor.

9. A motor vehicle comprising: a sensor having a sensor region to detect an object in a surrounding of the motor vehicle, the sensor being operated according to the method according to claim 1.

10. A computer program product comprising commands, which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0048] FIG. 1 schematically shows a motor vehicle, including a sensor and an electromotive door positioner;

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a method for operating the motor vehicle; and

[0050] FIGS. 3 through 6 each schematically show a top view of the motor vehicle during the method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematically simplified view of a motor vehicle 2 in the form of a passenger car. Motor vehicle 2 has four wheels 4, with the aid of which a contact with a roadway takes place. Wheels 4 are connected to a vehicle body 6 of the motor vehicle via a chassis and a portion of wheels 4 is driven with the aid of a main drive. At least two of wheels 4 are also designed to be steerable and a component of a steering system, so that a continued movement direction of motor vehicle 2 may be set. Two of the total of four wheels 4 are arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal direction 8 in each case, motor vehicle 2 being moved (forward) in longitudinal direction 8 in a state for which it is intended. This takes place when steerably designed wheels 4 are in a neutral position, and the main drive is operated in the forward direction. In other words, longitudinal direction 8 corresponds to the orientation of motor vehicle 2, and seats of motor vehicle 2 are oriented in longitudinal direction 8 (toward the front).

[0052] Motor vehicle 2 comprises an electromotive door positioner 10, which includes a door 12, which is pivotably movably supported on vehicle body 6 with the aid of a hinge 14. Door 12 is a hatch, and electromotive door positioner 10 is thus an electromotive hatch. Electromotive door positioner 10 comprises an electric motor 16, which is operatively connected to door 12 via a transmission as well as a spindle. When power is supplied to electric motor 16, door 12 is moved along an adjustment path 18, which is at least partially curved, due to hinge 14. In other words, door 12 is pivoted with respect to vehicle body 6. Adjustment path 18 extends from a completely closed position of door 12 to a completely open position of door 12. Door 12 is opened or closed, depending on the rotational direction of electric motor 16.

[0053] Motor vehicle 2 also includes a sensor 20, which has a sensor region 22. Sensor 20 is situated below door 12 in the vertical direction in the region of a lower bumper of motor vehicle 2. Sensor region 22 is the region, in which an object 24 is detectable with the aid of sensor 20. However, if object 24 is outside sensor region 22, a detection of object 24 is not possible. Sensor region 22 is directed outwardly from motor vehicle 2 into surroundings 23. In other words, sensor 20 is used to detect object 24 in surroundings 23 of motor vehicle 2, i.e., outside motor vehicle 2. Sensor region 22 is situated behind motor vehicle 2 in longitudinal direction 8, so that object 24 may be detected with the aid of sensor 20 only if it is situated behind motor vehicle 2 in longitudinal direction 8.

[0054] The shape of sensor region 22 is conical, sensor 20 being arranged at the tip of the cone. The axis of the cone is tilted slightly upward with respect to a horizontal. Due to the tilting, it is possible with the aid of sensor 20 to detect object 24, even if it is situated comparatively far above sensor 20, no limitation with respect to object 24 being present, due to the comparatively short distance of sensor 20 to the roadway if the object is arranged comparatively deep in the vertical direction.

[0055] During the operation of sensor 20, waves are reflected and/or scattered thereby on object 24, provided it is situated in sensor region 22, and are emitted with the aid of a transmitter. A portion of the reflected/scattered waves strikes sensor 20 from sensor region 22, where they are detected with the aid of a receiver. Based on the time difference between the emission of the waves and the receipt of the waves, it is possible to ascertain the distance of object 24 to motor vehicle 2 and possibly also its position with respect to motor vehicle 2.

[0056] Sensor 20 may be a radar sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. The waves emitted with the aid of sensor 20 are thus either radar waves or ultrasonic waves, and the transmitter and receiver of sensor 20 are correspondingly adapted to the type of waves used in each case. sensor 20 can include multiple receivers, so that a local resolution is improved. In a further variant, sensor 20 may include multiple different sensor units, each of the sensor units being, for example, a radar sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. In a further alternative, at least one of the sensor units is a radar sensor and at least one of the other sensor units is an ultrasonic sensor.

[0057] Motor vehicle 2 includes a control unit 26, which is connected via signals to electromotive door positioner 10 and sensor 20. For example, electromotive door positioner 10 and/or sensor 20 is/are operated entirely with the aid of control unit 26, or only certain presets are transmitted to electromotive door positioner 10 and/or sensor 20 with the aid of control unit 26, control signals for electric motor 16 and/or the transmitter of sensor 20 being generated, based on the presets, with the aid of a corresponding control device of electromotive door positioner 10 or sensor 20.

[0058] Control unit 26 includes a computer 28 in the form of a programmable microprocessor. Control unit 26 also comprises a storage medium 30 in the form of a memory, on which a computer program product 32 is stored. Computer program product 32 comprises multiple commands, which, when the program is executed by computer 28, prompt the latter to carry out a method 34 illustrated in FIG. 2 for operating motor vehicle 2. In other words, motor vehicle 2, which includes sensor 20 for detecting object 24 in surroundings 23, is operated according to method 34.

[0059] In a first work step 36, sensor 20 is activated, so that waves are emitted into sensor region 22 with the aid of sensor 20. First work step 36 is carried out at the beginning of a reverse travel of motor vehicle 2. In other words, sensor 20 is activated when motor vehicle 2 begins to reverse, and the waves thus strike sensor region 22. Due to the reverse travel of motor vehicle 2, which is illustrated in a schematically simplified manner in a top view in FIG. 3, i.e., from the birds-eye perspective, the vehicle is moved along a current trajectory 37. Due to the reverse travel, this is oriented against longitudinal direction 8, i.e., toward the back in longitudinal direction 8. Current trajectory 37 is also slightly curved in this example, due to a steering angle of steerably designed wheels 4.

[0060] In a subsequent second work step 38, object 24 is detected when it is situated in sensor region 22, i.e. is part of surroundings 23 of motor vehicle 2. The detection takes place based on the registration/detection/measurement of the waves reflected/scattered on object 24. In other words, the position of object 24, and thus its presence, is measured with the aid of sensor 20. Once object 24 has been detected, a piece of position information 42 relating to object 24 is created. At least the distance of object 24 to motor vehicle 2 is stored in position information 42 and, in a farther-reaching variant, also the position of object 24 with respect to the motor vehicle. During the movement of motor vehicle 2 along current trajectory 37, object 24 moves with respect to motor vehicle 2, which is detected due to the continued operation of sensor 20. An update of position information 42 takes place, based on the measurement data generated with the aid of sensor 20.

[0061] In a third work step 44, the fact that object 24 leaves sensor region 22 due to the movement of motor vehicle 2 along current trajectory 37 is detected, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Object 24 is moved out of sensor region 22, due to the movement of motor vehicle 2 along current trajectory 37. In the illustrated example, the distance of motor vehicle 2 to object 24 is reduced, sensor region 22 also being pivoted. As a result, object 24 enters a region of surroundings 23, which is situated behind vehicle 2 in longitudinal direction 8, which however, is not in sensor region 22. After third work step 44, a direct detection of object 24 with the aid of sensor 20 is thus no longer possible.

[0062] Based on position information 42 while object 24 is being detected and when it leaves sensor region 22, the extent to which object 24 is laterally offset with respect to a longitudinal axis of motor vehicle 2 is also derived in third work step 44. This is also stored in position information 42. The storage of the corresponding offset is already carried out in second work step 38, i.e., during the update of position information 42 while object 24 is still in sensor region 22. This also takes place only if the complete position of object 24 with respect to motor vehicle 2 is not already also stored in position information 42.

[0063] In third work step 44, it is checked whether certain conditions are present. It is thus checked whether object 24 is stationary, i.e., whether it has moved with respect to the stationary roadway between second work step 38 and third work step 44, or whether the relative movement with respect to motor vehicle 2 took place as a result of the movement of motor vehicle 2 itself. It is also checked whether the distance of object 24 to motor vehicle 2 has a shorter distance in third work step 44, i.e. when leaving sensor region 22 than when it is detected in second work step 38. In other words, it is thus checked whether object 24 has a shorter distance when leaving sensor region 22, due to the movement of motor vehicle 2, than upon detection, so that the distance of object 24 to motor vehicle 2 has not increased between the second and third work steps 38, 44. It is additionally checked whether the distance to object 24 would continue to be reduced with a continued movement of motor vehicle 2 along current trajectory 37.

[0064] If one of these conditions is not met, position information 42 is deleted, and method 34 is ended. A fourth work step 46 is otherwise carried out, in which position information 42 is retained, even though object 24 is no longer directly detectable with the aid of sensor 20. In other words, position information 42 is retained when object 24 is moved out of sensor region 22 due to the movement of motor vehicle 2, the distance of object 24 to motor vehicle 2 not being increased, namely if object 24 has a shorter distance during the movement out of sensor region 22 than upon detection. In addition, the distance to object 24, which is stationary, is reduced with a continued movement of motor vehicle 2 along current trajectory 37. During the further movement of motor vehicle 2, retained position information 42 is adapted depending on current trajectory 37, i.e., depending on the vehicle speed of the motor vehicle, which has a vectorial component as well as an absolute value.

[0065] In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the steering angle of steerable wheels 4 have been changed to the neutral position, so that motor vehicle 2 is moved in a straight line against longitudinal direction 8. This is taken into account based on the vehicle speed, so that position information 42 is correspondingly adapted to the now changed current trajectory 37.

[0066] In a fifth work step 48, a function of motor vehicle 2 is carried out. The function is carried out depending on position information 42, which relates to the position of object 24, the position of object 24 itself not being directly detectable with the aid of sensor 20. The function can be carried out when the distance of object 24 to motor vehicle 2 drops below a limit value, which is, for example, 30 cm, as illustrated in FIG. 6. In the illustrated example, an emergency brake assistant is actuated as the function, so that the movement of motor vehicle 2 is interrupted. Alternatively or in combination herewith, a notification is output to an interior of motor vehicle 2, so that the driver of motor vehicle 2 is notified of the impending collision with object 24.

[0067] In one alternative, the function is also carried out if motor vehicle 2 is stopped by the driver, regardless of whether a warning is issued or motor vehicle 2 was stopped by emergency brake assistant. In other words, the function is also always carried out depending on position information 42. In the illustrated example, adjustment path 18 of electromotive door positioner 10 is set depending on position information 42. Adjustment path 18 is shortened in such a way that a collision of door 12 with object 24 is avoided during the adjustment along adjustment path 18. If electromotive door positioner 10 is subsequently activated, for example, depending on a user input, such as the actuation of a switch in an interior of the motor vehicle or due to a preset of an on-board computer of motor vehicle 2, door 12 is first moved out of the completely closed position along adjustment path 18. Due to the shortening of adjustment path 18, electric motor 16 is already shut down when door 12 has not yet reached the completely open position, but has approached the assumed position of object 24, which is stored in position information 42, by 10 cm. In this case as well, a corresponding warning for the driver of the motor vehicle is output.

[0068] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described above. Instead, other variants of the invention may be derived herefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the subject matter of the invention. Moreover, in particular, all individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiment may also be otherwise combined with each other without departing from the subject matter of the invention.