POSITION DETERMINATION METHOD, ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE AND USE THEREOF

Abstract

A position determination method in a vehicle, which uses signals from a pressure-based collision sensor. In addition, an associated electronic control module and an associated use.

Claims

1. A position determination method in a vehicle comprising: receiving a signal from a pressure-based collision sensor of the vehicle, and establishing height information on the basis of the signal.

2. The position determination method according to claim 1, wherein a side impact sensor and/or a pedestrian impact sensor is/are used as the collision sensor(s).

3. The position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the height information is a relative change in height.

4. The position determination method according to claim 1, additionally comprising: determining a position of the vehicle.

5. The position determination method according to claim 4, additionally comprising: merging the position with the height information.

6. The position determination method according to claim 4, additionally comprising: correcting or verifying a height as part of the position on the basis of the height information.

7. The position determination method according to claim 4, wherein the position is at least partially determined by satellite navigation.

8. The position determination method according to claim 4, wherein the position is at least partially determined by odometry.

9. The position determination method according to claim 4, wherein the position is at least partially determined by inertial sensors.

10. The position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the signal is a raw signal, without zero point correction.

11. The position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the method is carried out in parallel with a plurality of signals.

12. The position determination method according to claim 1, additionally comprising: determining a temperature, and establishing the height information as well on the basis of the temperature.

13. The position determination method according to claim 1, additionally comprising: determining a route of the vehicle and/or the risk of a collision on the basis of the height information, wherein the risk of collision is also established on the basis of the height information of another vehicle.

14. An electronic control module which is configured to carry out a method according to claim 1.

15. Use of a pressure-based collision sensor in order to establish height information of a vehicle, in particular according to claim 1.

16. The position determination method according to claim 1, wherein the height information is a relative change in height.

17. The position determination method according to claim 5, additionally comprising: correcting or verifying a height as part of the position on the basis of the height information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The person skilled in the art will infer additional features and advantages from the embodiment example described below with reference to the attached drawing.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle which is configured to carry out a method according to an aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 comprises four wheels 20, 22, 24, 26. It is understood that said FIGURE is merely a schematic representation.

[0047] In addition, the vehicle 10 comprises a control module 30 which is configured to carry out a method according to the invention. In this respect, this is a control module according to the invention.

[0048] The vehicle 10 additionally comprises a pedestrian collision sensor 40 which is installed as shown in the front region of the vehicle 10. Said pedestrian collision sensor 40 is constructed such that a pressurized volume is monitored by a pressure sensor, and this pressurized volume is installed along a section in the vehicle 10, with which a pedestrian would normally collide in the event of a frontal impact with the vehicle 10. The pedestrian collision sensor 40 can therefore conclude that a collision has occurred with a pedestrian in the event of a rapid change in pressure.

[0049] In addition, the vehicle 10 comprises a satellite navigation module 50. Said satellite navigation module is configured to determine a position having a horizontal as well as a vertical component on the basis of satellite navigation signals.

[0050] Both the pedestrian collision sensor 40 and the satellite navigation module 50 are connected to the electronic control module 30. The corresponding data are therefore constantly supplied to the electronic control module 30.

[0051] The electronic control module 30 can compare a height of the vehicle 10, which is recognized by the satellite navigation module 50, with a pressure change over typical time scales of a change in vehicle height, which is detected by the pedestrian collision sensor 40. Typically, a change in height recognized by the satellite navigation module 50 will be coarser than a corresponding change in pressure which is detected by the pedestrian collision sensor 40. In this case, a relative change in height of the vehicle 10 can be calculated on the basis of the data which are provided by the pedestrian collision sensor 40. This allows the electronic control module 30, for example, to detect whether the vehicle 10 is driving into a lower-lying tunnel or whether it has taken a turn, which leads to an uphill or downhill gradient section. It is not possible to make such detections solely in many situations with the data supplied by the satellite navigation module 50.

[0052] The risk of a collision with other vehicles can, in particular, be recognized by means of such provisions, for example when it depends on whether vehicles are located on the same level. Corresponding data can be exchanged with other vehicles by means of vehicle-to-X communication or other methods of communication.

[0053] Generally, it should be noted that vehicle to-X communication in particular denotes direct communication between vehicles and/or between vehicles and infrastructure installations. For example, this can therefore be vehicle-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. If, within the framework of this application, reference is made to communication between vehicles, this can, in principle, be effected, for example, within the framework of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which is typically effected without switching by means of a mobile network or a similar external infrastructure and which therefore has to be delimited from other solutions which build, for example, on a mobile network. Vehicle-to-X communication can be effected, for example, using the standards IEEE 802.11p or IEEE 1609.4. Vehicle to-X communication can also be referred to as C2X communication. The subareas can be referred to as C2C (car-to-car) or C2I (car-to-infrastructure). However, the invention does not explicitly exclude vehicle-to-X communication with switching, for example, via a mobile network.

[0054] The indicated steps of the method according to the invention can be carried out in the sequence indicated. However, they can also be carried out in a different sequence. The method according to the invention can be carried out in one of its embodiments, for example with a specific set of steps, such that no additional steps are carried out. However, additional steps can in principle also be carried out, including those which are not mentioned.

[0055] The claims associated with the application do not constitute a \waiver of the attainment of more extensive protection.

[0056] If it emerges, during the course of the method, that a feature or a group of features is not absolutely necessary, a formulation of at least one independent claim is already striven for by the applicant now, which no longer comprises the feature or group of features. This can, for example, be a sub-combination of a claim which exists on the date of filing or a sub-combination of a feature which exists on the date of filing, which is restricted by additional features. Such claims or combinations of features, which are to be newly formulated, are to be deemed to also be covered by the disclosure of this application.

[0057] It is additionally pointed out that configurations, features and variants of the invention, which are described in the various embodiments or embodiment examples and/or which are shown in the FIGURES, can be combined with one another at will. Individual or multiple features can be freely interchanged. Resulting combinations of features are also to be understood to be covered by the disclosure of this application as well.

[0058] References in dependent claims are not to be understood to be a waiver of the attainment of independent protection of the subject matter for the features of the subordinate claims which refer back to the principal claims. These features can also be combined with other features at will.

[0059] Features which are merely disclosed in the description, or features which are only disclosed in the description or in a claim in conjunction with other features, can in principle be independently essential to the invention. They can therefore also be individually included in claims in order to demarcate the invention from the prior art.