METHOD FOR DETECTING OBJECTS IN A VEHICLE DETECTION FIELD COMPRISING AN INTERIOR AND AN OUTER REGION OF A VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a method for detecting objects in a vehicle detection field that comprises an interior and an exterior region of a vehicle. The present invention also relates to a detection system for detecting objects in a vehicle detection field. The invention likewise relates to a driving assistance system comprising such a detection system and to a vehicle having such a detection system or driving assistance system. The present invention can furthermore relate to a computer program comprising instructions that, when the computer program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to carry out steps of the method. The present invention can furthermore relate to a data carrier signal that transmits the computer program. The present invention can furthermore comprise a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the latter to carry out steps of the method.

US laid-open publication US 2018/0072156 A1 discloses an A-pillar video monitoring system for a motor vehicle for allowing a driver to see traffic conditions, such as children running or approaching cars, from the sides of the vehicle. For this purpose, left or right video cameras are mounted outside on the left or right side of the motor vehicle. Each camera attachment has a generally laterally oriented miniature video camera viewing angle and a housing or a cover that is arranged in the form of a flow-optimized fairing over the associated camera to protect it and minimize the amount of protrusions laterally from the side of the vehicle. The fairing also avoids unnecessary airflow turbulence, thereby optimizing the vehicle. The images viewed by these camera arrangements are reproduced on a curved screen or monitor that is seamlessly integrated into the A-pillars of the vehicle. The driver can keep a close eye on conditions on all sides without having to take their attention off the road. In the event of an airbag deployment, the curved monitor opens to protect the driver and the airbag deploys.

In a similar field, the laid-open publication EP 1 974 998 A1 discloses a driving assistance method and apparatus for capturing a region masked in the form of a blind spot, which occurs due to the presence of a pillar of a vehicle when looking into the mirror from the driver's position and is created owing to the pillar. The apparatus captures a drivers head position, captures the angle of the rear-view mirror, calculates the region masked in the form of a blind spot on the basis of the captured driver's head position and the captured angle of the rear-view mirror, and projects an image of the region corresponding to the blind spot onto the pillar, wherein the projected image is formed from image data originating from at least one blind-spot camera mounted on the exterior of the vehicle.

With increasing automation of vehicles, the need to capture the vicinity of vehicles by sensors increases in general. The detection of a vehicle detection field in the light of autonomous driving is becoming increasingly important. On the one hand, surroundings information or object detections from the exterior region of a vehicle are required to enable safe interaction of an autonomously driving vehicle with its environment. Vicinity capturing sensor units mounted on the exterior of the vehicle have been used hitherto for this purpose. On the other hand, information or object detections from the interior are also used, however, to enable gesture recognition of the driver or to capture the driver's behavior in general, so that the driver's well-being can be ensured and they also perceive a driving experience that is as intuitive as possible. Interior monitoring sensor units mounted inside the vehicle have hitherto been used for this purpose.

Driving assistance methods and related driving assistance systems according to the prior art are thus systems that require additional sensors or sensor units, computing systems and screen systems in order to implement the aforementioned methods, for example to compensate for the blind spot. This means an increased energy requirement and thus a shorter range of the vehicle. Furthermore, additional components are required, which increases the expense for production and assembly. In addition, additional components increase the overall weight of the vehicle.

Proceeding from the prior art mentioned above, the invention is therefore based on the object of specifying an improved method for detecting objects in a vehicle detection field, and also a corresponding detection system or driving assistance system and vehicle.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous configurations of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a method for detecting objects in a first vehicle detection field is thus specified, which comprises an interior and an exterior region of a vehicle. The method comprises at least the following steps: detecting an object (e.g., a further vehicle or any other object in the vicinity or exterior region of the vehicle) in the exterior region (e.g., in the blind-spot region or in the close range in front of the vehicle) of the first vehicle detection field (or in the exterior region of the vehicle) with the first sensor unit as first detection data, and detecting an object (e.g., person or occupant of the vehicle, such as the driver or user of the vehicle) in the interior of the first vehicle detection field (or in the interior of the vehicle) with the first sensor unit as second detection data. It is therefore possible to use exactly one sensor unit to detect an object in the exterior region of the first vehicle detection field (e.g., in the blind-spot region or close range) and an object in the interior (e.g., person or occupant) of the first vehicle detection field. The first and second detection data are then processed in or using a computing unit.

According to the invention, a detection system for detecting objects in a first vehicle detection field, which comprises an interior and an exterior region of a vehicle, is furthermore specified. The detection system comprises: a first sensor unit, designed to detect an object (e.g., a further vehicle or any other object in the vicinity or exterior region of the vehicle) in the exterior region (e.g., in the blind-spot region or in the close range in front of the vehicle) of the first vehicle detection field (or in the exterior region of the vehicle) as first detection data, and for detecting an object (e.g., person or occupant of the vehicle, such as the driver or user of the vehicle) in the interior of the first vehicle detection field (or in the interior of the vehicle) as second detection data. The detection system or the sensor unit additionally comprises a computing unit for processing the first and second detection data. Features or configurations of the method are likewise preferred for the detection system.

A driving assistance system for providing a driving assistance function comprising a previously described detection system is also in accordance with the invention. The driving assistance system can furthermore have a control unit, which is designed to provide the driving assistance function based on the (first and second) detection data. The driving assistance system can also generally comprise means for carrying out the steps of the method described above. The driving assistance function can, for example, provide assistance with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving, in particular of corresponding autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. The driving assistance function can, for example, provide assistance to a driver of the vehicle in different driving situations. The driving assistance function can in particular be automatic emergency braking, automatic lane keeping (lane keep assist) or the like.

The invention furthermore specifies a vehicle having the detection system mentioned above. The invention also specifies a vehicle having the aforementioned driving assistance system. For example, the vehicle may be a motor vehicle or truck.

Furthermore, the invention can specify a computer program comprising instructions that, when the computer program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to carry out steps of the method. A computer program is a collection of instructions for carrying out a specific task that is designed to solve a specific class of problems. The instructions of a program are designed to be executed by a computer, wherein it is necessary for a computer to be capable of executing programs in order for it to function.

The invention can further specify a data carrier signal that transmits the computer program. The invention can further specify a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the latter to carry out steps of the method.

The basic concept of the present invention is to expand the function of sensor units, so that the function of a plurality of sensor units are combined into fewer sensor units. In a specific example, this means that, for example, a previously separate vicinity capturing sensor unit (e.g., sensor unit for blind-spot detection) can be combined with a previously separate interior monitoring sensor unit (e.g., sensor unit for occupant detection) to form one correspondingly positioned sensor unit. Accordingly, the need for sensor units is halved. The function of occupant recognition is thus combined with road detection. It is furthermore a basic concept of the present invention to define the corresponding position or positioning of the sensor unit, in particular on the A-pillar of the vehicle in the interior of the vehicle.

Furthermore, improved detection of the eye position of the occupants is possible when the respective occupant turns their face. The functionality of the (autonomous or semi-autonomous) driving assistance system (e.g., emergency braking system) is also improved due to an optimally settable angle to the detection target. A position of the sensor unit closer to the front or the hood front of the vehicle has a better detection angle, for example when a pedestrian is crossing a road with obstacles. Such an obstacle can be a parked car, for example. An (autonomous or semi-autonomous) emergency braking system is a predictive driving assistance system for motor vehicles that warns the driver in the event of danger, provides assistance with emergency braking, acts as a brake assistant, and/or brakes automatically. This is intended to avoid colliding with the obstacle and/or reduce the collision speed. For this purpose, previously known vehicles having emergency brake assistants usually have separate sensors for ascertaining distances, acceleration, steering angle, steering wheel angle and pedal positions.

A further advantage in the case of an internally installed sensor unit is the multifunctional use of a windscreen cleaning system of the vehicle. As a result, no additional cleaning system for the sensor unit is required.

Furthermore, a sensor unit (e.g., camera) of the driving assistance system can provide a drive system of the vehicle with enough information to reach its destination and drive the vehicle in a mode other than the normal mode, for example in the emergency mode. In the normal mode, all sensors work correctly. In contrast, the emergency mode is suitable only for driving the vehicle to a workshop or to another parking space. The sensor unit(s) can here serve as (a) redundant sensor unit(s) or as backup for a main front camera. In other words, the sensor unit(s) can also be used in addition to a conventional front camera. This means that the sensor unit(s) supports the redundancy or can be used in the emergency mode.

Since the vehicle usually has transparent windows or, in the case of a convertible, is open, the at least one sensor unit can detect through the interior and the exterior region. This consequently obviates the need for further sensor units. This results in lower weight and lower costs due to fewer detection system components and less energy consumption due to less computing capacity being required.

The interior can also be referred to as the interior region of the vehicle. In particular, the interior can be the space of the vehicle in which a person or occupant of the vehicle (e.g., driver or user) is located (e.g., passenger compartment).

The exterior region can be limited to at least a region outside the vehicle, adjacent to the vehicle sides, i.e., on the driver's side and the passenger's side. However, the exterior region can additionally also refer to at least a region outside of the vehicle that is next to the front and/or rear of the vehicle.

Where the teaching of the invention discloses at least one sensor unit, this means that it can apply to any sensor unit. Consequently, if the vehicle has two or more sensor units, each of these sensor units can, but does not need to, have the respective features of the claim.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method is furthermore suitable for detecting objects in a second vehicle detection field, which comprises an interior and an exterior region of the vehicle, by means of at least one second sensor unit of the vehicle. The method can here furthermore comprise the following steps: detecting an object in the exterior region of the second vehicle detection field with the second sensor unit as first detection data; and detecting an object in the interior of the second vehicle detection field with the second sensor unit as second detection data. The system can therefore comprise a second sensor unit, which, in particular, can be structurally identical to the first sensor unit. This second sensor unit is also designed both for detecting an object in the exterior region and detecting an object in the interior. In this way, optimum coverage of the region to be detected can be achieved.

The detection system (or the corresponding driving assistance system or vehicle) can have at least a first sensor unit with a first vehicle detection field having the features of the sensor unit and a second sensor unit with a second vehicle detection field having the features of the sensor unit. The two vehicle detection fields allow detection of as much of the interior and of the exterior region as possible. In regions where the vehicle detection fields intersect, a congruence check can optionally be carried out. This reduces possible false detections. If, for example, a driver has, for reasons of anatomy, a partially drooping eyelid on only one side, a false alarm can be avoided due to detection of the other half of the face with the wide-open eyelid. This is also called a congruence check.

In an advantageous embodiment, the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are arranged opposite one another on two vehicle columns of the same type. Columns of the same type are, for example, two A-pillars, two B-pillars or two C-pillars. With this arrangement, the aforementioned advantages of the congruence check lead to particularly reliable detection results. In this way, the respective exterior region of the vehicle opposite a pillar can also be detected symmetrically to the opposite exterior region, so that uniformly reliable detection results of the lateral vehicle side region are available.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the object in the exterior region is in a blind-spot region of the vehicle. The object can be, for example, another vehicle that is located in the blind-spot region of the ego vehicle.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the object in the interior is an occupant (e.g., driver) of the vehicle. In particular, a gesture, line of sight and/or an eye status (e.g. closing eye) of the occupant can be detected. In particular, a position of the occupant's head, in particular a position of the occupant's eyes (eye position), can be detected.

The sensor unit may be arranged in the interior of the vehicle in a manner such that detection of the interior and detection of the exterior region is carried out using the respective sensor unit. The detection of the interior can comprise occupant detection. The detection of the exterior region can comprise blind-spot detection. The occupant detection and the blind-spot detection can be carried out together. However, it is also possible that only occupant detection or only blind-spot detection takes place, or that the detection is generally directed toward a different detection in the interior or exterior region. The corresponding arrangement of the at least one sensor unit in the interior can therefore be sufficient to detect the inside and outside of the vehicle. Since the vehicle usually has transparent windows or, in the case of a convertible, is open, the at least one sensor unit can detect through the interior region, or the interior, into the exterior region. Thus, at least one sensor unit is sufficient, for example, to detect at least one occupant and a significant exterior region, in particular a blind spot.

At least the driver, but preferably also the front passenger and/or persons in the rear seats, can be regarded as occupants.

In road traffic, the blind spot or blind-spot region is the lateral region of the vehicle, or the region in front of and behind the vehicle, that cannot be seen by drivers located inside closed vehicles despite rear-view mirrors. The size of this region varies depending on the number of windows and rear-view mirrors.

Such an arrangement saves costs, weight and computing capacity. In addition, the at least one sensor unit does not need to be protected as carefully from external influences, like moisture, dust, dirt, stone chips or the like, as is the case with exterior installation. The at least one sensor unit is thus exposed to fewer disruptive influences and requires less construction outlay.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sensor unit is arranged on an A-pillar of the vehicle in the interior of the vehicle, in particular in a manner such that the sensor unit is directed into the interior of the vehicle but can also capture the exterior region of the vehicle or in a manner such that both the interior and the exterior region are captured.

A particular advantage of the arrangement on an A-pillar is that mounting to the A-pillar allows a particularly reliable driver or occupant detection. For example, gestures, line of sight or eye status (e.g., closing eyes) of the occupant/driver can be detected particularly well. An advantage of the arrangement on the A-pillar is in particular the possibility of detecting the exterior region of the vehicle opposite the A-pillar, in particular with regard to a blind spot. The arrangement on an A-pillar is therefore particularly advantageous since it enables particularly reliable driver or front passenger detection and good detection of the exterior region.

In an alternative embodiment, however, the sensor unit can theoretically also be arranged on a B-pillar or C-pillar in the interior of the vehicle. Even in the event of an arrangement on the B- or C-pillars, the exterior region of the vehicle opposite the corresponding pillar can be reliably detected, in particular with regard to a blind spot.

The arrangement on a pillar in particular enables reliable detection of the exterior region on a vehicle side that lies opposite the respective pillar. Using a specific example, this means that a sensor unit disposed on a pillar on the drivers side can readily detect the exterior region on the front passenger side, and vice versa.