Method and system for ascertaining an expected device contour

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091157-B2
Application number	US-201916401207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A method for ascertaining an expected contour of a mobile or stationary device for avoiding collisions, using at least one control unit that is internal external to the device includes: obtaining a movement trajectory of the device, which contains probability densities based on state estimation, at least based on expected values and covariances; obtaining a base polyhedron and an approximate contour of the device having a limited number of corners, a confidence interval within which a collision with the static and dynamic surroundings of the device is to be avoided being defined; transforming the base polyhedron to the at least one probability density of the movement trajectory that describes the state estimation; and, for each corner of the transformed base polyhedron, computing a transformed device contour, and ascertaining the expected contour of the device with inclusion of all transformed device contours.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for ascertaining an expected contour of a mobile or stationary device, which is an automated vehicle, for avoiding a collision of the vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining a movement trajectory of the device, wherein the movement trajectory is based on at least expected values and covariances;
selecting a base polyhedron and an approximate contour of the device each having a limited number of corners;
transforming the base polyhedron to provide a transformed base polyhedron and to at least one probability density of the movement trajectory, the at least one probability density describing a state estimation;
determining, for each corner of the transformed base polyhedron, a transformed device contour;
ascertaining the expected contour of the device based on a combination of all of the transformed device contours; and
using, via at least one control unit, the expected contour to avoid collision of the vehicle;
wherein the method is performed by the at least one control unit that is internal or external to the device, and
wherein one of the following is satisfied:
(i) the transforming of the base polyhedron to provide the transformed base polyhedron includes integrating a standard normal distribution over a volume of the base polyhedron in a manner by which a predefined confidence interval, within which a collision with static and dynamic surroundings of the device is to be avoided, is met, or
(ii) the transforming of the base polyhedron to provide the transformed base polyhedron includes a decomposition of the covariances, a multiplication of each corner of the base polyhedron by a decomposition, and an addition of an expected value of the expected values of the probability density to each other of the base polyhedron.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expected contour of the device is formed from a surface or a volume that is spanned by all of the transformed device contours.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the expected contour of the device to a collision check unit of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile or stationary robot, a vehicle, or an aircraft, and includes the at least one control unit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement trajectory has at least one translatory degree of freedom.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement trajectory has at least one rotatory degree of freedom.

7. A method for ascertaining an expected contour of a mobile or stationary device, which is an automated vehicle, for avoiding a collision of the vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining a movement trajectory of the device, wherein the movement trajectory is based on at least expected values and covariances;
selecting a base polyhedron and an approximate contour of the device each having a limited number of corners;
transforming the base polyhedron to provide a transformed base polyhedron and to at least one probability density of the movement trajectory, the at least on probability density describing a state estimation;
determining, for each corner of the transformed base polyhedron, a transformed device contour;
ascertaining the expected contour of the device based on a combination of all the transformed device contours; and
using, via at least on control unit, the expected contour to avoid a collision of the vehicle;
wherein the method is performed by the at least one control unit that is internal or external to the device, and
wherein the movement trajectory with the probability density, the base polyhedron, the approximate contour, and a confidence interval, within which a collision with static and dynamic surroundings of the device is to be avoided, are ascertained in advance or offline.

8. A method for ascertaining an expected contour of a mobile or stationary device, which is an automated vehicle, for avoiding a collision of the vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining a movement trajectory of the device, wherein the movement trajectory is based on at least expected values and covariances;
selecting a base polyhedron and an approximate contour of the device each having a limited number of corners;
transforming the base polyhedron to provide a transformed base polyhedron and to at least one probability density of the movement trajectory, the at least on probability density describing a state estimation;
determining, for each corner of the transformed base polyhedron, a transformed device contour;
ascertaining the expected contour of the device based on a combination of all the transformed device contours; and
using, via at least on control unit, the expected contour to avoid a collision of the vehicle;
wherein the method is performed by the at least one control unit that is internal or external to the device, and
wherein the transformation, the determination of the at least one transformed device contour, and the ascertainment of the expected contour are carried out in situ or online with inclusion of all of the at least one transformed device contour.

9. A system for ascertaining an expected contour of a mobile or stationary device, which is an automated vehicle, for avoiding a collision of the vehicle, comprising:
at least one control unit, which is internal or external to the device, configured to perform the following:
obtaining a movement trajectory of the device, wherein the movement trajectory is based on at least expected values and covariances;
obtaining a base polyhedron and an approximate contour of the device each having a limited number of corners;
transforming the base polyhedron to at least one probability density of the movement trajectory, the at least one probability density describing a state estimation;
determining, for each corner of the transformed base polyhedron, a transformed device contour;
ascertaining the expected contour of the device based on a combination of all of the transformed device contours; and
using, via the at least one control unit, the expected contour to avoid a collision of the vehicle;
wherein one of the following is satisfied:
(i) the transforming of the base polyhedron to provide the transformed base polyhedron includes integrating a standard normal distribution over a volume of the base polyhedron in a manner by which a predefined confidence interval, within which a collision with static and dynamic surroundings of the device is to be avoided, is met, or
(ii) the transforming of the base polyhedron to provide the transformed base polyhedron includes a decomposition of the covariances, a multiplication of each corner of the base polyhedron by a decomposition, and an addition of an expected value of the expected values of the probability density to each corner of the base polyhedron.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Banzhaf Holger Andreas
• Dolgov Maxim

Classifications

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• B60W40/10

  related to vehicle motion · CPC title

• B60W30/0953 Primary

  the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters · CPC title

• B60W50/0097

  Predicting future conditions · CPC title

• B25J9/1676

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title