Method and Apparatus for Determining a Road Condition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018293448-A1
Application number	US-201815948103-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A road condition is classified based on spray water occurring at a wheel of the vehicle. To this end, the space around a wheel of the vehicle is imaged by a camera and the image captured by the camera is analyzed to detect spray water therein. A distinction can be made between a dry road, a wet road or a road having a risk of aquaplaning on the basis of the detected spray water, e.g. based on the angle, direction or projection range of the spray water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of determining a road condition, comprising the steps:
providing (S 1 ) image data by an image capturing device ( 11 ), wherein the image capturing device ( 11 ) captures at least a part of a space around a wheel of a vehicle ( 1 ); detecting (S 2 ) spray water in the provided image data; and classifying (S 3 ) a road condition using the detected spray water in the provided image data; wherein the classifying of the road condition includes making at least one distinction between a dry road, a wet road and a road having a risk of aquaplaning.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the classifying (S 3 ) of the road condition additionally includes detecting a risk of microaquaplaning.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting (S 2 ) of the spray water includes determining at least one of an exit position of the spray water in the image data, an exit angle of the spray water in the image data, a quantity of the spray water in the image data, a number of drops of the spray water in the image data, a projection range or a projection direction of the spray water, and/or a distinction of a drop or jet form of the spray water.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting (S 2 ) of the spray water includes establishing a proportion of image data with spray water.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the detecting (S 2 ) of the spray water includes detecting a change in the proportion of the spray water in the image data.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising transferring the classified road condition to a display device and/or a control device of the vehicle ( 1 ).

7 . An apparatus for determining a road condition, comprising:
an image capturing device ( 11 ) configured to capture and provide image data of at least a part of a space around a wheel ( 21 ) of a vehicle ( 1 ); and an evaluation device ( 12 ) configured to detect spray water in the provided image data and to classify a road condition using the spray water detected in the image data, wherein the classifying of the road condition includes making at least one distinction between a dry road, a wet road and a road having a risk of aquaplaning.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a lighting device ( 13 ) configured to at least partially illuminate the space captured by the image capturing device.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a signaling device configured to output a signal if a predetermined road condition has been classified.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a transfer device configured to transfer the classified road condition to a further apparatus.

11 . A motor vehicle ( 1 ) comprising a vehicle body and an apparatus for determining a road condition according to claim 7 .

12 . The motor vehicle ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , further comprising a control apparatus configured to adjust at least one function of the motor vehicle ( 1 ) using the classified road condition.

Assignees

• Continental Teves Ag & Co Ohg

Inventors

• Hartmann Bernd

Classifications

• B60W30/02

  Control of vehicle driving stability · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60T2210/13

  Aquaplaning, hydroplaning · CPC title

• B60T8/172 Primary

  Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title