Method and device for warning against cross traffic when leaving a parking space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630556-B2
Application number	US-201314442247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2013
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method for warning the driver of a vehicle against cross traffic when leaving a parking space, wherein the motor vehicle has far-field sensors at least in the region of the rear-end corners for detecting possible cross traffic and lateral near-field sensors for detecting the near surroundings of the vehicle and wherein the warning is generated if at least one of the far-field sensors detects cross traffic. The method surveys the nearby lateral surroundings of the driver's vehicle while leaving the parking space, determines from the results of the near-field detection whether the far-field sensors have a free view of the cross traffic, and generates a notification to the driver if one or both far-field sensors do not have a free view of the cross traffic.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle against cross traffic when leaving a parking space, the motor vehicle having, at least in a region of rear vehicle corners, long-range sensors for detecting possible cross traffic and lateral short-range sensors for detecting a nearby vehicle environment, the method comprising:
measuring a nearby lateral environment of the motor vehicle using the short-range sensors to generate a short range-detection when the motor vehicle is leaving the parking space;
entering measurements of the nearby lateral environment into an environment map;
detecting possible cross traffic using the long-range sensors; and
generating a warning in response to at least one of the long-range sensors detecting cross traffic,
using the environmental map to determine whether the long-range sensors have a clear view of the cross traffic, and generating an indication for the driver in response to one or both long-range sensor(s) not having the clear view of the cross traffic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver is informed of which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of long-range sensors without a clear view is optically presented in a display.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the display generates a representation of the motor vehicle and its nearby environment such that it is optically represented which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the indication of blocked visual contact is effected by a symbol which is inserted in the representation of the vehicle environment in the region of the blocked long-range sensor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the indication is removed from the display when the visual blocking of the long-range sensor is removed.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein both the blocked long-range sensors and the long-range sensors having visual contact are represented in the display.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining and entering distances to obstacles from the short-range detection in the environment map and evaluating the environment map in the region of the assumed visual contact between the long-range sensors and possible cross traffic.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the likelihood of when there is visual contact of a blocked long-range sensor is calculated.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed when the motor vehicle leaves the parking space by reversing from the parking space.

11. A device for warning a driver of a motor vehicle against cross traffic when leaving a parking space, the device comprising:
long-range sensors which are arranged at least in a region of rear corners of the motor vehicle and configured to detect possible cross traffic;
lateral short-range sensors for sensing a nearby motor vehicle environment, wherein the short-range sensors are configured to measure a nearby lateral environment of the motor vehicle to generate a short range-detection when the motor vehicle is leaving the parking space,
an environment map into which the measurements of the nearby lateral environment are entered;
a warning device for warning against cross traffic;
wherein the environment map is used to determine whether the long-range sensors have a clear view of the cross traffic, and an indication is generated for the driver in response to one or both long-range sensor(s) not having the clear view of the cross traffic;
a display which displays the indication of which long-range sensor does not have visual contact with the cross traffic.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device has an apparatus for generating the environment map from the measurement results from the short-range sensors, the likelihood of a clear view of the long-range sensors being determined from the environment map in the region of an assumed visual contact with possible cross traffic.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the driver is informed of which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the indication of long-range sensors without a clear view is optically presented on the display.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the indication of blocked visual contact is effected by a symbol which is inserted in the representation of the vehicle environment in the region of the blocked long-range sensor.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the indication is removed when the visual blocking of the long-range sensor is removed.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein both the blocked long-range sensors and the long-range sensors having visual contact are represented in the display.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the display generates a representation of the motor vehicle and its nearby environment such that it is optically represented which long-range sensor does not have the clear view of the cross traffic.

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein distances to obstacles are determining and from short-range detection in the environment map and the environment map is evaluated in the region of an assumed visual contact between the long-range sensors and possible cross traffic.

20. The device of claim 11 , wherein a likelihood of when there is visual contact of a blocked long-range sensor is calculated.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag
• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Max Stephan
• Baumann Peter
• Katzwinkel Reiner

Classifications

• B60Q9/006 Primary

  using a distance sensor · CPC title

• G01S13/87

  Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar · CPC title

• B60Q9/008 Primary

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title

• G01S2013/9317

  Driving backwards · CPC title

• G01S2013/9314

  Parking operations · CPC title