WO2017089136A1 - Method, device, map management apparatus, and system for precision-locating a motor vehicle in an environment - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for precision-locating a motor vehicle (50) in an environment (12), comprising the following steps in a device (2) in the motor vehicle (50): capturing a sequence of images of the environment (12) of the motor vehicle (50) by at least one camera (4), detecting and classifying objects (28) in the captured sequence of images by an evaluating unit (5), determining object positions of the objects (28) relative to the motor vehicle (50) by the evaluating unit (5), defining a section (13) in the environment (12), wherein the section (13) has a predefined size and predefined boundaries (14-17), allocating the objects (28) to the determined object positions in the specified section (13), identifying a lane (22) of the motor vehicle (50) in the section (13), transmitting object information and the positions of the objects (28), section information on the defined section (13), lane information and time information to a map management apparatus (3) by a transmitting apparatus (6). The data is received and compared to a digital map (60) in the map management apparatus (3). Corresponding environmental maps are then transmitted to the device (2) and compared to environmental data of the defined section (13) and the vehicle (50) is located. The invention further relates to a device (2), to an associated map management apparatus (3), and to an associated system (1).

Description

 description

Method, device, card management device and system for pinpoint accuracy

 Locating a motor vehicle in an environment

The invention relates to a device for a motor vehicle, a card management device, a system and a method for pinpoint localization of the motor vehicle in an environment.

Modern motor vehicles have a variety of assistance systems, including navigation systems, which are able to locate a motor vehicle within an environment. Such a navigation system is based, for example, on a global

Position determining system (GPS), in which a position of the motor vehicle by

Evaluation of several satellite-based signals is determined. Furthermore, systems are known in which from the environment of the motor vehicle maps are created. In a later drive through an already mapped area, the motor vehicle can then be located in the map created.

From DE 10 2014 002 821 A1 a method for locating a mobile device in an environment is known, wherein the device comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting the

Environment of the device using different localization methods, wherein the environment is a reference card that includes multiple positions within the environment, for at least one position within the environment at least one localization method that is performed with at least one sensor to detect the environment is recommended is, wherein for a current position of the mobile device for locating the device, the at least one according to the reference card recommended

Localization method to be used with at least one sensor is used.

From DE 10 201 1 1 19 762 A1 a suitable for a motor vehicle positioning system and a corresponding method is known. The system includes a digital map in which data about location-specific features are located, at least one

Environment identification device for detecting the location-specific features in the vicinity of the vehicle and a localization module coupled to the digital map and the environment recognition device. The localization module has a processing unit for reconciling the acquired data and the data recorded in the digital map on the location-specific features and for locating the vehicle position on the basis of the location-specific features recorded in the digital map. Further, the system includes an in-vehicle vehicle motion data inertial measurement unit coupled to the location module whose processing unit is configured

Determine vehicle position by means of the vehicle movement data based on the location based on the location-specific features position.

The invention is based on the technical problem of providing a method and a system for locating a motor vehicle in an environment in which the localization of the motor vehicle in the environment is improved.

The technical object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1, a device having the features of claim 8, a

Card management device having the features of claim 9 and a system having the features of claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

In particular, a method is provided for pinpointing a motor vehicle in an environment, comprising the following steps in a device in the motor vehicle: capturing a sequence of images of the environment of the motor vehicle by at least one camera, recognizing and classifying objects in the captured image sequence by a Evaluation unit, determining object positions of the objects relative to the motor vehicle by the evaluation unit, defining a section in the environment, the section having a predetermined size, and predetermined boundaries, assigning the detected and classified objects to the determined object positions in the specified section, determining a in the section located lane of the motor vehicle through the

Evaluation unit, transmission of object information and the object positions of the detected and classified objects, section information about the specified section,

Lane information and time information to a card management device by a transmitting device; and comprising the following steps in the

 Map Manager: receiving the object information and the object locations, the section information, the lane information and the time information about the section from the device, comparing the received information of the section with a digital map based on the object information and object locations

Section information, the lane information and the time information, determining a corresponding section in the digital map, communicating with the section corresponding environment data from the digital map to the device; further comprising the following steps in the device in the motor vehicle: receiving the environment data from the map management device by means of a receiving device, comparing the received environment data with the specified section by the evaluation unit,

Locating the motor vehicle in the environment based on the comparison result by the evaluation unit.

Further, a device for a motor vehicle for pinpoint localization of

Motor vehicle created in an environment comprising at least one camera for detecting a picture sequence of the environment of the motor vehicle, an evaluation unit, wherein the

Evaluation unit is designed to recognize and classify objects in the captured image sequence, to determine object positions of the detected and classified objects relative to the camera, to define a section in the environment, the section having a predetermined size, as well as predetermined boundaries that recognized and classified Assigning objects to the determined object positions in the specified section, and detecting a lane of the motor vehicle existing in the section, and a transmitting device configured to receive object information and the object positions of the detected and classified objects, section information to the specified section,

Lane information and time information to a card management device to transmit, and a receiving device which is adapted to receive the environment data from the card management device, wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to compare the received environment data with the specified section and the motor vehicle in the environment based on the comparison result.

In addition, a card management device is provided, comprising a

Receiving device, which is designed such, the object information and the

Object positions to receive the patch information, the lane information and the time information about the patch from the apparatus; a comparing means arranged to receive the received information of the patch with a digital map based on the object information and object positions, the patch information, the lane information and the To compare time information and to determine a corresponding section in the digital map, and a transmitting device which is designed to transmit with the section corresponding environment data from the digital map to the motor vehicle.

In the interplay, it becomes a system for the pinpoint localization of a

Motor vehicle formed in an environment comprising at least one device for a Motor vehicle for pinpoint localization of the motor vehicle in an environment and a card management device.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the determined lane is described in a section by a corridor of a left lane boundary and a right lane boundary, the left and the right lane boundary each as

Lane check functions are described. This has the advantage that an amount of data necessary for describing the traffic lane can be reduced. This saves bandwidth in communication over a communication link between the at least one mobile device and the card management device.

In particular, it is provided in one embodiment that the lane-tracking functions are designed as polynomial functions of the third degree. This leads to a particularly strong data reduction with simultaneous flexibility. Only four coefficients have to be transmitted per coordinate, so that a total of twelve coefficients per section must be transmitted for three dimensions. It may be provided in particular that the

Polynomial functions as independent variables have a time. But it is just as possible, a location coordinate, such as a track, etc. as an independent variable

use.

In a further embodiment it is provided that the localization of the motor vehicle in the defined section is effected by a comparison of the left lane boundary and the right lane boundary and / or the associated lane functions with the surrounding data received for this specified section. This has the advantage of being a

Localization can be performed very efficiently and quickly, since only very few data have to be compared.

In one embodiment, provision is made in particular for one or more positional information corresponding to the defined section to be ascertained in the motor vehicle by means of a global position-determining device, wherein these

Position information is also transmitted to the card management device and taken into account by the card management device in the comparison. This has the advantage that the comparison is accelerated, since already a rough position of the

Motor vehicle in the environment or in the digital map is known. As a result, only a smaller area in the digital map has to be compared with the transmitted data and examined for similarity. As a global positioning system can For example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Galileo system are used.

In a further embodiment it is provided that object positions for objects in the environment of the motor vehicle relative to this are determined from the received environment data. This makes it possible to provide an accurate relative position of the objects to the motor vehicle. This is particularly advantageous if the motor vehicle is driven semi-automatically or automatically. Then, based on the objects for the motor vehicle, an exact orientation and position in the environment can be determined.

In a further embodiment, it is further provided that the

Card management device in the environment data contained objects either as

Landmarks or classified as obstacles. Such a classification later makes it possible for the evaluation unit in the motor vehicle to recognize obstacles quickly and efficiently and to bypass them or to stop them in good time. By a classification in the card management device, moreover, computing power can be saved, since with several devices or motor vehicles only once a classification must be made and not every device or each motor vehicle individually has to classify the objects. Overall, resources are saved and costs can be reduced.

In particular, it can also be provided that the digital map is also from the

Card management device is created. For this purpose, the card management device evaluates the object information transmitted by the device in the motor vehicle and / or devices in other motor vehicles or other mobile devices, and the

Object positions of the detected and classified objects, section information to the specified section, lane information and a time information and merges adjacent sections together. Subsequently, the assembled sections are fused to the digital map.

Parts of the device, the card management device and also of the system can be formed individually or in a group as a combination of hardware and software, for example as program code that is executed on a microcontroller or microprocessor. The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the figures. Hereby show:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the system for

 pinpoint localization of a motor vehicle in an environment;

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a typical environment of a motor vehicle for

 Clarification of the procedure;

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a specified section with

 Lane functions.

In Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a system 1 for pinpoint localization of a motor vehicle 50 in an environment 12 (see FIG. 2) is shown. The system 1 comprises at least one device 2, which in this example is embodied in the motor vehicle 50, and a card management device 3, which is designed, for example, as a central server. In the following, the card management device should in particular also carry out the creation of a digital map.

The device 2 comprises a camera 4, an evaluation unit 5, a transmitting device 6, and a receiving device 33. The card management device 3 comprises, for example, a receiving device 7, an assembling device 8, a

 Fuser 9, a memory 10 in which a digital card 60 is stored, a transmitter 34 and a comparator 35.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a typical environment 12 of a

Motor vehicle 50 to illustrate the method. The camera 4 (see FIG. 1) points, for example, in a direction of travel 1 1 of the motor vehicle 50. The camera 4 captures a sequence of images of the environment 12 of the motor vehicle 50. The acquired sequence of images is fed to the evaluation unit 5 by the camera 4. From the sequence of images, the evaluation unit 5 defines a section 13. This section 13 has a predetermined size. Such a section 13 also has a front boundary 14, a rear one

Limit 15, a right boundary 16 and a left boundary 17 on. In the fixed portion 13 is a portion of a road 18, on which the

Motor vehicle 50 is currently located, as well as a section of the environment 19 of the road 18. Ein Another section 20 is determined at a later time from a further sequence of images, so that the rear boundary 21 of the further section 20 is equal to the front boundary 14 of the pre-defined section 13. In this way, the environment 12 of the motor vehicle 50 is detected stepwise at different times and successively in the form of sections 13, 20 lined up.

In each section 13, 20, the evaluation unit 5 determines a lane 22 of the

Motor vehicle 50. In this example, the lane 22 is limited on the right side by the lane boundary 23 of the road 18, wherein the right lane boundary 23 may be given for example by the right lane line. The left

Lane boundary 24 of the lane 22 is, for example, by a center line 25 of the

Given street 18.

The respective lane boundary 23, 24 of the lane 22 is by means of a

Image recognition method detected in the evaluation unit 5 and, for example, for each

Coordinate represented mathematically in the form of a third-degree polynomial function:

X (t) = a ₃ t ³ + a ₂ t ² + ait + a ₀ ,

Y (t) = b ₃ t ³ + b ₂ t ² + bit + b ₀ ,

Z (t) = c ₃ t ³ + c ₂ t ² + C c + c ₀ .

The coordinates X, Y, and Z relate to a coordinate system, which is related, for example, to the camera position or the center of the front boundary 14 of the section 22. The coordinate X describes the coordinate system in the direction of travel 1 1, the coordinate Y in the lateral direction and the coordinate Z in the vertical direction. The function X (t) thus describes a function in the X direction as a function of a time t, which is related to the time at which the section 13 was determined. Thus, each point of the recognized lane 22 is spatially defined. The coefficients of the lane-tracking functions can be mathematically determined by suitable fitting methods, so that the individual

Lane function are determined by the determined coefficients a- _\ , a ₂ , a ₃ , a ₀ and bi, b ₂ , b ₃ , b ₀ and Ci, c ₂ , c ₃ , c ₀ and as a function of time, the lane boundaries 23, 24 picture. A schematic representation of the section 13 with the lane-tracking functions is shown in Fig. 3.

The coefficients form lane information which, together with time information and piece information, is transmitted to the card management device 3 or to the server by means of the transmitting device 6 of the device 2. The transmission takes place, for example, by means of a wireless communication connection 32 (see FIG. 1). By describing the lane 22 by means of the polynomial functions, the amount of data to be transmitted can be significantly reduced, so that only small amounts of data have to be transmitted per section 13, 20.

It is further contemplated that other objects 28 are detected in the environment 12. For example, there is a landmark 26 and an obstacle 27 in the vicinity 19 of the lane 22 or on the lane 22. The landmark 26 may be, for example, a tree or a street lighting. The obstacle 27 can be, for example, another motor vehicle which marks the end of a traffic jam or an indication that work is being carried out on this traffic lane 22 and the lane 22 has to be changed.

The camera 4 captures an image content and by means of a suitable method for the

Object detection, it is possible to determine which object 28 it is. All known methods for object recognition can be used here,

in particular pattern recognition methods. It is also possible that a position of the object 28, for example relative to the camera 4, is determined. This is done, for example, by comparing the detected objects 28 with objects stored in tables. As a result, a size of the objects 28 is determined and it is then possible to deduce a distance to the motor vehicle 50 or to the camera 4. By determining the angles of the objects 28 relative to the camera 4 in a plurality of sequentially determined sections 13, 20, the position of the object 28 is known. The position can be defined, for example, in the form of a vector or as a coordinate with a corresponding object type. This object information is also determined as a function of time to each section 13, 20 and transmitted by means of the transmitting device 6 to the card management device 3 or to the server.

The card manager 3 receives object information and associated ones

Object positions, section information, lane information and time information for each of the sections 13, 20. By means of a suitable method, these are then assembled so that a digital map 60 with the lane 22 is formed. In this case, for example, known pattern recognition methods can be used to assemble the sections. Such a method is able, with the present information, to associate the section information and the sections 13, 20 if appropriate

To match each other. The joining of the individual sections 13, 20 is in the

Card management device 3, for example, made by an assembly device 8.

The similarity between different sections 13, 20 is determined, for example, by comparing the coefficients of the lane-tracking functions. If they match, it can be assumed that it is the same lane 22. to

Verification is compared to other information, such as the object information on the nature and location of objects 28, which are located outside the lane 22.

The digital map 60 of the lane 22 can be improved by having a plurality of devices 2, for example in a plurality of motor vehicles 50, respectively

Object information and associated object positions, section information,

Lane information and time information on each of the sections to the

Card management device 3 sends and the card management device 3 this

Information used to create, for example by means of a weighting and a means of overlapping, the digital map 60 with very high accuracy.

The averaging of several sections 13, 20 of several devices 2 is in the

Card management device 3, for example, from the fusion device 9

performed. The digital card 60 is stored in the memory 10 and can be changed and recalled there at any time.

If, for example, an object 28 of a section 13, 20 has changed, the method in the card management device 3 ensures that in a first step a specific number of information matches. For example, the coefficients of the

Lanes 22 be. If further parameters match in a comparison, such as object sizes and object types of the objects 28 (for example in the case of a tree), then it is assumed that this is a section 13, 20 which has already been acquired at an earlier point in time and was stored in the digital map 60.

In the card management device 3 or in the server is thus an image of the

Environment 12 in a local (digital map 60) and global coordinate system

composed of a variety of information from sections 13, 20 consists. In particular, a plurality of captured sequences of images of multiple devices 2 may thus be fused into a single, very accurate digital map 60.

By means of a recognition and classification of objects as landmarks 26 or as

Obstacle 27 and an averaging of the associated object positions, a highly accurate location in a world coordinate system can be calculated. This serves to anchor the sections 13, 20 in the digital map 60.

The card manager is able to compile the composite image of the

Environment 12 as a digital card 60 again to the device 2 in the motor vehicle 50 to send. For this, the received object information and object positions,

Part information, lane information and the time information about the section 13 are evaluated by a comparator 35 of the card management device 3 by comparing the section 13 with the digital map 60. The with the section 13th

corresponding environment data from the digital map 60 are then using a

Transmitter device 34 is transmitted to the device 2.

Receives the device 2, the environment data by means of the receiving device 33, the received portion of the environment 12 in the evaluation unit 5 with the straight

recorded portion 13 and the exact position of the device 2 in the motor vehicle 50 is determined by evaluating the deviation. By means of this method, it is possible to determine the exact position of the motor vehicle 50 on the lane 22. In addition, it is possible, the exact position of objects 28 in the environment 12 of the

Motor vehicle 50 to determine.

In this way, the left boundary 24 and the right boundary 23 of the

Lane 22 are measured in the centimeter range exactly. The motor vehicle 50 is thereby able to locate precisely on the lane 22. This accurate location is particularly important for automated rides.

It is also advantageous to accurately locate objects 28 in the environment 12 of the motor vehicle 50

locate and record in the digital map 60. It is particularly advantageous if an object 28 in the card management device 3 as an obstacle 27 on the

Road 22 was classified. By transmitting the corresponding classification of the obstacle 27 to the device 2 in the motor vehicle 50, the motor vehicle 50 is in the Able to bypass this obstacle 27, stop in front of that obstacle 27 or warn other road users of it.

It can also be provided in addition that a rough position estimate by means of an additional Global Positioning System (GPS) in the motor vehicle 50 is made. The position estimate is then also transmitted to the card management device 3, so that a finding of the corresponding portion 13, 20 in the digital map 60 can be performed more efficiently and faster.

Parts of the device 2, the card management device 3 and also of the system 1 can be configured individually or combined as a combination of hardware and software, for example as program code that is executed on a microcontroller or microprocessor.

Reference symbol system

contraption

Cards manager

camera

evaluation

transmitting device

receiver

Assembling facility

Fusionierungseinrichtung

Storage

direction of travel

environment

section

front boundary

rear boundary

right boundary

left boundary

Street

Surroundings

another section

Rear boundary of the further section Lane

right lane boundary

left lane boundary

center line

landmark

obstacle

object

communication link

receiver

transmitting device

comparator Motor vehicle digital map

Claims

claims A method for pinpointing a motor vehicle (50) in one  Environment (12), comprising the steps:  in a device (2) in the motor vehicle (50):  Detecting an image sequence of the environment (12) of the motor vehicle (50) by at least one camera (4), recognizing and classifying objects (28) in the acquired image sequence by an evaluation unit (5), determining object positions of the objects (28) relative to Motor vehicle (50) by the evaluation unit (5), defining a portion (13) in the environment (12), wherein the portion (13) has a predetermined size, as well as predetermined boundaries (14, 15, 16, 17), assigning the recognized and classifying objects (28) to the determined object positions in the specified section (13), determining a lane (22) of the motor vehicle (50) located in the section (13) by the evaluation unit (5), transmitting object information and object positions recognized and classified objects (28),  Section information about the specified section (13),  Lane information and time information to one  Card management device (3) by a transmitting device (6); - in the card management facility (3):  Receiving the object information and the object positions, the part information, the lane information and the time information about the part (13) from the device (2), comparing the received information of the part (13) with a digital map (60) based on the object information and object positions , the section information, the lane information and the time information,  Determining a corresponding section (13) in the digital map (60), transmitting environment data corresponding to the section (13) from the digital map (60) to the device (2);  in the device (2) in the motor vehicle (50):  Receiving the environment data from the card management device (3) by means of a receiving device (33), comparing the received environment data with the specified section (13) by the evaluation unit (5), Locating the motor vehicle (50) in the environment (12) on the basis of the comparison result by the evaluation unit (5). 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the determined  Lane (22) is described in a section (22) by a corridor of a left lane boundary (24) and a right lane boundary (23), wherein the left lane boundary (24) and the right lane  Lane boundary (23) are each described as lane-tracking functions. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the lane functions are formed as polynomial functions of the third degree. 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the localization of the motor vehicle (50) in the fixed section (13) by comparing the left lane boundary (24) and the right lane boundary (23) and / or the associated lane functions with the environment data received for this specified section (13) takes place. 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the motor vehicle (50) additionally one or more with the specified portion (13) corresponding position information by means of a global position determining means are determined, this  Position information is also transmitted to the card management device (3) and by the card management device (3) when comparing  be taken into account. 6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that from the received environment data object positions for objects (28) in the environment (12) of the motor vehicle (50) are determined relative to this. 7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the card management device (3) in the environment data contained objects (28) classified either as landmarks (26) or as obstacles (27). 8. Device (2) for a motor vehicle (50) for precise localization of the  Motor vehicle (50) in an environment (12), comprising:  at least one camera (4) for capturing an image sequence of the environment (12) of the motor vehicle (50), an evaluation unit (5), wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed to recognize and classify objects (28) in the captured image sequence, Determine object positions of the detected and classified objects (28) relative to the camera (4) to define a portion (13) in the environment (12), the portion (13) having a predetermined size, and predetermined boundaries (14, 15, 16, 17), the detected and classified objects (28) determine the particular one  Assigning object positions in the specified section (13), and to determine a lane (22) of the motor vehicle (50) present in the section (13), and a transmitting device (6), which is designed such, object information and the object positions of the detected and classified objects (28),  Subsection information on the specified section (13) to transmit lane information and time information to a map management device (3), and receiving means (33) adapted to receive the surrounding data from the map management device (3),  wherein the evaluation unit (5) is further configured to compare the received environment data with the specified section (13) and the  To locate motor vehicle (50) in the environment (12) based on the comparison result. 9. A card management device (3) comprising:  a receiving device (7), which is designed in such a way  receive the object information and the object positions, the part information, the lane information and the time information about the part (13) from the device (2),  a comparing means (35) arranged to compare and receive the received information of the section (13) with a digital map (60) on the basis of the object information and object positions, the section information, the lane information and the time information  Corresponding section (13) in the digital map (60) to determine, and a transmitting device (34) which is designed to transmit with the section corresponding environment data from the digital map to the motor vehicle. 10. system (1) for pinpoint localization of a motor vehicle (50) in one  Environment (12), comprising at least one device (2) according to claim 8 and card management device (3) according to claim 9.