DE-102017214513-B4 - Methods for operating a vehicle assistance system and assistance system

DE102017214513B4DE 102017214513 B4DE102017214513 B4DE 102017214513B4DE-102017214513-B4

Abstract

Method for operating an assistance system (10) for a vehicle, comprising a sensor device for determining a direction parameter representative of a direction of view (2) of a driver of the vehicle, and for determining a position parameter representative of a head position (3) of the driver, wherein in the method - a reference parameter is provided that is representative of the coordinates of a point (4a, 4b) arranged in three-dimensional space with respect to the vehicle, - at least one initial direction and position parameter is determined, - depending on at least one initial position parameter and the reference parameter, a calibration parameter is determined which is representative of a vector connecting the head position (3) with the point (4a, 4b), - depending on the at least one initial direction characteristic and the respective calibration characteristic, a transformation characteristic is determined which is representative of a geometric transformation between the at least one initial direction characteristic and the respective calibration characteristic, and - depending on the transformation parameter, subsequently determined direction and position parameters are corrected, wherein the assistance system comprises a projection device (13) and/or a movement mechanism as well as a marker on a hood of the vehicle, wherein the movement mechanism is configured to move the marker from a neutral position to the predetermined arranged point and back, and in the procedure before determining the at least one initial direction and position parameter -- the projection device is controlled to illuminate the predetermined point on a roadway at a predetermined distance from the vehicle; or -- the movement mechanism is controlled in such a way that the marker is moved to the predetermined point.

Inventors

Moritz Blume
Florian Bade
Martin Buchner
Julia Niemann
Michael Wolfram
Joris Wolters
Carsten Isert

Assignees

BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20170821

Claims (5)

Method for operating an assistance system (10) for a vehicle, comprising a sensor device for determining a direction parameter representative of a driver's gaze direction (2) and for determining a position parameter representative of the driver's head position (3), wherein the method: - provides a reference parameter representative of the coordinates of a point (4a, 4b) arranged in three-dimensional space with respect to the vehicle; - determines at least one initial direction parameter and position parameter; - determines, depending on the at least one initial position parameter and the reference parameter, a calibration parameter representative of a vector connecting the head position (3) with the point (4a, 4b); - determines, depending on the at least one initial direction parameter and the respective calibration parameter, a transformation parameter representative of a geometric transformation between the at least one initial direction parameter and the respective calibration parameter; and - determines, depending on the transformation parameter The direction and position parameters subsequently determined are corrected, wherein the assistance system comprises a projection device (13) and/or a movement mechanism as well as a marker on a hood of the vehicle, wherein the movement mechanism is configured to move the marker from a neutral position to the predetermined point and back, and in the procedure, prior to determining the at least one initial direction and position parameter, -- the projection device is controlled to project onto the predetermined point on a roadway at a predetermined distance from the vehicle; or -- the movement mechanism is controlled such that the marker is moved to the predetermined point.
Procedure according to Claim 1 , in which the driver is prompted by the vehicle to focus on the predetermined point before at least one initial direction and position parameter is determined.
Assistance system (10) for a vehicle, comprising: - a sensor device for determining a direction parameter representative of a direction of view (2) of a driver of the vehicle, and for determining a position parameter representative of a head position (3) of the driver; - a control unit configured to execute the procedure according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 to carry out, and - a projection device (13) which is configured to project onto a point arranged in three-dimensional space relative to the vehicle on a roadway at a predetermined distance from the vehicle; and/or - a movement mechanism and a marker (14) on a hood of the vehicle, wherein the movement mechanism is configured to move the marker from a neutral position to the point arranged relative to the vehicle and back.
Computer program for operating an assistance system (10), wherein the computer program is configured to perform a procedure according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 to be carried out on a data processing device.
A computer program product comprising executable program code, wherein the program code, when executed by a data processing device, performs the method according to one of the Claims 1 or 2 executes.

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating an assistance system for a vehicle as well as a corresponding assistance system, computer program and computer program product. Modern eye-tracking devices, for example, use a camera sensor to output a three-dimensional view of a user's gaze. Additionally, the user's head position can also be output. Even with high-precision camera sensors, a vector describing the direction of gaze cannot be precisely determined due to individual eye anatomy (e.g., the position of the fovea). The eye geometry cannot be captured by the camera sensor. Therefore, if eye geometry is not taken into account, gaze direction measurement is inaccurate. DE 10 2016 210 288 A1 This concerns a method for calibrating an eye tracker unit of an operating device. DE 10 2015 204 281 A1 This concerns a method for calibrating a camera for gaze direction detection in a vehicle. DE 10 2013 019 117 A1 This concerns a procedure for calibrating a gaze direction detection device for a motor vehicle. DE 10 2008 038 831 A1 concerns a method and a device for automatically guiding the gaze of a vehicle driver. DE 10 2014 008 852 A1 This concerns a method for adapting a motor vehicle's eye-tracking system to a user. The object underlying the invention is to create a method for operating an assistance system for a vehicle and a corresponding assistance system that allows precise gaze direction detection across users. The problem is solved by the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are characterized in the dependent claims. According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for operating an assistance system for a vehicle. The assistance system comprises a sensor device for determining a direction parameter that is representative of a driver's gaze direction, and for determining a position parameter that is representative of the driver's head position. The method begins by providing a reference parameter that is representative of the coordinates of a point in three-dimensional space predefined with respect to the vehicle; then, at least one initial direction and position parameter is determined; depending on the at least one initial position parameter and the reference parameter, a calibration parameter is determined that is representative of a vector connecting the head position to the point; depending on the at least one initial direction parameter and the respective calibration parameter, a transformation parameter is determined that is representative of a geometric transformation between the at least one initial direction parameter and the respective calibration parameter; finally, depending on the transformation parameter, subsequently determined direction and position parameters are corrected. Furthermore, the assistance system comprises a projection device configured to illuminate a predetermined point relative to the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the assistance system comprises a movement mechanism and a marker on the vehicle's hood, the movement mechanism being configured to move the marker from a neutral position to the predetermined point relative to the vehicle and back. In this method, before determining at least one initial direction and position parameter, the projection device or the movement mechanism is controlled such that the predetermined point on a roadway at a predetermined distance from the vehicle is illuminated, or the marker is moved to the predetermined point. This advantageously enables more precise gaze direction measurement than is possible without calibration or adjustment to the individual eye anatomy of the driver. This allows, for example, more accurate statements to be made about which objects the driver has focused on. In particular, this ensures precise gaze control within the vehicle. The sensor device can be, in particular, a camera. The predetermined point is preferably located within the driver's field of vision during normal vehicle operation, i.e., in the front area of the vehicle or in front of the vehicle. In an advantageous embodiment according to the first aspect, the driver is prompted by the vehicle to focus on the predetermined point before the at least one initial direction and position parameter is determined. In an advantageous design according to the first aspect, the steps for determining the transformation parameter are performed exactly once. In an alternative, advantageous embodiment according to the first aspect, the steps for determining the transformation parameter are performed multiple times. In particular, the direction and position parameters as well as the calibration parameter are repeatedly determined in this context. For example, this can be done repeatedly depending on the same point positioned relative to the vehicle; alternatively, different points or points located at different coordinates can be used. The transformation parameter for correcting subsequent direction and position parameters is then d