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DE-102024132671-A1 - Procedure for operating a motor vehicle

DE102024132671A1DE 102024132671 A1DE102024132671 A1DE 102024132671A1DE-102024132671-A1

Abstract

Procedure for operating a motor vehicle (1), comprising the steps: - Determining whether a section of road (2) that is expected to be travelled by the motor vehicle (1) in the future includes a junction (3) where the section of road (2) crosses a road (4) or where a road (4) merges into the section of road (2), by means of a recognition algorithm (5), - Checking a trigger condition (6) which is fulfilled or can only be fulfilled if, after the detection of the intersection (5) and before the motor vehicle (1) passes through the detected intersection (5), the presence of a road user (7, 8) on the roadway (4) is detected, and - Issuance of a notice (9) concerning the road user (7, 8) and/or execution of an automated driving intervention (10) when the trigger condition (6) is met.

Inventors

  • Paul Böckenhoff

Assignees

  • AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (9)

  1. Method for operating a motor vehicle (1), comprising the steps of: - Detecting, by means of a detection algorithm (5), whether a section of road (2) that the motor vehicle (1) is expected to travel in the future includes an intersection (3) at which the section of road (2) crosses a roadway (4) or at which a roadway (4) merges into the section of road (2); - Checking a trigger condition (6) that is fulfilled, or can only be fulfilled, if, after the detection of the intersection (5) and before the motor vehicle (1) passes through the detected intersection (5), the presence of a road user (7, 8) on the roadway (4) is detected; and - Issuing a notification (9) concerning the road user (7, 8) and/or performing an automated driving intervention (10) if the trigger condition (6) is fulfilled.
  2. Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the motor vehicle (1) is at least 3 m or at least 5 m or at least 10 m away from the section of track (2) at the time when all input data (11, 12) for the recognition algorithm (5) are available and/or the execution of the recognition algorithm (5) for the section of track (2) begins, and/or that this time is at least 0.5 s or at least 1 s before the expected reaching of the section of track (2).
  3. Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the recognition algorithm (5) performs a classification (13) upon detection of the junction (3) in the track section (2) as to whether the detected junction (3) is an obscured junction (3) where the view of the roadway (4) for a driver (14) of the motor vehicle (1) is restricted before and/or upon reaching the junction (3) by at least one obstacle (15), wherein the fulfillment of the trigger condition (6) depends on the classification (13).
  4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recognition algorithm (5) processes as input data (12, 13) both image data (16) of at least one camera (17) of the motor vehicle (1) and map data (18).
  5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that radar data (19) of at least one front corner radar (20, 21) of the motor vehicle (1) are processed to determine whether the road user (7, 8) is present on the road (4).
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that recognition algorithm (5) is or comprises a function trained by machine learning.
  7. A method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that directional information (22) is determined which indicates the direction in which the road user (7, 8) is located with respect to the road section (2), wherein the output of the instruction (9) is either carried out by a display means (23) of the motor vehicle (1) which extends in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle (1) over at least 50% or over at least 70% of the width of the interior (24) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein a display position in the transverse direction at which the instruction (9) is output on the display means (23) depends on the directional information (22), or by one of two display means (23) which are arranged spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the selection of which of the display means (23) is used to display the instruction (9) depends on the directional information (22).
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that , upon detection of the presence of a road user (7, 8) on the road (4), a relevance measure (25) is determined which describes a collision risk for a collision of the motor vehicle (1) with the road user (7, 8), wherein, on the one hand, the fulfillment of the trigger condition (6) and/or, on the other hand, the indication (9) given upon fulfillment of the trigger condition (6) depends on the relevance measure (25).
  9. Motor vehicle with control unit (26), characterized in that the control unit (26) is configured to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims.

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle. Road safety at intersections with blind spots is typically ensured through a combination of structural measures, traffic engineering, and driver behavior. Clear and highly visible traffic signs and road markings help to direct drivers' attention and alert them to hazards. These include, for example, right-of-way rules, speed limits, warning signs, and traffic lights. At some intersections, there may be obstructions to visibility, such as trees, bushes, and structural obstacles. If such obstructions cannot be removed, traffic mirrors can be used to give drivers a view of areas that are otherwise difficult or impossible to see. According to numerous studies, despite the widespread use of the aforementioned measures, a significantly increased risk of accidents results at confusing intersections. While various driver assistance systems are known to minimize the risk of accidents, specialized assistance systems, such as blind spot monitoring or lane keeping assist, can only achieve a noticeable risk reduction for some of the driving situations relevant at such intersections. Known collision warning systems, which serve to detect potential collisions and warn the driver in time, aim to avoid a frontal impact, whereas at confusing intersections, the primary risk is a side impact. To better inform a driver about potentially obscured objects, the printed text suggests US 2024/4142597 A1 The system is designed to detect stationary objects, such as pedestrians, using a radar sensor while simultaneously detecting them with a camera. If it is determined that the moving object should actually be obscured by the stationary object at the position calculated based on the radar sensor data, it is assumed that the detection is based on a reflection of the radar radiation from the stationary object, and the coordinates of the moving object are corrected accordingly. The invention is based on the objective of further improving the support provided to a driver in potentially confusing driving situations. The problem is solved according to the invention by a method for operating a motor vehicle, which comprises the following steps: - Determining, using a recognition algorithm, whether a section of road that is expected to be traveled by the motor vehicle in the future includes a junction where the section of road crosses a road or where a road merges into the section of road. - Checking a trigger condition that is fulfilled, or can only be fulfilled, if, after the detection of the intersection and before the motor vehicle passes through the detected intersection, the presence of a road user on the road is detected, and - Issuance of a warning to the road user and/or execution of an automated driving intervention when the trigger condition is met. The inventive method allows for consideration of whether a detected road user is located in the vicinity of a detected intersection while the vehicle is approaching or entering the intersection. This enables the implementation of a driver assistance system that provides warnings or intervenes in the driving process, specifically designed to support the driver at intersections, particularly those with poor visibility. Since the system is tailored to a specific driving situation, the threshold for issuing warnings or implementing automated driving interventions can be considerably lower than would be possible with an assistance system that, for example, only considers the relative movement between the vehicle and the road user or potential collision objects to indicate detected collision risks. This allows for early reaction to road users on the other side of the road who are potentially not yet visible to the driver, without reducing the acceptance of the driver assistance system through excessively frequent warnings and/or driving interventions. As will be explained in more detail later, the detection of road users can be achieved primarily through vehicle-mounted sensors. Therefore, depending on the surroundings of the intersection, detection of a road user may only be possible once the vehicle enters the intersection area, such as a junction or intersection. Since a system for detecting traffic Even if the sensor technology used by the participant, for example a radar sensor, is located in the area of the front of the vehicle, the proposed notification still provides additional reaction time for the driver, or the automated intervention can begin before the driver can perceive the road user. The transport route can be any transport route that is not part of the section of road to be traveled and that crosses or merges into it. Merging here can be understood as any convergence of the road section and the transport route. The steps of the procedure can be carried out during the operation of the motor vehicle, in particular repeatedly, for each preceding section of the route. The vehicle can be at least 3