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DE-102025105797-B3 - Method for visually identifying a vehicle coupled to a flying drone by a flying drone, flying drone and vehicle

DE102025105797B3DE 102025105797 B3DE102025105797 B3DE 102025105797B3DE-102025105797-B3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for visually identifying a vehicle (12) coupled to a drone (10) by a drone (10), wherein the vehicle (12) has a vehicle roof device (16) comprising a control unit (20) and vehicle roof segments (18) of a vehicle roof of the vehicle (12), wherein the control unit (20) is configured to set a respective transmission value of the vehicle roof segments (18). The procedure is designed to include the following steps: Controlling the vehicle roof segments (18) by the control unit (20) to display a signature (22) provided to the drone (10), wherein the signature (22) includes at least one predefined signature pattern (24) defined by the transmission values of the vehicle roof segments (18); Visually detecting the vehicle (12), including the vehicle roof device (16), and determining the transmission values of the vehicle roof segments (18) by the camera device (14) of the drone (10); Visually identifying the vehicle (12) by the camera device (14) of the drone (10) if the determined signature (22) matches the provided signature (22).

Inventors

  • Paul Böckenhoff
  • Hendrik Gronau

Assignees

  • AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20250217

Claims (13)

  1. Method for visually identifying a vehicle (12) coupled to a drone (10) by a drone (10), wherein the vehicle (12) has a vehicle roof device (16) comprising a control unit (20) and vehicle roof segments (18) of the vehicle roof of the vehicle (12), wherein the control unit (20) is configured to set a respective transmission value of the vehicle roof segments (18), characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - controlling the vehicle roof segments (18) by the control unit (20) to display a signature (22) provided to the drone (10), wherein the signature (22) comprises at least one predetermined signature pattern (24) defined by the transmission values of the vehicle roof segments (18), - visually detecting the vehicle (12), comprising the vehicle roof device (16), and determining the transmission values of the vehicle roof segments (18) by the camera device (14) of the drone (10); - Determining a captured signature (22) comprising at least one captured signature pattern (24) from the determined transmission values by the camera device (14) of the drone (10); and - Visually identifying the vehicle (12) by the camera device (14) of the drone (10) if the determined signature (22) matches the provided signature (22).
  2. Procedure according to Claim 1 characterized in that the signature (22) is defined as a signature sequence comprising a predetermined temporal sequence of the transmission values of the vehicle roof segments (18).
  3. Procedure according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the signature (22) is defined as a signature sequence with irregular time intervals.
  4. A method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the method comprises transmitting a notification message through the vehicle roof device (16) to the drone (10), wherein the notification message describes a current signature pattern (24) of the signature (22) and/or a signature pattern (24) following the current signature pattern (24), which is displayed by the vehicle roof device (16), and - the signature pattern (24) transmitted in the notification message is compared with the signature pattern (24) captured by the camera device (14), wherein the vehicle (12), whose vehicle roof device (16) displays the signature pattern (24), is visually identified by the camera device (14) as the coupled vehicle (12) if the captured signature pattern (24) matches the provided signature pattern (24).
  5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises a transmission of synchronization signals between the vehicle roof device (16) and the camera device (14) via a radio connection (28).
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises an agreement of the signature (22) between the vehicle roof device (16) and the camera device (14) in a coupling method.
  7. A method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: - transmission of a request message by the camera device (14) to the vehicle roof device (16), wherein the request message comprises a request for the vehicle roof device (16) to display the signature (22); and - Display of the signature (22) by the vehicle roof device (16) in accordance with the received request message.
  8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the vehicle roof segments (18) is configured as suspended particle smart glass.
  9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the vehicle roof segments (18) is designed as Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Smart Glass.
  10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the vehicle roof segments (18) is configured as electrochromic smart glass.
  11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises controlling a lighting device (26) of the vehicle (12), which is configured for backlighting and/or lighting at least one of the vehicle roof segments (18).
  12. Flying drone (10), wherein the flying drone (10) has a camera device (14), characterized in that the flying drone (10) is configured to perform the steps of a method according to one of the preceding claims to be carried out by the flying drone (10).
  13. Vehicle (12), wherein the vehicle (12) has a vehicle roof device (16) comprising a control unit (20) and vehicle roof segments (18) of a vehicle roof of the vehicle (12), wherein the control unit (20) is configured to set a respective transmission value of the vehicle roof segments (18), characterized in that the vehicle (12) is configured to carry out the steps of a method according to one of the Claims 1 until 11 to carry out.

Description

The invention relates to a method for visually identifying a vehicle coupled to a flying drone by a flying drone, a flying drone, and a vehicle. Regarding vehicle-based drone use, positive progress has been made in the investigations concerning stable tracking, vehicle tracking, high live image and video resolution, as well as the need for precise landing. However, among the identified and particularly critical system limitations of vehicle-based drones were environmental conditions that impair visibility and flight performance, such as rain and wind, and especially the challenges of reliably tracking the correct vehicle. Currently, two different functions are available for tracking general moving objects with drones, which can also be used to track a vehicle. Currently, there is no reliable method for precisely and robustly tracking a vehicle using a drone. Both state-of-the-art approaches – ActiveTrack and FollowMe – have significant drawbacks, especially in complex or challenging environments. ActiveTrack functionality relies on visual tracking, which can be advantageous in dynamic driving situations for capturing accurate video footage. However, ActiveTrack is susceptible to environmental factors such as poor lighting conditions, rain, or vehicle obstructions. If the tracked vehicle is partially obscured or the lighting is unfavorable, the drone may lose sight of the target, rendering the tracking unreliable. This dependence on visibility conditions represents a significant limitation in real-world environments. The FollowMe functionality uses GPS signals to track the vehicle, making it less dependent on visibility. However, its precision is limited, as GPS signal accuracy can fluctuate, especially in areas with poor reception or signal interference. Furthermore, GPS-based tracking lacks the fine control required for precise video recording. There is also the risk of tracking the wrong vehicle, as there is no visual confirmation. In summary, neither method currently works very well because ActiveTrack is affected by environmental factors such as poor visibility, and FollowMe relies on inaccurate GPS signals, which can lead to inaccurate tracking. Both systems struggle to reliably track the correct vehicle in complex scenarios. The US 10 059 467 B2 This document describes a system and a method for docking a drone to a motor vehicle. The method serves to dock the drone to the motor vehicle, which has a roof, and includes means for emitting dynamic light patterns that serve as visual anchor points for the drone to uniquely identify the motor vehicle. The DE 10 2016 219 473 A1 This describes a drone for a vehicle. The vehicle has a roof with a docking station for attaching the drone to the vehicle, the drone having a camera that detects a mark on the vehicle roof and docks accordingly at a predetermined position on the vehicle roof. The US 11 370 559 B1 This describes an expandable landing marker system and a drone. The expandable landing marker system includes landmarks for the drone to uniquely identify the landing marker system, with the landmarks providing optical signals for visual interpretation. The DE 10 2018 010 039 A1 describes a method for detecting at least one pattern in the environment of a vehicle. The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous further developments of the invention are described by the dependent patent claims, the following description, and the figures. A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for visually identifying a vehicle coupled to a drone by the drone. In other words, the method relates to identifying the specific vehicle depicted in camera data provided by a camera device of the drone. Identification is understood to mean the recognition of the unique vehicle. It includes, for example, distinguishing the coupled vehicle from other vehicles depicted in the camera data. The vehicle is designed to have a roof-mounted device comprising a control unit and roof segments. With other In other words, the vehicle has a roof, which can be a panoramic roof and includes one or more skylights. The skylight(s) comprise roof segments. These segments can be spatially distinct areas, such as separate panes of glass or sections of the roof window. Depending on the control unit, the roof segments are configured to be either transparent or opaque to visible light. In other words, the roof segments have adjustable transmission. They can therefore be made of so-called smart glass. The roof system includes a control unit that sets a specific transmission value for each roof segment. A set of these transmission values constitutes a signature pattern. In other words, the control unit sets the signature pattern of the roof. Two transmission values can be set: one value makes the roof segment primarily transparent to visible light, and the other makes it primarily opaque. Because the individual vehicle roof segments can be adjusted individu