US 12,436,265 B2
Method and apparatus for sensor data fusion for a vehicle
Dominik Bauch, Muehldorf am Inn (DE); Marco Baumgartl, Gilching (DE); Michael Himmelsbach, Munich (DE); Josef Mehringer, Gmund (DE); Daniel Meissner, Friedberg (DE); and Luca Trentinaglia, Eichenau (DE)
Assigned to Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 17/417,386
Filed by Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Oct. 25, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/079225
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/160798, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 13, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019102923.6 (DE), filed on Feb. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0075053 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 13/86 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 13/862 (2013.01) [G01S 13/865 (2013.01); G01S 13/867 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G01S 2013/9323 (2020.01); G01S 2013/9324 (2020.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein a sensor data fusion device innovates a fusion object (OF) representing an object in a vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises a distance sensor as one of a plurality of sensors, wherein the sensor data fusion device is connected to the plurality of sensors, the method comprising:
obtaining a fusion object data set comprising the fusion object (OF),
wherein the fusion object data set comprises fusion object data corresponding to the fusion object, and
wherein the fusion object is a fusion of a plurality of sensor objects each separately detected in the vicinity of the vehicle by one of the plurality of sensors,
determining an angle (α) between a measurement direction (M) of the distance sensor and a predetermined reference axis (x) of a predetermined reference coordinate system (R) of the vehicle,
determining a contour segment (KS) of the fusion object (OF) facing the vehicle,
determining, using the distance sensor, an intersection point (xS) between a vector in the measuring direction (M) and a straight line (KG) along the contour segment (KS),
determining a transformation state as a function of the fusion object data and the intersection point (xS), wherein the transformation state comprises a lateral extent of the fusion object (OF) with respect to the intersection point (xS), an orientation of the fusion object (OF) with respect to the reference coordinate system (R) of the vehicle, and an indicator characteristic value each which is representative of an uncertainty in the determination of the lateral extent and orientation,
detecting a distance measurement value (d) of the distance sensor,
assigning the distance measurement value (d) and the angle (α) to the fusion object, and
determining an innovated transformation state based on the transformation state, the indicator characteristic values, the distance measurement value (d) and the angle (a);
determining an innovated fusion object based on the innovated transformation state to the fusion object data set, and controlling the vehicle in a longitudinal and/or lateral direction based on the innovated fusion object.