US 12,468,032 B2
Ultrasonic system of a vehicle for determining the condition of the roadway
Michael Schumann, Stuttgart (DE); Simon Weissenmayer, Flein (DE); Markus Mayer, Leinfelden-Echterdingen (DE); and Timo Koenig, Unterheinriet (DE)
Assigned to ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 16/976,615
Filed by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Apr. 25, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/060629
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 28, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/211164, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 7, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102018206741.4 (DE), filed on May 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0048527 A1, Feb. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 15/00 (2020.01); B60T 8/172 (2006.01); B60W 40/06 (2012.01); G01S 7/539 (2006.01); G01S 15/36 (2006.01); G01S 15/86 (2020.01); G01S 15/931 (2020.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 15/931 (2013.01) [B60T 8/172 (2013.01); B60W 40/06 (2013.01); G01S 7/539 (2013.01); G01S 15/36 (2013.01); G01S 15/86 (2020.01); G01S 2007/52012 (2013.01); G01S 2015/932 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasonic system of a vehicle, comprising:
at least one ultrasonic sensor configured to ascertain a distance of objects from the vehicle by comparing an emitted signal and a reflected echo; and
a processor configured to:
evaluate a measured signal of the ultrasonic sensor;
determine a variance of a ground echo distribution within a roadway portion on which the vehicle is moving;
ascertain a condition of the roadway portion based on at least one predefined classifier that associates individual values of the variance with a roadway condition;
determine the variance proportionally from a matching factor of the emitted signal and a ground echo
calculate an unsteadiness value, wherein the condition of the roadway portion is ascertained based on an association of the unsteadiness value with the at least one predefined classifier, wherein the unsteadiness value is derived from at least one of a maximum, minimum, variance, median, mean, skew and/or kurtosis of the ground echo;
determine the variance based on peak levels in a specific distance range of the ultrasonic sensor in which a probability of occurrence of the ground echoes is greatest; and
recognize an object when at least one of an amplitude of the echo and the matching factor exceeds a predefined threshold value.