WO2015009217A1

WO2015009217A1 - Management of sensor detection in a driver assistance system of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2015009217A1
Application number: PCT/SE2014/050813
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carl Fredrik Ullberg; Fredrich Claezon; Mikael Lindberg
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2013-07-18
Filing date: 2014-06-30
Publication date: 2015-01-22
Also published as: DE112014002958T5; SE1350897A1; SE539051C2

Abstract

A method (500) and a calculating unit (110) for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system (130) in a vehicle (100) concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection. The method (500) comprises reception (501) of a sensor detection associated with the geographical position from a vehicle sensor (120); comparison (502) of the received (501) sensor detection with sensor detections received previously at the same geographical position; identification (503) of a systematic deviation in sensor detections associated with the geographical position; sending (504) of a notification concerning the systematic deviation in sensor detections at the geographical position to the driver assistance system (130) in the vehicle (100) so as to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

Description

Management of sensor detection in a driver assistance system of a vehicle

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a method and a calculating unit in a vehicle. More specifi- cally, the invention describes a mechanism for managing systematically deviant sensor detections made at a certain geographic position.

BACKGROUND

A vehicle sometimes contains a driver assistance system comprising sensors such as radar, cameras and similar types of sensors that identify objects around the vehicle, such as lane markings, signs, pedestrians and other surrounding vehicles.

"Vehicle" refers in this context to, e.g. a goods vehicle, semi, transport vehicle, car, emergency vehicle, vessel, bus, motorcycle fire engine, amphibious vessel, boat, airplane, helicopter or other similar motorized manned or unmanned mode of transport adapted for geographical movement on land, sea or in the air.

These sensors are seldom perfect, and can consequently issue false detections of objects, or ascribe erroneous properties to objects, e.g. interpreting a road sign as a person. This can have dire consequences, wherein a driver assistance system in the vehicle makes a wrong decision. For example, such a false detection of a per- son on the route in front of the vehicle could cause the driver assistance system to initiate undesired emergency braking, which would probably be highly unexpected by the driver and other road users.

Such actions are not just unpleasant for the driver, but can also cause accidents when surrounding road users are surprised by sudden and unexpected vehicle maneuvers. Furthermore, the drive time of the vehicle can be prolonged, fuel consumption increased and emissions increased in connection with repeated unexpected braking of the aforementioned kind. Another hazard to safety can arise when the driver quite simply tires of the inadequacies of sensors and driver assistance systems and consequently disengages or ignores them, which can pose a safety risk if an actual unexpected obstacle such as an elk or another animal suddenly appears in front of the vehicle. Another deficiency associated with driving with existing driver assistance systems is that these systems react with warnings and/or corrective measures in the event of, e.g. the crossing of a lane marking on the road, even in those cases where this is unavoidable if one is to be able to drive the vehicle on the relevant stretch of road as a result of, e.g. roadwork, repainting of the lane marking or the like. The vehicle driver is thus subjected to a warning or corrective measures unnecessarily, which further decreases the trust that the driver has in the driver assistance system.

It is clear that a great deal still remains to be done to improve sensors and driver assistance systems in vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is consequently an object of this invention to improve the reliability of a driver assistance system in a vehicle in order to resolve at least one of the foregoing problems and thus achieve a vehicle improvement.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by means of a method in a calculating unit for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system in a vehicle concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection. The method comprises the reception of a sensor detection associated with the geographical position from a vehicle sensor. The method further comprises a comparison of the received sensor detection to sensor detections previously received at the same geographical position. A systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position is then identified. When such a systematically deviation is identified, a notification concerning said systematic deviation for sensor detections at the geographical position is sent to the driver assistance system in the vehicle, so as to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

According to a second aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by means of a calculating unit arranged so as to identify a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position, and also so as to notify a driver assistance system in a vehicle concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection. The calculating unit comprises a receiving circuit arranged so as to receive a sensor detection associated with the geographical position. The calculating unit also comprises a processor circuit that is arranged so as to compare the received sensor detection with previously received sensor detections at the same geographical position, and arranged so as to identify a systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position. Furthermore, the calculating unit also comprises a transmitting circuit arranged so as to transmit a notification con- cerning the systematic deviation for sensor detections at the geographical position to the driver assistance system in the vehicle in order to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

Collecting information about objects that are detected by at least one sensor and compiling the properties of these detected objects, such as the type of object, its geographical position, size etc makes it possible to draw conclusions about the sensor detection of the object. Sensor detections that can be deemed unlikely according to certain criteria, such as an elk standing still in an urban environment for an extended period of time, can very likely be classified as false detections. This information can then be communicated to vehicles that are approaching an identi- fied false object, and the driver assistance functions can take this into account and suppress a warning or measure from the driver assistance system at this geographical position.

However, in certain embodiments it is possible to use information to suppress warnings or measures when the vehicle crosses a lane marking on the road. Even though the sensor detection of the lane marking is correct per se, the conditions on this particular stretch of road can entail that many vehicles are also crossing the lane marking. This can be detected by studying accident statistics for locations with increased warning statistics. In the absence of increased accident statistics for the relevant road section, the conclusion can be drawn that the increased warning statistics are either a result of false detections of road markings or of vehicles that are failing to obey the lane markings on the road for some natural reason, but that are nevertheless not subjecting themselves to increased danger attributable to, e.g. roadwork, unclear or improperly placed lane markings or the fact that vehicles quite simply often take a certain curve wide, and thus cross a lane marking.

Suppressing such unnecessary warnings about lane transgressions and false detections makes it possible to achieve a driver assistance system that generates fewer false or unnecessary warnings/interventions, which leads to greater traffic safety due to the predictability of the vehicle behavior for both the driver and for other road users, as well as increased acceptance among the drivers, less irritation and a lower likelihood that the driver will ignore warnings from the driver assistance system, or disengage it. An improvement of the vehicle is thus achieved.

Other advantages and additional new features will be evident from the following detailed description of the invention.

LIST OF FIGURES

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrates various embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a vehicle according to one embodiment. Figure 2A illustrates one embodiment of the invention. Figure 2B illustrates one embodiment of the invention. Figure 2C illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a flow diagram that illustrates one embodiment of the inven- tion.

Figure 6 is an illustration of a calculating unit according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined as a method and a calculating unit for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system in a vehicle concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection, which can realized in any of the embodiments described below. However, this invention can also be executed in many different forms, and is not to be viewed as limited to the embodiments described herein, which are intended rather to elucidate and clarify various aspects of the invention.

Additional aspects and features of the invention can be derived from the following detailed description when it is considered in combination with the accompany figures. However, the figures are to be viewed only as examples of different embod- iments of the invention, and are not to be viewed as limitative for the invention, which is limited rather solely by the accompanying claims. Furthermore, the figures are not necessary drawn to scale and, unless otherwise specifically indicated, intended to illustrates aspects of the invention conceptually.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 can, for example, be standing still, be prepared for a planned motion in a given direction of travel 105, be in motion in the direction of travel 105 or be in motion in the opposite direction, i.e. reversing. At least one sensor 120, which is arranged so as to detect an object 125, is arranged on or in the vehicle 100.

The sensor 120 can comprise or consist of, for example a radar measuring device, a laser measuring device such as, e.g. a Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR), sometimes also called LADAR or laser-radar, a camera such as, e.g. a Time-of- Flight camera (ToF camera), a stereo camera, a light field camera, a distance measuring device based on ultrasonic waves or a similar device configured for distance determination.

A LIDAR is an optical measuring instrument that measures properties of reflected light in order to determine the distance (and/or other properties) to a remotely located object 125. The technology is highly reminiscent of radar, (Radio Detection and Ranging), but light is used instead of radio waves. The distance to an object 125 is typically measured by measuring the time delay between an emitted laser pulse and the recorded reflection. A Time-of-Flight camera (ToF camera) is a camera system that takes a sequence of images and measures a distance to an object 125 based on the known speed of light by measuring the amount of time it takes for a light signal to pass between the camera and the object 125.

Furthermore, the vehicle 100 can comprise a plurality of sensors 120 in certain embodiments. These can be of the same type or of different types, according to different embodiments.

One advantage of having more than one sensor 120 is that more reliable distance determination can be performed.

The sensor 120, or the sensors, can advantageously be disposed on the inside of the vehicle, i.e. in the cab, where it is better protected against external damage, theft and damage from, e.g. dirt, slush and the like. The reliability of the sensor 120 can thus be improved and the service life of the sensor 120 extended. Alternatively, the sensor 120 can be disposed high up on the outside of the vehicle near the vehicle roof. The range of the sensor can thus be extended, which means that objects 125 can be detected at a greater distance, which means that the driver has a longer reaction time to brake or perform an evasive maneuver if the ob- ject 125 is a person or animal that suddenly appears on the roadway.

The object 125 can consist of any arbitrary object, such as another vehicle, a road sign, a building, a tree, a pedestrian, an animal or the like. Whether the object 125 is in motion or standing still has no significance for the invention. The invention is also independent of whether the host vehicle 100 is standing still or in motion. Allowing the gathering of information about objects 125 that are detected by at least one sensor 120 and about the properties of said objects, such as the type of object, its geographical position, size, etc for a data system, which can be, for example, local (in the vehicle 100) or central, makes it possible to draw conclusions about the detected objects 125. Objects 125 that can be considered unlikely, e.g. an elk standing still detected in an urban environment over an extended period, can, with high likelihood, be classified as false detections. This information can then be communicated to vehicles that are approaching an identified false alarm, and the driver assistance functions can take this into account and suppress warnings/measures at this geographical position. For example, a given road sign 125 can be detected regularly over an extended period as a pedestrian by the sensor 120 in a vehicle 100, or by a plurality of different vehicles that are passing along a freeway. Because a pedestrian will very seldom be stationary for an extended period of time along such a freeway, the system can draw the conclusion that this is a false detection and so notify arriving vehicles that pass by the sign 125, thereby preventing erroneous interventions or warnings from the driver assistance system.

But it is also possible, in certain embodiments, to use information to suppress warnings and/or accident-intervention measures if the vehicle 100 crosses a lane marking on the road. Such a warning for crossing a lane marking is sometimes referred to as a "Lane Departure Warning" (LDW warning).

Sometimes when, for example, gathered statistical data indicate locations with clearly increased warning statistics but with no corresponding increase in accident statistics, the conclusion can be drawn that the increased warning statistics are either the result of false detections of road markings or of vehicles that are failing to obey the lane markings on the road for some natural reason, but nevertheless are not subjecting themselves to increased danger attributable to, e.g. roadwork, unclear or improperly placed lane markings or the fact that vehicles quite simply often take a certain curve wide and thus cross a lane marking.

Suppressing such unnecessary warnings for lane departures or false detections enables the provision of a driver assistance system that generates fewer erroneous, superfluous or unnecessary warnings/interventions, which leads to greater acceptance among drivers, less irritation and a lower likelihood that the driver will ignore warnings from the driver assistance system, or disengage it.

The invention can be exercised in a plurality of different forms; e.g. detections from sensors in a plurality of vehicles can be compiled in a central database, and information concerning systematically deviant sensor detections at a given geographical position can be sent to vehicles that are approaching said geographical position. Examples based on this embodiment are clarified in greater detail in connection with the presentation in Figures 2A-2C.

In certain embodiments, sensor detections are performed by one or a plurality of sensors 120 in a single vehicle 100, which detections are saved and analyzed locally in a database in the vehicle 100 and then used locally in the vehicle 100 the next time it approaches a certain geographical position where a systematically deviant sensor detection is encountered. Examples based on this embodiment are clarified in greater detail in connection with the presentation in Figure 3.

In certain embodiments, sensor detections are performed by one or a plurality of sensors 120 in a vehicle 100, which detections are saved and analyzed locally in a database in the vehicle 100, and when a systematically deviant sensor detection is encountered, information concerning it is sent to one or a plurality of other vehicles in the vicinity via short-range communication the next time the vehicle 100 approaches the relevant geographical position. Examples based on this embodiment are clarified in greater detail in connection with the presentation in Figure 4.

Figure 2A shows one embodiment of the invention. The sensor 120 in a first vehicle 100-1 detects an object 125, in this case a road sign. This sensor detection is sent via a wireless interface to a calculating unit 110, which is centrally disposed or available for access by a plurality of vehicles. Examples of this include the sup- plier portal of the vehicle manufacturer or another database accessible via the Internet. The calculating unit 110 can then perform calculations on the collected sensor detections and discover systematic deviations, from which the conclusion can be drawn that sensor detections at a given geographical position are probably erroneous, or should be suppressed for some other reason. This information can then be sent to all vehicles; to all vehicles connected to such a service, e.g. such as subscribers; to vehicles located in the vicinity of the geographical position where the systematically deviant sensor detection is occurring, or to a given specific vehicle 100-2, in different embodiments.

Figure 2B shows an embodiment of the invention similar to the one shown in Fig- ure 2A, but illustrated from the perspective of a driver inside the first vehicle 100-1.

The sensor 120 detects an object 125, here a road sign; information that is taken in by the local driver assistance system 130-1 , but interpreted as a deer, which can be clarified for the driver visually on a screen 135 in certain embodiments. This information can then be transferred via a transmitter 140-1 in the vehicle 100- 1 to the calculating unit 110 over a wireless interface.

According to various embodiments, such a wireless interface can be based, for example, on any of the following technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Access (CDMA), (CDMA 2000), Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE); Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards 802.11 a, ac, b, g and/or n, Internet Protocol (IP), Bluetooth and/or Near Field Communication, (NFC), or a similar com- munication technology.

The sensor 120 and the driver assistance system 130-1 are arranged so as to communicate with one another both in order to receive signals and measurement values and to trigger a measurement, e.g. at a specific time interval.

The communication between the sensor 120, the driver assistance system 130-1 and/or the transmitter 140-1 can be carried out over the wireless interface in certain embodiments. In other embodiments this communication can be carried out over a wire-bound interface comprising a communication bus system consisting of one or a plurality of communication buses for linking together a number of electronic control units (ECUs), or control units/controllers, and various components and sensors 120 localized on the vehicle 100.

The vehicle communication bus can consist of one or a plurality of a cable; a data bus, such as a CAN bus (Controller Area Network bus), a MOST bus (Media Oriented Systems Transport), or any other bus configuration.

The calculating unit 110 receives data collected by the sensor 120 as well as in- formation associated with collected data, such as a geographical position. The geographical position for the sensor detection can be determined, for example, by means of a satellite navigation system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS or the like, which can be disposed in the vehicle 100 or, for example, the mobile telephone of the driver. Alternatively, the geographical position can also be determined by triangulating radio signals emitted by radio base stations with known geographical position; by means of a sensor detection; based on information from the vehicle odometer, and/or by means of manual input from the vehicle driver. The calculating unit 110 analyzes the received sensor detection by comparing it to sensor detections previously received at the same geographical position in order to find a pattern that is systematically deviant from what can be expected. Examples of when a systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the ge- ographical position can be identified can be when an animal that is standing still is detected in an urban area by a number of sensor detections exceeding a given predetermined limit value, or when a percentage of all sensor detections exceeding a given predetermined limit value is reached. Another example can be comprise sensor detections indicating a pedestrian standing still in the middle of a freeway, a building located in the middle of a freeway, and the like.

For example, the analysis in the calculating unit 110 can include mapping against a table containing set limit values that reflect the likelihood that a given sensor detection will occur. A non-exhaustive example of this is shown in Table 1. All the cited limit values are to be viewed solely as arbitrary examples of the limit values.

Table 1

Another example of when a systematic deviation for sensor detections can be found can be when a comparison between sensor signals that indicate a warning- triggering lane departure at a given geographical position are not in agreement with an increased frequency of accidents at said position.

Table 2

Yet another example of when a systematic deviation for sensor detections can be found can be when a comparison between sensor signals made in the vehicle 100-1 differs from detections made by a reference sensor that are recorded under manual monitoring for, for example, solid objects surrounding a roadway, such as road signs, light poles, telephone poles and similar objects 125. In this embodiment it is also conceivable to enter a limit value in order to prevent the suppression of a warning indicating a pedestrian in the roadway who is standing exactly proximate to, for example, a road sign; see the non-limitative example in Table 3.

Geographical reference Sensor detection/ limit

position unit of time N 57° 41" 48.34" road sign 5 elk 5 E 11° 55' 12.4"

N 42° 36' 12.8" road sign pedestrians 50

E 35° 22' 8.86"

N 63° 39' 12.5" light pole tractors 20

E 45° 45' 75.27"

Table 3

When a systematic deviation can be identified at a geographical position, e.g. according to any of the foregoing criteria, the calculating unit 110 can send a notification concerning the systematic deviation for sensor detections at the geographical position to the driver assistance system 130-2 in the second vehicle 100-2 in order to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection, as is illustrated in Figure 2C.

According to various embodiments, such a notification can be sent wirelessly to the second vehicle 100-2 and received by a receiver 140-2 in said vehicle 100-2. Such a wireless interface can be based, for example, on any of the following technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Access (CDMA), (CDMA 2000), Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE); Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards 802.11 a, ac, b, g and/or n, Internet Protocol (IP), Bluetooth and/or Near Field Communication, (NFC), or a similar communication technology.

According to various embodiments, the notification can be sent out to all vehicles 100, to all vehicles 100 that are located proximate to the geographical position, to all vehicles 100 that are enrolled in or subscribers to a given service that provides such information, or as a targeted notification to a specific vehicle 100-2. According to certain other embodiments, such a notification can instead be sent to the second vehicle 100-2 via a software update over a wireless or wire-bound interface. Systematically deviant sensor detections can thus be suppressed in the second 100-2. Figure 3 shows one embodiment of the invention wherein the sensor 120 is, like the calculating unit 110, disposed in the same vehicle 100, illustrated from the perspective of a driver inside the vehicle 100.

In certain embodiments, the sensor 120 detects an object 125, here a road sign; information that is taken in by the local driver assistance system 130 but interpret- ed as a deer, which can be clarified for the driver visually on a screen. This information can then be transferred to the calculating unit 110 over a wireless or wire- bound interface, as exemplified above.

This embodiment can be used, for example, in a vehicle 100 that drives along the same stretch road with some regularity, such as a city bus that drives along a giv- en established line.

When the calculating unit 110 detects that a systematic deviation can be identified by comparing a performed sensor detection with sensor detections previously made at the same geographical position [sic]

When such a systematic deviation can be identified, e.g. by applying any of the foregoing criteria, this information is sent to the vehicle driver assistance system 130 in order to suppress a warning elicited by said sensor detection. In certain embodiments, a measure initiated from the vehicle driver assistance system 130 can be suppressed.

Figure 4 shows one embodiment of the invention wherein the sensor 120 is, like the calculating unit, 110 disposed in the same first vehicle 100-1 , but wherein a notification concerning the systematic deviation for sensor detections at the geographical position to the driver assistance system 130 in a second vehicle 100-2 is sent so as to enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

Such a transmission can alternatively be carried out over a wireless interface, e.g. any of those exemplified above, to all vehicles within range of the wireless trans- mission; to all vehicles that are located proximate to the geographical position; to a vehicle 100-2 that is connected to a service that provides these discoveries of systematically deviant sensor detections.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of one embodiment of the invention. The flow diagram in Figure 5 illustrates a method 500 in a calculating unit 110 for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system 130 in a vehicle 100 concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection.

The calculating unit 110 can be disposed in the vehicle 100, in a second vehicle, or outside the vehicle 100, accessible for communication with a plurality of vehi- cles.

To be able to identify the systematically deviant sensor detection correctly, the method 500 can comprise a number of steps 501 -504. However, it should be noted that, according to various embodiments, certain of the described steps 501-504 can be performed in a chronological order that is somewhat different from that in- dicated by the numerical order, and that certain of them can be performed in parallel with one another. The method 500 comprises the following steps:

Step 501

A sensor detection associated with a given geographical position is received from a vehicle sensor 120. Step 502

The received 501 sensor detection is compared with sensor detections received previously at the same geographical position. In certain embodiments, the comparison involves a comparison of warning statistics resulting from sensor detections at the geographical position with accident statistics for the same geographical position.

Step 503

A systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position is identified.

In certain embodiments, the identification of the systematic deviation can be made when increased sensor-triggered warning statistics can be identified in the ab- sence of increased accident statistic.

In certain embodiments, the identification of the systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position can comprise identifying the type of vehicle environment at the geographical position, the type of sensor detection and a reasonability assessment based on the likelihood that a given sensor detection will be made in a given type of vehicle environment.

The identification of the systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position can also comprise an assessment of the consistency of the sensor detections, and a systematic deviation can be identified when a ratio between a first type of sensor detection and a second type of sensor detection for the geographical position exceeds a limit value

Step 504

A notification concerning the systematic deviation for sensor detections at the geographical position is sent to the driver assistance system 130 in the vehicle 100 in order to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor de- tection. The notification concerning a systematic deviation can be sent to the vehicle 100 when it is proximate to the geographical position where the erroneous sensor detection could be identified 503.

In certain embodiments, the notification concerning a systematic deviation is sent 5 to the vehicle 100 via a software update.

Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a system 600 comprising a calculating unit 110 arranged so as to perform at least parts of the method 500 for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system 130 in a vehicle 100 concerning said identified systematic ically deviant sensor detection.

The calculating unit 110 comprises a receiving circuit 610 arranged so as to receive a sensor detection associated with the geographical position from a vehicle sensor 120.

According to certain embodiments, such signal reception can be carried out over a 15 wireless interface.

According to various embodiments, the wireless network can be based, for example, on any of the following technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Access (CDMA), (CDMA 20 2000), Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE); Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards 802.1 1 a, ac, b, g and/or n, Internet Protocol (IP), Bluetooth and/or Near Field Communication, (NFC), or a similar communication technology.

25 According to certain other embodiments, the receiving circuit 610 and the sensor 120 are arranged for communication and information transfer over a wire-bound interface. Such a wire-bound interface can comprise a communication bus system consisting of one or a plurality of communication buses for linking together a num- ber of electronic control units (ECUs), or control units/controllers, and various components and sensors localized on the vehicle 100.

The receiving circuit 610 and said sensor 120 are in turn arranged so as to communicate with one another so as to receive signals and measurement values and optionally also to trigger a measurement, e.g. within a certain time interval. The receiving circuit 610 and said sensor 120 are further arranged so as to communicate, for example, via the vehicle communication bus, which can consist of one or a plurality of a cable; a data bus, such as a CAN bus (Controller Area Network bus), a MOS bus (Media Oriented Systems Transport), or some other bus configu- ration; or of a wireless connection, e.g. according to any of the technologies for wireless communication enumerated above.

The calculating unit 110 further comprises a processor circuit 620. The processor circuit 620 is arranged so as to compare the received sensor detection with sensor detections received previously at the same geographical position, and arranged so as to identify a systematic deviation in sensor detections associated with the geographical position.

In certain embodiments, the processor circuit 620 can also be arranged so as to compare warning statistics resulting from sensor detections at the geographical position and accident statistics for the same geographical position, and be ar- ranged so as to identify a systematic deviation when increased sensor-triggered warning statistics can be identified in the absence of increased accident statistics.

In certain embodiments, the processor circuit 620 can further be arranged so as to identify the type of vehicle environment at the geographical position, identify the type of sensor detection, make a reasonability assessment based on the likelihood that a given sensor detection will be made in a given type of vehicle environment, and identify a systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position, based on said reasonability assessment.

The processor circuit 620 can also be arranged so as to determine the consistency of the sensor detections made at the geographical position, and arranged so as to identify a systematic deviation for the sensor detections when a ratio between a first type of sensor detection and a second type of sensor detection for the geographical position exceeds a limit value.

The processor circuit 620 can consist, for example, of one or a plurality of Central Processing Units (CPU), microprocessors or other logic designed so as to interpret and carry out instructions and/or to read and write data. The processor circuit 620 can manage data for inflows, outflows or the data-processing of data that also includes buffering of data, control functions and the like.

The calculating unit 1 10 further comprises a transmitting circuit 630 arranged so as to transmit a notification concerning the systematic deviation for sensor detections at a geographical position to the driver assistance system 130 in the vehicle 100 in order to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

In certain embodiments, the transmitting circuit 630 can be arranged so as to transmit the notification concerning the systematic deviation to the vehicle 100 when it is proximate to the geographical position where the erroneous sensor detection could be identified.

In certain embodiments, the calculating unit 1 10 can further comprise a memory unit 625 arranged so as to store received sensor detections associated with a ge- ographicai position. The memory unit 625 can consist of a storage medium for data, such as a memory card, flash memory USB memory, hard disk or other similar data storage unit, such as any of the group comprising ROM (Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable PROM), Flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM) etc, in various embodiments.

According to certain embodiments, the invention also comprises a computer program for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system 130 in a vehicle 100 concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection by means of a method 500 according to any of the steps 501-504 when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit 620 in a calculating unit 110.

The method 500 according to at least one of the steps 501-504 for identifying the systematically deviant sensor detection can be implemented by means of one or a 5 plurality of processor circuits 620 in the calculating unit 110 together with computer program code for performing one, several, certain or all of the steps 501-504 described above. A computer program containing instructions for performing the steps 501-504 when the program is loaded into the processor circuit 620 can [be achieved] thereby.

10 In certain embodiments, this aforedescribed computer program in the vehicle 100 is arranged so as to be installed in the memory unit 625 in the calculating unit 110, for example over a wireless interface as described above.

In certain embodiments, the invention further comprises a system 600 for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notify- 15 ing a driver assistance system 130 in a vehicle 100 concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection.

The system 600 comprises a vehicle sensor 120 arranged for sensor detection. The system 600 also comprises a calculating unit 110, as described above. In certain embodiments, the system 600 further comprises a driver assistance system 20 130.

The vehicle sensor 120 contained in the system 600 can comprise, for example, a camera, a 3D camera, a radar measuring device, a laser measuring device and/or a distance measuring device based on ultrasonic waves. The system 600 can further comprise a plurality of vehicle sensors.

25 In certain embodiments of the system 600, the vehicle sensor 120, the calculating unit 110 and the driver assistance system 130 can be disposed in the same vehicle 100. In other embodiments the vehicle sensor 120 is disposed in a first vehicle 100-1 and the driver assistance system 130 in a second vehicle 100-2, while the calculating unit 110 can be disposed in any of said vehicles 100-1 , 100-2, or in an arbitrary position outside of said vehicles 100-1 , 100-2.

In certain embodiments of the system 600, the calculating unit 110 is arranged so as to communicate wirelessly with the vehicle sensor 120 and the driver assis- tance system 130, wherein the vehicle sensor 120 is disposed in a first vehicle 100-1 , and the driver assistance system 130 is disposed in a second vehicle 100- 2.

The invention also comprises a vehicle 100 containing a system 600 for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position.

Claims

1. A method (500) in a calculating unit (110) for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assis- tance system (130) in a vehicle (100) concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection, characterized by: reception (501 ) of a sensor detection associated with the geographical position from a vehicle sensor (120); comparison (502) of the received (501 ) sensor detection with a sensor detection received previously at the same geographical position; identification (503) of a systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position, comprising the identification of the type of vehicle environment at the geographical position, the type of sensor detection and a reasonability assessment based on the likelihood that a sensor given detection will be made in a given type of vehicle environment, wherein the reasonability assessment include a mapping against a table containing set limit values that reflect the likelihood that a given sensor detection will occur in this vehicle environment; transmission (504) of a notification concerning the systematic deviation for sensor detections at the geographical position to the driver assistance system (130) in the vehicle (100) so as to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

2. The method (500) according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison (502) involves a comparison between the received sensor detection and previously received sensor detections made by a manual monitored sensor detection.

3. The method (500) according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison (502) involves a comparison between warning statistics resulting from sensor detections at the geographical position and accident statistics for the same geographical po- sition, and wherein the identification (503) of a systematic deviation is made when increased sensor-triggered warning statistics can be identified in the absence of increased accident statistics.

4. The method (500) according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the identifica- tion (503) of a systematic deviation for sensor detections associated with the geographical position comprises an assessment of the consistency of the sensor detections, and wherein a systematic deviation is identified (503) when a ratio between a first type of sensor detection and a second type of sensor detection for the geographical position exceeds a limit value.

5. The method (500) according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the transmission (504) of the notification concerning a systematic deviation is provided to the vehicle (100) when it is proximate to the geographical position where the erroneous sensor detection could be identified (503).

6. The method (500) according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the transmis- sion (504) of the notification of a systematic deviation was provided to the vehicle

(100) via a software update.

7. A calculating unit (110) for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system (130) in a vehicle (100) concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection, wherein the calculating unit (110) is characterized by: a receiving circuit (610) arranged so as to receive a sensor detection associated with the geographical position from a vehicle sensor (120); a processor circuit (620) arranged so as to compare the received sensor detection with sensor detections previously received at the same geographical position, and arranged so as to identify a systematic deviation in sensor detections associated with the geographical position, and further arranged so as to identify the type of vehicle environment at the geographical position, identify the type of sensor detection, make a reasonability assessment based on the likelihood that a given sensor detection will be made in a given type of vehicle environment, and identify a systematic deviation in sensor detections associated with the geographical position, based on said reasonability assessment, wherein the reasonability assessment include a mapping against a table containing set limit values that re- fleet the likelihood that a given sensor detection will occur in this vehicle environment; a transmitting circuit (630) arranged so as to transmit a notification concerning the systematic deviation in sensor detections at the geographical position to the driver assistance system (130) in the vehicle (100) so as to thereby enable a suppression of said systematically deviant sensor detection.

8. The calculating unit (110) according to claim 7, wherein the processor circuit (620) is further arranged so as to compare the received sensor detection with previously received sensor detections made by a manual monitored sensor detection.

9. The calculating unit (110) according to claim 7, wherein the processor circuit (620) is further arranged so as to compare warning statistics resulting from sensor detections at the geographical position and accident statistics for the same geographical position, and arranged so as to identify a systematic deviation when increased warning statistics can be identified in the absence of increased accident statistics.

10. The calculating unit (110) according to claims 7-9, wherein the processor circuit (620) is further arranged so as to assess the consistency of the sensor detections made at the geographical position, and arranged so as to identify a systematic deviation for the sensor detections when a ratio between a first type of sensor detection and a second type of sensor detection for the geographically position exceeds a limit value.

11. The calculating unit (110) according to claims 7-10, wherein the transmitting circuit (630) is arranged so as to transmit the notification concerning the sys- tematic deviation to the vehicle (100) when it is proximate to the geographical position where the erroneous sensor detection could be identified.

12. The calculating unit (110) according to claims 7-11 , further comprising a memory unit (625) arranged so as to store received sensor detections associated with a geographical position.

13. A computer program for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system (130) in a vehicle (100) concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection by means of a method (500) according to any of claims 1-6 when the computer pro- gram is executed in a processor circuit (620) in a calculating unit (110) according to any of claims 7-12.

14. A system (600) for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical position and notifying a driver assistance system (130) in a vehicle (100) concerning said identified systematically deviant sensor detection, wherein the system (600) comprises: a vehicle sensor (120), arranged for sensor detection; a calculating unit (110) according to any of claims 7-12.

15. The system (600) according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle sensor (120) comprises: a camera, a 3D camera, a radar measuring device, a laser measuring device, a distance measuring device based on ultrasonic waves.

16. The system (600) according to either of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the vehicle sensor (120), the calculating unit (110) and the driver assistance system (130) are disposed in the same vehicle (100).

17. The system (600) according to any of claims 14-16, wherein the vehicle sensor (120) is disposed in a first vehicle (100-1 ), the driver assistance system

(130) is disposed in a second vehicle (100-2), and wherein the calculating unit (110) is arranged so as to communicate wirelessly with the vehicle sensor (120) and the driver assistance system (130).

18. The system (600) according to any of claims 14-17, wherein the vehicle sensor (120) and the calculating unit (110) are disposed in a first vehicle (100-1 ), the driver assistance system (130) is disposed in a second vehicle (100-2), and wherein the calculating unit (110) is arranged so as to communicate wirelessly with the driver assistance system (130) in the second vehicle (100-2).

19. A vehicle (100) containing a system (600) according to any of claims 14- 18 for identifying a systematically deviant sensor detection at a geographical posi- tion.