Method and apparatus for efficiently providing occupancy information on the surroundings of a vehicle

US10967867B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Benoit Vanholme · Munich, DE
• Michael Manz · Langenhagen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 25, 2016
• Grant date: Apr 6, 2021
• Expiry date: Mar 25, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G1/166
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A method is provided for efficiently providing occupancy information on the surroundings of a vehicle, which vehicle has sensors for ascertaining the occupancy of the surroundings. The method includes the following steps: receiving sensor measurements of the surroundings of the vehicle; determining the occupancy of the surroundings by obstacles using the sensor measurements; providing a division of the surroundings into regions; for each region of the surroundings, determining the most certainly identified occupancy in the respective region if multiple occupancies of the surroundings have been detected in the respective region; and determining the next occupancy, namely the respective region occupancy for which the shortest distance has been determined according to a distance determination specified for the respective region; and providing the most certainly identified occupancy and the next occupancy.