Method and device for calibrating a sensor of a vehicle

A method for improving a calibration of a first sensor of a first vehicle, the method comprising:

• receiving, with a data processing unit, at least one sensor measured value ascertained with the first sensor, a measuring position on a roadway, on which the sensor measured value has been ascertained, a measurement time at which the sensor measured value has been ascertained, and a sensor type of the first sensor, wherein the data processing unit is external to the first vehicle;
• assigning, based on the measuring position, the measurement time, and the sensor type of the first sensor, the sensor measured value to at least one reference measured value and its associated information, the reference measured value having been ascertained with a reference sensor, of a reference vehicle, of the same sensor type as the first sensor, at a reference position of the roadway and at a reference measurement time, the sensor measured value being assigned to the reference measured value when the measurement time of the sensor measured value and the reference measurement time deviate from one another by a maximum of 30 minutes;
• wirelessly providing and/or wirelessly communicating to the first vehicle, at least one reference calibration value of the reference sensor for adapting an instantaneous calibration value of the first sensor based on the reference calibration value;
• adapting, by the first vehicle, the instantaneous calibration value of the first sensor based on the reference calibration value;
• ascertaining, with the data processing unit, a mean value and/or a standard deviation of a plurality of instantaneous calibration values of a plurality of vehicles of the same vehicle type;
• providing the standard deviation and/or the mean value as a mean calibration value to at least one additional vehicle of the same vehicle type for calibrating an additional sensor of the at least one additional vehicle;
• ascertaining an upper limit and a lower limit for the mean calibration value based on the ascertained mean value and on the ascertained standard deviation;
• and
• providing the upper limit and the lower limit to the at least one additional vehicle of the same vehicle type for calibrating the additional sensor of the at least one additional vehicle.

A data processing unit for improving calibration of a first sensor of a first vehicle, the data processing unit being configured to:

• receive, with a data processing unit, at least one sensor measured value ascertained with the first sensor, a measuring position on a roadway, on which the sensor measured value has been ascertained, a measurement time at which the sensor measured value has been ascertained, and a sensor type of the first sensor, wherein the data processing unit is external to the first vehicle;
• assign, based on the measuring position, the measurement time, and the sensor type, the sensor measured value to at least one reference measured value and its associated information, the reference measured value having been ascertained with a reference sensor, of a reference vehicle, of the same sensor type as the first sensor, at a reference position of the roadway and at a reference measurement time, the sensor measured value being assigned to the reference measured value when the measurement time of the sensor measured value and the reference measurement time deviate from one another by a maximum of 30 minutes;
• wirelessly provide and/or wirelessly communicate to the first vehicle, at least one reference calibration value of the reference sensor for adapting an instantaneous calibration value of the first sensor based on the reference calibration value;
• wherein the first vehicle adapts the instantaneous calibration value of the first sensor based on the reference calibration value;
• and wherein the data processing unit is further configured to:
• ascertain a median of a plurality of reference calibration values of a plurality of reference vehicles;
• and
• transmit the median as the reference calibration value to the first vehicle.