Method and driver assistance system for classifying objects in the environment of a vehicle

A driver assistance system, comprising:

• at least two ultrasonic sensors having at least partially overlapping fields of view;
• and
• a control unit;
• wherein:
• (i) to classify objects in an environment of a vehicle, the driver assistance system configured to:
• emit ultrasonic signals using the ultrasonic sensors;
• receive ultrasonic echoes from objects in the environment;
• determine a position of reflection points relative to the ultrasonic sensors using lateration, the reflection points being continuously determined and the reflection points being allocated to objects in the environment;
• determine at least one degree of spatial dispersion of the reflection points relating to the position of the reflection points allocated to an object of the objects;
• and
• classify the object as being one of a plurality of predefined object types based on the at least one degree of dispersion, wherein a respective static spatial form of each of the predefined object types differs from the respective static spatial forms of all of the other ones of the predefined object types with respect to a respective static spatial form, the respective static spatial forms each being a respective form of a space occupied in a non-dynamic state of the respective object type;
• (ii) a bounding box is determined, which indicates an area in which, with the exception of reflection points determined to be outliers, all reflection points allocated to the object are situated, the dimensions of the bounding box being determined for characterizing the at least one degree of dispersion;
• (iii) the bounding box has a longitudinal extension and a lateral extension, the longitudinal extension indicating an intensity of a dispersion along a longitudinal direction, and the lateral extension indicating an intensity of the dispersion along a lateral direction;
• (iv) (a) the longitudinal extension runs parallel to a direction pointing away from the vehicle, and the lateral extension runs perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, or (b) a direction of a greatest extension of the object is determined, and the lateral extension runs parallel to the direction and the longitudinal extension runs perpendicular to the direction, or (c) an object model having a point geometry or a line geometry is allocated to the object by evaluating a relative position of the reflection points allocated to the object;
• and
• (v) in the classification, a curb is identified by a large dispersion in a direction of the lateral extension and a low dispersion in a direction of the longitudinal extension, a punctiform object is identified by a low dispersion in the direction of the lateral extension and a low dispersion in the direction of the longitudinal extension, and a pedestrian is identified by a large dispersion in the direction of the lateral extension and a large dispersion in the direction of the longitudinal extension.

A vehicle, including a driver assistance system, the driver assistance system comprising:

• at least two ultrasonic sensors having at least partially overlapping fields of view;
• and
• a control unit;
• wherein:
• (i) to classify objects in an environment of a vehicle, the driver assistance system configured to:
• emit ultrasonic signals using the ultrasonic sensors;
• receive ultrasonic echoes from objects in the environment;
• determine a position of reflection points relative to the ultrasonic sensors using lateration, the reflection points being continuously determined and the reflection points being allocated to objects in the environment;
• and
• determine at least one degree of spatial dispersion of the reflection points relating to the position of the reflection points allocated to an object of the objects;
• and
• classify the object as being one of a plurality of predefined object types based on the at least one degree of dispersion, wherein a respective static spatial form of each of the predefined object types differs from the respective static spatial forms of all of the other ones of the predefined object types with respect to a respective static spatial form, the respective static spatial forms each being a respective form of a space occupied in a non-dynamic state of the respective object type;
• (ii) a bounding box is determined, which indicates an area in which, with the exception of reflection points determined to be outliers, all reflection points allocated to the object are situated, the dimensions of the bounding box being determined for characterizing the at least one degree of dispersion;
• (iii) the bounding box has a longitudinal extension and a lateral extension, the longitudinal extension indicating an intensity of a dispersion along a longitudinal direction, and the lateral extension indicating an intensity of the dispersion along a lateral direction;
• (iv) (a) the longitudinal extension runs parallel to a direction pointing away from the vehicle, and the lateral extension runs perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, or (b) a direction of a greatest extension of the object is determined, and the lateral extension runs parallel to the direction and the longitudinal extension runs perpendicular to the direction, or (c) an object model having a point geometry or a line geometry is allocated to the object by evaluating a relative position of the reflection points allocated to the object;
• and
• (v) in the classification, a curb is identified by a large dispersion in a direction of the lateral extension and a low dispersion in a direction of the longitudinal extension, a punctiform object is identified by a low dispersion in the direction of the lateral extension and a low dispersion in the direction of the longitudinal extension, and a pedestrian is identified by a large dispersion in the direction of the lateral extension and a large dispersion in the direction of the longitudinal extension.