Method for controlling an ego vehicle based on safety regions

A method for controlling an ego vehicle, comprising the following steps:

• receiving map data of a map representation of a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle, wherein the map data of the map representation map at least one roadway traveled by the ego vehicle;
• determining a safe driving corridor of the ego vehicle based on the map data of the map representation, wherein the safe driving corridor describes a spatial region that can be traveled by the ego vehicle without collision, and wherein the safe driving corridor is limited at least by boundaries of the roadway;
• determining a safety region of the ego vehicle based on a state of motion of the ego vehicle, wherein the state of motion is defined at least by a speed value of the ego vehicle and an acceleration value of the ego vehicle, wherein the safety region defines a spatial region in which, in a given state of motion, the ego vehicle can be safely brought to a standstill, and wherein a length of the safety region oriented along a direction of travel of the ego vehicle and/or a width of the safety region oriented perpendicularly along the direction of travel are determined taking into account a speed of the ego vehicle and an acceleration of the ego vehicle;
• checking whether the safety region is located completely within the safe driving corridor during travel of the ego vehicle along a travel trajectory;
• outputting a control signal for executing a safety maneuver when the safety region is located at least partially outside the safe driving corridor,
• determining an extended safety region based on the speed value and/or the acceleration value of the state of motion of the ego vehicle and taking into account an object movement model for dynamic objects, wherein the object movement model includes a description of an average movement of dynamic objects located in the surrounding environment of the ego vehicle, wherein the extended safety region defines a spatial region in which, in a given state of motion, the ego vehicle can be brought to a standstill without a collision with a dynamic object moving at least partially in a direction of the ego vehicle according to the object movement model, and wherein a length of the extended safety region and/or a width of the extended safety region are determined taking into account the speed value of the ego vehicle and the acceleration value of the ego vehicle;
• checking whether a dynamic object located in the surrounding environment of the ego vehicle is located within the extended safety region;
• and
• outputting the control signal for executing the safety maneuver when the safety region is located at least partially outside the safe driving corridor, and/or when at least one dynamic object is located in the extended safety region,
• wherein the length of the safety region and/or the length of the extended safety region is given by a latency length and a deceleration length, wherein the deceleration length describes a distance required to brake the ego vehicle to a complete stop, and wherein the latency length describes a distance which the ego vehicle continues to travel without deceleration between an initiation time at which an event occurs that is intended to trigger a deceleration of the ego vehicle and a deceleration time at which the deceleration is actually effected, and wherein a speed of the ego vehicle during a latency period is determined taking into account the acceleration value.

A method for controlling an ego vehicle, comprising the following steps:

• receiving map data of a map representation of a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle, wherein the map data of the map representation map at least one roadway traveled by the ego vehicle;
• determining a safe driving corridor of the ego vehicle based on the map data of the map representation, wherein the safe driving corridor describes a spatial region that can be traveled by the ego vehicle without collision, and wherein the safe driving corridor is limited at least by boundaries of the roadway;
• determining a safety region of the ego vehicle based on a state of motion of the ego vehicle, wherein the state of motion is defined at least by a speed value of the ego vehicle and an acceleration value of the ego vehicle, wherein the safety region defines a spatial region in which, in a given state of motion, the ego vehicle can be safely brought to a standstill, and wherein a length of the safety region oriented along a direction of travel of the ego vehicle and/or a width of the safety region oriented perpendicularly along the direction of travel are determined taking into account a speed of the ego vehicle and an acceleration of the ego vehicle;
• checking whether the safety region is located completely within the safe driving corridor during travel of the ego vehicle along a travel trajectory;
• outputting a control signal for executing a safety maneuver when the safety region is located at least partially outside the safe driving corridor,
• determining an extended safety region based on the speed value and/or the acceleration value of the state of motion of the ego vehicle and taking into account an object movement model for dynamic objects, wherein the object movement model includes a description of an average movement of dynamic objects located in the surrounding environment of the ego vehicle, wherein the extended safety region defines a spatial region in which, in a given state of motion, the ego vehicle can be brought to a standstill without a collision with a dynamic object moving at least partially in a direction of the ego vehicle according to the object movement model, and wherein a length of the extended safety region and/or a width of the extended safety region are determined taking into account the speed value of the ego vehicle and the acceleration value of the ego vehicle;
• checking whether a dynamic object located in the surrounding environment of the ego vehicle is located within the extended safety region;
• and
• outputting the control signal for executing the safety maneuver when the safety region is located at least partially outside the safe driving corridor, and/or when at least one dynamic object is located in the extended safety region,
• wherein a Kalman filter is used to determine a future speed value and/or a future acceleration value of a future state of motion of the ego vehicle based on the speed value and/or the acceleration value of the state of motion of the ego vehicle, and wherein the length of the safety region and/or the length of the extended safety region and/or the width of the safety region and/or the width of the extended safety region, are adapted based on the future speed and/or acceleration of the ego vehicle,
• wherein the length of the extended safety region oriented in the direction of travel of the ego vehicle and/or the width of the extended safety region oriented perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the ego vehicle corresponds to a path distance within which the ego vehicle, in the given state of motion, can be brought to a standstill with maximum deceleration power without colliding with an object moving towards the ego vehicle at least partially in an opposite direction of travel or in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, according to the movement model.

A computing unit configured to control an ego vehicle, the computing unit configured to:

• receive map data of a map representation of a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle, wherein the map data of the map representation map at least one roadway traveled by the ego vehicle;
• determine a safe driving corridor of the ego vehicle based on the map data of the map representation, wherein the safe driving corridor describes a spatial region that can be traveled by the ego vehicle without collision, and wherein the safe driving corridor is limited at least by boundaries of the roadway;
• determine a safety region of the ego vehicle based on a state of motion of the ego vehicle, wherein the state of motion is defined at least by a speed value of the ego vehicle and an acceleration value of the ego vehicle, wherein the safety region defines a spatial region in which, in a given state of motion, the ego vehicle can be safely brought to a standstill, and wherein a length of the safety region oriented along a direction of travel of the ego vehicle and/or a width of the safety region oriented perpendicularly along the direction of travel are determined taking into account a speed of the ego vehicle and an acceleration of the ego vehicle;
• check whether the safety region is located completely within the safe driving corridor during travel of the ego vehicle along a travel trajectory;
• and
• output a control signal for executing a safety maneuver when the safety region is located at least partially outside the safe driving corridor,
• wherein the length and/or width of the safety region are dynamically increased or decreased during travel of the ego vehicle based on current or planned acceleration and/or deceleration.

A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored a computer program for controlling an ego vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a data processor, causing the data processor to perform the following steps:

• receiving map data of a map representation of a surrounding environment of an ego vehicle, wherein the map data of the map representation map at least one roadway traveled by the ego vehicle;
• determining a safe driving corridor of the ego vehicle based on the map data of the map representation, wherein the safe driving corridor describes a spatial region that can be traveled by the ego vehicle without collision, and wherein the safe driving corridor is limited at least by boundaries of the roadway;
• determining a safety region of the ego vehicle based on a state of motion of the ego vehicle, wherein the state of motion is defined at least by a speed value of the ego vehicle and an acceleration value of the ego vehicle, wherein the safety region defines a spatial region in which, in a given state of motion, the ego vehicle can be safely brought to a standstill, and wherein a length of the safety region oriented along a direction of travel of the ego vehicle and/or a width of the safety region oriented perpendicularly along the direction of travel are determined taking into account a speed of the ego vehicle and an acceleration of the ego vehicle;
• checking whether the safety region is located completely within the safe driving corridor during travel of the ego vehicle along a travel trajectory;
• and
• outputting a control signal for executing a safety maneuver when the safety region is located at least partially outside the safe driving corridor,
• wherein the length and/or width of the safety region are dynamically increased or decreased during travel of the ego vehicle based on current or planned acceleration and/or deceleration.