# US 12,762,955 B2 · Method and electronic monitoring system for identifying a detrimental traffic situation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,762,955 B2 - Document ID: US12762955B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/255,431 - Filed: 2021-11-23 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-01 - Assignees: AUMOVIO Germany GmbH - Applicants: Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH - Inventors: Richard Scherping; Daniel Sturma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12762955B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/163: {involving continuous checking} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract A method and electronic monitoring system for identifying a detrimental traffic situation of a first road user with a second road user by acquiring position information for ascertaining a position of the first road user and uncertainty information for ascertaining a position detection uncertainty of the first road user, acquiring position information for ascertaining a position of the second road user and uncertainty information for ascertaining a position detection uncertainty of the second road user, converting the uncertainty information of the first road user into a first covariance matrix for describing a location-dependent probability of presence of the first road user in connection with the position of the first road user, converting the uncertainty information of the second road user into a second covariance matrix for describing a location-dependent probability of presence of the second road user in connection with the position of the second road user, and using the first covariance matrix and the second covariance matrix to determine the presence of an adverse traffic situation between the first road user and the second road user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for determining an adverse traffic situation of a road user, the method comprising: acquiring first position information indicating a first position of the road user and first uncertainty information indicating a first position detection uncertainty of the road user; acquiring second position information for ascertaining a second position of a second road user and second uncertainty information indicating a second position detection uncertainty of the second road user; converting the first uncertainty information into a first covariance matrix for describing a first location-dependent probability of presence of the road user in connection with a first position of the road user, wherein the uncertainty information of the road user comprises an uncertainty ellipse defined by a major axis, a minor axis, and an orientation, and the converting is performed using a closed-form formula to transform said uncertainty ellipse into the first covariance matrix; converting the second uncertainty information into a second covariance matrix for describing a second location-dependent probability of presence of the second road user in connection with a second position of the second road user, wherein the uncertainty information of the second road user comprises an uncertainty ellipse defined by a major axis, a minor axis, and an orientation, and said converting is performed using the closed-form formula to transform the uncertainty ellipse into the second covariance matrix; and determining the presence of an adverse traffic situation between the road user and the second road user based on the first covariance matrix and the second covariance matrix; wherein the determining comprises performing a location-dependent superimposition of the probabilities of presence of the road user as described by the first covariance matrix with the probabilities of the presence of the second road user as described by the second covariance matrix, wherein the determining further comprises summing the first covariance matrix and the second covariance matrix to generate a combined covariance matrix representing a probability distribution of a relative position between the road user and the second road user, applying at least one correlation coefficient to the combined covariance matrix to account for correlation between the first position detection uncertainty and the second position detection uncertainty, and performing the location-dependent superimposition of the probabilities of presence of the road user and the second road user exclusively within a predefined risk area around the road user, the risk area corresponding to a detection area of a surroundings detection device of the road user; and outputting a control signal to an electronic control device of a driver assistance system or an automated driving control system to control an operation of the driver assistance system or the automated driving control system based on presence of the adverse traffic situation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining comprises performing a matrix operation of the first covariance matrix and the second covariance matrix. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining comprises applying correlation assumptions of position detection uncertainty of the road user and position detection uncertainty of the second road user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining comprises: assessing location-dependent superimposition of the probabilities of presence of the road user and the second road user within the risk area, described by the first covariance matrix and the second covariance matrix. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising determining a scalar probability value using the location-dependent superimposition of the probabilities of presence of the road user and the second road user within the risk area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising determining the scalar probability value by way of univariate conditioning. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the determining comprises determining the presence of the adverse traffic situation between the road user and the second road user if the scalar probability value is equal to or greater than a predefined threshold value.