# US 2010/0164701 A1 · Method of analyzing the surroundings of a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0164701 A1 - Document ID: US20100164701A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/445,093 - Filed: 2007-09-28 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-11 - Assignees: Autoliv Development AB - Inventors: Jonas Bärgman; Jan-Erik Källhammer; Sven Rönnbäck; Kalevi Hyypää; Tomas Bergiund; Hâkan Fredriksson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100164701A1 ## CPC - G01S 13/89: for mapping or imaging - G01S 13/86: Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A method of analysing the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: gathering data regarding objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; analysing the data to determine regions of empty space around the vehicle; creating one or more signatures representing at least some of the regions of empty space; and storing the signatures for later retrieval. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of analyzing the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: gathering data regarding one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; analyzing the data to determine regions of empty space around the vehicle; creating one or more signatures by creating one or more primitives describing at least some of the regions of empty space; and storing the signatures for later retrieval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of creating one or more primitives comprises the step of expanding a shape around a position until a perimeter of the shape reaches the object which is detected. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 further comprising the step, when a perimeter of the shape reaches the object which is detected defining one or more further shapes and expanding the further shapes in directions that avoid the object which is detected. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein an initial shape is defined to expand from a position which relates substantially to the location of the vehicle, and the steps of expanding a shape and defining one or more further shapes are repeated until substantially all of the available empty space around the vehicle has been analyzed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the shape is a sector of a circle, and wherein expansion of the sector occurs around a chord thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein a detected object may be disregarded if the object is determined to be moving. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein a detected object may be disregarded if the shape of the object substantially matches a predetermined shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein a detected object may be disregarded if the number of detected measurements comprising the object is below a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein if the same region of space is analyzed on multiple occasions, the object which is detected may be disregarded if the object is not detected on every occasion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein a signature comprises one or more primitives. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein a signature comprises an expression of a relationship between two primitives. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein a signature comprises an expression of a relationship between two subsequently determined primitives. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the signatures comprises the step of storing the signatures in combination with a position determined from a positioning system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of comparing newly-detected signatures with stored signatures associated with identical or similar positions to the newly-detected signatures, to determine the location of the vehicle with respect to the stored signatures. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13, comprising the step of storing multiple signatures associated with identical or similar positions to improve the accuracy of the stored signatures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A method according to any one of claims 13, further comprising the step of correcting the position of the vehicle, with respect to the positioning system, based on one or more matches between one or more newly-detected signatures and one or more stored signatures. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an output signal if the object which is detected in a location which had previously been determined to comprise empty space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method according to claim 17, wherein the output signal is a collision avoidance signal, to activate automatic collision avoidance systems of the vehicle in an attempt to avoid a collision with the object. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A method according to claim 17, wherein the output signal is an alarm signal, to generate an alarm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the signatures are compiled into voronoi graphs. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method of analyzing the surroundings of a vehicle, according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of plotting a course for the vehicle based upon the stored signatures. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method according to claim 21, comprising the steps of: analyzing the surroundings of the vehicle or receiving data gathered; and plotting a course for the vehicle that passes through or close to the centers of each of a plurality of successively-determined primitives. ### Claim 23 A vehicle comprising: an object detection arrangement; a positioning arrangement; a processing arrangement operable to carry out the steps of gathering data regarding one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; analyzing the data to determine regions of empty space around the vehicle; creating one or more signatures by creating one or more primitives describing at least some of the regions of empty space; storing the signatures for later retrieval, and a memory to store the signatures. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A vehicle according to claim 23 in which the vehicle is driver controlled. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) A vehicle according to claim 23 in which the vehicle is autonomous or semi-autonomous. ### Claim 26 (canceled) ### Claim 27 (canceled)