# US 2019/0170511 A1 · Method and system for ascertaining and providing a ground profile > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170511 A1 - Document ID: US20190170511A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/209,483 - Filed: 2018-12-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Dominik Maucher; Heinz Hertlein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170511A1 ## CPC - G01C 7/04: involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced - G01B 21/20: for measuring contours or curvatures, e.g. determining profile - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - B60W 40/06: Road conditions - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2420/408: Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar - B60W 2552/35: Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes - B60W 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle - G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data} - G01S 13/723: {by using numerical data} - G01S 17/66: Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G01S 2013/9323: {Alternative operation using light waves} - G01S 2013/93271: {in the front of the vehicles} - G01S 2013/93273: {on the top of the vehicles} - G08G 1/165: {for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees} - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - 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 - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - 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 for ascertaining a ground profile in a region in front of a vehicle in a direction of travel, using at least one sensor; at least one vertical motion of at least one vehicle traveling ahead being measured by the vehicle, an independent motion of the vehicle being ascertained or estimated, the measured data of the at least one vertical motion of the at least one vehicle traveling ahead being compared to the ascertained or estimated data of the independent motion of the vehicle, and a ground profile being derived from the comparison of the measured data of the at least one vehicle traveling ahead with the ascertained or estimated data of the independent motion of the vehicle. In addition, a system is described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for ascertaining a ground profile in a region in front of a first vehicle in a direction of travel, using at least one sensor, the method comprising: measuring at least one vertical motion of at least one second vehicle traveling ahead by the vehicle; one of ascertaining and estimating an independent motion of the first vehicle; comparing measured data of the at least one vertical motion of the at least one second vehicle traveling ahead to one of ascertained and estimated data of the independent motion of the first vehicle; and deriving a ground profile from the comparing of the measured data of the at least one second vehicle traveling ahead with the one of the ascertained and the estimated data of the independent motion of the first vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the independent motion of the first vehicle is ascertained using at least one odometric measurement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the independent motion of the first vehicle is ascertained with the aid of an independent-position estimate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one vertical motion of the at least one second vehicle traveling ahead is measured by the first vehicle in light of a change in elevation of one of an upper edge and a license plate of the second vehicle traveling ahead. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the independent motion of the first vehicle is considered as an interference signal of the at least one measured vertical motion of the at least one second vehicle traveling ahead. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is used for at least one of an autonomous driving function and a semiautonomous driving function. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising retrieving by the first vehicle other ground profiles generated by other vehicles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground profile is generated by the at least one vehicle, the method further comprising: loading the ground profile onto an external server unit; and storing the ground profile so as to be retrievable for other vehicles. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is one of a lidar device, a radar device, and a camera. ### Claim 10 A system for ascertaining a ground profile, comprising: an external server unit for storing and retrieving data of at least one vehicle; a first vehicle that is one of a semiautonomous vehicle and an autonomous vehicle; and a second vehicle traveling ahead of the first vehicle, wherein: the first vehicle registers and measures at least the second vehicle traveling ahead using at least one sensor, the at least one sensor is usable for one of an autonomous driving function and a semiautonomous driving function, measured data regarding the second vehicle traveling ahead are usable for calculating a ground profile in a region situated in front of the first vehicle in a direction of travel, and at least one independent motion of the first vehicle is extractable for a calculation of the ground profile.