Method for ascertaining a three-dimensional position of a reflection point of an object in the environment of a vehicle by means of an ultrasonic sensor, computer program, computing device, and vehicle

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program including commands for ascertaining a three-dimensional position of a reflection point of an object in an environment of a vehicle using an ultrasonic sensor which has at least three sensor elements, wherein at least two sensor elements are arranged at a horizontal offset to one another, and at least two sensor elements are arranged at a vertical offset to one another, the commands, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

• transmitting at least two ultrasonic signals using at least one of the sensor elements of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the at least two ultrasonic signals are transmitted chronologically one after the other, and wherein the at least two ultrasonic signals are transmitted in different spatial directions and/or with respectively differently shaped sonic cones and/or with respectively different ultrasonic frequencies;
• sensing each of the at least two transmitted ultrasonic signals reflected on an object as reflection signals using the at least three ultrasonic sensor elements;
• and
• ascertaining the three-dimensional position of a reflection point of the object relative to the ultrasonic sensor or to the vehicle, based on at least three sensed reflection signals, wherein the at least three reflection signals taken into account originate from at least one of the at least two transmitted ultrasonic signals.

A computing device including a control unit or a zonal computing unit or a central computing unit, comprising:

• a processor configured to ascertain a three-dimensional position of a reflection point of an object in an environment of a vehicle using an ultrasonic sensor which has at least three sensor elements, wherein at least two sensor elements are arranged at a horizontal offset to one another, and at least two sensor elements are arranged at a vertical offset to one another, wherein the processor is configured to:
• transmit at least two ultrasonic signals using at least one of the sensor elements of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the at least two ultrasonic signals are transmitted chronologically one after the other, and wherein the at least two ultrasonic signals are transmitted in different spatial directions and/or with respectively differently shaped sonic cones and/or with respectively different ultrasonic frequencies;
• sense each of the at least two transmitted ultrasonic signals reflected on an object as reflection signals using the at least three ultrasonic sensor elements;
• and
• ascertain the three-dimensional position of a reflection point of the object relative to the ultrasonic sensor or to the vehicle, based on at least three sensed reflection signals, wherein the at least three reflection signals taken into account originate from at least one of the at least two transmitted ultrasonic signals;
• and
• a signal input configured to provide to the processor an input signal representing the reflection signals.

A vehicle comprising:

• at least one computing device, including:
• a processor configured to ascertain a three-dimensional position of a reflection point of an object in an environment of a vehicle using an ultrasonic sensor which has at least three sensor elements, wherein at least two sensor elements are arranged at a horizontal offset to one another, and at least two sensor elements are arranged at a vertical offset to one another, wherein the processor is configured to:
• transmit at least two ultrasonic signals using at least one of the sensor elements of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the at least two ultrasonic signals are transmitted chronologically one after the other, and wherein the at least two ultrasonic signals are transmitted in different spatial directions and/or with respectively differently shaped sonic cones and/or with respectively different ultrasonic frequencies;
• sense each of the at least two transmitted ultrasonic signals reflected on an object as reflection signals using the at least three ultrasonic sensor elements;
• and
• ascertain the three-dimensional position of a reflection point of the object relative to the ultrasonic sensor or to the vehicle, based on at least three sensed reflection signals, wherein the at least three reflection signals taken into account originate from at least one of the at least two transmitted ultrasonic signals, and
• a signal input configured to provide to the processor an input signal representing the reflection signals.