Abstract:
A 3D navigation system for motor vehicles includes a set-up combining a first motor vehicle and an environment scanner to generate a three-dimensional image of an environment around the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment around the first motor vehicle as well as at least a second motor vehicle and a communications connection between the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle for transmitting the three-dimensional image of the environment around the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment around the first motor vehicle to the second motor vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/647,350 filed on Jan. 26, 2005, entitled “SYSTEM ZUR 3D-NAVIGATION FÜR KRAFTFAHRZEUGE”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention concerns a 3D navigation system for motor vehicles. 
     SUMMARY 
     The purpose of the invention is to improve the 3D navigation for motor vehicles. 
     The afore-mentioned purpose can be achieved by a 3D navigation system that comprises a combination of a first motor vehicle and an environment scanner for generating a three-dimensional image of an environment of/around the first motor vehicle or at last a part of the environment of/around the first motor vehicle as well as at least a second motor vehicle and a communications connection between the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle for transmitting the three-dimensional image of the environment of/around the first motor vehicle or at last a part of the environment of/around the first motor vehicle to the second motor vehicle. 
     3D navigation in the sense of the invention makes it in particular possible to show a 3-dimensional image of a landscape or environment. This is different in particular from a so-called 3-dimensional depiction of a 2-dimentsional image, thus from looking at a 2-dimensional image from the bird&#39;s eye perspective. Such a depiction, often also described as 3D navigation, must not be confused with a 3D navigation in the sense of the invention. 
     An environment of/around a motor vehicle in the sense of the invention is above all an area around the motor vehicle scanned by an environment scanner of the motor vehicle and/or an area around the motor vehicle visible from the motor vehicle. 
     A 3-dimensional image of an environment or an area in the sense of the invention includes in particular only non-moving objects in the environment of the motor vehicle or in the area. A 3-dimensional image of an environment or an area in the sense of the invention is above all not a photographic depiction but specifically a simplified image that might show only the outlines of objects in the environment of the motor vehicle or in the area. A 3-dimensional image of an environment or an area in the sense of the invention may also be an image that indicates details between a photographic 3-dimensional image of objects in the environment of the motor vehicle or in the area and outlines of these objects. 
     A communications connection between the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle or a communications connection between two motor vehicle indicated in what follows is e.g. a vehicle-to-vehicle communications connection that does not need stationary communications nodes. Details of a suitable vehicle-to-vehicle communication without stationary communications nodes are e.g. disclosed in the article “Car-to-car Communication” by M. Bleyer, S. Waldenmaier, Funkschau (Radio Review) April 2002, pages 16-19. The communication between vehicles that are not necessarily in the mutual reception area, is established by routing the communication by way of a suitable forwarding/routing method through other, vehicles of the communications setup. In the process, according to the article “Geocast in Vehicular Environments: Caching and Transmission Range Control for Improved Efficiency” by C. Maihöfer, R. Eberhard, Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (Jun. 14-17, 2004), in Parma, arrangements can be made to emit so-called beacons that indicate the position of the transmitting motor vehicle. 
     Other details about car-to-car communication or the respective forwarding/routing method can be found in the articles cited in the afore-mentioned article “A survey on geocast routing protocols” by C. Maihöfer, IEEE, Communications Surveys and Tutorials, 2 nd  quarter issue, 2004, “Stored geocast” by C. Maihöfer, W. Franz, R. Eberhardt, Proceedings of Communication in Distributed Systems (KiVS), Leipzig, February 2003, pages 257-268, Springer Verlag (Publisher) and “Greedy perimeter stateless routing for wireless networks” by B. 
     Karp, H. T. Kung, Proceedings of the Sixth ACM/IEEE International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (MobiCom 2000), Boston, USA, August 2000, pages 243-254. 
     In an embodiment of the invention the setup or combination comprises at least twenty, preferably one hundred motor vehicles with on environment scanner each for generating a 3-dimensional image of an environment of the respective motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the respective motor vehicle. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the 3D navigation system includes also a stationary base station and a communications connection between the first motor vehicle and the stationary base station for transmitting the 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle to the stationary base station. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the second motor vehicle includes a communications connection between the second motor vehicle and the stationary base station for transmitting the 3-dimensional image of an area around the second motor vehicle to the second motor vehicle. 
     An area around a motor vehicle in the sense of the invention may correspond to an environment of the motor vehicle in the sense of the invention. However, an area around a motor vehicle in the sense of the invention is in particular an area going beyond the environment of the motor vehicle. An area around a motor vehicle in the sense of the invention may be a borough of a city or an area similar to it, a town or an area similar to it, a county or an area similar to it, a federal state or an area similar to it and/or a country or an area similar to it. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the second motor vehicle includes a database of the 3-dimensional image of the area around the second motor vehicle. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the second motor vehicle includes a navigation module for updating the database after receiving a 3-dimensional image of an area around the second motor vehicle and/or a 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the second motor vehicle includes a display device for displaying a 3-dimensional image, in particular an updated one, of the environment of the second motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the second motor vehicle. 
     The afore-mentioned purpose is achieved—in particular in connection with one or more of the aforementioned characteristics—by a method of 3D navigation whereby a 3-dimensional image of an environment of a first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle is generated, and whereby the 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle is transmitted to at least one second motor vehicle, in particular via a communications connection between the first motor vehicle and the second motor vehicle. 
     In an embodiment of the invention a database is updated by receiving a 3-dimensional image of an area around the second motor vehicle from a stationary base station and/or a 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle, in particular of the first motor vehicle. 
     In another embodiment of the invention a 3-dimensional image, in particular an updated one, of the enviromnent of the second motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the second motor vehicle is displayed with the help of a display device mounted in the second motor vehicle. 
     The afore-mentioned purpose is also achieved—in particular in connection with one or more of the afore-mentioned characteristics—by a method of 3D navigation whereby a 3-dimensional image of an environment of a first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle is generated, whereby a 3-dimensional image of an environment of a second motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the second motor vehicle is generated, whereby the 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or at least of a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle as well as the 3-dimensional image of the environment of the second motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the second motor vehicle is transmitted to a stationary base station, and whereby a database assigned to the stationary base station is updated after receiving a 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle, provided that the received image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle differs from the corresponding 3-dimensional image of the environment of the first motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the first motor vehicle stored in the database in the same way as a 3-dimensional image of the same environment recorded (and transmitted) by the second motor vehicle before a certain waiting period. The waiting period may be ‘zero’ but is preferably longer than 15 min, in particular longer than 60 min. 
     The afore-mentioned purpose is also achieved—in particular in connection with one or more of the afore-mentioned characteristics—by a 3D navigation system for motor vehicles whereby the 3D navigation system includes a setup or combination of at least twenty, preferably one hundred motor vehicles with one environment scanner each for generating a 3-dimensional image of the environment of the respective motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the respective motor vehicle, and a communications connection between each motor vehicle and a stationary base station for transmitting the 3-dimensional image of the environment of the respective motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the respective motor vehicle to the stationary base station. 
     In an embodiment of the invention the stationary base stations includes a database of a 3-dimensional image of an area and a navigation module for updating the database after receiving a 3-dimensional image of the environment of a motor vehicle or at least part of the environment of the motor vehicle. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the stationary base stations includes a database of a 3-dimensional image of an area and a navigation module for updating the database after receiving a 3-dimensional image of the environment of a motor vehicle or at least part of the environment of the motor vehicle, provided that the received 3-dimensional image of the environment of the motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the motor vehicle differs from the corresponding 3-dimensional image of the environment of the motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the motor vehicle stored in the database in the same way as a 3-dimensional image of the same environment recorded (and transmitted) by another motor vehicle before a certain waiting period. 
     Motor vehicles in the sense of the invention are in particular land vehicles individually used in road traffic. Motor vehicles in the sense of the invention are in particular land vehicles with a combustion motor. 
     Other advantages and details are shown in the following description of the examples of embodiment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an example of embodiment of a 3D navigation system for motor vehicles; 
         FIG. 2  shows the principle of an example of embodiment of a motor vehicle with a 3D navigation system for motor vehicles; 
         FIG. 3  shows the principle of another example of embodiment of a motor vehicle with a 3D navigation system for motor vehicles; 
         FIG. 4  shows an example of embodiment of a display device; 
         FIG. 5  shows an example of embodiment of a process implemented in a navigation module; 
         FIG. 6  shows an example of embodiment of another process implemented in a navigation module. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an example of embodiment of a 3D navigation system for motor vehicles. The 3D navigation system for motor vehicles includes a setup or combination combining of at least twenty, preferably one hundred motor vehicles according to the motor vehicle indicated by reference  1 .  FIG. 2  shows an example of the motor vehicle  1 . 
     The motor vehicle  1  includes a positioning system  23 , e.g. in the form of a GPS positioning system, based on signals from satellites  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13  for determining the GEO location of the motor vehicle  1 . The motor vehicle  1  also includes an environment scanner  20  for generating a 3-dimensional image I 3 D of an environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least of a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1 . The environment scanner  20  includes a sensor  24  and an analyzer  21 . The sensor  24  may include a camera, a stereo camera, a laser scanner, LIDAR or a radar device, in particular a radar device for determining a differential speed, a distance and an angle between an object and the motor vehicle  1 . A suitable laser scanner may e.g. be ordered from SICK AG, Sebastian-Kneipp-Str. 1, 79183 Waldkirch, Federal Republic of Germany. An environment of the motor vehicle  1  in the sense of the invention is in particular an area in front of the motor vehicle  1  or around the motor vehicle  1  that can be scanned by the environment scanner  20  or the sensor  24 . 
     The analyzer  21  is used first to determine the speed of the objects recognized by the sensor  24  in the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  via the speed v of the motor vehicle  1 . Depending on the GEO location of the motor vehicle  1 , the analyzer  21  prepares, from the objects at rest in the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1 , a 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1 . A suitable method is e.g. shown in the article “Fusion of Realities for Vehicle Navigation” by Zhencheng Hu, Keiichi Uchimura and Hanqing Lu which can be retrieved from the Internet. 
     The motor vehicle  1  includes also a navigation module  22 . In a simple embodiment the navigation module  22  includes an interface to the bus system  28  through which the speed v of the motor vehicle  1  can be transmitted by a motor vehicle control  29  to the navigation module  22 , and an interface to a communications device  27 . With the communications device  27  a communications connection  15  can be established between the motor vehicle  1  and another motor vehicle indicated by reference  2  for transmitting the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  to the motor vehicle  2 . In addition, a communications connection  16  can be established via the communications device  27  between the motor vehicle  1  and a stationary base station  5  for transmitting the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  to the stationary base station  5 . The stationary base station  5  also includes e.g. an antenna indicated by reference  6 . 
     The present example of embodiment also provides that the motor vehicle  1  includes a database  26  of the 3-dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle  1 . An area around the motor vehicle  1  may be an environment of the motor vehicle  1 . However, an area around the motor vehicle  1  is in particular an area going beyond the environment of the motor vehicle  1 . An area around the motor vehicle  1  may the borough of a city or an area similar to it, a town or an area similar to it, a county or an area similar to it, a federal state or an area similar to it and/or a country or an area similar to it. In the present example of embodiment the navigation module  22  serves also for administering or for updating the database  26  described in  FIG. 3 . According to the present example of embodiment the motor vehicle  1  also includes a display device  25 , an example of which is shown in  FIG. 4 , for displaying an image of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  and/or for displaying an image of an area around the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  1 . The large image displayed here in  FIG. 4  by the display device  25  is an example of embodiment of an image of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1 , and the small image displayed in  FIG. 4  by the display device  25  is an example of embodiment of an image of an area around the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the principle of an example of embodiment of the motor vehicle  2 . The motor vehicle  2  includes a positioning system  23  corresponding to the positioning system  33 , a display device  25  corresponding to display device  35  for displaying an image of the environment  9  of the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the environment  9  of the motor vehicle  2  and/or for displaying an image of an area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  depending on the GEO location of the motor vehicle  2  and a database  36  of a 3-dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle  2  corresponding in principle to the database  26 . 
     The motor vehicle  2  also includes a communications device  37  corresponding in principle to the communications device  27 . Via a communications device  37  the communications connection  15  can be established between the motor vehicle  2  and the motor vehicle  1  for transmitting the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  to the motor vehicle  2 . In addition, a communications connection  17  can be established via a communications device  37  between the motor vehicle  2  and a stationary base station  5  for transmitting a 3-dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  from the stationary base station  5  to the motor vehicle  2 . 
     The motor vehicle  2  includes also a navigation module  22  for controlling the display device  35  depending on the position of the motor vehicle  2  and for updating the database  36 . For this purpose the process outlined in  FIG. 5  or in  FIG. 6  is implemented in the navigation module  32 . The process pursuant to  FIG. 5  begins with a step  40  in which a 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  received by the motor vehicle  1  and/or a 3-dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  is read in. 
     The step  40  is followed by a query  41  as to whether a corresponding 3-dimensional image of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or the part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or the area around the motor vehicle  2  or the part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  is in the database  36 . 
     If such a 3-dimensional image is in the database  36 , the query  41  is followed by query  42  as to whether the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  received from the motor vehicle  1  or the 3-dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  received from the stationary base station  5  differs from a corresponding image in the database  36 . If there is no corresponding 3-dimensional image in the database  36 , the query  41  is followed by query  43 . 
     If the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  received from the motor vehicle  1  or the 3-dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  received from the stationary base station  5  differs from a corresponding image in database  36 , query  42  is followed by step  43 . 
     In step  43  the database  36  is updated, i.e. the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  received from the motor vehicle  1  or the 3-dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  received from the stationary base station  5  is added to the database or a corresponding image in the database  36  is replaced, or is replaced in the parts that need updating, with the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  received from the motor vehicle  1  or the 3-dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  received from the stationary base station  5 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an example of embodiment of another process that can be implemented in the navigation module  32 . Here the steps indicated with the references  50  and  53  basically correspond to the steps  40  and  43  and the queries indicated with the references  51  and  562  essentially correspond to queries  41  and  42 . 
     If the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  received from the motor vehicle  1  or the 3-dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  received from the stationary base station  5  differs from a corresponding image in database  36 , the query  45  as in query  52  is followed by query  54 . 
     Query  54  determines whether the received 3-dimensional image differs from the 3-dimensional image stored in the database in the same way as a 3-dimensional image of the same environment recorded (and transmitted) by another motor vehicle before the waiting period. The waiting period may be ‘zero’ but is preferably longer than 15 min, in particular longer than 60 min. If the received 3-dimensional image differs from the 3-dimensional image stored in the database in the same way as a 3-dimensional image of the same environment recorded (and transmitted) by another motor vehicle before the waiting period, the query  54  is followed by step  53  corresponding to step  43 . Otherwise the query  54  is followed by a step  55  in which the received 3-dimensional image or the difference between this 3-dimensional image and the 3-dimensional image stored in the database  36  is put into temporary storage. Contrary to an updated 3-dimensional image, the 3-dimensional image put into temporary storage cannot be displayed via the display device  36 . 
     Adjusted accordingly, a process shown in  FIG. 5  or a process shown in  FIG. 6  for updating the database  26  may also be implemented in the navigation module  22 . In this case
         the 3-dimensional image I 3 D of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  or at least a part of the environment  8  of the motor vehicle  1  scanned by the environment scanner  20     a 3-dimensional image of the environment of the other motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the other motor vehicle received by another motor vehicle and/or   a 3-dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle  2  or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle  2  received by the stationary base station  5 
 
is read in step  40  or in step  50 . The steps  43 ,  53 ,  55  and the queries  41 ,  42 ,  51 ,  52 ,  54  are adjusted accordingly to these data.
       

     An accordingly adjusted process shown in  FIG. 5  or in  FIG. 6  for updating a database  66 , shown in  FIG. 1 , of the stationary base station  5  may also be implemented in a corresponding navigation module  62  of the stationary base station  5 . In this case a 3-dimensional image of the environment of this motor vehicle or at least of a part of the environment of this motor vehicle received from a motor vehicle (e.g. motor vehicle  1 ) is read in step  40  or step  50 . The steps  43 ,  53 ,  55  and the queries  41 ,  42 ,  51 ,  52 ,  54  are adjusted accordingly. 
     Motor vehicles such as motor vehicle  1  may be commercial motor vehicles such as taxis but also private vehicles. 
     REFERENCE LIST 
     
         
           1 , 2  Motor vehicles 
           5  Stationary base station 
           6  Antenna 
           8 ,  9  Environment 
           10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13  Satellite 
           15 ,  16 ,  17  Communications connection 
           20  Environment scanner 
           21  Analyzer 
           22 ,  32 ,  62  Navigation module 
           23 ,  33  Positioning system 
           24  Sensor 
           25 ,  35  Display device 
           26 ,  36 ,  66  Database 
           27 ,  37  Communications device 
           28  Bus system 
           29  Motor vehicle control 
           40 ,  43 ,  50 ,  53 ,  55  Step 
           41 ,  42 ,  51 ,  52 ,  54  Query 
         GEO Location of a motor vehicle 
         I 3 D Image 
         v Speed