Patent Description:
Vehicle localisation relates to the identification of a current location of a vehicle and finds particular utility in fields such as assisted or autonomous vehicle control. It can be of particular import to identify the lateral position of the vehicle relative to the roadway it is traversing. In some scenarios, this lateral localisation may include lane detection, localisation within a lane and lane number assignment processes.

Some existing approaches to the challenge of lateral localisation use one or more forward-facing sensors in order to detect lane markings or vehicles and localise the host vehicle within its lane and within the road by assigning lane number to it. This data is then used to calculate the path of the host/ego vehicle.

There are a number of scenarios in which the information available from such sensors can be degraded. This loss of information may be the result of sensor failure or some aspect of external conditions. For example, lane markings in front of the host vehicle may have faded or be blocked by other objects (such as vehicles in front of the host vehicle). One approach in such circumstances is to estimate a relevant localisation attribute (such as lane curvature) from past data, but this may imply a time delay as such a history is generated. Alternatively, the host vehicle may choose to follow the path of the preceding vehicle, but this may propagate errors in control of the preceding vehicle to the host vehicle.

In circumstances in which the forward-facing sensors provide no data at all, the problem can be even more acute. Sensors may be effectively blinded (for example, cameras due to sunlight or lidar sensors due to dirt buildup) or may be subject to technical failure (in sensor itself or in the power supply).

A lane keeping system is described in <CIT>. A sensor management technique is described in <NPL> ET AL.

Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a vehicle as claimed in the appended claims.

A vehicle <NUM> in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying <FIG> and <FIG>.

With reference to <FIG>, the vehicle <NUM> comprises a control system <NUM>. The vehicle further comprises a first sensor arrangement <NUM> and one or more additional sensor arrangements <NUM>. The first sensor arrangement <NUM> and each additional sensor arrangement <NUM> are communicatively coupled to the control system <NUM>. A wired or wireless connection between the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM> and the control system <NUM> may be provided to effect this communication.

As described, the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM> are grouped by orientation. However, control and power of sensors within each arrangement may be grouped alternatively. For example, within each sensor arrangement <NUM>, <NUM> there may be provided one or more primary sensors of a primary sensor system and one or more secondary sensors of a secondary sensor system.

The vehicle also comprises primary power supply <NUM> and one or more secondary power supplies <NUM>. The primary power supply <NUM> is coupled to the sensors within the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM> that are part of the primary sensor system in order to provide power thereto. Similarly, the one or more secondary power supplies <NUM> are coupled to the sensors within the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM> that are part of the secondary sensor system in order to provide power thereto. Since sensors the secondary sensor system are not dependent upon the same power supply as the primary sensor system, the chance of simultaneous power loss to both sensor systems is reduced.

The control system <NUM> may be implemented using one or more processors. The control system may also comprise data storage. The control system <NUM> of the illustrated embodiments comprises interfaces <NUM>, <NUM> to facilitate communication with the sensors of the primary sensor system and those of the secondary sensor system. As such, there are provided separate network connections for the sensors of the primary sensor system and sensors of the secondary sensor system. This can reduce the risk of simultaneous loss of data from both sensor systems to the control system <NUM>.

The control system <NUM> is configured to receive data from the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM> and process this to determine a localisation, such as a lateral localisation, of the vehicle <NUM>. In particular, the control system <NUM> may determine a lateral position of the vehicle <NUM> on a roadway. The control system <NUM> may utilise the output of this determination to control the vehicle <NUM> and/or to provide feedback to an occupant of the vehicle <NUM> through a human machine interface (HMI). The control system <NUM> may also provide information to one or more remote servers where appropriate.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the first sensor arrangement <NUM> and each additional sensor arrangement each comprise a plurality of sensors. In particular, each sensor arrangement <NUM>, <NUM> comprises at least a camera and one or more lidar sensors. The cameras of each sensor arrangement may, for example, for the sensors of the primary sensors system while the lidar sensors may form the sensors of the secondary sensory system.

The first sensor arrangement <NUM> has a first orientation. In the preferred embodiment, this orientation is forward facing. That is to say, the sensors of the first sensor arrangement <NUM> are forward facing. Accordingly, they have a field of view centred on the usual direction of travel of the vehicle.

Each additional sensor arrangement <NUM> has an orientation different to the first orientation. Accordingly, the orientations of the sensors in the additional sensor arrangements <NUM> are different to those of the first sensor arrangement <NUM>. In <FIG>, for example, the illustrated additional sensor arrangement <NUM> is rearward facing, and thus the fields of view of the sensors of this additional sensor arrangement <NUM> is centred opposite to the usual direction of travel of the vehicle <NUM>.

Alternative relative orientations of the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM> may be adopted. In general, however, the orientation of each additional sensor arrangement <NUM> is substantially different to that of the first orientation of the first sensor arrangement <NUM>. For example, the orientation of each additional sensor arrangement <NUM> may at an angle of at least <NUM> degrees, preferably at least <NUM> degrees to the first orientation. This may ensure that sensors of the additional sensor arrangements <NUM> have a substantially different field of view to equivalent sensors of the first sensor arrangement <NUM>.

This can further understood with reference to <FIG>, which shows a side view and plan view of the fields of view of the sensors within the forward facing first sensor arrangement <NUM> and rear-facing additional sensor arrangement <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. Each sensor arrangement comprises a camera sensor mounted near the top of the vehicle, and a lidar sensor mounted in the bumper. Spatially displacing the sensors can reduce the probability of both sensors being obstructed or damaged in the same instance. As can be seen from <FIG>, for example, the lidar sensor may have a wider field of view than the camera sensor. As illustrated in <FIG>, this may be of particular benefit where other vehicles are in close proximity to host vehicle <NUM> as, for example, lane marking may be obscured for the camera sensors.

In use, the control system <NUM> may perform the method <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. Method <NUM> is a method for estimating a lateral position of the host vehicle <NUM>, the host vehicle comprising a first sensor arrangement <NUM> disposed at a first orientation relative to the host vehicle <NUM> and at least one additional sensor arrangement <NUM>, each additional sensor arrangement <NUM> being disposed at an orientation relative to the host vehicle <NUM> that is different to the first orientation.

The method comprises receiving <NUM> first sensor information from the primary sensor arrangement <NUM> and receiving <NUM> additional sensor information from the additional sensor arrangement <NUM>. The control system then determines <NUM> a lateral position of the vehicle <NUM> from this sensor information, in particular modifying an estimate of lateral position on a roadway that would have been derivable from the first sensor information alone by utilising the additional sensor information. Where all or part of the first sensor information is unavailable (for example, due to failure of one or more sensors within the first sensor arrangement <NUM>) the lateral position may be determined from the additional sensor information together with any remaining sensor information from the first sensor arrangement <NUM>. The method then comprises the control system <NUM> providing <NUM> an output in dependence on the determined lateral position. Optionally, the method may further comprise controlling <NUM> the vehicle <NUM> in dependence on the output. As noted previously, the method may alternatively or additional comprise providing feedback to an occupant of the vehicle <NUM> through a human machine interface (HMI) in dependence on the output. The control system <NUM> may also provide information to one or more remote servers where appropriate.

In order to determine the lateral position of the vehicle relative to the roadway, the control system <NUM> continuously determines the curvature of lane markings visible to the sensor arrangements <NUM>, <NUM>. As can be seen form <FIG>, even in circumstances in which all sensors are functioning normally it may be that there is limited information that can be derived regarding the lane markings from the forward facing first sensor arrangement <NUM>. To alleviate this limitation on an estimate of curvature derived solely from the first sensor information, the lane information from the additional sensor information is used in conjunction with the first sensor information in order to estimate the curvature of the lanes. That is, by using the additional sensor information there may be a greater number of points available for use with a line fitting algorithm.

The support of the additional sensor arrangement together with the first sensor arrangement can increase the accuracy and robustness of lateral localisation and lane detection in a number of scenarios. For example, by improving the lane curvature estimate as identified above or by improving lateral localisation when information is obscured, such as when: road lines are faded or obscured due to weather conditions, the field of view (FoV) of the front sensors is partially or fully obstructed or lane markings would otherwise be obscured from the front sensors due to traffic. The use of the additional sensor information can also provide further pertinent detail that might not be otherwise available, such as in lane merging situations (see, for example, <FIG>).

As well as working in conjunction with the first sensor information where available, the use of additional sensor information can allow lateral localisation where all or part of the first sensor information is interrupted. For example, it may allow the vehicle to maintain lane position in the case of: blinding of front sensors; software or hardware failure of one or more front sensors; network failure to one or more front sensors; the loss of power to one or more of the front sensors; damage to the front sensor arrangement <NUM> due to road debris or other impacts; limitations on the front sensors due other environmental conditions and/or dirt build up on the sensors.

When all or part of the information from the first sensor arrangement is lost, the control system <NUM> may predict the curvature of the lane ahead of the vehicle by fitting a curve to lane points detected by each additional sensor arrangement <NUM> and may therefore estimate the lane curvature ahead. Since the additional sensor arrangement <NUM> remains operational, the control system continues to have real time information rather than relying on historical data.

To supplement the information from first sensor arrangement <NUM> and each additional sensor arrangement <NUM>, the control system may also have access to map information and information from a positioning system such as GPS.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate the use of further additional sensor arrangements. In this case, the further additional sensor arrangements are side-facing (i.e. face left and right of the vehicle's usual direction of travel). Although shown in addition to the rear-facing additional sensor arrangement <NUM>, the side-facing additional sensor arrangements could be used as an alternative.

<FIG> illustrates the multiple obstacles may block the fields of view of the first sensor arrangement, while a far more detailed understanding of the environment may be obtained from side- and rear-facing sensors in this circumstance. <FIG> further illustrate that such additional sensor arrangements may be of particular use in complex lane scenarios, such as during (forced) lane mergers or similar. Again, the use of additional sensor information may improve a lateral localisation that would be possible from the primary sensor arrangement alone.

Claim 1:
A vehicle (<NUM>) comprising a control system (<NUM>), the vehicle comprising a first sensor arrangement (<NUM>) disposed at a first orientation relative to the host vehicle and at least one secondary sensor arrangement (<NUM>), each additional sensor arrangement being disposed at an orientation relative to the host vehicle that is different to the first orientation, the control system having one or more controllers configured to:
receive (<NUM>) first sensor information from the first sensor arrangement (<NUM>);
receive (<NUM>) secondary sensor information from each additional sensor arrangement (<NUM>);
determine (<NUM>) a lateral position of the vehicle relative to a roadway using the additional sensor information if all or part of the first sensor information is interrupted; and
provide (<NUM>) an output in dependence on the determined lateral position;
wherein each sensor arrangement comprises a primary sensor which is part of a primary sensor system and a secondary sensor which is part of a secondary sensor system; and
wherein independent power supplies (<NUM>. <NUM>) are provided for primary and secondary sensors within each sensor arrangement.