Patent ID: 12240486

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As already mentioned above, it should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred example embodiments of the invention are shown.

This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the herein disclosed embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are provided to fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled person.

FIG.1andFIG.2shows a ramp50and a vehicle1that should drive up onto the ramp50.

The ramp50comprises one or more ramp paths51,52. According to an aspect the ramp comprises a left ramp path51and a right ramp path52. According to an aspect the ramp comprises signal lights53that is configured to indicate when the vehicle1is allowed to onboard the ramp50. According to an aspect the ramp50is a ramp50of a car wash, a boat ferry, transporting train, transporting truck or a service pit. The left and right paths51,52have a width that is larger than the width of a wheel that should drive upon the left or right ramp paths51,52. The one or more ramp paths51,52are according to an aspect parallel to each other. The one or more ramp paths51,52comprise according to an aspect one or more inclined parts, as is seen inFIG.2. The one or more ramp paths51,52comprise according to an aspect one or more curved parts. According to an aspect the one or more inclined parts of the one or more ramp paths51,52are inclined in relation to the ground below the ramp50. It could either be that the ramp paths51,52are inclined and the ground is straight, that the ramp paths51.52are straight and the ground is inclined or that both the ground and the ramp paths51,52are inclined.

The vehicle1comprises at least a first and a second front wheel11,12and at least a first and a second rear wheel13,14. The vehicle1is according to an aspect one of a car, a bus or a truck. According to an aspect the vehicle1is an autonomous driving vehicle1. The vehicle1further comprises a system10. The system10is configured to autonomously onboarding the vehicle1onto the ramp50. The system10comprises a first sensor21, a second sensor22, and a control unit40. According to an aspect the system10further comprises a fifth sensor25.

The first sensor21is positioned in front of the first front wheel11. The second sensor22is positioned in front of the second front wheel12. The first and second sensors21,22are configured to obtain a three dimensional view of at least an area30in front of the first and the second front wheel11,12. By three dimensional view of the area30is meant that the first and second sensors21,22are configured to obtain a view of a volume at the area30in front of the first and the second front wheel11,12. According to an aspect the first sensor21is configured to obtain a three dimensional view of at least an area30in front of the first front wheel11. According to an aspect the second sensor22is configured to obtain a three dimensional view of at least an area30in front of the second front wheel12.

The control unit40is connected to the first and second sensors21,22. The control unit is configured to receive the three dimensional view from the first and second sensors21,22. The control unit40is configured to identify the ramp50in the three dimensional view. The control unit40is configured to identify the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp50in the three dimensional view. The control unit40is configured to calculate a three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle on the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp50. The control unit40is configured to control the vehicle1to autonomously onboard the vehicle1on to the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp50along the three dimensional path P. The three dimensional path P is based on how the first and second front wheels11,12and the first and second rear wheels13,14of the vehicle1should be moved to onboard the vehicle1onto the ramp50. The three dimensional path P comprises information of three dimensional positions of different points along the path, i.e. definitions of the positions in the x, y, z scale as disclosed inFIG.2.

The first aspect of this disclosure shows the vehicle1comprising the system10for autonomously onboarding of the vehicle1on the ramp50.

By three dimensional path P is meant a path P that comprises information in three dimensions of how the vehicle1should move. According to an aspect the three dimensional path P comprises information of how the vehicle1should be moved forward, sideways and height ways to onboard the ramp50. If for instance the ramp50is flat, the height of the three dimensional path P is constant. Put in another way, the three dimensional path P could be constant in one or more directions.

By autonomously onboard the vehicle1is meant that the control unit40at least controls a steering of the vehicle1such that it controls the direction that the vehicle1is moved in and that is onboarded to the ramp50. According to an aspect autonomously onboard the vehicle1comprises that the control unit40controls the steering and the speed of the vehicle1such that it is on boarded onto the ramp50. The control unit40controls the steering of the vehicle1by controlling the angle of the first and second front wheels11,12. According to an aspect the vehicle1is on boarded onto the ramp50by moving the vehicle1forward. According to an aspect the vehicle1is on boarded onto the ramp50by reversing the vehicle1.

According to an aspect the control unit40is further configured to identify and to calculate the three dimensional path P at least based on one or more of the width, elevation, height, direction, start and end of each of the one or more paths51,52of the ramp50.

According to an aspect the three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle1on the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp51comprises a separate three dimensional path P1,P2for each of the first front wheel11and the second front wheel12, as is disclosed inFIG.1-3.

According to an aspect the three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle1on the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp51comprises a separate three dimensional path P3,P4for each of the first rear wheel13and the second rear wheel14, as is disclosed inFIG.3.

According to an aspect the first and the second sensors21,22are positioned under the vehicle1. According to an aspect the area30at least comprises an area31under the vehicle1in front of the first and the second front wheels11,12as is disclosed inFIGS.1and2.

According to an aspect the control unit40is configured to continuously update the three dimensional path P based on continuously received input from the first and second sensors21,22.

According to an aspect the first and the second sensors21,22are a camera, a radar and/or an infrared sensor. According to an aspect the first and the second sensors21,22are configured to the obtain the three dimensional view of at least the area30in front of the first and second front wheel11,12by obtaining several images as the vehicle1is moving. By obtaining images as the vehicle1is moving a three dimensional view could be obtained by analyzing two dimensional images. This will reduce the costs of the sensors. By obtaining images is meant obtaining an image by the camera, the radar and/or the infrared sensor.

According to an aspect the fifth sensor25is connected to the control unit40and configured to detect a signal indicative of a request to initiate an onboarding to the ramp50. The signal could be a light signal from the signal lights53.

According to an aspect the control unit40comprise, or have access to, information regarding the vehicle1such as the width of the tires, the distance between the first and second front wheels11,12, the distance between the first and second rear wheels13,14, the distance between the first front wheel11and the first rear wheel13and the distance between the second front wheel12and the second rear wheel14. According to an aspect the calculating of the three dimensional path P is further based on one or more of the above information of the vehicle1.

According to an aspect the first and second sensors11,12are moveable to obtain a view of the area30from different angles to obtain the three dimensional view. According to an aspect the first sensor11is moveable to obtain a view of the area30from different angles to obtain the three dimensional view. According to an aspect the second sensor12is moveable to obtain a view of the area30from different angles to obtain the three dimensional view.

According to an aspect the control unit40is configured to identify a left ramp path51and a right ramp path52of the ramp50in the received input and to control the first front wheel11and the first rear wheel13of the vehicle1to autonomously onboard the left ramp path51of the ramp50and the second front wheel12and the second rear wheel14of the vehicle1to autonomously onboard the right ramp path52of the ramp50.

According to an aspect the control unit40calculates the three dimensional paths P3, P4for onboarding the first and second rear wheels13,14based on a relative position between the first and second front wheels11,12and the first and second rear wheels13,14.

According to an aspect the system10further comprises a third sensor positioned in front of the first rear wheel13and a fourth sensor positioned in front of the second rear wheel14. The control unit40is configured to calculate the three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle1on the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp50also based on input from the third and fourth sensors. According to an aspect the third and the fourth sensors are positioned under the vehicle1.

According to an aspect the three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle1on the ramp50is continuously updated by the control unit40as the vehicle1is moved, i.e. autonomously driven, along the three dimensional path P. By constantly updating the three dimensional path P any sliding of any of the wheels11,12,13,14could be compensated for.

The second aspect of this disclosure shows a method100for autonomously onboarding of the vehicle1according to the first aspect on a ramp50. The method comprise the steps of: —obtaining S1, by the first and second sensors21,22a three dimensional view of at least an area30in front of the first and second front wheel11,12, —receiving S2, in the control unit40the three dimensional view from the first and second sensors21,22, —identifying S3the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp50in the three dimensional view, —calculating S4a three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle on the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp, —controlling S5the vehicle1to autonomously onboard the vehicle1on to the one or more ramp paths51,52of the ramp50along the three dimensional path P.

Hereafter will an example of onboarding the vehicle1onto the ramp be described. If for instance a user of the vehicle1should visit a service workshop for servicing the vehicle1or to wash the vehicle1in a car wash comprising the ramp50, the vehicle1drives towards the ramp50. This could be done by the user of the vehicle1or autonomously by the vehicle1. When the vehicle1approaches the ramp50, the first and second sensors21,22detects the ramp50and its one or more ramp paths51,52. The first and second sensors21,22obtains a three dimensional view of the area30in front of the vehicle1. The three dimensional view of the area30comprises information of one or more of the width, elevation, height, direction, start and end of each of the one or more paths51,52of the ramp50. The first and second sensors21,22send the information to the control unit40. The control unit40receives the three dimensional view from the first and second sensors21,22. The three dimensional view is analyzed in the control unit40and any ramp50is detected in the three dimensional view. When the ramp50is detected it is also analyzed if the ramp50comprises one or more ramp paths51,52and each ramp path5152of the ramp50is detected in the three dimensional view by the control unit40. The control unit40detects the left ramp path51and the right ramp path52. The control unit40detects one or more of the width, elevation, height, direction, start and end of each of the one or more paths51,52of the ramp50.

The control unit40thereafter calculates the three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle1on the ramp50. The path P comprises the three dimensional path P1for the onboarding the first front wheel11onto the left ramp path51and the three dimensional path P2for onboarding the second front wheel12onto the right ramp path52. The path P further comprises the three dimensional path P3for the onboarding the first rear wheel13onto the left ramp path51and the three dimensional path P4for onboarding the second rear wheel14onto the right ramp path52.

The fifth sensor25detects the signal light53. The fifth sensor53obtains information of the signal light53and sends it to the control unit40. The control unit40receives the information from the fifth sensor53and detects if the signal light53indicates it is OK to onboard the ramp50or if the vehicle1should wait.

When a signal indicative of that it is OK to onboard the vehicle1onto the ramp50is detected by the control unit40, the autonomously onboarding could be initiated. The autonomously onboarding could be initiated automatically when the signal indicative of that it is OK is detected. According to an aspect the autonomously onboarding is initiated when the signal indicative of that it is OK is detected and that the control unit40receives input from the user of that the vehicle1should onboard the ramp50. The control unit40controlling the vehicle1to autonomously onboard the vehicle1on to the ramp50along the three dimensional path P. The control unit40controls the angles of the first and second front wheels11,12and the speed of the vehicle1such that is moves along the three dimensional path P. The control unit40controls the angle of the first front wheel11to onboard the left ramp path51and the angle of the second front wheel12to onboard the right ramp path52. When the vehicle1reaches the end of the three dimensional path P it is onboarded onto the ramp50and the vehicle1is stopped. The vehicle1is now onboarded on the ramp50.

According to an aspect the control unit40is further configured to offboard the vehicle1from the ramp50based on an inverse of the three dimensional path P for onboarding the vehicle1.

According to some embodiments, a computer program product comprises a computer readable medium such as, for example a universal serial bus (USB) memory, a plug-in card, an embedded drive or a read only memory (ROM). An example computer readable medium could be a compact disc (CD) ROM. The computer readable medium has stored thereon a computer program comprising program instructions for performing the method according to the above. The computer program is loadable into a data processor (PROC), which may, for example, be comprised in the control unit40or vehicle1. When loaded into the data processing unit, the computer program may be stored in a memory associated with or comprised in the data-processing unit. According to an aspect, the computer program may, when loaded into and run by the data processing unit, cause execution of method steps according to, for example, any of the methods illustrated inFIG.4or otherwise described herein.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. The person skilled in the art further realizes that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Generally, when an arrangement is referred to herein, it is to be understood as a physical product; e.g., an apparatus. The physical product may comprise one or more parts, such as controlling circuitry in the form of one or more controllers, one or more processors, or the like.

The described embodiments and aspect and their equivalents may be realized in software or hardware or a combination thereof. The embodiments may be performed by general purpose circuitry. Examples of general purpose circuitry include digital signal processors (DSP), central processing units (CPU), co-processor units, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and other programmable hardware. Alternatively or additionally, the embodiments may be performed by specialized circuitry, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). The general purpose circuitry and/or the specialized circuitry may, for example, be associated with or comprised in an apparatus such as a vehicle.

Embodiments and aspects may appear within an electronic apparatus (associated with or comprised in a vehicle) comprising arrangements, circuitry, and/or logic according to any of the embodiments described herein. Alternatively or additionally, an electronic apparatus (associated with or comprised in a vehicle) may be configured to perform methods according to any of the embodiments described herein.

Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and/or is implied from the context in which it is used.

Reference has been made herein to various embodiments. However, a person skilled in the art would recognize numerous variations to the described embodiments that would still fall within the scope of the claims.

For example, the method embodiments described herein discloses example methods through steps being performed in a certain order. However, it is recognized that these sequences of events may take place in another order without departing from the scope of the claims. Furthermore, some method steps may be performed in parallel even though they have been described as being performed in sequence. Thus, the steps of any methods disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and/or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step.

In the same manner, it should be noted that in the description of embodiments and aspect, the partition of functional blocks into particular units is by no means intended as limiting. Contrarily, these partitions are merely examples. Functional blocks described herein as one unit may be split into two or more units. Furthermore, functional blocks described herein as being implemented as two or more units may be merged into fewer (e.g. a single) unit.

Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever suitable. Likewise, any advantage of any of the embodiments may apply to any other embodiments, and vice versa.

Hence, it should be understood that the details of the described embodiments are merely examples brought forward for illustrative purposes, and that all variations that fall within the scope of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.