FR3142395A1 - Environment perception system for vehicle and vehicle comprising such a system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an environment perception system (101) for a vehicle (10) and a vehicle (10) comprising such a system (101). The perception system (101) comprises first fixing means configured to fix the perception system (101) removably on the vehicle (10), the perception system (101) comprising at least two perception devices from a set comprising : a millimeter wave radar, a LIDAR, a camera, a receiver of a satellite positioning system and/or an antenna of the receiver, and an antenna configured to radiate and/or capture a set of electromagnetic waves. Figure for abstract: Figure 1

Description

Environment perception system for vehicle and vehicle comprising such a system

The present invention relates to environmental perception systems and modules for vehicles. The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising such a perception system. The present invention also relates to an environmental perception and connectivity system and/or module for vehicles, for example for an autonomous vehicle.

Technological background

Contemporary vehicles are increasingly equipped with driver assistance functions or systems, known as ADAS (from the English “Advanced Driver-Assistance System”).

These ADAS systems are designed to assist the driver of the vehicle in controlling the vehicle, or even to control the vehicle when it is driving in a so-called autonomous or semi-autonomous mode. These ADAS systems use, for at least some of them, data representative of the environment in which the vehicle is moving.

A vehicle equipped with such ADAS system(s) is thus equipped with a set of devices such as sensors configured to obtain this environmental data, such as for example data relating to the presence and/or position of objects in the environment.

Such a vehicle can also obtain such data from different servers in the “cloud” and/or other vehicles operating in this environment. For this purpose, the vehicle carries one or more wireless communication devices as well as a set of antennas to broadcast and/or capture electromagnetic signals carrying in particular this data.

With the constant evolution of the different technologies implemented for the acquisition of vehicle environmental data and/or for the systems processing this environmental data, particularly with regard to the lifespan of a vehicle which is measured in years, it sometimes appears necessary to develop the vehicle to improve its perception of the environment and thus its safety.

While software updates for the various systems and/or devices on board the vehicle are relatively easy, for example by downloading update data via a wireless connection with which the vehicle is equipped, hardware upgrades are complex and costly to implement.

Summary of the present invention

An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the material evolution of a vehicle.

According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an environment perception system for a vehicle, the perception system comprising first fixing means configured to removably fix the perception system on the vehicle, the perception system comprising a plurality of perception devices, at least one first perception device of the plurality being of a different type from at least one second perception device of the plurality, the perception devices of the plurality belonging to a set of perception devices comprising:
- a millimeter wave radar;
- a LIDAR;
- a camera;
- a receiver of a satellite positioning system and/or an antenna of the receiver; and
- an antenna configured to radiate and/or capture a set of electromagnetic waves.

Such a system equipped with several types of perception devices or sensors configured to obtain data on the environment of the vehicle makes it possible to provide the vehicle equipped with it with different environmental data obtained from different sensors for example. When it proves necessary to replace one or more of the perception devices of the perception system to technically upgrade the vehicle, the removable nature of the perception system makes it possible to remove the perception system from the vehicle to upgrade it (for example by replacing one or more of the reception devices) before putting it back in place, or to replace the perception system with another more technologically advanced one.

This allows the vehicle to evolve in terms of its ability to perceive its environment at a lower cost, the perception system being designed to be detached from the vehicle for hardware updates, repairs or replacement.

According to one variant, the perception system further comprises a first connection system configured to:
- electrically supply the plurality of perception devices; and
- transmitting first data to the plurality of receiving devices and/or receiving second data from the plurality of perception devices.

According to another variant, at least a portion of the plurality of perception devices is removably assembled in the perception system.

According to a further variant, the perception system comprises at least one millimeter wave radar, at least one LIDAR, a set of cameras comprising at least one camera, at least one antenna of a receiver of a satellite positioning system and at least one antenna configured to radiate and/or capture a set of electromagnetic waves.

According to yet another variant, the camera assembly comprises a plurality of cameras forming a stereoscopic image acquisition system.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle comprising at least one perception system as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention, the at least one perception system being arranged on the vehicle in a removably manner.

According to one variant, a body of the vehicle comprises at least one space configured to receive the at least one perception system.

According to another variant, the at least one space comprises second fixing means configured to cooperate with the first fixing means so as to ensure fixing of the at least one perception system on the vehicle when the first fixing means and the second fixing means cooperate with each other.

According to an additional variant, the at least one space comprises a second connection system configured to connect to the first connection system and to communicatively connect the at least one perception system to at least one computer of the vehicle.

According to yet another variant, the vehicle corresponds to an autonomous vehicle.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description of the particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the appended figures 1 to 2, in which:

schematically illustrates a vehicle carrying a set of perception systems, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

schematically illustrates a vehicle perception system of the , according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Description of examples of implementation

An environmental perception system for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising one or more environmental perception systems will now be described in the following with joint reference to Figures 1 to 2. Like elements are identified with like reference signs throughout the description which follows.

There schematically illustrates a vehicle 10 equipped with a set of perception systems 101 to 103, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle 10 corresponds for example to a vehicle with a thermal engine, with electric motor(s) or even a hybrid vehicle with a thermal engine and one or more electric motors. The vehicle 10 corresponds for example to a land public transport vehicle, for example a coach or a bus, to a goods transport vehicle such as a truck or a van.

According to other examples, the vehicle 10 corresponds to any motorized land vehicle, such as for example a motor vehicle or a motorcycle.

Vehicle 10 corresponds, for example, to a vehicle traveling in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode. The vehicle travels, for example, according to a level of autonomy equal to 1, 2 or 3 or according to a level of autonomy greater than or equal to 2 or 3, for example according to a level of autonomy equal to 4 or 5, according to the scale defined by the American federal agency which has established 5 levels of autonomy ranging from 1 to 5. Level 0 corresponds to a vehicle with no autonomy, the driving of which is under the total supervision of the driver, level 1 corresponds to a vehicle with a minimum level of autonomy, the driving of which is under the supervision of the driver with minimal assistance from an ADAS system (from the English “Advanced Driver-Assistance System” or in French “Système d’aide à la conduite supérieur”), and level 5 corresponds to a completely autonomous vehicle.

The 5 levels of autonomy of the classification of the federal agency responsible for road safety are:
- level 0: no automation, the vehicle driver has full control over the vehicle's main functions (engine, accelerator, steering, brakes);
- level 1: driver assistance, automation is active for certain vehicle functions, the driver retaining overall control over the vehicle's driving; cruise control is part of this level, as are other aids such as ABS (anti-lock braking system) or ESP (electro-stabilizer programmed);
- Level 2: automation of combined functions, the control of at least two main functions is combined in the automation to replace the driver in certain situations; for example, adaptive cruise control combined with lane centering allows a vehicle to be classified as Level 2, as does automatic parking assistance (from the English "Park assist");
- level 3: limited autonomous driving, the driver can hand over complete control of the vehicle to the automated system which will then be in charge of critical safety functions; autonomous driving can however only take place in certain specific environmental and traffic conditions (only on motorways for example);
- level 4: fully autonomous driving under certain conditions, the vehicle is designed to perform all critical safety functions alone over a complete journey; the driver provides a destination or navigation instructions but is not required to make himself available to take back control of the vehicle;
- level 5: completely autonomous driving without driver assistance in all circumstances.

The vehicle 10, for example, has one or more of the following ADAS systems:
- adaptive cruise control system, known as ACC (from the English “Adaptive Cruise Control”); and/or
- predictive cruise control, known as PCC (Predictive Cruise Control) system; and/or
- intelligent speed adaptation system, known as ISA system (from the English “Intelligent Speed Adaptation”); and/or
- curve speed adaptation system, known as CSA (Curve Speed Assist) system; and/or
- electronic stability control system, known as ESC (Electronic Stability Control), DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) or ESP (Electronic Stability Program); and/or
- lane keeping assistance system for the vehicle, known as LKA (from the English “Lane-Keeping Assist” or in French “Assistant de maintien dans la queue”) or LPA (from the English “Lane Positioning Assist” or in French “Assistant de positioning dans la queue”); and/or
- semi-automatic lane change system (SALC).

The examples of ADAS systems in the list above are provided for illustrative purposes and are not limiting, this list is not exhaustive.

One or more of the ADAS systems of the vehicle 10 require data on the environment in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, for example data relating to the presence of objects in the environment such as other vehicles, data relating to the position of these objects (for example relative to the vehicle 10), etc. This data is for example obtained from one or more devices for detecting objects or perceiving the environment of the vehicle 10, such as for example sensors of the radar, LIDAR and/or camera type.

According to an alternative embodiment, the vehicle 10 also has a communication system configured to communicate with one or more remote devices, such as cloud servers, other vehicles and/or one or more mobile communication devices (for example a smartphone), in direct wireless connection or via an infrastructure of a wireless communication network 12. The wireless communication infrastructure comprises, for example, a set of communication devices 110 of the LTE 4G or 5G cellular network antenna type or of the UBR (Roadside Unit) type.

According to this variant, the communication system of the vehicle 10 comprises for example a telematic control unit, called TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit”), which is connected to one or more computers of the on-board system of the vehicle 10 and to one or more communication antennas. The TCU unit and the calculator(s) form, for example, a multiplexed architecture for the implementation of various services useful for the proper operation of the vehicle and/or for assisting the driver and/or passengers of the vehicle in controlling the vehicle 10. The calculator(s) and the TCU unit communicate and exchange data with each other via one or more computer buses, for example a communication bus of the CAN (Controller Area Network) data bus type, CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate), FlexRay (according to the ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet (according to the ISO/IEC 802-3 standard).

The vehicle 10 advantageously carries one or more environmental perception systems 101, 102, 103. 3 perception systems 101, 102, 103 are illustrated in the . However, the number of perception systems equipping the vehicle 10 is not limited to 3 but extends to any number, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or more perception systems.

A perception system corresponds to a physical device comprising at least 2 perception devices of different types. A perception device corresponds to an element configured to obtain data, for example data on the environment of the vehicle 10 and/or on the position of the vehicle 10 in the environment. The perception system 101 to 103 thus corresponds to a device or module comprising several perception devices, at least 2 of these perception devices being of different types.

A perception device corresponds for example to a sensor configured for the acquisition of data representative of at least part of the environment in which the vehicle 10 is moving and/or for obtaining data (for example data on the environment and/or other data).

A perception device corresponds for example to one of the following devices:
- a millimeter wave radar configured to emit electromagnetic waves and to receive the echoes of these waves returned by one or more objects, for the purpose of detecting obstacles and their distances from the vehicle 10;
- a LIDAR (from the English "Light Detection And Ranging", or "Light Detection and Ranging" in French), a LIDAR sensor corresponding to an optoelectronic system composed of a laser emitting device, a receiving device comprising a light collector (to collect the part of the light radiation emitted by the emitter and reflected by any object located in the path of the light rays emitted by the emitter) and a photodetector which transforms the collected light into an electrical signal; a LIDAR sensor thus makes it possible to detect the presence of objects located in the emitted light beam and to measure the distance between the sensor and each detected object;
- a camera (associated or not with a depth sensor) for acquiring one or more images of the environment around the vehicle 10 located in the field of vision of the camera;
- a receiver of a satellite positioning system, called a GNSS system (from the English “Global Navigation Satellite System” or in French “Geolocation and navigation by a Satellite System”), for example a receiver of a GPS system (from the English “Global Positioning System” or in French “Geolocation satellite system”) or Galileo and/or an antenna of such a GNSS receiver;
- an antenna configured to radiate and/or capture a set of electromagnetic waves, for example a planar antenna (also called a patch antenna), a monopolar wire-plate antenna, an inverted-F antenna (also called an IFA antenna, from the English "Inverted-F Antenna"), a planar inverted-F antenna (also called a PIFA antenna, from the English "Planar Inverted-F Antenna") or any other type of antenna known to those skilled in the art, for example any type of antenna operating in the super high frequency range (between 3 and 30 GHz), these antennas being of small dimensions due to the frequency range of radio waves.

Each perception system 101 to 103 thus comprises at least one perception device of a first type (for example one or more radars) and at least one perception device of a second type different from the first type (for example one or more LIDARs).

The number of perception devices included or integrated in a perception system is not limited to 2 but extends to any number, depending on the volume of the perception system and the size of each perception device included in the perception system.

According to a particular and non-limiting example of the invention, a perception system thus comprises for example one or more millimeter wave radars, one or more LIDARs, one or more cameras, one or more GNSS system receivers and one or more antennas.

The number and type of perception devices vary for example from one perception system to another when the vehicle 10 has several perception systems. According to another example, 2 or more of the perception systems 101 to 103 equipping the vehicle 10 comprise the same perception devices, according to the same arrangement.

The shape and dimensions of a perception system are arbitrary and depend for example on the number of integrated perception devices and/or the location of the perception system when mounted on the vehicle 10.

When the vehicle 10 has several perception systems 101 to 103, each system is for example different from the others (for example different in terms of shape and/or integrated perception devices). According to another example, 2 or more of the perception systems are identical (for example identical in terms of shape and/or integrated perception devices).

The perception system further comprises first fastening means configured to cooperate with second fastening means of the vehicle 10, the first fastening means and the second fastening means being complementary to ensure that the fastening system is held in position when the latter is arranged on the vehicle 10. The first fastening means and the second fastening means are advantageously configured to allow removal of the perception system 101, 102, 103 from the vehicle 10, the perception system being removable, for example to replace the perception system, to repair it or to replace one or more of the perception devices that compose it.

The first fixing means are for example identical for all the perception systems 101 to 103 equipping the vehicle 10. According to another example, the first fixing means vary from one system to another, for example depending on the general shape of the perception system and/or the location/position of the perception system on the vehicle 10.

The first fixing means and the second fixing means correspond to any means known to those skilled in the art, for example rapid fixing means.

The removably fixing of a perception system on the vehicle 10 is for example obtained by partially inserting the perception system into a hollow space provided in the bodywork of the vehicle 10 to receive a lower part of a housing forming the external envelope of the perception system.

The removable attachment is for example obtained by a system of hooks fixed to the body of the vehicle 10 which hook one or more tabs or lugs provided on the housing forming the external casing of the perception system.

According to yet another example, the removable attachment is obtained by screwing or bolting the perception system onto the body of the vehicle 10 at a location provided for this purpose on the body of the vehicle 10.

According to an alternative embodiment, the fixing means comprise an anti-theft security system to prevent the theft of a reception system installed on the vehicle 10.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, each perception system 101 to 103 further comprises a first connection system configured to:
- electrically supply the perception devices; and
- transmit data to receiving devices and/or receive data from perception devices.

The first connection system is configured to couple to a second connection system of the vehicle 10 when the perception system 101 to 103 is arranged on the vehicle 10. The second connection system is advantageously arranged on the vehicle at the location where the perception system 101 to 103 is intended to be installed. The first connection system corresponds for example to a male connector and the second connection system to a female connector. The first connection system corresponds for example to a set of pins, one or more pins being associated with each perception device for its power supply and/or for the exchange of data with the vehicle 10.

The second connection system is advantageously connected by one or more data buses to one or more computers of the vehicle 10, these computers then being able to communicate with the perception system 101 to 103 via the first and second connection systems when the latter are coupled in communication.

For example, one or more detents are associated with the perception system and at the location provided for the perception system on the bodywork to guide the installation of the perception system without error and to ensure a correct connection between the first connection system and the second connection system.

The connectors of the first connection system mating with the connectors of the second connection system are advantageously arranged on the face of the housing of the perception system 101 to 103 resting on the location reserved for the perception system 101 to 103 on the body of the vehicle 10.

Such a perception system that is removably attached to the vehicle 10, i.e. so that it can be installed on the vehicle 10 and removed from the vehicle 10 at will, makes it possible to replace an aging, worn or broken perception system and replace it with a new perception system. This makes it possible to upgrade the vehicle 10 in a material manner according to technological developments associated with object detection, vehicle location and/or data communication techniques (for example according to a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication mode).

According to an alternative embodiment, one or more of the perception devices equipping a perception system 101 to 103 are removably integrated into housings provided for this purpose, so as to individually replace this or these reception devices rather than replacing the entire perception system.

There schematically illustrates a particular perception system configured for a being arranged on a vehicle, for example the vehicle 10, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The perception system of the corresponds for example to system 101.

According to the example of the , the shape of the perception system 101 corresponds to a rectangular parallelepiped. However, as described with respect to the , the shape of a perception system is not limited to such an example and the housing of the perception system can take any shape, for example a hemispherical shape, a prism shape, a conical shape, a truncated tube shape, etc.

Considering an orthonormal reference frame formed of three axes (XYZ), the perception system 101 is thus formed of an upper face 201 parallel and opposite a lower face 202 extending in the plane (XY), which lower face 202 corresponds for example to the face resting on the location provided in the bodywork of the vehicle 10 to receive the perception system 101. The perception system comprises two parallel lateral faces 205, 206 facing each other in the plane (XZ) and two parallel longitudinal faces 203, 204 facing each other in the plane (YZ).

When the X axis corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 10 and the system 101 is for example intended to be installed at the front of the vehicle 10 on the roof of the vehicle 10, the face 203 corresponds to the front face of the system 101, that is to say to the face directed towards the front of the vehicle 10 and directed towards the environment located in front of the vehicle 10 in the direction of movement of the vehicle 10 in forward gear, the face 205 then corresponding to the right face of the system 101 and the face 206 to the left face of the system 101.

According to the particular example of the , the system 101 comprises for example:
- a first LIDAR 21 corresponding for example to a 32-layer LIDAR of medium range arranged on the upper face 201;
- a second LIDAR 22 corresponding for example to a long-range LIDAR of type 1, arranged on the face 203;
- 2 cameras 23, 24 arranged on either side of the LIDAR 22 on the front face 203, these 2 cameras forming a stereoscopic acquisition system;
- a 25 millimeter wave radar arranged on the right face 205;
- a radio antenna 26 arranged on the upper face 201;
- an antenna 27 for GNSS reception system arranged on the upper face 201; and
- a plate with a set of mechanical and EE (Electrical Electronic) interfaces comprising the first fixing means and the first connection system, this plate being arranged on the lower face 202 and not illustrated on the .

The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example a goods transport vehicle or a public passenger transport vehicle, comprising one or more perception systems 101, 102 and/or 103.

Claims (10)

An environmental perception system (101) for a vehicle (10), said perception system (101) comprising first fixing means configured to removably fix said perception system (101) to said vehicle (10), said perception system (101) comprising a plurality of perception devices (21 to 27), at least one first perception device of said plurality (21 to 27) being of a different type from at least one second perception device of said plurality (21 to 27), the perception devices of said plurality belonging to a set of perception devices comprising:
- a millimeter wave radar;
- a LIDAR;
- a camera;
- a receiver of a satellite positioning system and/or an antenna of said receiver;
- an antenna configured to radiate and/or capture a set of electromagnetic waves. The perception system of claim 1, further comprising a first connection system configured to:
- electrically supplying said plurality of perception devices (21 to 27); and
- transmitting first data to said plurality of receiving devices (21 to 27) and/or receiving second data from said plurality of perception devices (21 to 27). A perception system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of perception devices (21 to 27) is removably assembled in said perception system (101). Perception system according to one of claims 1 to 3, said perception system (101) comprising at least one millimeter wave radar (25), at least one LIDAR (21, 22), a set of cameras (23, 24) comprising at least one camera, at least one antenna (26) of a receiver of a satellite positioning system and at least one antenna (27) configured to radiate and/or capture a set of electromagnetic waves. Perception system according to claim 4, wherein said camera assembly (23, 24) comprises a plurality of cameras forming a stereoscopic image acquisition system. Vehicle (10) comprising at least one perception system (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said at least one perception system is arranged on said vehicle (10) in a removably manner. Vehicle (10) according to claim 6, wherein a body of said vehicle (10) comprises at least one space configured to receive said at least one perception system (101). Vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said at least one space comprises second fixing means configured to cooperate with said first fixing means so as to ensure fixing of said at least one perception system (101) on said vehicle (10) when said first fixing means and said second fixing means cooperate with each other. Vehicle according to claim 7 or 8, for which said at least one space comprises a second connection system configured to connect to said first connection system and to communicatively connect said at least one perception system (101) to at least one computer of said vehicle (10). Vehicle (10) according to one of claims 6 to 9, for which said vehicle corresponds to an autonomous vehicle.