Abstract: A radar-based environmental detection system for motor vehicles. The system includes at least one radar sensor for providing location data regarding objects in the environment of the motor vehicle, and including a neural network for converting the location data into an environmental model which represents spatio-temporal object data of the objects. The neural network is conditioned to give priority to outputting environmental models in which at least one predetermined physical relationship between the location data and the object data is satisfied.

Abstract: A method for eliminating sensor errors, in particular ambiguities when detecting dynamic objects, by a control device, is provide. Measurement data are received from at least one first sensor and object hypotheses are formed from the received measurement data. Data of at least one reference object, which is detected based on measurement data from at least one second sensor, are received. The formed object hypotheses are compared with the at least one detected reference object. Object hypotheses that do not match the detected reference object are rejected. A method for eliminating sensor errors, in particular ambiguities when detecting static objects is also provided.

Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle including steps of determining a position of the motor vehicle; determining topographical surroundings of the position; and controlling, based on the determined topographical surroundings, a protection device on board the motor vehicle if a collision of the motor vehicle with another object is imminent.

Abstract: A method for operating a driver-assistance system for a vehicle traveling on a road is described, which includes the steps: detecting a bottleneck lying ahead of the vehicle as well as at least one vehicle that approaches the vehicle from the opposite direction, determining the distance and the width of the bottleneck as well as the distance, the width, and the current driving speed of the oncoming vehicle, predicting the expected trajectories of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, and determining an expected meeting point of the two vehicles, analyzing the predicted traffic situation, and activating a safety function if the expected meeting point of the two vehicles lies in the region of the bottleneck (500), the activation instant of the safety device (150) being determined as a function of the current traffic situation.

Abstract: A method for operating a driver-assistance system for a vehicle traveling on a road is described, which includes the steps: detecting a bottleneck lying ahead of the vehicle as well as at least one vehicle that approaches the vehicle from the opposite direction, determining the distance and the width of the bottleneck as well as the distance, the width, and the current driving speed of the oncoming vehicle, predicting the expected trajectories of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, and determining an expected meeting point of the two vehicles, analyzing the predicted traffic situation, and activating a safety function if the expected meeting point of the two vehicles lies in the region of the bottleneck (500), the activation instant of the safety device (150) being determined as a function of the current traffic situation.

Abstract: A method for determining an object angle, especially for a driver assistance system in a motor vehicle, includes the steps of determining directional angles of the object with respect to two sensors, determining the object angle based on the directional angles, determining a cross-misalignment angle as the difference of the determined directional angles, determining a validity signal indicating the validity of the object angle based on the cross-misalignment angle and compensating for the influence of a relative misalignment of the sensors on the determined object angle based on the cross-misalignment angle.

Abstract: A method and device for identifying and classifying objects, electromagnetic radiation being emitted by a sensor, the radiation components reflected on objects being received by the sensor, the received signals being analyzed by comparison with stored characteristic values and the class of the reflecting object being deduced on the basis of the analysis. To this end, an analyzer is provided for analyzing the received signals, a memory is provided for storing characteristic patterns, its stored patterns being compared with the analyzed signals and thus the class of the reflecting objects being deducible on the basis of the comparison.

Abstract: In a method for operating a radar system and a radar system for performing the method, in particular a microwave radar system for applications in or on motor vehicles, in which at least one target object and at least one possible concealing object are detected using radar technology, it is provided in particular that a detection is made of whether a concealment situation of the at least one target object by the at least one concealing object exists, and in the case of a detected concealment situation a loss of the target object is not automatically assumed.

Abstract: A method for predicting object movements in a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, in which the movements of objects located periodically by a locating device (12) are precalculated by dynamic modeling of the objects, characterized in that a plurality of dynamic models (16) are held in readiness which are based on different hypotheses about the object, and that the models are selected and/or weighted as a function of the situation in accordance with the correctness probability (P1, P2) of the hypotheses for the prediction.

Abstract: Method for determining a dynamic variable representative for a lateral movement of a located object in a driver assistance system for motor vehicles, which has two angle-resolving distance sensors situated laterally offset to one another for locating the object, using which a radial component of the relative velocity of the object along the particular line of sight is also measurable, wherein the dynamic variable is calculated on the basis of the radial components of the relative velocity measured by the two distance sensors.

Abstract: In an object verification method for use in radar systems for motor vehicles, the distances and relative velocities of located objects are determined on the basis of received radar echoes. The signature of multiple reflections is searched for in the received radar echoes to verify real objects.

Abstract: A method for determining an object angle, especially for a driver assistance system in a motor vehicle, includes the steps of determining directional angles of the object with respect to two sensors, determining the object angle based on the directional angles, determining a cross-misalignment angle as the difference of the determined directional angles, determining a validity signal indicating the validity of the object angle based on the cross-misalignment angle and compensating for the influence of a relative misalignment of the sensors on the determined object angle based on the cross-misalignment angle.

Abstract: In a method for operating a radar system and a radar system for performing the method, in particular a microwave radar system for applications in or on motor vehicles, in which at least one target object and at least one possible concealing object are detected using radar technology, it is provided in particular that a detection is made of whether a concealment situation of the at least one target object by the at least one concealing object exists, and in the case of a detected concealment situation a loss of the target object is not automatically assumed.

Abstract: A method and device for object detection in the case of a vehicle equipped with an object-detection system, the object-detection system emitting electromagnetic radiation and receiving radiation reflected off objects within the detection range, and the radiation reflected off a detected object, which was additionally reflected off an object extending along the roadway, is analyzed. The analysis consists of a plausibilization in which the directly measured object reflections are verified using the indirect object reflections, or in that the analysis consists of utilizing the indirect object reflections for the further object detection if reflections from a previously detected object are no longer measurable.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for measuring distance and relative speed of a plurality of objects with the aid of an FMCW radar, transmitted signals being reflected by objects, and the reflected signals being received and mixed with the transmitted signals. A combination of distance and relative speed values is assigned to the mixer output frequencies of each frequency ramp for each object, and the distance and relative speed of a possible object are determined from points of intersection of a plurality of distance and relative speed combinations. The apparent (unreal) objects are eliminated by modifying the frequency slope of at least one frequency ramp according to the random principle in a subsequent measurement cycle.

Abstract: In a method for estimating the width of radar objects in a position finding system for motor vehicles, which has at least two angle-resolving radar sensors, the reflection points positioned by several of the radar sensors, which are to be assigned to the same object on the basis of their distance data and relative velocity data, are combined into a group, lateral positions of the reflection points from this group are calculated, the difference of the lateral positions is calculated for various pairs of these refection points, and the maximum of these differences is sought out to determine an estimated value for a minimum width of the object.

Abstract: A method and device for identifying and classifying objects, electromagnetic radiation being emitted by a sensor, the radiation components reflected on objects being received by the sensor, the received signals being analyzed by comparison with stored characteristic values and the class of the reflecting object being deduced on the basis of the analysis. To this end, an analyzer is provided for analyzing the received signals, a memory is provided for storing characteristic patterns, its stored patterns being compared with the analyzed signals and thus the class of the reflecting objects being deducible on the basis of the comparison.

Abstract: A method for recognizing a vertical misalignment of the radiation characteristic of a radar sensor of a control system for a motor vehicle, in particular of a driving speed and/or adaptive driving speed system, including the following steps: the receive power of the radar radiation reflected from an object is determined; the distance dependence and the horizontal angular dependence are compensated according to the radar equation; the functional dependence of the receive power, processed in this way, on the distance from the object is compared to an expected and stored curve of the receive power over the distance, and from this the vertical misalignment of the radiation characteristic of the radar sensor is inferred.

Abstract: A method and a system for switching between a first operating mode and a second operating mode of a target control device connected to a data bus are provided. After activation of the target control device, a test device generates a predefined signal to be transmitted on the data bus, the predefined signal having a predefined frequency and a predefined pulse-duty factor. The target control device is switched from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in response to detecting the predefined signal transmitted on the data bus.

Abstract: A method for determining a variable associated with an object, the object having a plurality of points suitable for reflecting measuring signals, a probability of reflections occurring at these points is taken into account for evaluating at least one measuring signal.