Abstract: The invention relates to a radar system for recording the environment of a motor vehicle, comprising: transmission means for emitting transmission signals using at least two transmission antennas; receiving means for receiving transmission signals reflected by objects using one or more receiver antennas; and signal processing means for processing the received signals, characterized in that it is equipped with transmitter and receiver antennas that are planar and are situated on a level surface, said transmitter and receiver antennas have at least approximately the same emission characteristic, wherein the emission characteristic of the transmitter antennas can be different to that of the receiver antennas, received signals are acquired from different combinations of the transmitter and receiver antennas, in the signal processing means, the angular position in a spatial direction R is estimated for objects from said received signals, using the fact that the received signals from an individual object have

Abstract: The invention relates to a radar system for recording the environment of a motor vehicle, comprising: transmission means for emitting transmission signals using at least two transmitter antennas; receiving means for receiving transmission signals reflected by objects using one or more receiver antennas; and signal processing means for processing the received signals, characterized in that received signals are acquired from different combinations of transmitter and receiver antennas, a relative phase centre, which is defined as the sum of the two vectors from a reference point to the phase centers of the respective transmitter and receiver antenna, being assigned to each combination; the transmitter and receiver antennas used in said combination have at least approximately the same emission characteristics and the emission characteristics of said transmitter antennas can be different from those of said receiver antennas; the position of the relative phase centers of said combinations of transmitter and r

Abstract: The invention relates to a radar system for recording the environment of a motor vehicle, comprising: transmission means for emitting transmission signals using at least two transmitter antennas; receiving means for receiving transmission signals reflected by objects using one or more receiver antennas; and signal processing means for processing the received signals, characterized in that a phase center of at least one receiver antenna does not lie, with regard to a spatial direction R, outside phase centers of two transmitter antennas that are offset in said spatial direction, and in that the signals received by said antenna are separated according to the two portions originating from said two transmitter antennas.

Abstract: A method for detecting misalignment of a vehicle headlight using a camera system is specified. For this purpose, the headlight is in a predefined position and the camera system is arranged on or in the vehicle and is oriented in such a manner that the light distribution pattern of the headlight in front of the motor vehicle is detected. With a predefined headlight position, an actual light distribution pattern of the headlight is recorded using the camera system and is compared with a desired light distribution pattern for the predefined headlight position. If the actual light distribution pattern differs from the desired light distribution pattern, misalignment of the headlight is detected.

Abstract: A method for a motor vehicle for the predictive classification of a future vehicle environment and its lighting conditions. To this end, a camera system is oriented with respect to a region ahead of the vehicle. A sequence of images is recorded. In a predefined central image detail, the change of brightness per unit of time and/or distance is determined and this is used to infer the environment ahead of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for determining at least one threshold value S for distinguishing, in the dark, between reflectors and vehicle lights that are recorded as light spots by a camera sensor oriented towards the surroundings of a vehicle. The camera sensor records a series of images of the surroundings of the vehicle. At least one light spot in the series of images is tracked. When the tracking of a light spot is completed, at least one parameter (for example the maximum intensity Imax of the light spot in the entire series of images, or the lifetime ? of the light spot) is determined from measured values, for example from the intensity of the light spot in each image. The threshold value S is then adapted to the determined parameter/s. The determined parameter value of the light spot is included in a frequency distribution of the parameter values from previously tracked light spots.

Abstract: A method for detecting the course of a traffic lane, including the following steps: measuring structures of the traffic lane; evaluating the homogeneity of the measurements; and determining the course of the traffic lane on the basis of the evaluated homogeneity.

Abstract: A method and a device for distinguishing between reflectors arranged on the roadside and vehicle lights and for identifying said reflectors and vehicle lights for use in an automatic light control system in a vehicle with a camera sensor oriented towards the surroundings of the vehicle. The method includes recording a sequence of images of the surroundings of the vehicle. Light spots are found and subjected to temporal tracking within the sequence of images. Afterwards, for each light spot, a decision is made whether the light source of the light spot is a vehicle light or a reflector. A statistical map for the entire camera image is determined from the position of the light spots found with the statistical map comprising regions that are predominantly occupied by reflectors and regions that are predominantly occupied by vehicles driving ahead or by oncoming vehicles.

Abstract: A sensor device for detecting a motion state of a motor vehicle. The sensor device includes at least one laser unit having a light source for emitting coherent light which is transmitted in the direction of a roadway surface, and an interference detector which is designed to detect at least one measurement variable which characterizes interference between the light scattered at the surface and the light of the light source. The measurement variable represents a speed component of the sensor device and/or a distance between the sensor device and the roadway surface. The laser unit is coupled to an evaluation device which is designed to determine, from the measurement variable, at least one variable which characterizes the motion state of the vehicle, in particular a speed component of the center of gravity of the vehicle, a rotational angle or a rotation rate of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a frequency-modulated radar system for detecting the surroundings with compensation of interfering effects, the compensation being achieved by varying one of the following sizes: a) temporal distance between the transmitted frequency ramps and temporal gap, respectively, between the frequency ramps, b) time from the start of the transmission ramp to the beginning of the scanning of the receiving signal, c) frequency at the start of the transmitted frequency ramp, and d) sign of the slope of the frequency ramps.

Abstract: In a method for the calibration of a yaw rate measurement in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle features at least one device for determining the yaw rate, a camera system which is oriented in the forward direction, and, if applicable, a steering angle sensor or a lateral acceleration sensor. At least one initial calibration is carried out at a standstill and at least one second calibration is carried out when the motor vehicle is moving. The second calibration uses image data of the camera system, which detects the environment in front of the motor vehicle, to predict the course of the roadway lane on which the vehicle is driving, from which the yaw rate is estimated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for distance control of the vehicle in question in relation to a vehicle driving ahead, which method is distinguished in that the vehicle in question is kept at a distance from a vehicle driving ahead by a drive torque (M) which is predefined by means of an accelerator pedal position (G) which is set by the driver.

Abstract: A method for the automatic light control for a motor vehicle with a camera sensor for monitoring the environment in front of the motor vehicle is presented. With the camera sensor, an image sequence of the motor vehicle environment in front of the motor vehicle is recorded. The lane of the own motor vehicle is estimated from the image data. At least one evaluation window along the lane is set in the image, so that preceding and oncoming motor vehicles are recorded. Points of light in the image sequence are pursued (tracked). On the basis of the image data, the lights of other motor vehicles are detected, and the front headlights are controlled in such a manner that the drivers of other motor vehicles are not blinded.

Abstract: A method for regulating the velocity of a motor vehicle in a complex traffic situation is presented. The motor vehicle is equipped with a sensor system for recording the environment. In order to regulate the velocity, an at least partially covered object and/or at least one object on an adjacent lane is viewed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the calibration of yaw rate measurement in a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle features at least one device for determining the yaw rate, a camera system which is in the forward-position, and, if applicable, a steering angle sensor. At least one initial calibration is carried out at a standstill and at least one second calibration is carried out when the motor vehicle is moving.

Abstract: Camera for identifying soiling on a protective screen. The camera is focused on a scene behind the protective screen and can be used to identify soiling and for other applications, e.g. to identify driving lanes and/or to identify objects. Soiling is identified merely by evaluating frames recorded in succession, artificial reference frames or reference objects are not required. A prerequisite for a successful measurement is that the relative speed vrel of the camera and of at least one recorded object in the surroundings is not equal to zero and its trajectory is predicted in the depiction. By comparing the relevant frame sections, possible soiling on subregions of the protective screen is identified.

Abstract: In a method for suppressing interferences while detecting objects in a target area, a transmitter transmits a sequence of pulses into the target area, and a receiver detects the resulting reflection signal of the pulses reflected from the objects, within successive time windows that are referenced to the moment of transmitting an individual pulse and thus represent distance gates. The time spacing between the successive individual pulses is variable and randomized according to the pseudo-noise principle within predetermined limits, and the time windows are adapted accordingly. The received reflection signal may be sampled, digitized, digitally pre-processed and digitally filtered in the individual distance gates. A non-linear digital filter, preferably a sliding median filter, is used for the filtering to suppress transient disturbances. The median is determined from an odd number of consecutive sampled values of a reflection signal detected within a distance gate.

Abstract: Input values are non-linearly digitally filtered to produce as an output value the Rth-largest value among the K input values, wherein the Rth-largest value may be the median value with R=(K+1)/2. The input values are provided in any binary fixed point number representation. A respective selected bit of all the input values is evaluated to determine the Rth-largest bit value of this bit among the K input values, and this gives the value of the corresponding bit of the output value. In the input values of which the selected bit does not correspond to the determined Rth-largest bit value, all of the subsequent less-significant bits are set as dummy bits equal to the selected bit, which excludes these input values from being the Rth-largest value in the subsequent evaluation of the successive less-significant bits. Then these steps are repeated for the next selected less-significant bit, and so forth, thereby respectively determining the successive bits of the output value.

Abstract: Circuits generate an IQ voltage or current signal having orthogonal I- and Q-parts of approximately equal amplitude from an electric input signal having a frequency varying slightly around a carrier frequency, without needing a complex mixer. The circuit includes at least one ohmic resistance and at least one reactance connected in series (for a voltage) or in parallel (for a current). The reactance has an impedance at the carrier frequency approximately matching the resistance value of the ohmic resistance. The I- and Q-parts of the voltage signal are tapped as voltage drops across the resistance and the reactance. With two such series circuit branches in parallel, both voltage signal parts can be referenced directly to a reference potential, e.g. ground. The I- and Q-parts of the current signal are tapped as currents flowing through the resistance and the reactance. The circuit can be integrated at the output of a bandpass filter.

Abstract: An optical sensor arrangement is protected against interfering environmental influences by a transparent cover. To avoid interfering reflections, a baffle with lamellae oriented in the direction of the emitted and reflected light is arranged between the cover and the transmitting-receiving device.