IP Library Granted Patent US 12,429,556
Granted Patent B2
US 12,429,556 · App. 17/903,521 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Method and control unit for monitoring a sensor system

Inventors: Jerg Pfeil (Cleebronn, DE); Tim Dettling (Murr, DE)
Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
G01S7/40G01S13/89
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,429,556
App. No.
17/903,521
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for monitoring a sensor system. Sensor data of the sensor system are read in and information of the sensor data from different elevations of the sensor data is projected as image data into an azimuthal image plane. The information from at least two image areas of the image plane is evaluated in a spatially resolved manner in order to recognize a local sensor blindness of the sensor system. A blindness notification for an image area is output if the sensor blindness is recognized in the image area.

Claims (24)

1. A method for monitoring a sensor system, the method comprising:

reading in sensor data of the sensor system;

projecting information of the sensor data from at least two different elevation areas of the sensor data as image data into at least two different image planes;

evaluating information from at least two image areas of the image planes in a spatially resolved manner in order to recognize a local sensor blindness of the sensor system; and

outputting a blindness notification for an image area of the at least two image areas based on the local sensor blindness being recognized in the image area, wherein subsequent information corresponding to the image area is discarded and/or ignored based on the outputting of the blindness notification for the image area.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein items of the information projected into each image area are combined to form overall information of the image area.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes sensor data of at least two sensors of the sensor system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes sensor data of at least two different sensors of the sensor system.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein, for each image plane of the image planes, the information from at least two image areas is evaluated in a spatially resolved manner.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a size and/or number of the image areas is set dependent on a situation.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the image data are aggregated with metadata of the sensor data.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether the sensor data includes three-dimensional (3D) sensor data; and

converting, in response to determining that the sensor data includes 3D sensor data, the 3D sensor data to two-dimensional (2D) sensor data.

9. A control unit configured to monitor a sensor system, the control unit configured to:

read in sensor data of the sensor system;

project information of the sensor data from at least two different elevation areas of the sensor data as image data into at least two different image planes;

evaluate information from at least two image areas of the image planes in a spatially resolved manner in order to recognize a local sensor blindness of the sensor system; and

output a blindness notification for an image area of the at least two image areas based on the local sensor blindness being recognized in the image area, wherein the control unit is further configured to discard and/or ignore subsequent information corresponding to the image area based on the output blindness notification for the image area.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for monitoring a sensor system, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the following steps:

reading in sensor data of the sensor system;

projecting information of the sensor data from at least two different elevation areas of the sensor data as image data into at least two different image planes;

evaluating information from at least two image areas of the image planes in a spatially resolved manner in order to recognize a local sensor blindness of the sensor system; and

outputting a blindness notification for an image area of the at least two image areas based on the local sensor blindness being recognized in the image area, wherein subsequent information corresponding to the image area is discarded and/or ignored based on the outputting of the blindness notification for the image area.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2022
From: PFEIL, JERG; DETTLING, TIM
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 061592/0910 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 210 191.7 · Sep 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230079545A1 · Mar 16, 2023
References Cited (3)
US 20200090322A1 · Seo · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20220018961A1 · O'Keeffe · 2022 [cited by examiner]
DE 19945268A1 · 2001 [cited by applicant]