Method and device for determining false-positive detections of a lidar sensor
A method for determining false-positive detections of a lidar sensor in a scanning process of the surroundings of a vehicle involves, for every laser pulse that is reflected back to the lidar sensor in a scan range of this, checking whether this is reflected back several times in different distances. First reflections of a laser pulse that is reflected back several times are clustered and then, if a distance evaluation of reflections from the cluster produced reveals that the laser pulses are being reflected at a reflecting surface that is at least approximately homogeneous, further reflections following the respective first reflection are marked as false-positive detections.
1 . A method comprising:
emitting, by a lidar sensor of a vehicle, a plurality of laser pulses in different directions in a scanning operation of an environment of the vehicle;
receiving, by the lidar sensor, laser pulse reflections of the emitted plurality of laser pulses;
checking every laser pulse reflection in a scan range of the lidar sensor to determine whether the laser pulse is reflected back several times in different distances;
forming a cluster of first reflections of the laser pulse that are reflected back several times; and then
marking further reflections following the first reflections of the laser pulse as false-positive detections if a distance evaluation of laser pulses reflected at the cluster indicates that the laser pulse is being reflected at a reflecting surface that is planar or is a curved window pane of another vehicle; and
controlling, by a driver assistance system of the vehicle, longitudinal or lateral movement of the vehicle based on the first reflections and omitting the marked further reflections.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the further reflections are then only marked as false-positive detections if the further reflections from the reflecting surface of the cluster occur at a larger distance than the first reflections.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
differentiating a surface of the cluster between
a cluster with the planar surface,
a cluster with the curved window pane,
a cluster extending in exactly one spatial direction, and
a cluster extending in three spatial directions.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the cluster extending in exactly one spatial direction is characterized as a cluster representing edges of an object.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the cluster extending in the three spatial directions is characterized as a cluster representing dust, fog, or fine-grained structures.
6 . A vehicle comprising:
a lidar sensor configured to emit a plurality of laser pulses in different directions in a scanning operation of an environment of the vehicle and receive laser pulse reflections of the emitted plurality of laser pulses;
a device, coupled to the lidar sensor, configured to
check every laser pulse reflection in a scan range of the lidar sensor to determine whether the laser pulse is reflected back several times in different distances;
form a cluster of first reflections of the laser pulse that are reflected back several times; and then
mark further reflections following the first reflections of the laser pulse as false-positive detections if a distance evaluation of laser pulses reflected at the cluster indicates that the laser pulse is being reflected at a reflecting surface that is planar or is a curved window pane of another vehicle; and
a driver assistance system, coupled to the device, configured to control longitudinal or lateral movement of the vehicle based on the first reflections and omitting the marked further reflections.
7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the device is configured to only mark the further reflections as false-positive detections if the further reflections from the reflecting surface of the cluster occur at a larger distance than the first reflections.
8 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the device is further configured to differentiate a surface of the cluster between
a cluster with the planar surface,
a cluster with the curved window pane,
a cluster extending in exactly one spatial direction, and
a cluster extending in three spatial directions.
9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the cluster extending in exactly one spatial direction is characterized as a cluster representing edges of an object.
10 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the cluster extending in the three spatial directions is characterized as a cluster representing dust, fog, or fine-grained structures.