阅读说明：本技术 对后方接近的应急车辆的检测 (Detection of rear approaching emergency vehicle ) 是由 丹尼尔·斯文森 乔基姆·比耶马克 马林·伦德格伦 于 2021-04-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及对后方接近的应急车辆的检测。本公开涉及一种由行为分析系统执行的用于检测从后面接近车辆的应急车辆的方法。行为分析系统得出道路的道路配置,其中车辆被确定为位置沿着该道路和/或已沿着该道路一段时间。行为分析系统还根据道路配置确定非常规行驶判断标准。此外,行为分析系统确定至少沿着路段的相应的第一周围车辆轨迹和至少第二周围车辆轨迹。行为分析系统还确定应急车辆被认为正在从后面接近车辆。本公开还涉及根据前述内容的行为分析系统,包括这种行为分析系统的车辆和/或车外实体,以及相应的对应计算机程序产品和非易失性计算机可读存储介质。(The present disclosure relates to detection of a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle. The present disclosure relates to a method performed by a behavior analysis system for detecting an emergency vehicle approaching a vehicle from behind. The behavior analysis system derives a road configuration of a road along which the vehicle is determined to be located and/or has been along the road for a period of time. The behavior analysis system also determines an irregular driving judgment criterion according to the road configuration. Further, the behavior analysis system determines respective first and at least second circumferential vehicle trajectories at least along the road segment. The behavior analysis system also determines that an emergency vehicle is considered to be approaching the vehicle from behind. The present disclosure also relates to a behavior analysis system according to the preceding, a vehicle and/or an off-board entity comprising such a behavior analysis system, as well as a corresponding computer program product and a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.)

1. A method performed by a behavior analysis system (1) for detecting an emergency vehicle (2) approaching a vehicle (3) from behind, the method comprising:

deriving (1001) a road configuration (70) of a road (7) from a digital map (6), wherein the vehicle (3) is determined to be located along the road (7) and/or has been along the road (7) for a period of time based on a host vehicle position (321) obtained with the support of a positioning sensor (32) on the vehicle (3);

determining (1002) an irregular driving criterion according to the road configuration (70);

determining (1003) respective first (61) and at least second (62) peripheral vehicle trajectories along at least a road segment (71) of the road (7) from the digital map (6) based on peripheral vehicle detection data of first (51) and at least second (52) peripheral vehicles, wherein the peripheral vehicle detection data is obtained with the support of peripheral detection sensors (33) on the vehicle (3) and is derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the road segment (71); and

determining (1004) that an emergency vehicle (2) is considered to be approaching the vehicle (3) from behind when the first circumferential vehicle trajectory (61) and the at least second circumferential vehicle trajectory (62) meet and/or jointly meet at least a portion of the non-normal driving judgment criteria, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting (1005) emergency vehicle confirmation data (8) to:

a control system (34), the control system (34) being adapted to control an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) or an Automated Driving (AD) system (31) of the vehicle (3), the emergency vehicle confirmation data (8) comprising an indication to initiate one or more evasive maneuvers and/or to at least partially disable the ADAS or AD system (31); and/or

A user interface (35) of the vehicle (3), the emergency vehicle confirmation data (8) comprising an indication to present one or more instructions to an occupant of the vehicle (3) relating to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle (2); and/or

Nearby vehicles, the emergency vehicle validation data (8) comprising an indication relating to a considered emergency vehicle (2).

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein determining (1004) that an emergency vehicle (2) is considered to be approaching the vehicle (3) from behind comprises: determining that an emergency vehicle (2) is considered to be approaching the vehicle (3) from behind when the first circumferential vehicle trajectory (61), the at least second circumferential vehicle trajectory (62) and at least one supplementary trajectory (91) of a supplementary circumferential vehicle (9) along the road segment (71), respectively and/or in combination, meet at least a part of the non-routine driving judgment criterion, wherein the at least one supplementary trajectory (91) is obtained from a supplementary surrounding detection vehicle (10) determined to be located along the road (7) and/or having followed the road (7) for a period of time.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein determining (1002) the irregular driving criterion comprises: determining an irregular driving criterion according to the road configuration (70) and also according to one or more detected and/or reported anomalies along the road (7).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-routine driving criterion according to the road configuration (70) comprises the following trajectories: these trajectories individually and/or jointly cross and/or approach road markings and/or lane markings of the road configuration (70) and/or deviate from one or more reference trajectories (60) associated with the road configuration (70) to a predetermined extent.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the one or more reference trajectories (60) is based at least in part on a host-vehicle trajectory (3211) along the road segment (71) and/or a secondary trajectory (111) along the road segment (71) obtained from a secondary vehicle (11), the host-vehicle trajectory (3211) being derived from the obtained host-vehicle position (321), the secondary trajectory (111) being derived from a vehicle position of the secondary vehicle (11).

7. A behavior analysis system (1) for detecting an emergency vehicle (2) approaching a vehicle (3) from behind, comprising:

a road configuration deriving unit (101) for deriving (1001) a road configuration (70) of a road (7) from a digital map (6), wherein the vehicle (3) is determined to be located along the road (7) and/or has been located along the road (7) for a period of time based on a vehicle position (321) obtained with the support of a positioning sensor (32) on the vehicle (3);

a determination criterion determining unit (102) for determining (1002) an irregular driving determination criterion depending on the road configuration (70);

a trajectory determination unit (103) for determining (1003) from the digital map (6) respective first (61) and at least second (62) peripheral vehicle trajectories along at least a road segment (71) of the road (7) based on peripheral vehicle detection data of first (51) and at least second (52) peripheral vehicles, wherein the peripheral vehicle detection data is obtained with the support of peripheral detection sensors (33) on the vehicle (3) and is derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the road segment (71); and

a criterion satisfaction determination unit (104) for determining (1004) that an emergency vehicle (2) is considered to be approaching the vehicle (3) from behind when the first surrounding vehicle trajectory (61) and the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory (62) respectively and/or jointly satisfy at least a part of the non-regular-travel criterion.

8. The behavior analysis system (1) according to claim 7, further comprising:

-a confirmation transmission unit (1005) for transmitting (1005) emergency vehicle confirmation data (8) to:

a control system (34), the control system (34) being adapted to control an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) or an Automated Driving (AD) system (31) of the vehicle (3), the emergency vehicle confirmation data (8) comprising an indication to initiate one or more evasive maneuvers and/or to at least partially disable the ADAS or AD system (31); and/or

A user interface (35) of the vehicle (3), the emergency vehicle confirmation data (8) comprising an indication to present one or more instructions to an occupant of the vehicle (3) relating to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle (2); and/or

Nearby vehicles, the emergency vehicle validation data (8) comprising an indication relating to a considered emergency vehicle (2).

9. The behavior analysis system (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the decision criterion fulfilment determining unit (104) is adapted for: determining that an emergency vehicle (2) is considered to be approaching the vehicle (3) from behind when the first circumferential vehicle trajectory (61), the at least second circumferential vehicle trajectory (62) and at least one supplementary trajectory (91) of a supplementary circumferential vehicle (9) along the road segment (71), respectively and/or in combination, meet at least a part of the non-routine driving judgment criterion, wherein the at least one supplementary trajectory (91) is obtained from a supplementary surrounding detection vehicle (10) determined to be located along the road (7) and/or having followed the road (7) for a period of time.

10. The behavior analysis system (1) according to any of claims 7-9, wherein the decision criterion determining unit (102) is adapted for: -determining an irregular driving criterion according to the road configuration (70) and also according to one or more detected and/or reported anomalies along the road section (71).

11. The behavior analysis system (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, the irregular driving determination criterion according to the road configuration (70) including a trajectory of: these trajectories individually and/or jointly cross and/or approach road markings and/or lane markings of the road configuration (70) and/or deviate from one or more reference trajectories (60) associated with the road configuration (70) to a predetermined extent.

12. The behavior analysis system (1) according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more reference trajectories (60) is at least partially based on a host vehicle trajectory (3211) along the road segment (71) derived from a host vehicle position (321) and/or a secondary trajectory (111) along the road segment (71) obtained from a secondary vehicle (11), the host vehicle trajectory (3211) being derived from the obtained, the secondary trajectory (111) being derived from a vehicle position of the secondary vehicle (11).

13. A vehicle (3) and/or an off-board entity (4) comprising a behavior analysis system (1) according to any of claims 7 to 12.

14. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium or carrier wave, comprising a computer program containing computer program code means arranged to cause a computer or processor to perform the steps of the method according to any of claims 1 to 6.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program product of claim 14.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to detection of an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind.

Background

More and more modern vehicles have Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to improve vehicle safety and more generally road safety. ADAS, which may be represented by, for example, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), collision avoidance systems, forward collision warning, etc., is an electronic system that may assist a vehicle driver while driving. To function as intended, the ADAS may rely on input from multiple data sources (e.g., one or more of image sensors, cameras, ultrasound, lidar, radar, image processing, and/or computer vision).

Furthermore, autonomous driving systems or automatic driving systems (often referred to as AD systems) will, in the near future, enter modern vehicles to a large extent. The AD system is a complex combination of various components that can be defined as: in this system, the sensing, decision making and operation of the vehicle are performed by electronics and machinery rather than by a human driver. This includes the handling of the vehicle and the knowledge of its surroundings. While the automated system is capable of controlling the vehicle, it allows a human operator to leave all responsibilities to the system. The AD system typically senses the vehicle's surroundings in conjunction with various sensors, such as radar, lidar, ultrasound, cameras, navigation and/or positioning systems (e.g., GNSS such as GPS, odometer and/or inertial measurement units) on which advanced control systems may interpret sensory information to identify appropriate navigation paths and obstacles and/or related landmarks.

Just like the vehicle driver, a vehicle equipped with an ADAS and/or AD system must act according to traffic regulations. One such regulation may be an obligation to give way to an emergency vehicle approaching from behind, for example by moving partially or completely out of the lane and possibly also out of the road, in order to leave sufficient space for the emergency vehicle to pass.

However, detection of a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle may prove difficult, with many difficulties in, for example, dense and/or slightly congested traffic (in which case there may be many vehicles on the road behind the host vehicle (ego vehicle)). Proposed methods for emergency vehicle detection include emergency light detection in a rear-facing camera and/or sound analysis of an external microphone in order to sense the approach of an emergency vehicle. The first method has the disadvantage that the detection may occur later due to occlusion by other vehicles. Furthermore, flash signal detection is not a minor problem, especially when the color of the lamp is of importance. In addition, different countries may have different color schemes for emergency vehicles, which may result in increased complexity. When referring to the microphone approach, there are several complications, including the difficulty of installing such sensors, high noise levels at higher speeds, and the impossibility of such sensors becoming part of a mass-produced vehicle line in the foreseeable future.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of embodiments herein to provide a method for determining in an improved and/or alternative way that an emergency vehicle may be approaching the vehicle from behind.

The above objects can be achieved by the presently disclosed subject matter. Embodiments are set forth in the appended claims, in the following description and in the drawings.

The disclosed subject matter relates to a method performed by a behavior analysis system for detecting an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind. The behavior analysis system derives a road configuration of a road from a digital map, wherein the vehicle is determined to be located along the road and/or has been along the road for a period of time based on a position of the vehicle obtained with the support of a positioning sensor on the vehicle. The behavior analysis system also determines an irregular driving judgment criterion according to the road configuration. Furthermore, the behavior analysis system determines from the digital map respective first and at least second peripheral vehicle trajectories at least along the road section based on peripheral vehicle detection data of the first and at least second peripheral vehicles, wherein the peripheral vehicle detection data is obtained with the support of a peripheral detection sensor on the vehicle and is derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the road section of the road. The behavior analysis system also determines that the emergency vehicle is considered to be approaching the vehicle from behind when the first and at least second ambient vehicle trajectories, respectively, and/or in combination, meet at least a portion of the irregular driving judgment criteria.

The disclosed subject matter also relates to a behavior analysis system for and/or adapted to detect an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind. The behavior analysis system comprises a road configuration derivation unit for and/or adapted to derive a road configuration of a road from the digital map, wherein the vehicle is determined to be positioned along the road and/or has been along the road for a period of time based on a position of the vehicle obtained with the support of a positioning sensor on the vehicle. The behavior analysis system further comprises a criterion determination unit for and/or adapted to determine an irregular driving criterion depending on the road configuration. Furthermore, the behavior analysis system comprises a trajectory determination unit for and/or adapted to determine from the digital map respective first and at least second surrounding vehicle trajectories at least along the road segment based on surrounding vehicle detection data of the first and at least second surrounding vehicles, wherein the surrounding vehicle detection data is obtained with the support of surrounding detection sensors on the vehicle and is derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the road segment of the road. The behavior analysis system further comprises a criterion satisfaction determination unit for and/or adapted to determine that the emergency vehicle is considered to be approaching the vehicle from behind when the first and at least second surrounding vehicle trajectories respectively and/or jointly satisfy at least a part of the irregular driving criterion.

Additionally, the disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle and/or off-board entity comprising a behavior analysis system as described herein.

Furthermore, the disclosed subject matter relates to a computer program product stored on a computer readable medium or carrier wave, comprising a computer program comprising computer program code means arranged to cause a computer or processor to perform the steps of the behavior analysis system as described herein.

The disclosed subject matter also relates to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having the computer program product stored thereon.

Thus, a method is introduced according to which the behavior analysis of surrounding vehicles forms the basis for determining the presence of a rear approaching emergency vehicle. That is, since the road configuration of the road along which the vehicle is determined to be located and/or has been along the road for a period of time is derived from the digital map (based on the position of the vehicle obtained with the support of the positioning sensor on the vehicle), it is possible to determine which road the current (and/or last recently) position of the vehicle is along and/or on which road with the support of the on-board positioning sensor adapted to obtain one or more positions of the vehicle, from which road characteristics of the road can be derived from the digital map covering and comprising information about said road. Thus, the behavior analysis system may be made aware of road characteristics of said road, e.g. relating to road markings, lane markings, shoulders, curbs, etc. Furthermore, that is, since the irregular driving judgment criterion is determined according to the road configuration, one or more judgment criteria, such as crossing a road sign, driving out of a shoulder, and/or a roadside, etc., which can thus be considered as unusual vehicle driving and/or positioning when considering the characteristics of the road, are determined. In addition, that is, since the respective first and at least second peripheral vehicle trajectories at least along the section of the road are determined from the digital map based on the peripheral vehicle detection data of the first and at least second peripheral vehicles obtained with the support of the peripheral detection sensors on the vehicles and derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the section of the road, the travel paths of the two or more peripheral vehicles are determined along at least one section of the digital map road with the support of the on-vehicle peripheral detection sensors adapted to repeatedly capture the peripheral vehicles substantially behind the own vehicle during a period of time. Thus, the behavior analysis system tracks how the surrounding vehicles are driving along the road (and/or over the recent period of time) and maps this to a digital map. Furthermore, that is, since it is determined that the emergency vehicle is considered to be approaching the vehicle from behind when the first and at least second surrounding vehicle trajectories respectively and/or jointly satisfy at least a part of the irregular driving judgment criteria, the behavior analysis system may establish the presence of a rear approaching emergency vehicle if the respective trajectories and/or the trajectories in combination with each other satisfy one or more of the irregular driving judgment criteria by evaluating the trajectories of the surrounding vehicles located substantially behind the vehicle according to the irregular driving judgment criteria applicable to the road configuration of the road whose position is determined to be along or has been along the road for a period of time. That is, with the introduced concept, it may be detected that an emergency vehicle may appear from behind by a behavioral analysis of the determined digital map driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle (e.g. involving crossing or nearly crossing e.g. road signs, which may be understood as one or more surrounding vehicles operating out of the route) compared to non-conventional driving judgment criteria.

Accordingly, a method is provided for determining in an improved and/or alternative manner that an emergency vehicle may be approaching the vehicle from behind.

The technical features and the corresponding advantages of the above-described method will be discussed in more detail below.

Drawings

Various aspects of the non-limiting embodiments, including particular features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

1a-1b illustrate schematic diagrams of an exemplary behavior analysis system, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example behavior analysis system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and is

Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method performed by a behavior analysis system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout. The dashed lines in some of the blocks in the figures indicate that these elements or actions are optional and not required.

In the following, a method is disclosed according to embodiments herein relating to detecting an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind, according to which a behavior analysis of surrounding vehicles forms a basis for determining the presence of a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to fig. 1a-b and 2, there is shown a schematic and schematic block diagram, respectively, of an exemplary behavior analysis system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The behavior analysis system 1 is used to detect an emergency vehicle 2 approaching a vehicle 3 from behind. Although the emergency vehicle 2 may be positioned at any distance behind the vehicle 3, in fig. 1a, the emergency vehicle 2 is shown in a rear view of the vehicle 3 for purposes of example.

The behavior analysis system 1 may be at least partially comprised in a vehicle 3. Additionally or alternatively, the behavior analysis system 1 may be at least partially included in the off-board entity 4. An off-board entity 4 (which is "off-board" from the perspective of the vehicle 3) may refer to any entity (e.g., known) adapted and/or configured for off-board and/or off-line processing and/or analysis, such as a cloud and/or an automobile cloud, a cloud network suitable for cloud-based storage, a backend system, and/or one or more servers. Accordingly, the behaviour analysis system 1 may accordingly be included either on board the vehicle 3 or at least partly in the off-board entity 4.

The phrase "behavior analysis system" may refer to a "surrounding vehicle analysis system," while "emergency vehicle for detecting proximity" may refer to "emergency vehicle for anticipating proximity," event for detecting proximity of emergency vehicle, "" emergency vehicle for determining presence of proximity, "" emergency vehicle for determining possible presence of proximity, "" for determining that emergency vehicle is considered to be in proximity, "and/or" apprehension of approaching emergency vehicle. On the other hand, the phrase "approaching a vehicle from behind" may refer to "approaching a vehicle from behind within a predeterminable distance from the vehicle". Such an optional predeterminable distance may be any distance, for example up to 500 or even 3000 meters. According to one example, the phrase "behavior analysis system for detecting an emergency vehicle approaching the vehicle from behind" may refer to "a behavior analysis system of the vehicle for detecting an emergency vehicle approaching from behind".

The term "vehicle" may generally refer to any manned or unmanned vehicle, for example an engine-propelled or electrically-powered vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, van, bus, motorcycle, and/or tractor. Further, the emergency vehicle 2 (which may be represented, for example, by an ambulance, police vehicle, fire truck, etc.) may refer to any vehicle designated (e.g., known) and authorized to respond to an emergency, such as a life-threatening situation. On the other hand, an exemplary vehicle labeled "3," which may be referred to as a "host vehicle," may refer to an "autonomous and/or at least partially autonomous vehicle," an "unmanned and/or at least partially unmanned vehicle," an "automated and/or at least partially automated vehicle," and/or an "autonomous and/or at least partially automated vehicle. The vehicle 3 may thus comprise and/or be adapted to support an ADAS and/or AD system 31, i.e. an advanced driver assistance system and/or an autonomous driving system. Such an exemplary ADAS and/or AD system 31 may refer to any ADAS and/or AD system, such as those known in the art and/or yet to be developed.

The vehicle 3 and/or the optional ADAS or AD system 31 may accordingly comprise, be provided with and/or have an optional perception system (not shown) onboard adapted to estimate the surroundings of the vehicle 3 and subsequently adapted to estimate the world landscape of the surroundings, for example with the support of commonly known digital maps such as High Definition (HD) maps. Such exemplary perception systems may refer to any well-known systems and/or functions, e.g., included in the vehicle 3 and/or one or more electronic control modules (ECUs) and/or nodes of the ADAS or AD system 31, adapted and/or configured to interpret sensory information related to the travel of the vehicle 3 to identify, e.g., obstacles, lanes, related signs, appropriate navigation paths, etc. Exemplary sensory systems (which may be adapted to support, for example, sensor fusion, tracking, localization, etc.) may thus be adapted to rely on sensory information. Such exemplary sensory information may be derived, for example, from one or more positioning sensors 32 and/or surroundings detection sensors 33 included in the vehicle 3 and/or provided on the vehicle 3. The positioning sensor 32 and/or the surroundings detection sensor 33 may be represented by any sensor adapted to sense and/or perceive the whereabouts and/or surroundings of the vehicle 3, and may for example refer to one or a combination of one or more navigation or positioning systems, such as GNSS (e.g. GPS), odometer, inertial measurement unit, radar, lidar, ultrasound and/or camera. It may be noted that the positioning sensor 32 and the surroundings detection sensor 33 may refer to the same and/or similar sensors, at least to some extent.

It is further shown in fig. 1a that any number of surrounding vehicles 5 are travelling substantially behind the vehicle 3, which surrounding vehicles 5 may be represented by any vehicle.

The behavior analysis system 1 is adapted and/or configured, for example by means of a road configuration derivation unit 101, for deriving a road configuration 70 of the road 7 from the digital map 6, wherein the vehicle 3 is determined to be positioned along the road 7 and/or has been along the road 7 for a period of time based on the own-vehicle position 321 obtained with the support of the positioning sensor 32 on the vehicle 3. Thus, with the support of one or more on-board positioning sensors 32 adapted to obtain one or more locations 321 of the vehicle 3, it is possible to determine along and/or most recently along which road 7 the current location of the vehicle 3 is located and/or on which road 7, from which road characteristics 70 of that road 7 can be derived from the digital map 6 covering and comprising information relating to said road 7. Thus, the behavior analysis system 1 may be made aware of road characteristics 70 of said road 7, e.g. relating to road markings, lane markings, shoulders, curbs, etc.

The road configuration 70, which may for example be stored in advance in the digital map 6, may be derived from said map 6 in any (for example known) feasible manner and may refer to any characteristic of the road 7, for example in relation to road markings, lane markings, shoulders, curbs, etc. Although the roads 7 shown in the exemplary fig. 1a are straight, the roads 7 may be represented by any type of road of any size, curved and/or straight and/or combinations thereof, wide or narrow, etc. In addition, the segments of the road 7 covered by the road configuration 70 may have any length. Furthermore, the digital map 6 may refer to any (e.g. known) digital map, such as a High Definition (HD) map or any equivalent and/or successor thereof. The digital map 6 may also refer to a map on the vehicle 3, or two or more distributed maps, such as a first digital map located on the vehicle 3 and a second digital map located in the off-board entity 4 (if the behavior analysis system is at least partially included in said entity 4). With the support of the on-board positioning sensor 32 discussed above, the host-vehicle location 321, which may refer to one or more host-vehicle locations, may be obtained and/or have been obtained in any (e.g., known) manner.

The phrase "deriving a road configuration from a digital map" may refer to "deriving a road configuration from one or more digital maps" and may also refer to "determining a road configuration from a digital map" and/or "deriving a pre-stored road configuration from a digital map". On the other hand, the phrase "road configuration" may refer to "road characteristics", while "digital map" may refer to "own vehicle digital map and/or an off-vehicle digital map". Further, "road configuration of a road" may refer to "road configuration of a predeterminable road" and/or "road configuration of a section and/or segment of a road". The phrase "based on the host-vehicle position obtained with the support of the positioning sensor" may refer to "based on one or more host-vehicle positions obtained with the support of the positioning sensor", while "positioning sensor" may refer to "one or more positioning sensors" in a similar manner, and may also refer to "positioning sensor and/or surroundings detection sensor" and/or "positioning system and/or surroundings detection sensor". Furthermore, "obtained with the support of the positioning sensor" may refer to "derived with the support of the positioning sensor", "obtained continuously and/or intermittently with the support of the positioning sensor" and/or "obtained with the support of the positioning sensor within a predeterminable time period". On the other hand, according to one example, the phrase "based on the position of the host vehicle" may refer to "based on the position and direction, posture of the host vehicle" and/or "based on the trajectory of the host vehicle in view of a digital map". Further, the phrase "determined to be along and/or along a period of time" may refer to "determined to be along and/or recently along a period of time" and/or "determined to be along and/or along all the way within a predeterminable time range". The range of such alternative time ranges may trace back any amount of time deemed feasible for the discussed embodiments and/or scenarios, e.g., 30 seconds is illustrated. Further, according to one example, the phrase "determined to be along and/or along a period of time" may refer to "determined to be traveling and/or traveling for a period of time".

The behaviour analysis system 1 is adapted and/or configured for determining an irregular driving criterion based on the road configuration 70, for example by means of the criterion determination unit 102. Thereby, one or more decision criteria are established which may be considered unusual vehicle driving and/or positioning when taking into account the characteristics of the road 7, e.g. crossing road signs, driving off shoulders and/or curbs etc.

The irregular driving criteria, which may refer to one or more irregular driving criteria, such as a partial or complete vehicle crossing a road sign, a partial or complete vehicle exiting a shoulder and/or curb, etc., may be defined by any one or more arbitrary criteria that are considered relevant to the discussed embodiments in terms of road characteristics 70. Additionally, the irregular driving criteria may specify a quantity threshold, such as relating to a minimum number of vehicles considered to be irregular driving, a time range threshold (such as a limit related to a time period when such irregular driving may have occurred), and/or a dependency threshold (such as one or more levels of criteria depending on whether other irregular driving criteria and/or thresholds are satisfied). Furthermore, the non-conventional driving criteria may be predetermined and/or adjustable. Additionally or alternatively, the non-conventional driving criteria may be variable, e.g. trainable with the support of a neural network.

The phrase "determining an irregular driving judgment criterion" may refer to "storing the irregular driving judgment criterion", and "the irregular driving judgment criterion" may refer to "an irregular operation judgment criterion", "an irregular driving judgment criterion", "a difference exceeding judgment criterion", "at least a first irregular driving judgment criterion", "one or more irregular driving judgment criteria", "an irregular driving threshold", and/or "a predetermined and/or trainable irregular driving judgment criterion". On the other hand, the phrase "according to the road configuration" may refer to "taking into account and/or considering the road configuration" and/or "based on the road configuration".

The behaviour analysis system 1 is adapted and/or configured, for example by means of the trajectory determination unit 103, to determine from the digital map 6 a respective first 61 and at least second 62 peripheral vehicle trajectory at least along the road segment 71 based on peripheral vehicle detection data of the first 51 and at least second 52 peripheral vehicles, which are obtained with the support of the surroundings detection sensors 33 on the vehicle 3 and which are derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the road segment 71 of the road 7. Thereby, with the support of the on-vehicle surroundings detection sensor 33 adapted to repeatedly capture the surrounding vehicle 5 located substantially behind the host vehicle 3 over a period of time, the travel trajectories 61, 62 of the two or more surrounding vehicles 51, 52 are determined at least along a section 71 of the digital map road 7. Thus, the behaviour analysis system 1 tracks how the surrounding vehicle 5 is travelling along the road 7 and/or has travelled along the road 7 for a period of time, and maps this to the digital map 6.

The ambient vehicle detection data may be captured and/or already captured by the ambient detection sensors 33 discussed above in any (e.g., known) feasible manner. Further, the surrounding vehicle detection data may be repeatedly captured and/or already captured at any frequency that is feasible for the embodiment and/or situation in question, and also over any (e.g., predeterminable) period of time. In addition, a road segment 71 may refer to any segment of a road 7 of any length. It may be noted that the segments 71 according to the first circumferential vehicle trajectory 61 may be different from the segments 71 according to the at least second circumferential vehicle trajectory 62, i.e. the respective segments 71 for the different trajectories 61, 62 may refer to slightly different segments or only partially overlapping segments of the road 7.

It should also be appreciated that although only two surrounding vehicle trajectories 61, 62 are shown in the exemplary FIG. 1b, any feasible number of surrounding vehicle trajectories following any number of surrounding vehicles 5 may be determined along the road segment 71 from the digital map 6. Nonetheless, in exemplary FIG. 1b, a first perimetral vehicle trajectory 61 reveals that first perimetral vehicle 51 has traversed the left road sign in an exemplary manner, and a second perimetral vehicle trajectory 62 reveals that second perimetral vehicle 52 has traversed the right road sign in an exemplary manner.

The phrase "determining based on surrounding vehicle detection data" may refer to "storing based on surrounding vehicle detection data" and/or "mapping based on surrounding vehicle detection data". The phrase "surrounding vehicle detection data" may refer to "surrounding vehicle detection information" and/or to "detection data" only, while "of the first surrounding vehicle and the at least second surrounding vehicle" may refer to "of two or more surrounding vehicles" and/or "of the first surrounding vehicle and the at least second surrounding vehicle substantially behind said vehicle". On the other hand, the phrase "obtained with support of the ambient detection sensor" may refer to "derived with support of the ambient detection sensor" and/or "obtained with support of the substantially back-captured ambient detection sensor", whereas "continuously and/or intermittently derived" may refer to "continuously and/or intermittently taken" and/or "continuously and/or intermittently derived over a predeterminable period of time". Furthermore, "at least along a segment of the road" may refer to "at least along a section of the road", while "respective first and at least second circumferential vehicle trajectories" may refer to "two or more circumferential vehicle trajectories", "respective first and at least second circumferential vehicle history trajectories" and/or "respective first and at least second circumferential vehicle travel paths, traces and/or trend traces". Furthermore, the phrase "at least along the road segment according to the digital map" may refer to "at least along the road segment in the digital map".

The behaviour analysis system 1 is adapted and/or configured for determining that the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind, for example by means of the criterion fulfilment determination unit 104, when the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61 and the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62 fulfil at least a part of the non-regular driving criterion, respectively and/or jointly. Thus, by evaluating the trajectories 61, 62 of surrounding vehicles 5 located substantially behind the vehicle 3 according to the non-conventional driving judgment criteria applicable to the road configuration 70 along which the vehicle 3 has been positioned or has followed the road 7 for a period of time, the behaviour analysis system 1 can determine the presence of a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle 2 if said respective trajectories 61, 62 and/or said trajectories 61, 62 in combination with each other meet one or more of said non-conventional driving judgment criteria. That is, with the introduced concept, it may be detected that the emergency vehicle 2 may appear from behind by a behavioral analysis of the determined digital map driving paths 61, 62 of the surrounding vehicles 5 (e.g. involving crossing or almost crossing e.g. road signs, which may translate into one or more outgoing routes in the surrounding vehicles 5) compared to non-conventional driving judgment criteria (e.g. driving distance). The more surrounding vehicles 5 that are detected, and the more surrounding vehicle trajectories 61, 62 that are subsequently evaluated, a higher degree of confidence may be achieved in determining when the emergency vehicle 2 is deemed to be approaching the host-vehicle 3 from behind.

In the exemplary fig. 1b, it is assumed in an exemplary manner that the first irregular driving decision criterion specifies that the surrounding vehicle trajectories 61, 62 cross or almost cross the road marking, and that the second forced irregular driving decision criterion specifies that at least two trajectories 61, 62 cross or almost cross the road marking, and that both the first irregular driving decision criterion and the second irregular driving decision criterion are then fulfilled by the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61 and at least the second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62, whereby the emergency vehicle 3 is considered to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind.

As mentioned above, meeting at least a portion of the non-conventional driving criteria may refer to meeting one or a combination of different criteria, such as at least a prescribed number and/or combination of different criteria, of the non-conventional driving criteria, such as are deemed relevant to the embodiment and/or situation in question. Further, the surrounding vehicle trajectories 61, 62 may be evaluated one by one according to at least a part of the irregular running judgment criterion. Additionally or alternatively, the trajectories 61, 62 may be evaluated in conjunction with each other based on at least a portion of the non-conventional driving criteria. For example, if multiple traces 61, 62 are evaluated in conjunction with one another, the decision criteria may be set differently, for example, with another threshold and/or level.

The phrase "determining that an emergency vehicle is considered approaching" may refer to "determining that an emergency vehicle is detected approaching" and/or "determining that an emergency vehicle is approaching", while "when [ … ] satisfies [ …" may refer to "if [ … ] satisfies", "if [ … ] satisfies" and/or "if [ … ] satisfies". Further, the phrase "when the first and the at least second perimetral vehicle trajectories respectively and/or jointly satisfy [ …" may refer to "when at least respective portions of the first and the at least second perimetral vehicle trajectories respectively and/or jointly satisfy [ …" and/or "when at least respective predeterminable and/or selected portions of the first and the at least second perimetral vehicle trajectories respectively and/or jointly satisfy [ …"). On the other hand, the phrase "separately and/or jointly" may refer to "separately and/or in combination with each other", and "at least a portion of the driving judgment criteria is met" may refer to "one or more of the non-conventional driving judgment criteria are met", and "at least a predetermined and/or selected portion of the driving judgment criteria is met". Further, the phrase "separately satisfies and/or jointly satisfies at least a portion" may refer to "being determined separately and/or jointly as satisfied upon evaluation, comparison, analysis, and/or behavioral analysis.

Optionally, the behaviour analysis system 1 may be adapted and/or configured for transmitting emergency vehicle acknowledgement data 8 when the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind, for example by means of an optional acknowledgement transmission unit 105. Thus, if one or more emergency vehicle decision criteria are met, an emergency vehicle confirmation 8 reflecting the meeting may be transmitted from the behaviour analysis system 1. Therefore, the behavior analysis system 1 draws attention to when the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind. The phrase "transmitting emergency vehicle confirmation data" may refer to "transmitting emergency vehicle confirmation data digitally, electronically, wirelessly and/or by wire" and/or "transmitting emergency vehicle confirmation data at the appropriate time and/or when deemed feasible and/or safe," and "emergency vehicle confirmation data" may refer to "one or more emergency vehicle confirmation signals" and/or "emergency vehicle confirmation messages.

The emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 may optionally be transmitted to a control system 34 of the ADAS and/or AD system 31 adapted to control the vehicle 3, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 comprising an indication to initiate one or more evasive maneuvers and/or to at least partially disable the ADAS and/or AD system 31. Thus, instructions may be provided to control system 34 to prompt the ADAS and/or AD system 31 to initiate operation to give way to an emergency vehicle 2 deemed to be approaching rearwardly, and/or to at least deactivate the ADAS or AD system 31 to at least temporarily disable one or more further activations. Control system 34 may refer to any well-known system and/or function adapted and/or configured to at least partially control ADAS and/or AD system 31, such as included in one or more electronic control modules and/or nodes of host vehicle 3. The phrase "control system" may refer to an "onboard control system", "ADAS/AD control system", and/or a "disabling system", while "control system adapted to control" may refer to a "control system adapted to be at least partially controlled". On the other hand, the phrase "including an indication to initiate [ … ]" may refer to "prompting initiation" and/or "including an instruction to prompt initiation [ … ], while" an indication to initiate one or more avoidance operations and/or to at least partially disable an ADAS or AD system "may refer to" an indication to initiate one or more avoidance operations and/or to at least partially disable an ADAS or AD system at an appropriate time and/or when deemed feasible and/or safe ". Further, "disabling the ADAS or AD system" may refer to "disabling and/or limiting the functionality of the ADAS or AD system.

Additionally or alternatively, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 may optionally be communicated to the user interface 35 of the vehicle 3, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 including an indication to present one or more instructions to an occupant of the vehicle 3 relating to an emergency vehicle approaching rearward. Thereby, instructions may be provided to the user interface 35 of the vehicle 3 prompting an occupant of said vehicle 3 (e.g. the driver thereof) to take appropriate action, such as driving out of the route and/or taking over the driving of the vehicle 3 from a possible onboard ADAS or AD system 31. The phrase "user interface" may refer to a "user interface control system" and, according to one example, also to a "user interface including one or more of a display, a speaker, and a tactile interface. Additionally, the phrase "including an indication to present one or more instructions to an occupant of the vehicle related to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle" may refer to "prompting the occupant of the vehicle to present one or more instructions related to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle" and/or "including an indication to present the occupant of the vehicle to present one or more instructions related to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle", while "presenting an indication to the occupant of the vehicle related to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle" may refer to "presenting an indication to the occupant of the vehicle related to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle at an appropriate time and/or when deemed feasible and/or safe". Further, the phrase "an instruction relating to an emergency vehicle approaching from behind" may refer to "an instruction relating to a consideration that an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind".

Additionally or alternatively, the emergency vehicle validation data 8 may optionally be transmitted to nearby vehicles (not shown), the emergency vehicle validation data 8 including an indication relating to the considered emergency vehicle 2. Thereby, information reflecting the considered emergency vehicle 2 may be provided to another vehicle, for example a vehicle in the vicinity of the host vehicle 3 and/or the considered emergency vehicle 2. The vehicle confirmation data 8 may be communicated in any (e.g., known) manner (e.g., from and/or via the entity 4 previously discussed and/or via vehicle-to-vehicle communication). The moment of transmission can be chosen arbitrarily, for example immediately or at a point in time deemed appropriate, where this is deemed feasible. The latter case may for example refer to waiting for a high bandwidth connection, e.g. a Wifi connection. The phrase "nearby vehicle" may refer to "a vehicle other than the vehicle," a vehicle other than the host vehicle, "and/or" a vehicle within a predeterminable distance from the vehicle and/or considered emergency vehicle and/or traveling in the same direction as the vehicle and/or considered emergency vehicle. On the other hand, the phrase "including an indication relating to a considered emergency vehicle" may refer to "including instructions that are relevant in view of the considered emergency vehicle".

Optionally, the criterion satisfaction determination unit 104 is adapted to determine that the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind when the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61, the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62, and the at least one supplementary trajectory 91 along the road segment 71 of the supplementary surrounding vehicle 9 obtained from the supplementary surrounding detection vehicle 10 determined to be located along the road 7 and/or having been along the road 7 for a period of time, respectively, satisfy and/or jointly satisfy at least a part of the irregular driving criterion. Thus, in addition to the first and at least second circumferential vehicle trajectories 61, 62, the at least one other trajectory 91 is evaluated separately and/or in conjunction with the first and at least second circumferential vehicle trajectories 61, 62 to determine whether the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching from behind. The at least one other trajectory 91 represents a travel path of at least one vehicle 9 along at least a portion of the road segment 71 that is continuously and/or intermittently observed by vehicles 10 other than the host-vehicle 3 currently or along the road 7 over a predeterminable period of time (e.g., over the past 1, 5, or 10 minutes). Thus, by considering one or more other trajectories 91 of the vehicle 9 tracked by one or more complementary surrounding detection vehicles 10 that are relatively close in time and place to the host-vehicle 3, it may be determined with greater confidence whether the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching. It may be noted that the road segments 71 according to at least one trajectory 91 may be different from the respective road segments 71 according to the first circumferential vehicle trajectory 61 and the at least second circumferential vehicle trajectory 62, i.e. the respective road segments 71 for the different trajectories 61, 62, 91 may refer to slightly different segments or only partially overlapping segments of the road 7. Furthermore, one or more supplementary trajectories 91 of one or more supplementary surrounding vehicles 9 and/or detection data of said supplementary surrounding vehicles 9 from which said trajectories 91 can be derived obtained by supplementary surrounding detection vehicles 10 may be at least partially evaluated, processed, transmitted and/or processed in any other feasible way in or via the off-board entity 4 discussed above, such as with the support of an entity-based digital map 6. Additionally or alternatively, the behavior analysis system 1 may obtain the one or more supplemental trajectories 91 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication using, for example, the supplemental surroundings detection vehicle 10, and/or may have obtained the one or more supplemental trajectories 91 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication using, for example, the supplemental surroundings detection vehicle 10.

Alternatively, the criterion determining unit 102 may be adapted to determine the irregular driving criterion according to the road configuration 70 and also according to one or more detected and/or reported anomalies along the road section 71. Thus, exceptions to the road configuration 70, such as one or more obstacles along the road 7, temporary road construction, accidents, etc., may be considered when deciding what should be considered as irregular driving according to the road configuration 70. One or more anomalies may be detected and/or reported and/or have been detected and/or reported in any (e.g., known) feasible manner, such as being detected by the host-vehicle 3 itself in support of one or more perimeter detection sensors 33, such as being communicated from the entity 4 discussed above, and/or obtained via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Furthermore, one or more detected and/or reported anomalies may be detected by observing the trajectories of a plurality of vehicles travelling along the road 7, for example in said entity 4, with the support of the off-board digital map 6, continuously and/or intermittently determining their positions (from which their respective trajectories along said road 7 may be derived), and/or one or more detected and/or reported anomalies may have been detected by observing the trajectories of a plurality of vehicles travelling along the road 7, for example in said entity 4, with the support of the off-board digital map 6, continuously and/or intermittently determining their positions. From the trajectories of the plurality of vehicles, potential anomalies along the road segment 71 may be identified. The phrase "detected and/or reported anomaly" may refer to a "known anomaly", "detected and/or reported anomaly affecting accessibility of the road" and/or "detected and/or reported irregularity and/or obstacle", while "detected and/or reported anomaly along the road segment" according to one example may refer to a "detected and/or reported anomaly along the road segment obtained from the vehicle and/or from another vehicle determined to be along the road and/or having been along the road for a period of time".

Optionally, the non-conventional driving criteria according to the road configuration 70 may include trajectories, such as the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61, the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62, and/or the at least one supplemental trajectory 91, that individually and/or in combination traverse and/or approach road and/or lane markings of the road configuration 70 to a predeterminable degree. Additionally or alternatively, the non-conventional driving criteria according to the road configuration 70 may include trajectories, such as the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61, the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62, and/or the at least one supplemental trajectory 91, that deviate from one or more reference trajectories 60 associated with the road configuration 70, respectively and/or in combination, by a predeterminable degree. Reference trajectory 60 may refer to any number of potential trajectories considered to represent a regular travel along roadway 7, and thus may refer to many possible trajectories. The phrase "reference trajectory" may refer to a "regular driving trajectory" and/or a "nominal trajectory", whereas "crossing and/or approaching a road and/or lane marking" may refer to "crossing and/or approaching at least partially within a predetermined distance from said road and/or lane marking" and/or "crossing and/or approaching a road and/or lane marking, curb, and/or shoulder". On the other hand, the phrase "reference trajectory related to a road configuration" may refer to "reference trajectory related to a road configuration and/or considered suitable for a road configuration".

Optionally, at least one of the one or more reference trajectories 60 may be based at least in part on the host-vehicle trajectory 3211 along the road segment 71 derived from the obtained host-vehicle location 321. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the one or more reference trajectories 60 may be based at least in part on a secondary trajectory 111 along the road segment 71 derived from a vehicle position of the secondary vehicle 11 obtained from the secondary vehicle 11. Thus, dynamic input in the form of recent and/or historical travel along the roadway 7 may form the basis of one or more reference trajectories 60. The secondary trajectory 111 of the secondary vehicle 11 and/or the position determination and/or positioning data of said secondary vehicle 11 from which said trajectory 111 can be derived can be at least partly evaluated, processed, transmitted and/or processed in any other feasible way in or via the off-board entity 4 discussed above, e.g. with the support of an entity-based digital map 6. Additionally or alternatively, the behaviour analysis system 1 may obtain the secondary trajectory 111 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication with, for example, the secondary vehicle 11, and/or may have obtained the secondary trajectory 111 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication with, for example, the secondary vehicle 11. The phrase "host-vehicle trajectory" may refer to "host-vehicle travel path, trail, and/or trend trail. On the other hand, "auxiliary vehicle" may refer to "a vehicle other than the host vehicle" and/or "an auxiliary vehicle having an on-vehicle positioning sensor adapted to continuously and/or intermittently detect the position of the host vehicle", and "auxiliary trajectory" may refer to "a trajectory of the auxiliary vehicle" and/or "a pre-stored auxiliary trajectory". Furthermore, the phrase "derived from the vehicle position of the secondary vehicle" may refer to "derived from the vehicle position of the vehicle obtained with the support of an on-board positioning sensor" and/or "derived from the vehicle position of the secondary vehicle, which is determined to be along the road and/or has been along the road for a period of time".

As further shown in fig. 2, which is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary behavior analysis system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the behavior analysis system 1 comprises a road configuration derivation unit 101, a judgment criterion determination unit 102, a trajectory determination unit 103, a judgment criterion satisfaction determination unit 104, and an optional confirmation transmission unit 105, all of which have been described in more detail above. Additionally, embodiments herein for detecting an emergency vehicle 2 approaching the vehicle 3 from behind may be implemented by one or more processors (such as processor 106, herein denoted as CPU) and computer program code for performing the functions and actions of the embodiments herein. The program code may also be provided as a computer program product, for example in the form of a data carrier carrying computer program code for performing embodiments herein when being loaded into the behaviour analysis system 1. One such carrier may be in the form of a CD ROM disc and/or hard drive, but is also feasible for other data carriers. The computer program code may also be provided as pure program code on a server and downloaded to the behaviour analysis system 1. The behavior analysis system 1 may further comprise a memory 107, the memory 107 comprising one or more memory units. The memory 107 may be arranged for storing information, for example, and also for storing data, configurations, schedules and applications in order to perform the methods herein when executed in the behavior analysis system 1. For example, the computer program code may be implemented in firmware stored in the flash memory 107 of the embedded processor 106 and/or downloaded wirelessly, for example from an off-board server. Additionally, the road configuration derivation unit 101, the determination criterion determination unit 102, the trajectory determination unit 103, the determination criterion satisfaction determination unit 104, the optional confirmation transmission unit 105, the optional processor 106, and/or the optional memory 107 may be at least partially included in one or more nodes (e.g., the ECU of the vehicle 3), and/or at least partially included in an off-board entity (e.g., the car cloud) such as the entity 4 discussed above. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the units 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 described above may refer to a combination of analog and digital circuitry, and/or one or more processors configured with, for example, software and/or firmware stored in a memory, such as the memory 107, which when executed by one or more processors, such as the processor 106, perform as described herein, such as in connection with fig. 3. One or more of these processors, as well as other digital hardware, may be included in a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or several processors and various digital hardware may be distributed in several separate components, whether packaged separately or assembled into a system on a chip (SoC).

Further shown in fig. 2 is an exemplary vehicle 3, which includes an ADAS and/or AD system 31, one or more positioning sensors 32, one or more perimeter detection sensors 33, a control system 34, and a user interface 35. Also shown in fig. 2 are an exemplary off-board entity 4, a digital map 6, a supplementary vehicle 10 and a secondary vehicle 11, all of which have been discussed in more detail above.

Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method performed by the behavior analysis system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is used to detect an emergency vehicle 2 approaching the vehicle 3 from behind. Exemplary methods that may be repeated in succession include one or more of the following actions discussed in support of fig. 1a and 1 b-2. Further, where applicable, acts can be taken in any suitable order and/or one or more acts can be performed simultaneously and/or in an alternating order. For example, act 1003 may be performed prior to act 1001 and act 1002 and/or act 1003 may be performed concurrently with act 1001 and act 1002.

Act 1001

In an action 1001, the behavior analysis system 1 derives a road 7 road configuration 70 from the digital map 6, for example with the support of a road configuration derivation unit 101, wherein the vehicle 3 is determined to be along the road 7 and/or has been along the road 7 for a period of time based on the own vehicle position 321 obtained with the support of the positioning sensor 32 on the vehicle 3.

Act 1002

In action 1002, the behaviour analysis system 1 determines an irregular driving criterion from the road configuration 70, for example with the support of the criterion determination unit 102.

Alternatively, the irregular driving determination criteria according to the road configuration 70 may include the following trajectories: these trajectories individually and/or jointly traverse and/or approach road and/or lane markings of the road configuration 70 and/or deviate from one or more reference trajectories 60 associated with the road configuration 70 to a predeterminable extent.

Further, optionally, at least one of the one or more reference trajectories 60 may be based at least in part on the host-vehicle trajectory 3211 along the road segment 71 derived from the obtained host-vehicle location 321 and/or on the secondary trajectory 111 along the road segment 71 derived from the vehicle location of the secondary vehicle 11 obtained from the secondary vehicle 11.

Optionally, act 1002 of determining an irregular driving decision criterion may comprise determining the irregular driving decision criterion in dependence on the road configuration 70 and also in dependence on one or more detected and/or reported anomalies along the road segment 71.

Act 1003

In action 1003, the behaviour analysis system 1 determines from the digital map 6, for example with the aid of the trajectory determination unit 103, a respective first 61 and at least second 62 peripheral vehicle trajectory at least along the road segment 71 based on peripheral vehicle detection data of the first 51 and at least second 52 peripheral vehicles, which are obtained with the aid of the periphery detection sensors 33 on the vehicle 3 and which are derived continuously and/or intermittently at least along the road segment 71 of the road 7.

Act 1004

In act 1004, the behavior analysis system 1 determines that the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind, for example, with the support of the determination criterion satisfaction determination unit 104, when the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61 and the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62 satisfy and/or jointly satisfy at least a part of the irregular driving determination criterion, respectively.

Alternatively, act 1004 of determining that the emergency vehicle 2 is considered to be approaching vehicle 3 from behind may comprise: the emergency vehicle 2 is determined to be approaching the vehicle 3 from behind when the first surrounding vehicle trajectory 61, the at least second surrounding vehicle trajectory 62, and the at least one supplemental trajectory 91 of the supplemental surrounding vehicle 9 along the road segment 71 obtained from the supplemental surrounding detection vehicle 10 determined to be along the road 7 and/or having been along the road 7 for a period of time, respectively, meet and/or jointly meet at least a portion of the irregular driving judgment criteria.

Act 1005

In an optional act 1005, the behaviour analysis system 1 may transmit emergency vehicle acknowledgement data 8 when the emergency vehicle 3 is deemed to be approaching the vehicle 2 from behind, for example, with the support of an optional acknowledgement transmission unit 105.

The emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 may optionally be transmitted to a control system 34, the control system 34 being adapted to control the ADAS or AD system 31 of the vehicle 3, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 comprising an indication to initiate one or more evasive maneuvers and/or to at least partially disable the ADAS or AD system 31.

Additionally or alternatively, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 may optionally be transmitted to the user interface 35 of the vehicle 3, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 including an indication to present one or more instructions to an occupant of the vehicle 3 relating to a rearwardly approaching emergency vehicle 2.

Additionally or alternatively, confirmation data 8 may optionally be transmitted to nearby vehicle emergency vehicles, the emergency vehicle confirmation data 8 including an indication relating to the considered emergency vehicle 2.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present disclosure by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. It should also be noted that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the dimensions of some features may have been exaggerated for clarity. Instead, emphasis is placed upon illustrating the principles of the embodiments herein. Furthermore, in the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.