Method for operating an autonomous driving safety or driver assistance system of a motor vehicle

• US 10,023,187 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
• Original Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wulf, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US15/127,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/22 Banked curves
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/24 Curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/402 Back-up
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A method includes continuously recording, by the autonomous driving safety or driver assistance system, at least one of vehicle-related data and vehicle surroundings-related data, continuously repeatedly deciding, based on the recorded data, whether a driving safety or driver assistance system process is to be autonomously initiated or carried out, and carrying out a checking process, during which sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system are checked for the plausibility thereof. The checking process is carried out immediately following a start of travel of the motor vehicle. In a period of time between the start of travel of the motor vehicle and a start of operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system, an auxiliary process for an immediate and safe auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system is used during a checking period.

Claims

1. A method for operating an autonomous driving safety system or driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

continuously recording data using the autonomous driving safety or driver assistance system, wherein the data include at least one of vehicle-related data and vehicle surroundings-related data,

continuously repeatedly deciding, based on the recorded data, whether a driving safety or driver assistance system process is to be autonomously initiated or carried out, and

carrying out a checking process, during which sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system are checked for the plausibility thereof,

wherein the checking process is carried out immediately following a start of travel of the motor vehicle,

wherein in a period of time between the start of travel of the motor vehicle and a start of operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system, an auxiliary process for an immediate and safe auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system having reduced functional scope is used,

wherein the driving safety or driver assistance system acts at least as an emergency brake system, and

wherein during the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system, a limit value for a maximum effective brake force of a brake system of the motor vehicle that is activated by the emergency brake system is reduced relative to a normal mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving safety or driver assistance system further acts as at least one of an autonomous distance and speed regulating system and an autonomous steering intervention system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking period in which the auxiliary checking process is carried out, during which the sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system are checked for the plausibility thereof and in which the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system is used, is the period of time from the start of travel until the successful completion of all checking activities and plausibility check activities.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking period in which the checking process is carried out, during which the sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system are checked for the plausibility thereof and in which the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system is used, is a period of time in which the motor vehicle covers a driving distance of a certain minimum length.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the checking period is a period of time in which the motor vehicle covers a driving distance of between 2 km and 15 km.

6. A method for operating an autonomous driving safety system or driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

continuously recording data using the autonomous driving safety or driver assistance system, wherein the data include at least one of vehicle-related data and vehicle surroundings-related data,

continuously repeatedly deciding, based on the recorded data, whether a driving safety or driver assistance system process is to be autonomously initiated or carried out, and

carrying out a checking process, during which sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system are checked for the plausibility thereof,

wherein the checking process is carried out immediately following a start of travel of the motor vehicle,

wherein in a period of time between the start of travel of the motor vehicle and a start of operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system, an auxiliary process for an immediate and safe auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system having reduced functional scope is used,

wherein the driving safety or driver assistance system acts at least as an emergency brake system, and

wherein at least one of drive-related data of the motor vehicle, route-related data, traffic-related data, environment-related data, and data for assessing the driving activities of the driver of the motor vehicle are continuously recorded,

wherein at least one of a position, a speed, and an acceleration of at least one motor vehicle ahead and/or the position of at least one stationary obstacle are recorded continuously,

wherein based on the recorded data a decision is made continuously and repeatedly regarding whether an emergency braking process preventing a collision of the motor vehicle with at least one vehicle ahead and/or a stationary obstacle ahead, or at least reducing the consequences of such a collision, is to be autonomously initiated or carried out,

wherein the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system uses previously determined assumptions and/or immediately available data about the operating state of the motor vehicle, about the geometry of the current route, about a current range of driving speeds of the motor vehicle, about the current traffic situation, and about the current driving activities of the driver,

wherein during the course of the auxiliary process, the sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the auxiliary process are checked for the plausibility thereof, and

wherein during the course of the auxiliary process a start scenario with the initial sensor data and initial parameter settings and with non-reduced functional scope is generated from plausible sensor data and parameter settings for the start of the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the previously determined data and parameters used during the operation of the auxiliary process are successively replaced and/or supplemented by determined data and parameters that have been checked for the plausibility thereof.

8. A method for operating an autonomous driving safety system or driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

continuously recording data using the autonomous driving safety or driver assistance system, wherein the data include at least one of vehicle-related data and vehicle surroundings-related data,

continuously repeatedly deciding, based on the recorded data, whether a driving safety or driver assistance system process is to be autonomously initiated or carried out, and

carrying out a checking process, during which sensor data and parameter settings that are necessary for the operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system are checked for the plausibility thereof,

wherein the checking process is carried out immediately following a start of travel of the motor vehicle,

wherein in a period of time between the start of travel of the motor vehicle and a start of operation of the driving safety or driver assistance system, an auxiliary process for an immediate and safe auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system having reduced functional scope is used,

wherein an at least approximately turn-free route is assumed as a first assumption for the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a turn radius of |rcurve|>

1000 m is assumed for the route for the auxiliary process.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a limited range of driving speeds is assumed as a second assumption for the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a range of driving speeds of 60 km/h<

vvehicle<

90 km/h is assumed for the auxiliary process.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein as a third assumption for the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system, it is assumed that a vehicle ahead is moving relative to the subject vehicle with a limited speed in the lateral direction relative to the primary direction of travel of the subject motor vehicle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a relative lateral speed of a detected motor vehicle ahead of |vy|<

0.5 m/s is assumed for the auxiliary process.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein as a fourth assumption for the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system, it is assumed that a detected object is disposed in the surroundings of the vehicle for a minimum period of time.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a minimum period of time in which a detected object is disposed in the surroundings of the vehicle of tobj>

3 s is assumed for the auxiliary process.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein as a fifth assumption for the auxiliary process for the auxiliary mode of the driving safety or driver assistance system, stopped vehicles are assumed to be stationary obstacles.