Method for a driver assistance system of a vehicle

• US 10,146,357 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Bendewald, Lennart, Hackenberg, Linn
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US15/026,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 701 25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/168 Target or limit values
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/175 Autonomous driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/66 Projection screens or combiners
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 : from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0057 : Estimation of the time available or required for the handover
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 : non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 : Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 : Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 : Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A method for a driver assistance system of a vehicle. The driver assistance system can control the vehicle at least partially automatic by an autopilot function. In the method, an activation state of the autopilot function is determined and a display device of the driver assistance system is activated depending on the activation state of the autopilot function.

Claims

1. A method for a driver assistance system of a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system controls the vehicle at least partially automatically by an autopilot function, the method comprising:

activating the autopilot function in response to actuation of an activation mechanism remote from a display device of the driver assistance system;

determining an activation state of the autopilot function; and

activating the display device of the driver assistance system based on the activation state of the autopilot function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein of the activation state of the autopilot function comprises determining whether the autopilot function of the driver assistance system s activated or is deactivated, when n response to activation of the autopilot function, the vehicle s controlled automatically by the driver assistance system, wherein the display device of the driver assistance system is activated n response to activation of the autopilot function, and wherein the display device is deactivated n response to deactivation of the autopilot function.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

outputting items of information of the autopilot function on the display device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting of items of information of the autopilot function on the display device comprises:

outputting on the display device a remaining duration of a trip that is being automatically controlled by the autopilot function, and/or

outputting a future driving maneuver which has been determined by the autopilot function for the automatically controlled trip, and/or

outputting an item of ambient information which has been sensed by the autopilot function as information that is relevant to the automatically controlled trip.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises:

a display area which is arranged centrally in the lateral direction of the vehicle in a dashboard of the vehicle, and/or

a display area which is arranged adjacently underneath a display area of a multimedia, configuration or navigation system of the vehicle, and/or

a display area which is arranged adjacently above a display area of a multimedia, configuration or navigation system of the vehicle, and/or

a separate portion of a display area in an instrument cluster of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system has a further display device, the method further comprising:

outputting items of information of the driver assistance system on the further display device in response to deactivation of the autopilot function.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

mechanically adjusting the further display device from a first position into a second position in response to activation of the autopilot function, the further display device in the second position is arranged in the vehicle so that the further display device cannot be read from seat positions in the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises an input device which can be actuated by an occupant of the vehicle, the method further comprising:

sensing an item of configuration information by the input device for a configuration of the autopilot function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration information comprises:

a route selection, an autopilot portion of the route being shown on the display device for each selectable route of the route selection, the driver assistance system is capable of automatically controlling the vehicle in the autopilot portion of the route, and/or

an autopilot driving mode selection, with which an optimization criterion for the autopilot function can be set.

10. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is capable of controlling the vehicle at least partially automatically by an autopilot function, wherein the driver assistance system comprises:

a display device;

an activation mechanism, remote from the display device, and configured to activate the autopilot function in response to selection of the activation mechanism by a driver of the vehicle; and

a processing device, wherein the processing device determines an activation state of the autopilot function and activates the display device based on the activation state of the autopilot function.

11. The driver assistance system of claim 10, wherein the driver assistance system has a further display device, wherein the control device outputs items of information of the driver assistance system on the further display device in response to deactivation of the autopilot function.

12. The driver assistance system of claim 11, wherein the outputting of items of information of the autopilot function on the display device comprises:

output on the display device a remaining duration of a trip that is being automatically controlled by the autopilot function, and/or

output a future driving maneuver which has been determined by the autopilot function for the automatically controlled trip, and/or

output an item of ambient information which has been sensed by the autopilot function as information that is relevant to the automatically controlled trip.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the display device comprises a display area which is arranged centrally in the lateral direction of the vehicle in a dashboard of the vehicle, and/or a display area which is arranged adjacently underneath a display area of a multimedia, configuration or navigation system of the vehicle, and/or a display area which is arranged adjacently above a display area of a multimedia, configuration or navigation system of the vehicle, and/or a separate portion of a display area in an instrument cluster of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the driver assistance system has a further display device on which items of information of the driver assistance system are output in response to deactivation of the autopilot function.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the further display device is mechanically adjustable from a first position into a second position in response to activation of the autopilot function, the further display device in the second position being arranged in the vehicle so that the further display device cannot be read from seat positions in the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the display device comprises an input device which can be actuated by an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the input device senses an item of configuration information for a configuration of the autopilot function.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration information comprises:

a route selection, an autopilot portion of the route being shown on the display device for each selectable route of the route selection, the driver assistance system is capable of automatically controlling the vehicle in the autopilot portion of the route, and/or an autopilot driving mode selection, with which an optimization criterion for the autopilot function can be set.

18. A method for a driver assistance system of a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system controls the vehicle at least partially automatically by an autopilot function, the method comprising:

activating the autopilot function in response to actuation of an activation mechanism remote from a display device of the driver assistance system;

determining an activation state of the autopilot function; and

activating the display device of the driver assistance system based on the activation state of the autopilot function including at least one of mechanically adjusting the display device from a first position into a second position, wherein the display device in the second position is arranged in the vehicle so that the display device can be read from at least one seat position in the vehicle, and removing a view-hindering section arranged on a display area of the display device.

19. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is capable of controlling the vehicle at least partially automatically by an autopilot function, wherein the driver assistance system comprises:

a display device;

an activation mechanism, remote from the display device, and configured to activate the autopilot function in response to selection of the activation mechanism by a driver of the vehicle; and

a processing device, wherein the processing device determines an activation state of the autopilot function and activates the display device based on the activation state of the autopilot function, wherein

the display device has a view-hindering section arranged on a display area of the display device which is removable by a controller and the processing device is configured to activate the controller to remove the view-hindering section as part of activation of the display device, and/or

wherein the display device is adjustable with a mechanical drive from a first position into a second position, the display device in the second position is arranged in the vehicle so that the display device can be read from at least one seat position in the vehicle, and the processing device activates the mechanical drive so that the mechanical drive adjusts the display device into the second position to activate the display device.