Lane-change assistant for motor vehicles

• US 20050155808A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Braeuchle, Goetz, Boecker, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/402
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle

Abstract

Lane changing assistant for motor vehicles, controlling an automatic changing of the vehicle to a neighboring lane in response to a command by the driver as part of a lane keeping system of the motor vehicle and having an operating element that is movable in opposite directions out of a neutral position, wherein a sensor is assigned to the operating element for each adjustment direction and the sensor supplies a multi-valued output signal which corresponds to the operation of the operating element and determines the dynamics of the lane changing procedure.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A lane changing assistant for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an arrangement for controlling an automatic change of the motor vehicle to a neighboring lane in response to a command by a driver as part of a lane keeping system of the motor vehicle;

an operating element that is movable in opposite directions out of a neutral position;

a first sensor allocated to the operating element for a first direction of the operating element out of the neutral position; and

a second sensor allocated to the operating element for a second direction of the operating element out of the neutral position, wherein;

each of the first sensor and the second sensor supplies a multi-valued output signal corresponding to an actuation of the operating element and determines dynamics of a lane changing procedure.

8. The lane changing assistant as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the operating element includes a lever, and

each of the first sensor and the second sensor measures a force with which the lever is pressed against one of a stop and a pressure point.

9. The lane changing assistant as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the lever forms a turn signal switch of the motor vehicle.

10. The lane changing assistant as recited in claim 7, wherein:

each one of the first sensor and the second sensor measure an actuation of the operating element with time resolution and to supply a time-resolved signal as a multi-valued output signal that determines an intensity of an intervention into a steering of the motor vehicle.

11. The lane changing assistant as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a regulating device that regulates a transverse position of the motor vehicle at a setpoint value; and

an arrangement for altering the setpoint value as a response to an output signal of one of the first sensor and the second sensor.

12. The lane changing assistant as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

an arrangement for analyzing output signals of the first sensor and the second sensor only during an initial phase of the lane changing procedure and then transferring control to the regulating device.