System for recognising the lane-change manoeuver of a motor vehicle

• US 20050216171A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Heinrichs-Bartscher, Sascha
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/426 Scanning radar, e.g. 3D radar G01S13/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

System for evaluating the traffic environment of a motor vehicle and for influencing the speed of the motor vehicle in its own traffic lane, comprising an electronic control unit, which is connected to a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the desired speed of the motor vehicle, a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the yaw of the motor vehicle about its vertical axis, a signal transmitter that produces a signal, which is characteristic of the articles situated, in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, in front of the motor vehicle in terms of their spacing and orientation relative to the motor vehicle and which reproduces the speed relative to the speed of the system motor vehicle and/or the spacing relative to the system motor vehicle and/or the angular offset or the cross track distance relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of the system motor vehicle, and a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the speed of at least one wheel of the motor vehicle, and which is connected to at least one control device, which influences the performance of the motor vehicle, for supplying said device with output signals derived from the performance of the motor vehicle situated in front of the system motor vehicle, whereby the electronic control unit detects a lane change of the system motor vehicle when the change of the angular offset or of the track cross distance of the target motor vehicle, upon the performance of which the performance of the system motor vehicle is to be dependent, relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of the system motor vehicle is above a specific threshold value and substantially equal to the yaw of the system motor vehicle with an inverse sign.

Claims

1. System for evaluating the traffic environment of a motor vehicle and for influencing the speed of the motor vehicle in its own traffic lane, comprising

an electronic control unit (ECU), which is connected to

a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the desired speed of the motor vehicle,

a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the yaw of the motor vehicle about its vertical axis,

a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the articles situated, in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, in front of the motor vehicle in terms of their spacing and orientation relative to the motor vehicle and which reproduces at least one of

the speed relative to the speed of the system motor vehicle;

the spacing relative to the system motor vehicle;

the angular offset or the cross track distance relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of the system motor vehicle; and

a signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the speed of at least one wheel of the motor vehicle, and which

is connected to at least one control device, which influences the performance of the motor vehicle, in order to supply said device with output signals derived from the performance of the motor vehicle situated in front of the system motor vehicle, in which the electronic control unit (ECU) detects a lane change of the system motor vehicle when the change of the angular offset of the target motor vehicle, upon the performance of which the performance of the system motor vehicle is to be dependent, relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of the system motor vehicle is above a specific threshold value and substantially equal to the yaw of the system motor vehicle with an inverse sign, characterized in that in the electronic control unit (ECU) a target list is stored, in which for each article a value is stored and regularly updated, which value reproduces the noise amplitude of the change of the angular offset relative to each of the articles that are situated in the space in front of the system motor vehicle.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein in the electronic control unit (ECU) the noise amplitude of the change of the angular offset or of the cross track distance relative to each of the priority articles is low-pass-filtered and upon overshooting of a distance-dependent threshold value said priority article is excluded from selection as a target motor vehicle, upon the performance of which the performance of the system motor vehicle is to be dependent.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit (ECU) excludes a priority article from selection as a target motor vehicle, upon the performance of which the performance of the system motor vehicle is to be dependent, when the spacing from the system motor vehicle exceeds a distance threshold value,

the absolute value of the change of the angular offset relative to said priority article is greater than an angle threshold value (for example 4°

), and

said priority article has not previously been selected as a target motor vehicle.

2. (canceled)

5. System for evaluating the traffic environment of a system motor vehicle and for influencing the speed of the system motor vehicle in its own traffic lane, comprising

a first signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the desired speed of the system motor vehicle,

a second signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the yaw of the system motor vehicle about its vertical axis,

a third signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the articles situated, in the direction of travel of the system motor vehicle, in front of the motor vehicle in terms of their spacing and orientation relative to the system motor vehicle and which reproduces at least one of

the speed relative to the speed of the system motor vehicle;

the spacing relative to the system motor vehicle; and

the angular offset or the cross track distance relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of the system motor vehicle;

a fourth signal transmitter that produces a signal characteristic of the speed of at least one wheel of the system motor vehicle,

an electronic control unit (ECU), which is connected to receive respective signals from the first, second, third, and fourth signal transmitters, the electronic control unit (ECU) detecting a lane change of the system motor vehicle when the change of the angular offset of a target motor vehicle situated in front of the system motor vehicle, relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis of the system motor vehicle, is above a specific threshold value and substantially equal to the yaw of the system motor vehicle with an inverse sign, the electronic control unit (ECU) having a target list in which, for each article, a value is stored and regularly updated, which value reproduces the noise amplitude of the change of the angular offset relative to each of the articles that are situated in the space in front of the system motor vehicle, the electronic control unit (ECU) generating output signals as a function of the performance of the target motor vehicle; and

at least one control device which influences the performance of the system motor vehicle at least in part as a function of said output signals.