Method of controlling a driver assistance system and an associated apparatus

• US 20070030157A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Park, Su-Birm
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a driver assistance system which can identify a danger situation with reference to a comparison of measured data with predetermined limit values and which can output a warning signal when it has identified a danger situation of this type. An additional control module is provided which determines an activity state of the driver in dependence on at least one input value which permits a conclusion on actions carried out by a driver and can suppress the outputting of the warning signal in dependence on this activity state.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a driver assistance system which can identify a danger situation with reference to a comparison of measured data with predetermined limit values and which can output a warning signal when it has identified a danger situation of this type,

characterized in that

an additional control module is provided which determines an activity state of the driver in dependence on at least one input value which permits a conclusion on actions carried out by a driver and can suppress the outputting of the warning signal in dependence on this activity state.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the control module determines a numeric parameter for the activity state on a discrete or continuous scale and, if this parameter lies above a predetermined threshold value, suppresses the outputting of the warning signal.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the control module determines a numeric parameter for the activity state and, if this parameter exceeds a first threshold value, the output of the warning signal is suppressed and, if the parameter exceeds a second threshold value, but lies beneath the first threshold value, the limit values with reference to which the driver assistance system identifies a danger situation are adapted.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that different threshold values are provided for different types of danger situations.

5. A method in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the threshold value or values is/are fixed ex works.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a rate of revolution of the vehicle and/or a steering angle serves and/or serve as input values for the control module in dependence on the time.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the control module uses a speed of the vehicle as the input value and computes an acceleration from the time development of the speed in order to determine the activity state of the driver.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that an actuation of an indicator, of a brake and/or of a built-in electrical device by the driver serves and/or serve as the input value for the control module.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the control module determines an average time value of a parameter for the activity state of the driver and computes a threshold value in dependence on this mean value, with a warning signal being suppressed when the parameter for the activity state exceeds this threshold value.

10. An apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising:

a driver assistance system with a signal output device and a control module which is connected to the driver assistance system and which includes an electronic unit for the determination of an activity state of the driver and is in communication with measuring devices provided in the vehicle.