Adaptation of an automatic distance control to traffic users potentially merging into the lane thereof

• US 20070142995A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Wotlermann, Bernd
• Application Number:
  US10/582,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142995A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/10 Number of lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4042 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

According to the invention, the security and driving comfort on driving road vehicles is increased by the fitting thereof with automatic systems for distance control and traffic separation. The operating properties of vehicles filled with such systems may be better adapted to traffic users merging into the lane thereof and the operating properties essentially better matched to those of a human vehicle driver, whereby an automatic traffic separation is carried out in which the position and speed of objects and traffic users are detected by a separation sensor. The vehicle is then subjected to a braking or acceleration, depending on said detected information. According to the invention, other information relating to the road layout from a navigation system or other data-bank containing road layout data is accessed, such that when the above information indicates that a detected traffic user under normal conditions is expected to merge into the lane of the road vehicle comprising said system, the driving properties of said road vehicle are matched to those of the detected traffic user.

Claims

1. A process for adapting and automated safe distance following guidance of an equipped vehicle (10) to a traffic user (20) merging into the lane (B) of the equipped vehicle (10), comprising:

detecting objects and traffic users (20) ahead of the own vehicle within a sensed area (12) originating from a spacing sensor, and

determining, in an evaluation unit, the positions and speeds of the detected objects and traffic users (20), in order to produce, beginning from this computed data, control parameters in order to selectively influence servo means for acceleration or braking of the equipped vehicle,

wherein in the production of the control parameters, in addition to the data of the objects and traffic users (20) determined in the evaluation unit, also information from a navigation system or another data bank describing the ahead-lying layout of the road is accessed,

and wherein, when from the information regarding the additional layout of the road, it is determined that at least one traffic user exercising conventional driving behavior will change lane to the lane (B) of the equipped vehicle (10), the control parameters for the servo means acting upon the own vehicle (10) are produced in such a manner, that the behavior of the own vehicle (10) is adapted to the at least one detected traffic user (20) according to its speed and/or position.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the detection of objects and traffic users (20) occurs by the spacing sensor using millimeter waive length radar, lidar or camera sensors.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein information describing the ahead lying layout of the road is read from ADAS-Map (Advanced Driver Assistance System), which information includes, in addition to information necessary for vehicle navigation, also supplementally information regarding the number of lanes (A), (B) and/or markers with respect to on ramps and off ramps (C) to highways or major roads.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein in the cases in which the speed of the at least one detected traffic user (20) is exceeded by the speed of the equipped vehicle (10), the driving behavior of the equipped vehicle is adapted in such a manner to the traffic user (20) that, by suitable adjusting of the controlled parameters, the speed of the own vehicle is reduced to the realm of the speed of the traffic user (20).

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein in those cases in which the spacing of the equipped vehicle (10) to the at least one detected traffic participant (20) is large, the reduction in speed of the equipped vehicle (10) occurs with moderation.

6. A process according to claim 4, wherein in the cases in which the separation of the own vehicle (10) to the at least one detected traffic user (20) is relatively small, the traffic user (20) however following conventional driving behavior would be expected to immediately carry out a lane change, the reduction in the speed of the own vehicle (10) occurs rapidly.

7. A process according to claim 4, wherein in the cases, in which the separation of the own vehicle (10) to the at least one detected traffic user (20) is relatively small, the traffic user (20) however following conventional driving behavior would be expected to immediately carry out a lane change, the equipped vehicle (10) is programmed to carry out a lane change to an adjacent lane (A) opposite to the detected traffic user (20).

8. A process according to claim 7, wherein prior to the lane change to adjacent lane (A) opposite to the detected traffic user (20), this lane (A) is examined with a sensor system for monitoring adjacent lanes, in particular a blind angle monitoring system, with regarding to whether a safe change in lane of the equipped vehicle (10) to this lane (A) is possible.

9. A process according to claim 4, wherein in the cases, in which the distance of the equipped vehicle (10) to the at least one detected traffic user (20) is relatively small, yet still sufficient to allow time for a lane change in conventional driving behavior, the speed of the own vehicle (10) is not reduced.

10. A process according to claim 9, wherein, traffic situations and regulations permitting, the speed of the equipped vehicle (10) is moderately increased.

11. A process according to claim 10, wherein the speed of the equipped vehicle (10), after passing the at least one detected traffic user (20), is again reduced to resume the speed prior to the increasing of the speed.

16. A process as in claim 1, wherein for merging in to the lane travelled by the equipped vehicle (10) by vehicles from a lane adjacent, in which other traffic users are located,

for preparing for the merging, depending upon whether the vehicle is to merge ahead of or behind a particular traffic user, the speed of the equipped vehicle is either increased above or reduced below the speed of the particular traffic user by appropriate selection of the control parameters, using the servo means for acceleration or braking of the own vehicle.

12. A device for adapting an automatic safe following guidance of an equipped vehicle (10) to traffic users (20) merging to this lane (B),

including a spacing sensor for detecting objects and traffic users (20) located ahead of the equipped vehicle (10),

further including an evaluation unit for determining the position and relative speed of the detected objects and traffic users (20), and

a means for acting, beginning with the determined position and speed, on a servo means for accelerating or braking the equipped vehicle (10),

wherein the device is in communication with a navigation system or another data bank, in order to access additional information describing the layout of the road for producing control parameters, in addition to the evaluation unit determined data of the object and the traffic users (20).

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the spacing sensor is a millimeter waive length radar, lidar or camera sensor.

14. A device according to claim 12, wherein the data bank, from which supplemental information describing the ahead lying layout of the road is read, includes an ADAS-Map.

15. A device according to claim 12, wherein the device is in communication with a sensor system for monitoring an adjacent lane, in particular a blind angle monitoring system, in order, prior to a change in lane of the equipped vehicle (10) to a adjacent lane (A) opposite to the detected traffic user (20), this adjacent lane is examined to the extent as to whether a safe change in that direction is possible.