Assistance System for Motor Vehicles

• US 20080027607A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kohler, Thorsten, Zittlau, Dirk, Ertl, Ludwig, Ruehl, Hans-Wilhelm
• Application Number:
  US11/587,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027607A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

An assistance system for motor vehicles, in particular an electronic rally-copilot, an over-taking assistant, or right-of-way assistant, includes at least one control unit, which selects data from at least three groups of global, local, and internal data. The selection is by way of a specification of a driver known by the control unit and they are connected together in such a manner that an output signal can be produced relating to the driving dynamics of the motor vehicle. Further, there is provided an assistance system, which simultaneously processes, in an advantageous manner, data prepared by three groups (and/or with the specification of the driver from four groups). Redundancy can be established in an advantageous manner, which is determined, in particular for security-related uses. It can be used, in particular, as a rally-copilot, an over-taking assistant and/or right-of-way assistant for modern vehicles.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. An assistance system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one control unit configured to detect a driver specification and, based on the driver specification, to select from three groups of data, at least one item of data each, and to link the selected items of data to each other, and to generate an output signal, based on the linkage, relating to the driving dynamics of the motor vehicle.

15. The assistance system according to claim 14 configured in an electronic rally-copilot, an overtaking assistant, or a right-of-way assistant.

16. The assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the groups of data include global data, local data, and internal data.

17. The assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the driver specification is selected from the group of:

a destination entered into a navigation system;

a gear selected;

a position of an accelerator pedal and a position of other pedals;

an angle at which a steering wheel is turned;

a turn signal setting, a set turn signal indicator position, a non-set turn signal indicator position;

light settings;

settings of a cruise control or an adaptive cruise control.

18. The assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the global data are selected from the group consisting of a global course of a roadway lying ahead of the motor vehicle;

a type of roadway;

a road barrier;

a number of available traffic lanes;

bridges;

tunnels; and

traffic signs.

19. The assistance system according to claim 18, which further comprises a computing unit in which the global data is generated based on map data provided, and a position determination of the motor vehicle.

20. The assistance system according to claim 19, wherein the position determination includes at least one of GPS, odometry, and UMTS.

21. The assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the groups of data include local data selected from the group consisting of:

a local course of a roadway lying ahead of the motor vehicle;

a traffic lane currently traveled by the motor vehicle;

a curve of the roadway;

a type of road surface markings;

additional road users with relative positions thereof, speeds, and accelerations of the additional road users relative to the motor vehicle;

peripheral structures;

a position of the motor vehicle in the traffic lane, a yaw angle, a change in the yaw angle, a pitch angle, a change in the pitch angle, a roll angle and a change in the roll angle of the motor vehicle relative to the traffic lane or a level of a surface of the traffic lane.

22. The assistance system according to claim 19, wherein the peripheral structures include crash barriers, traffic signs, tunnels, arrows showing a curve in the road, pedestrian crossings, or parking bays.

23. The assistance system according to claim 21, which includes a plurality of environment sensors for generating local data.

24. The assistance system according to claim 23, wherein said environment sensors include sensors selected from the group of sensors monitoring a front area of the vehicle, side areas of the vehicle, a rear of the vehicle, a camera system recording the motor vehicle;

ACC radars;

24 GHz radar sensors, 77 GHz radar sensors, LIDAR sensors; and

ultrasound sensors.

25. The assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the groups of data include internal data selected from:

rotational speed;

yaw angle;

engine speed;

currently selected gear;

temperature of individual units;

current fuel consumption;

tire pressure, type of tires; and

age of the tires.

26. The assistance system according to claim 25, which further comprises groups of internal sensors in the motor vehicle for generating the internal data, said sensors including wheel rotational speed sensors;

yaw angle sensors;

engine control;

fuel indicator;

tire pressure gauge; and

a rain sensor.

27. The assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the output signal relating to the driving dynamics of the motor vehicle is at least one signal selected from the group consisting of acoustic warning signals, visual warning signals, and haptic warning signals.

28. The assistance system according to claim 14, wherein the output signal relating to the driving dynamics of the motor vehicle is provided to intervene independently in defined systems of the motor vehicle.

29. The assistance system according to claim 28, wherein the output signal is provided to intervene independently in the braking system or the steering system.

30. A rally-copilot system in a motor vehicle, comprising an assistance system according to claim 14 including at least one of the following:

a navigation system;

an identification of the traffic lane;

the driving dynamics; and

the specifications of the motor vehicle driver.

31. An overtaking assistant in a motor vehicle, comprising an assistance system according to claim 14 including at least one of the following:

a navigation system;

recording of the driving environment;

the current motor vehicle dynamics; and

the specifications of the motor vehicle driver.

32. A right-of-way assistant in a motor vehicle, comprising an assistance system according to claim 14 including at least one of the following:

a navigation system;

an environment sensor system;

an information item of a speed of the motor vehicle and an information item of a brake pedal position of the motor vehicle; and

the specifications of the motor vehicle driver.