Method for Assisting a Motor Vehicle Driver When Driving Through a Narrow Passage and/or for Maintaining a Safe Distance from a Vehicle in Front

• US 20100094541A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Tronnier, Thorsten, Geischeder, Manfred, GRESSER, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 10,214,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0295 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image

Abstract

A method for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle when driving the motor vehicle through a narrow passage. In order to provide a cost-effective method, the anticipated vehicle path to be covered next is displayed to the driver. The width of the vehicle path shown corresponds to the actual width of the vehicle. If the length of the vehicle path display is realized in a speed-dependent fashion, information regarding the distance from the preceding vehicle arises as a further advantage.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a driver of a motor vehicle when driving through a narrow passage, the method comprising the acts of:

determining a drive path that is anticipated to be covered next by the motor vehicle; and

displaying the anticipated drive path, wherein a width of the displayed anticipated drive path corresponds to an actual width of the motor vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying act further comprises the acts of:

using a camera directed forward with respect to the motor vehicle to provide image sequences of a road on which the motor vehicle is driving; and

combining the anticipated drive path in the image sequences.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the anticipated drive path is represented by one of:

lines identifying left and right edges of the drive path, and

an area bounded by lines.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the image sequences are displayed on one of a dashboard display and a heads-up display.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the act of:

projecting the anticipated drive path onto the road on which the vehicle is driving via a projection device arranged in the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the act of projecting the anticipated drive path is carried out by projecting one of lines representing left and right edges of the drive path and an area bounded by lines.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of determining the anticipated drive path is carried out by at least one of:

detecting a steering angle of the motor vehicle;

detecting a yaw rate of the motor vehicle; and

detecting a steering angle rate of the motor vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anticipated drive path of the motor vehicle is indicated by a vehicle navigation system that determines a current position of the motor vehicle, wherein an intended travel destination the motor vehicle is fed into the vehicle navigation system and the vehicle navigation system determines a suitable travel route for which the anticipated drive path will be always indicated in an up-to-date fashion.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of the anticipated drive path displayed to the driver increases with an increasing speed of the motor vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of the anticipated drive path displayed to the driver corresponds to a time interval of one or more seconds of drive time.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the time interval is approximately 1 to 3 seconds.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of the anticipated drive path displayed to the driver is within a range of approximately 10 to 300 meters.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of the anticipated drive path displayed to the driver extends to a horizon of the display.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of selecting the width of the anticipated drive path to be displayed to the driver to be at least one safety value greater than the actual width of the motor vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of receiving a key press indicative signal to activate the method.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of controlling activation of the method via at least one of a traffic report related to bottlenecks on the travel route and vehicle sensor signals indicative of a bottleneck on the travel route.