Driver-assistance method and driver-assistance system for snow-covered roads

• US 20130211720A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Volker Niemz
• Inventors: Niemz, Volker
• Application Number:
  US13/762,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/538
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A driver-assistance method, in which an optical sensor records an environment of a vehicle, and ruts formed by the tracks of vehicles driving ahead are detected based on the acquired data, and a signal is output to the driver when leaving the ruts. Also described is a driver-assistance system for executing the method.

Claims

1. A method for providing driver-assistance, the method comprising:

recording, via an optical sensor, an environment of a vehicle, and a rut created by tracks of vehicles so as to provide acquired data;

detecting a driving ahead based on the acquired data; and

outputting a signal to the driver when the vehicle leaves the rut.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein tire tracks of preceding vehicles are detected.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a tread of a tire impression in a tire track of a vehicle driving ahead is detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a strip delimited by associated tire tracks of vehicles driving ahead is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a vehicle driving ahead is tracked.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein it is detected whether a road having a high snow load or a road having a low snow load is involved.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein straying from the rut is characterized by the wheels on both sides of the vehicle stray from the rut by a minimum distance.

5. A driver-assistance system, comprising:

a detection arrangement to detect a strip, which is delimited by tracks of traffic and oncoming traffic.

9. A computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for providing driver-assistance, by performing the following;

recording, via an optical sensor, an environment of a vehicle, and a rut created by tracks of vehicles so as to provide acquired data;

detecting a driving ahead based on the acquired data; and

outputting a signal to the driver when the vehicle leaves the rut.

10. A driver-assistance system, comprising:

an optical sensor to record a vehicle environment;

a detecting arrangement to detect ruts on images from the optical sensor; and

an output arrangement to output a warning signal when a vehicle leaves the rut.