Method and Distance Control Device for Preventing Collisions of a Motor Vehicle in a Driving Situation With Little Lateral Distance

• US 20130338877A1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Straus, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for reducing instances of vehicle collisions. Based on parameter data of a first vehicle and road conditions, and parameter data regarding a second vehicle, the first vehicle can undergo warnings or positional adjustments to reduce the likelihood of a collision with the second vehicle or other collision body. The vehicle adjustment can be in the form of braking or steering adjustments. The warning can be in the form of a visual, audio, or haptic signal.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding collisions of a vehicle in a driving situation with little lateral distance from a collision body, wherein data from short-range sensors and/or data of a vehicle communication module is used, wherein a warning signal is output and/or intervention into the vehicle braking system and/or the vehicle steering system is carried out if a speed-dependent minimum distance of the vehicle from a collision body is undershot or the pre-calculated driving trajectory of one or more vehicles suggests an imminent collision,

characterized

in that the intervention into the vehicle braking system is carried out in such a way that the driving direction of the vehicle changes in a controlled fashion.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized

in that during the intervention into the vehicle braking system for changing the driving direction the left-hand or right-hand wheels are braked in pairs.

3. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 or 2,

characterized

in that during the intervention into the vehicle braking system an individual wheel is braked in order to change the driving direction.

4. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized

in that the intervention into the vehicle braking system for changing the driving direction is superimposed on an ABS control process.

5. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 4,

characterized

in that the intervention into the vehicle braking system for changing the driving direction is superimposed on an ESP control process.

6. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 or 5,

characterized

in that the intervention into the vehicle steering system, which is carried out in addition to or as an alternative to the intervention into the vehicle braking system, is limited to a predefined, maximum steering change angle.

7. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized

in that the intervention into the vehicle steering system is a recommendation to change the current cornering radius to the driver by superimposing an additional moment of force on the vehicle steering wheel.

8. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized

in that the warning is acoustic and/or visual and/or haptic.

9. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 8,

characterized

in that the roadway width in a bend or constriction to be driven through is acquired by means of a surroundings sensor system and/or map data and/or the vehicle communication module before the bend or constriction is driven through.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9,

characterized

in that the surroundings sensor system used for determining the roadway width is a camera-assisted lane detection system.

11. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 10,

characterized

in that a warning is output to the driver of a first vehicle if a second oncoming or overtaking vehicle approaches at excessive speed a bend or constriction to be driven through by the first vehicle, at the same time as the second vehicle.

12. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 11,

characterized

in that a warning is output only if a transverse acceleration which exceeds 0.3 g is to be expected in the bend given the current vehicle speed.

13. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 12,

characterized

in that a warning is output only if the roadway width undershoots a speed-dependent minimum value.

14. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 13,

characterized

in that the vehicle communication module transmits at least one of the following parameters, measured by the vehicle'"'"'s own vehicle sensor system, to at least one vehicle communication module of at least one other vehicle:

vehicle speed,

vehicle acceleration,

steering wheel angle,

steering wheel angle speed,

yaw rate,

yaw acceleration,

transverse acceleration,

vehicle position,

wheel rotational speeds,

driving direction and

roadway width.

15. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 14,

characterized

in that the driving trajectory of the vehicle in question is pre-calculated by means of at least two of the following driving parameters:

vehicle speed,

vehicle acceleration,

steering wheel angle,

steering wheel angle speed,

yaw rate,

yaw acceleration,

transverse acceleration,

vehicle position,

wheel rotational speeds and

driving direction.

16. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 15,

characterized

in that the driving trajectory of a further vehicle is pre-calculated by means of the parameters measured by the surroundings sensors and/or by means of the parameters received via the communication module.

17. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 16,

characterized

in that dynamic cornering of a vehicle on a multi-lane road constitutes a driving situation with little lateral distance.

18. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to 17,

characterized

in that passing a road construction area constitutes a driving situation with little lateral distance.

19. A distance control device which comprises short-range sensors arranged in the front region and/or lateral region of a vehicle and/or a vehicle communication module for transmitting and receiving driving parameters and/or parameters measured by a vehicle sensor system to/from other vehicle communication modules, wherein the device outputs a warning signal and/or carries out intervention into the vehicle braking system and/or the vehicle steering system if a speed-dependent minimum distance of the vehicle from a collision body is undershot or the pre-calculated driving trajectory of one or more vehicles suggests an imminent collision,

characterized

in that the device carries out the intervention into the vehicle braking system in such a way that the driving direction of the vehicle changes.

20. The device as claimed in claim 19,

characterized

in that the short-range sensors are short-range radar sensors and/or ultrasonic sensors.

21. The device as claimed in at least one of claims 19 or 20,

characterized

in that the vehicle communication module communicates with at least one other vehicle communication module on the basis of at least one of the following connections:

WLAN connection,

ISM connection (Industrial, Scientific, Medical Band),

infrared connection and

mobile radio connection.

22. The device as claimed in at least one of claims 19 to 21,

characterized

in that the device additionally comprises a satellite-based position-determining module.

23. The device as claimed in at least one of claims 19 to 22,

characterized

in that the device additionally comprises a navigation system with digital map material.