METHOD FOR WARNING A DRIVER OF A VEHICLE ABOUT EXCEEDING OF A SPEED LIMIT, AND VEHICLE

• US 20140118169A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: HAMBERGER, Werner, SCHULZ, Kati
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A method warns a driver of a vehicle about exceeding of a speed limit. First of all, it is determined whether a speed limit is present and what the driving speed of the vehicle is. If the driving speed of the vehicle is greater than the driving speed which is permissible according to the speed limit, a warning signal of a first type is emitted. Subsequently, the reaction of the driver to the warning signal of the first type is determined. A warning signal of a second type is emitted in a time-delayed manner, or the emitting of the warning signal of the second type is suppressed, depending on the reaction of the driver to the warning signal of the first type. A vehicle carries out a method of this type.

Claims

1. A method for warning a driver of a vehicle about exceeding a speed limit, comprising:

determining the speed limit and a driving speed of the vehicle;

emitting a warning signal of a first type if the driving speed of the vehicle is greater than the speed limit, the warning signal of the first type being emitted when a location is passed, from which location the speed limit is valid, the warning signal of the first type being a visual warning;

determining a reaction of the driver to the warning signal of the first type; and

emitting with a time delay, a warning signal of a second type if the vehicle continues to exceed the speed limit after the warning signal of the first type, the warning signal of the second type being an audible warning, the time delay being calculated according to a difference between a current driving speed of the vehicle and the speed limit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning signal of the second type:

is emitted after a first time period if, after emitting the warning signal of the first type, the driver does not reduce the driving speed of the vehicle, or

is emitted after a second time period, longer than the first time period if, after emitting the warning signal of the first type, the driver reduces the driving speed of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein emitting the warning signal of the second type is suppressed if, after the second time period, the driving speed of the vehicle is less than or equal to the speed limit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second time period has a length corresponding to a difference between the speed limit and the driving speed of the vehicle when the warning signal of the first type was emitted.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein emitting the warning signal of the second type is suppressed if, after the emitting of the warning signal of the first type, the driver reduces the driving speed of the vehicle in such a way that, after a predefined driven distance has been covered, the driving speed of the vehicle is less than or equal to the speed limit.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed limit is determined by at least one of:

a traffic-sign detection device,

data stored in a navigation system of the vehicle, and

positional data which specify a location of a speed limit traffic sign, and which are transmitted to the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the positional data are transmitted to the vehicle of the driver from a further vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the positional data are obtained from a database outside the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the speed limit is determined by:

using a traffic-sign detection device to detect a speed limit traffic sign which displays the speed limit, and

confirming that the speed limit displayed by the speed limit traffic sign conforms to a generally valid speed limit for current driving conditions.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the speed limit is determined by:

using a traffic-sign detection device to detect a speed limit traffic sign which displays the speed limit, and

confirming that the speed limit displayed by the speed limit traffic sign conforms to transmitted positional data and posted speed limit data stored in the navigation system.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning signal of the first type is emitted when the vehicle is proximate to a speed limit traffic sign.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning signal of the second type is emitted concurrently with a warning signal of a third type, the warning signal of the third type being a visual warning.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a warning device to warn a driver of the vehicle about exceeding a speed limit, the warning device having an emission unit to emit a warning signal of a first type and a warning signal of a second type, the warning signal of the first type being a visual warning, the warning signal of the second type being an audible warning; and

a determining device to determine the speed limit and a driving speed of the vehicle;

a control device to cause the warning device to emit the warning signal of the first type when a location is passed, from which the speed limit is valid, and, if the vehicle continues to exceed the speed limit after the warning signal of the first type, to cause the warning device to emit the warning signal of the second type with a time delay, the time delay being calculated according to a difference between a current driving speed of the vehicle and the speed limit.