METHOD FOR OPERATING A LONGITUDINAL DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20140156164A1
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schuberth, Stefan, Held, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 9,862,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/803 Relative lateral speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

Method for operating a longitudinal driver assistance system (2) of a motor vehicle (1), which controls, in a pure follow mode, the speed of the motor vehicle (1) such that a distance to a vehicle in front as the control object remains constant, and which, in a free travel mode, controls the speed to a desired speed, a likelihood of the vehicle (14) in front of pulling out being determined depending on sensor data of at least one ambient sensor. The control with respect to the vehicle (14) in front and/or the control in the free travel mode is modified or ended directly after termination of the follow mode depending on the pulling-out likelihood.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating a longitudinal driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system controls a speed of the motor vehicle in an exclusive follow mode so that a distance to a preceding vehicle representing a control object remains constant, and the driver assistance system controls the speed of the motor vehicle in a free-driving mode at a desired speed, the method comprising:

determining a pulling-out probability of the preceding vehicle as a function of sensor data of at least one environment sensor, and

modifying control of the speed in relation to the preceding vehicle or in free-driving mode immediately upon termination of the follow mode depending on the pulling-out probability by

at least one of reducing a control distance to the preceding vehicle and adding a positive acceleration value to an acceleration request determined by the driver assistance system in follow mode, when the pulling-out probability exceeds a preparation threshold value and when a speed of the preceding vehicle is lower than the desired speed, or by

terminating the follow mode depending on the pulling-out probability by at least one of changing more quickly from braking to driving and requesting a greater acceleration than with another object deplausibilization, when the pulling-out probability exceeds a situation threshold value upon termination of the follow mode.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the follow mode is completed immediately when the pulling-out probability exceeds a deplausibility threshold value.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the control distance is reduced or the positive acceleration value is added depending on at least one of a current distance to the preceding vehicle and the pulling-out probability.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing a situation analysis in relation to a passing maneuver of the preceding vehicle or in relation to the preceding vehicle traveling in front in a left lane for right hand traffic or in a right lane for left hand traffic, without motivation, and determining the pulling-out probability based on the situation analysis.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the situation analysis is performed by determining lane data regarding a lane actually travelled by the motor vehicle and a total number of lanes of a travelled road.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the situation analysis is performed based on road user data relating to at least one of a travel lane, a speed and a position of the motor vehicle with respect to other preceding road users.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising increasing the pulling-out probability or setting the pulling-out probability to a higher fixed value when the situation analysis indicates by considering a course of the position of the preceding vehicle and of at least one of the other preceding road users who has been passed or is being passed, that the preceding vehicle has completed a passing maneuver and is able to pull in again to the right into the right lane for right hand traffic or is able to pull in again to the left into the left lane for left hand traffic.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising increasing the pulling-out probability or setting the pulling-out probability to a higher fixed value when the situation analysis indicates that the preceding vehicle travels in the lane of the motor vehicle in spite of an empty right lane for right hand traffic or an empty left lane for left hand traffic.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the pulling-out probability is increased or set to the higher fixed value only for a predetermined period of time and is thereafter reduced again.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the predetermined period of time is between about 2 and about 4 seconds.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the pulling-out probability is reduced again via a ramp.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the pulling-out probability is determined by taking into consideration an overlap between a lane actually travelled by the motor vehicle and the preceding vehicle.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the overlap is determined by measuring with a sensor arranged on the motor vehicle respective angles of two rear outer edges of the preceding vehicle and comparing the respective angles with an angle of a lane marker located at a distance from the sensor corresponding to a distance of the two rear outer edges from the sensor, wherein the angle of the lane marker is derived from a camera image.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the pulling-out probability increases with decreasing overlap as an at least partially linear function.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising measuring a traverse speed of the preceding vehicle, and predicting a position of the preceding vehicle after a predetermined period of time, and determining the pulling-out probability by taking into account the predicted position.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the position is a transverse position of the preceding vehicle.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined period of time is between about 2 seconds and about 4 seconds.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising

determining a plausibility value for a detected preceding object based on a vehicle path,

determining the control object based on the plausibility value,

determining a plausibility value for the predicted position, and

determining the pulling-out probability based on the plausibility value for the predicted position.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the pulling-out probability is defined as one minus the plausibility value for the predicted position.

35. A motor vehicle comprising:

at least one environment sensor, and

a longitudinal driver assistance system with a controller configured

to control a speed of the motor vehicle in an exclusive follow mode so that a distance to a preceding vehicle representing a control object remains constant, and to control the speed of the motor vehicle in a free-driving mode at a desired speed,

to determine a pulling-out probability of the preceding vehicle as a function of sensor data from the at least one environment sensor, and

to modify or terminate control of the speed in relation to the preceding vehicle or in free-driving mode immediately upon termination of the follow mode depending on the pulling-out probability.