DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20150051780A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hahne, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A driver assistance system and a method for operating a driver assistance system are disclosed. The driver assistance system includes an actuation device configured for automatically actuating a brake unit, a drive unit or a steering unit. An input device enters a user request for a driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance. A releasing device selectively releases an operation of the driver assistance system based on whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger of the motor vehicle is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by means of the releasing device.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle comprising:

an actuation device configured to automatically actuate at least one element of the motor vehicle selected from the group consisting of a brake unit, a drive unit and a steering unit;

an input device for entering a user request for a driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance system;

a releasing device for releasing an operation of the driver assistance system; and

a computer unit configured to run a computer program product which instructs the computer unit for executing the following;

determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by a passenger of the motor vehicle is effected by a driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device; and

releasing the operation of the driver assistance system for the passenger when the release of the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device.

17. The driver assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the releasing device comprises a biometric person recognition device;

and wherein determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the driver by the releasing device is effected on the basis of data ascertained by the biometric person recognition device.

18. The driver assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the releasing device comprises an operating element in a foot well area of the driver;

and wherein determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the driver by actuation of the operating element.

19. The driver assistance system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a first sensor for ascertaining at least one parameter characteristic of a possible distraction of the passenger from a momentary traffic situation; and

an output device for issuing a warning message;

wherein when the release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the driver by the releasing device, the computer program product instructs the computer unit to execute the following;

ascertaining a degree of distraction of the passenger from the momentary traffic situation based on the at least one ascertained parameter; and

issuing the warning message by the output device when the degree of distraction of the passenger from the momentary traffic situation exceeds a predefined threshold value.

20. The driver assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the driver assistance system further comprises a second sensor for detecting objects in an area adjacent to the motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to automatically perform the driving maneuver based on data ascertained from the second sensor of the motor vehicle.

21. The driver assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the driver assistance system further comprises a communication device for receiving data from at least one of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device or a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication device, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to automatically perform the driving maneuver based on data received by the communication device.

22. The driver assistance system according to claim 16 further comprising a storage device having map data stored thereon, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to automatically perform the driving maneuver based on the map data stored in the storage device.

23. A method for operating a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system includes an actuation device configured to automatically actuate at least one element of the motor vehicle selected from the group consisting of a brake unit, a drive unit and a steering unit, an input device for entering a user request for a driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance system and a releasing device for releasing an operation of the driver assistance system, the method comprising:

determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger of the motor vehicle is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device; and

releasing the operation of the driver assistance system for the passenger when the release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger of the motor vehicle is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device is effected on the basis of data ascertained from a biometric person recognition device.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising determining whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device is effected on the basis of an actuation of an operating element arranged in a foot well are of the driver.

26. The method according to one of claim 23, further comprising:

ascertaining at least one parameter characteristic of a possible distraction of the passenger from a momentary traffic situation by a first sensor of the motor vehicle;

ascertaining a degree of distraction of the passenger from a momentary traffic situation based on the at least one ascertained parameter; and

issuing a warning message when the ascertained degree of distraction of the passenger from the momentary traffic situation exceeds a predefined threshold value.

27. The method according to one of claim 23, further comprising:

determining whether a user request for performing a driving maneuver executable by means of the driver assistance system is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the input device; and

automatically performing the driving maneuver when the user request for performing the driving maneuver is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the input device;

wherein determining, whether a release for the driver assistance system to be operated by the passenger of the motor vehicle is effected by the driver of the motor vehicle by the releasing device is effected during automatic execution of the driving maneuver.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether a take-over of the motor vehicle by the driver is necessary during automatic execution of the driving maneuver; and

issuing a warning message when it is determined that a take-over of the motor vehicle by the driver is necessary during automatic execution of the driving maneuver.

29. A computer program product which when executed on a computer unit of a driver assistance system of the motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system include an actuation device configured for automatic actuation of at least one element of the motor vehicle selected from the group consisting of a brake unit, a drive unit and a steering unit, an input device for entering a user request for at least one driving maneuver executable by the driver assistance system and a releasing device for releasing an operation of the driver assistance system (1), the computer program product instructing the computer unit to execute a method according to claim 23.

30. A computer-readable medium on which a computer program product according to claim 29 is stored.