Method and Device for an Overtaking Assistant

• US 20160059858A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: HEGEMANN, Stefan, FISCHER, Marc, HEINRICH, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,783,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A method for an overtaking assistant for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle is equipped with environment sensing systems for detecting objects in the own and an adjacent lane on the sides and at the rear of the vehicle. The space in front of the vehicle is preferably detected by environmental sensors as well. Autonomous cutting into an adjacent lane is only initiated if a first vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane. The first vehicle is taken as a reference for a speed of vehicles in the passing lane. It is also assumed that a second vehicle that approaches the first vehicle fast in the same lane has detected the first vehicle and will adjust its speed to the speed of the first vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for an overtaking assistant for a vehicle equipped with environment sensing systems for detecting objects in an own lane and an adjacent lane behind, and optionally also in front of, the vehicle, characterized in that

autonomous cutting into the passing lane is only initiated if a first vehicle is detected in the passing lane.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that

an autonomous overtaking maneuver is only initiated if the value of the relative speed of the vehicle and the first vehicle is in a predetermined range.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that

the vehicle is configured to cut-in in front of the first vehicle if the speed of the vehicle is higher than or equal to the speed of the first vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that

cutting in is performed only if a second vehicle is detected in addition to the first vehicle in the passing lane behind the first vehicle, and a gap between the first and the second vehicles is big enough for a cutting in maneuver of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that

an autonomous overtaking maneuver is only initiated if the value of a relative speed between the vehicle and the second vehicle is in a predetermined range, wherein a threshold of the predetermined range is dependent on the vehicle speed.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that

the gap between the first and the second vehicles is greater than a predetermined threshold selected from 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 m.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that

the gap between the first and the second vehicles is greater than a predetermined threshold, wherein the threshold is selected depending on a speed of the vehicle or a relative speed of the vehicle relative to the first vehicle or relative to the second vehicle.

8. A device for initiating an autonomous overtaking maneuver for a vehicle equipped with environment sensing systems for detecting objects in the own and an adjacent lane in front of and behind the vehicle, which includes a control unit with an electronic memory in which is stored a program for executing a method according to claim 1.

9. A vehicle comprising environment sensing systems for detecting objects in an own lane and an adjacent lane in front of and behind the vehicle, and comprising a device according to claim 8.

10. A method for an overtaking assistance system of a subject vehicle driving on a subject vehicle'"'"'s lane of a roadway, comprising the following steps performed by the overtaking assistance system:

receiving sensor data from an environment sensor system of the subject vehicle;

evaluating the sensor data to determine whether a first vehicle is detected in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the subject vehicle'"'"'s lane of the roadway; and

only if at least the first vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane, then initiating an autonomous cutting of the subject vehicle out of the subject vehicle'"'"'s lane and into the adjacent lane.