METHOD FOR OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE WHEN CHANGING LANES, AND MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20160137199A1
• Filed: 06/07/2014
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: KHNE, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 9,533,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/20 Direction indicator values
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle when changing lanes on a roadway consisting of at least three lanes, with the steps: detection by a monitoring system in the vehicle of an impending lane change of the motor vehicle from a first lane to an adjoining second lane; detection of an impending lane change by another vehicle from a third lane that adjoins the second lane, to the second lane; the monitoring system determining whether a collision with the other vehicle threatens if the vehicle changes lanes; as soon as a threatened collision is determined, a warning signal is issued by a warning device and/or the motor vehicle is influenced in its lateral motion by a driver assistance system of the vehicle. In addition, it relates to a motor vehicle with a monitoring system.

Claims

1. Method for operating a motor vehicle when changing lanes on a roadway (22) comprising at least three lanes (20, 24, 26), comprising the steps:

Detection by a monitoring system (12) in the vehicle (10) of an impending lane change of the motor vehicle (10) from a first lane (20) to an adjoining second lane (26);

Detection of an impending lane change by another vehicle (18) from a third lane (24) that adjoins the second lane (26), to the second lane (26), wherein a first monitored area (28) is monitored by means of the monitoring system (12) that comprises the second and third lane (24) by zones;

The monitoring system (12) determining whether a collision with the other vehicle (18) threatens if the vehicle (10) changes lanes;

As soon as a threatened collision is determined, a warning signal is issued by a warning device (14) and/or the motor vehicle (10) is influenced in its lateral motion by a driver assistance system (16) of the vehicle (10), characterized in that

the vehicle (10) is automatically moved back into the first lane (20) by the driver assistance system, as soon as it is determined that there is a threat of a collision with the other vehicle (18) and the vehicle (10) has at least partially departed from the first lane (20);

the size of the first monitoring area (28), especially in the longitudinal direction (40) of the roadway (22) is adjusted in dependence on a currently permissible speed limit.

2. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

it is determined that the vehicle (10) is about to change lanes by means of a corresponding blinker activation and/or by a steering motion to that effect of the vehicle (10).

3. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

it is determined that another vehicle (18) is about to change lanes by means of a corresponding blinker activation and/or a transverse (30) motion of the vehicle (10) on the roadway (22).

4. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the warning signal is already issued as it has been detected that the motor vehicle (10) and the other vehicle (18) are about to change lanes.

5. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

as long as the other vehicle (18) is in the first monitoring area (18), the motion of the vehicle (18) is detected and, using it, a determination is made that a lane change by vehicle (18) is impending.

6. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

as long as the vehicle (18) is in the first monitoring area (28), the relative motion of vehicle (18) vis-à

-vis vehicle (10) is detected and, using this, a determination is made of whether a collision threatens of vehicle (10) with the other vehicle (18) if vehicle (10) changes lanes.

7. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

an impending lane change becomes more difficult or is prevented, as soon as a threatened collision has been determined with the other vehicle (18).

8. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

by means of the monitoring system (12) a second monitored area (36) that comprises the first lane (20) by zones is monitored, and the vehicle (10) only moves back into the first lane (20) if no additional vehicle (38) is in the second monitored area (36).

9. Method according to claim 8,

characterized in that

the size of the second monitoring area (36), especially in the longitudinal direction (40) of the roadway (22), is adjusted in dependence on the current speed of the vehicle (10) and/or on a currently permissible speed limit.

10. Method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the size of the first monitoring area (28), especially in the longitudinal direction (40) of the roadway (22), is adjusted in dependence on the current speed of the vehicle (10) and/or on a currently permissible speed limit.

11. Motor vehicle (10) with:

a monitoring system (12) which is designed;

to detect an imminent lane change of vehicle (10) from a first lane (20) to an adjoining second lane (26);

to detect an impending lane change of a second vehicle (18) from a third lane (24) adjoining the second lane (26) to the second lane (26);

to monitor a first monitoring area (28) comprising the second and third lane (24) by zones;

to determine whether a collision is threatened with the other vehicle (18) when vehicle (10) changes lanes;

a warning device (14) which is designed to issue a warning signal as soon as a collision with the other vehicle (18) becomes a threat;

a driver assistance system (16) which is designed to effect transverse guidance on the vehicle (10), as soon as a threatened collision with the other vehicle (18) has been determined;

characterized in that

the driver assistance system (16) is designed to automatically move vehicle (10) back into the first lane (20), as soon as a threatened collision with the other vehicle (18) has been determined and vehicle (10) has at least partially moved out of the first lane (20);

the monitoring system (12) is designed to adapt the size of the first monitoring area (28), especially in the longitudinal direction (40) of the roadway (22), depending on a current permissible speed limit.