METHOD FOR OPERATING A DRIVER ASSISTANCE DEVICE FOR AUTONOMOUSLY DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20160185387A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Kuoch, Siav-Kuong
• Granted Patent: US 9,669,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/00 Indexing scheme associated with groups B60K35/00 or B60K37/00 relating to details of instruments or dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/149 Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/332 Light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/285 for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/283 Steering wheels; Gear levers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0072 Controller asks driver to take over
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0096 : Control during transition between modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a driver assistance device of a motor vehicle (1), wherein the driver assistance device is switched between an automatic drive mode, in which control signals are output at least to a steering device of the motor vehicle (1) by means of the driver assistance device and hereby a steering angle of the motor vehicle (1) is autonomously controlled by the driver assistance device, and a manual drive mode, in which the steering angle is manually controlled by a driver by operating a steering wheel (7) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein with the switching the driver assistance device at least in one switching direction from one of the drive modes into the other drive mode, a moving light is generated along a predetermined lighting path (20) in a movement direction (21, 22) associated with the switching direction by means of a lighting device (4).

Claims

1. A method for operating a driver assistance device of a motor vehicle, wherein the driver assistance device is switched between an automatic drive mode, in which control signals are output at least to a steering device of the motor vehicle by the driver assistance device and a steering angle of the motor vehicle is autonomously controlled by the driver assistance device, and a manual drive mode, in which the steering angle is manually controlled by a driver by operating a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, the method comprising:

switching the driver assistance device at least in one switching direction from one of the drive modes into the other drive mode; and

as a result of the switching, generating a moving light along a predetermined lighting path in a movement direction associated with the switching direction by a lighting device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving light is generated along a lighting path disposed on the steering wheel and/or outside of the steering wheel along a lighting path disposed partially on the steering wheel and partially outside of the steering wheel.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving light is generated by a lighting unit of the lighting device disposed on the steering wheel and/or a lighting unit of the lighting device disposed outside of the steering wheel by sequentially activating a plurality of lighting elements of the lighting unit disposed distributed one after the other along the lighting path.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a region of the lighting path is disposed on a dashboard and/or a vehicle door of the motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein when switching the driver assistance device from the manual drive mode into the automatic drive mode, the moving light is generated in a first movement direction from the outside of the steering wheel towards the steering wheel.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein when switching the driver assistance device from the automatic drive mode into the manual drive mode, the moving light is generated in a second movement direction.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein when switching the driver assistance device from the automatic drive mode into the manual drive mode, the moving light is generated from the steering wheel towards the outside of the steering wheel.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein when switching the driver assistance device from the automatic drive mode into the manual drive mode, a transition, mode is activated, in which the driver assistance device checks whether the driver operates the steering wheel, and wherein the moving light is generated in the transition mode.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the activation of the transition mode is autonomously performed by a control device of the driver assistance device.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein when, after activating the transition mode, the operation of the steering wheel by the driver is detected by the driver assistance device by the lighting unit disposed on the steering wheel, light signals of a first type different from the moving light are generated, thereby signaling the manual drive mode.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein when, after activating the transition mode, operation of the steering wheel by the driver is not detected by the driver assistance device within a preset time interval, by the lighting device by the lighting unit disposed on the steering wheel, light signals of a second type different from the moving light are generated, signaling the driver to assume the vehicle drive.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the automatic drive mode, by the lighting unit disposed on the steering wheel, light signals of a third type different from the moving light are generated, by which the activated automatic drive mode is optically signaled.

13. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the light signals of the first type and/or the light signals of the second type and/or the light signals of the third type differ from each other in their coloring and/or in their flash frequency.

14. A motor vehicle comprising:

a driver assistance device for autonomously driving the motor vehicle,

wherein the driver assistance device is switchable between an automatic drive mode and a manual drive mode and comprises;

a control device adapted to output control signals at least to a steering device of the motor vehicle in the automatic drive mode and to autonomously control a steering angle of the motor vehicle, and

wherein in the manual drive mode the steering angle is manually controllable by a driver by operating a steering wheel of the motor vehicle, and

a lighting device, wherein the control device is adapted to control the lighting device upon switching the driver assistance device at least in one switching direction from one of the drive modes into the other drive mode for generating a moving light along a predetermined lighting path in a movement direction associated with the switching direction.