DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20160200317A1
• Filed: 07/19/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: DANZL, Martin, WST, Sabine, GOLLEWSKI, Torsten, KIENZL, Georg, HAGEMANN, Franz-Michael, SIEDERSBERGER, Karl-Heinz, MIEHLING, Thomas, KUNSCH, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,873,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• 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 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/26 Incapacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/00 Input parameters relating to exterior conditions, not covered by groups B60W2552/00, B60W2554/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A motor vehicle comprising at least one driver assistance system (2) to pre-calculate future driving situations of the motor vehicle (1) for a specified time interval by evaluating ego data related to the motor vehicle (1) and environmental data related to the motor vehicle environment, wherein the motor vehicle (1) is controllable by a driver in a first operating mode of the driver assistance system (2), wherein the driver assistance system (2) is designed, upon fulfillment of one switchover condition dependent at least upon future driving situations, to be temporarily switched over into a second operating mode in which the motor vehicle (1) is autonomously controlled by the driver assistance system (2) without the possibility of intervention by the driver, wherein driving is continued in the second operating mode.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one driver assistance system to pre-calculate_future driving situations of the motor vehicle for a specified time interval to evaluate ego data relating to the motor vehicle and environmental data relating to the motor vehicle environment, wherein the motor vehicle is controllable by a driver in a first operating mode of the driver assistance system,

the driver assistance system is designed, upon meeting at least one switchover condition dependent upon future driving situations, to temporarily switch over into a second operating mode in which the motor vehicle is autonomously controlled by the driver assistance system without intervention by the driver, wherein driving is continued in the second operating mode, wherein the driver assistance system is designed, to calculate, in the second operating mode, a prediction as to whether the switchover condition has been met at a point lying ahead in a driving direction and to determine a target position for the autonomous driving mode at which the switchover condition is likely not met.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to evaluate the ego data, including route data of a navigation system and the environmental data to determine a target route of the motor vehicle desired by the driver, wherein the target position is on the target route.

3. The motor vehicle according to either claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine the target position such that a predicted traffic situation or a route course allows the safe transfer of vehicle control to the driver at the target position.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to switchover from the second operating mode into the first operating mode in at least one reset condition, wherein the at least one reset condition is at least one from among that the switchover condition is not met that the traffic situation allows a safe return of vehicle control back to the driver, or that the target position has been reached.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine a control trajectory between a current position of the motor vehicle and the target position and to control the motor vehicle along the control trajectory in the second operating mode.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the driver assistance system in the second operating mode is designed to autonomously control brake systems, an engine, a steering system, an automatic transmission of the motor vehicle, without intervention by the driver.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to calculate multiple drivable trajectories based upon the current position of the motor vehicle with at least one boundary condition determined from the ego data the environmental data and in that the switchover condition is designed to evaluate the drivable trajectories.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine at least one driving area based upon the current position of the motor vehicle that is drivable by the motor vehicle, wherein the at least one boundary condition is that the trajectories lie completely within the driving area.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to calculate the drivable trajectories as at least one parameterized band of trajectories from a multitude of drivable trajectories or as multiple individual drivable trajectories that are spaced apart by a specified or adjustable distance of their parameters, the parameters including location coordinates.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to activate an indicator device to give an audible, haptic, or visible warning when switching over into the second operating mode or before switching over into the first operating mode as an indicator for the driver to resume control.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a communication device for wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication or wireless vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine the environmental data by activating the communication device to communicate with information sources or to communicate with other motor vehicles to transmit warning messages.

17. The motor vehicle according claim 1 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to autonomously control of a steering system, a braking system, an engine, or an automatic transmission of the motor vehicle in a fourth operating mode without intervention by the driver, the fourth operating mode including the motor vehicle being placed in a safe parking position.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, further comprising a means for detecting a driver condition to determine a driver'"'"'s condition, and the driver assistance system is designed to switchover into the fourth operating mode when the driver'"'"'s condition is determined to indicate that the driver is incapacitated.

19. The motor vehicle according claim 17, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to wait for driver input to resume driver control during the switchover from the second operating mode to the first operating mode and, if this input does not occur within a specified time interval, to switch over into the fourth operating mode.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 17 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to switchover to the fourth operating mode when a defined minimum number or a defined minimum frequency of switchovers from the first operating mode into the second operating mode within a specified timeframe is determined.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, further comprising a communication device, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine a target driving maneuver, in the fourth operating mode, for at least one other motor vehicle and to activate the communication device to transmit the target driving maneuver to the motor vehicle, wherein a priority message is transmittable in addition to the target driving maneuver.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 wherein the switchover condition the boundary condition to calculate the drivable trajectories or the determination of the control trajectory is dependent upon a defined driver characteristic or upon a driver characteristic determined by the driver assistance system.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine at least one speed profile for each of the drivable trajectories.

11. The motor vehicle according claim wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine a threshold value for a vehicle parameter from the drivable trajectories, and the at least one switchover condition is exceeding of the threshold value or failure to maintain the threshold value.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim wherein the at least one switchover condition is exceeding a minimum value for a number of the drivable trajectories or of a width of a value range of at least one parameter that parameterizes a band of trajectories of the drivable trajectories.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim wherein the driver assistance system is designed for an event in which at least one boundary condition will be adjusted and drivable trajectories will be recalculated if no drivable trajectory can be determined.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13 wherein the driver assistance system is designed to switchover to a third operating mode in which an emergency trajectory is determined if no drivable trajectory can be determined, after the boundary condition has been adjusted.

23. A process, comprising:

controlling a motor vehicle that incldues at least one driver assistance system and at least one detection means, wherein the motor vehicle is controllable by a driver in a first operating mode of the driver assistance system, the controlling including;

detecting ego data relating to the motor vehicle and environmental data relating to the motor vehicle environment by the means of detection;

pre-calculating future driving situations of the motor vehicle by evaluating the ego data and the environmental data by the driver assistance system;

checking by the driver assistance system as to whether a switchover condition dependent at least upon the future driving situations has been met;

temporarily switching over into the second operating mode of the driver assistance system if the switchover condition is met; and

autonomously controlling the motor vehicle without intervention of the driver to continue driving using the driver assistance system in the second operating mode, including calculating a prediction by the driver assistance system in the second operating mode to determine whether the switchover condition is met at a point lying ahead in a direction of travel, and determining a target position for an automatic driving operation at which the switchover condition is likely not met.