METHOD FOR A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM OF A VEHICLE

• US 20160231743A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: LDDECKE, Daniel, BENDEWALD, Lennart, HACKENBERG, Linn
• Granted Patent: US 9,772,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/182 Distributing information between displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/29 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: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0051 from occupants to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/0055 only part of driving tasks shifted to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A driver assistance system for a vehicle. The driver assistance system controls the vehicle at least partially automatically. In the method, the start of an auto pilot route section is determined in the course of a route planned for the vehicle. The driver assistance system is able to control the vehicle automatically along the autopilot route section. A distance between the current position of the vehicle and the start of the autopilot route section is determined and output in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for a driver assistance system of a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is capable of controlling the vehicle at least partially automatically, the method comprising:

determining a start of an autopilot route section in the course of a route planned for the vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system automatically control the vehicle in the autopilot route section;

determining a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the start of the autopilot route section; and

outputting the distance in the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the distance comprises:

outputting the distance in text form; and

/or

determining a prospective travel time to the start of the autopilot route section depending on the distance and outputting the prospective travel time to the start of the autopilot route section in text form; and

/or

outputting a symbol, wherein an extension of the symbol is set depending on the distance or the prospective travel time; and

/or

outputting a graphical view of the course of the planned route, wherein the distance is marked in the graphical view.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a length of the autopilot route section; and

outputting the length of the autopilot route section.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the outputting of the length of the autopilot route section comprises:

outputting the length in text form; and

/or

determining a prospective autopilot travel time depending on the length of the autopilot route section and outputting the prospective autopilot travel time in text form; and

/or

outputting a symbol, wherein an extension of the symbol is set depending on the length of the autopilot route section or the prospective autopilot travel time; and

/or

outputting a graphical view of the course of the planned route, wherein the autopilot route section is marked in the graphical view.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the driver assistance system has an autopilot function, which can be activated for automatic control of the vehicle along the autopilot route section, wherein the length of the autopilot route section is output depending on an activation state of the autopilot function on a first display device in the vehicle or on a second display device in the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

showing a future driving maneuver, which has been planned by the driver assistance system for the automatic control of the vehicle, on a display device of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a traffic situation around the vehicle as detected by the driver assistance system for the automatic control of the vehicle; and

showing the traffic situation on a display device of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the future driving maneuver is output depending on the activation state of the autopilot function on a first display device or on a second display device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system has an autopilot function, which can be activated for the automatic control of the vehicle along the autopilot route section by a driver of the vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is located on the autopilot route section; and

if the vehicle is located on the autopilot route section and the autopilot function is not activated, outputting an instruction as to how the autopilot function can be activated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system has an autopilot function, which can be activated for the automatic control of the vehicle along the autopilot route section and wherein the autopilot function can be deactivated by a driver of the vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining an end of the autopilot route section in the course of the route planned for the vehicle;

determining a distance between the current position of the vehicle and the end of the autopilot route section; and

outputting an instruction to deactivate the autopilot function depending on the distance between the current position of the vehicle and the end of the autopilot route section.

22. The method of claim 7, wherein the traffic situation around the vehicle is output depending on the activation state of the autopilot function on the first display device or on the second display device.

9. The method of 5, characterized wherein the first display device is disposed in a combi instrument in an area behind a steering wheel of the vehicle and in that the second display device is disposed in a central region of a dashboard of the vehicle in the vehicle transverse direction.

12. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is capable of controlling the vehicle at least partially automatically, the driver assistance system comprising:

an output device; and

a processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to determine a start of an autopilot route section in the course of a route planned for the vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is capable of controlling the vehicle in the autopilot route section automatically, determining a distance between a current position of the vehicle and the start of the autopilot route section, and outputting the distance on the output device.

13. The driver assistance system of claim 12, wherein the outputting of the distance comprises:

outputting the distance in text form; and

/or

determining a prospective travel time to the start of the autopilot route section depending on the distance and outputting the prospective travel time to the start of the autopilot route section in text form; and

/or

outputting a symbol, wherein an extension of the symbol is set depending on the distance or the prospective travel time; and

/or

outputting a graphical view of the course of the planned route, wherein the distance is marked in the graphical view.

14. The driver assistance system of claim 12, wherein a length of the autopilot route section is determined and output in text form and/or a prospective autopilot travel time is determined and output in text form.

15. The driver assistance system of claim 14, wherein an extension of an output symbol is set depending on the length of the autopilot route section or the prospective autopilot travel time.

16. The driver assistance system of claim 12, wherein the driver assistance system has an autopilot function, which can be activated for automatic control of the vehicle along the autopilot route section, wherein the length of the autopilot route section is output depending on an activation state of the autopilot function on a first display device in the vehicle or on a second display device in the vehicle.

17. The driver assistance system of claim 12, wherein a future driving maneuver, which has been planned by the driver assistance system for the automatic control of the vehicle, is displayed on a display device of the vehicle or a traffic situation around the vehicle detected by the driver assistance system for the automatic control of the vehicle is displayed on the display device.

18. The driver assistance system of claim 17, wherein the future driving maneuver or the traffic situation is output depending on the activation state of the autopilot function on a first display device or on a second display device.

20. The driver assistance system of claim 12, wherein the driver assistance system has an autopilot function, which can be activated for the automatic control of the vehicle along the autopilot route section by a driver of the vehicle, the driver assistance system determining whether the vehicle is located on the autopilot route section, and, if the vehicle is located on the autopilot route section and the autopilot function is not activated, outputting an instruction as to how the autopilot function can be activated.

21. The driver assistance system of claim 12, wherein the driver assistance system has an autopilot function, which can be activated for the automatic control of the vehicle along the autopilot route section and wherein the autopilot function can be deactivated by a driver of the vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system determines an end of the autopilot route section in the course of the route planned for the vehicle, determines a distance between the current position of the vehicle and the end of the autopilot route section, and outputs an instruction to deactivate the autopilot function depending on the distance between the current position of the vehicle and the end of the autopilot route section.

19. The driver assistance system of 16, wherein the first display device is disposed in a combi instrument in an area behind a steering wheel of the vehicle and in that the second display device is disposed in a central region of a dashboard of the vehicle in the vehicle transverse direction.