METHOD FOR OPERATING A DISTANCE AND SPEED REGULATING FUNCTION OF A VEHICLE AND DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD

• US 20180326985A1
• Filed: 09/10/2016
• Published: 11/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: HERMANN, Klaus, NOECKER, Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 10,661,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/225 Direction of gaze
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/229 Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/162 Speed limiting therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

The speed of a vehicle and the distance of the vehicle from at least one other vehicle are autonomously controlled. When the driver is inattentive and at least one other criteria is fulfilled, at least one measure increasing driving safety is introduced.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:

autonomously controlling a speed of the vehicle and a distance of the vehicle from at least one other vehicle;

determining that predetermined trigger criteria is fulfilled; and

implementing at least one measure increasing vehicle safety responsive to the determination that the predetermined trigger criteria is fulfilled,

wherein the predetermined trigger criteria includes that a driver of the vehicle is inattentive and at least one of the following additional criteria

a) the vehicle is approaching, or is at, a location with visibility impairments caused by a surrounding brightness or by brightness changes,

b) the vehicle is accelerated by autonomous control of the speed of the vehicle and the distance of the vehicle from the at least one other vehicle, and

c) there is an anomaly of traffic flow in an area surrounding the vehicle, wherein the anomaly of traffic flow is a higher vehicle density in lanes of the vehicle adjacent to a lane of the vehicle, there is a speed decrease of a vehicle in an overtaking lane adjacent to the vehicle relative to the speed of the vehicle, or there is a speed increase of a vehicle in a non-overtaking lane adjacent to the vehicle relative to the speed of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined trigger criteria further comprises at least one of the following additional criteria:

d) the vehicle is approaching, or is at, a location that is critical in terms of a route of the vehicle, and

e) the vehicle is approaching, or is already at, a location with traffic disruptions.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one measure increasing driving safety comprises emission of a warning requesting the driver to turn his/her attention to the traffic surrounding the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one measure increasing driving safety comprises increasing a nominal distance of the vehicle relative to the at least one other vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the nominal distance is increased to a maximum, predetermined distance.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one measure increasing driving safety comprises limiting a nominal speed of the autonomous control of the speed of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the nominal speed is limited to a maximum speed, which is dependent on the traffic flow in the area surrounding the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one measure increasing driving safety is terminated when it is determined that the driver is no longer inattentive.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is operated in an automatic or highly automated driving operation.

20. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to:

autonomously control a speed of the vehicle and a distance of the vehicle from at least one other vehicle;

determine that predetermined trigger criteria is fulfilled; and

implement at least one measure increasing vehicle safety responsive to the determination that the predetermined trigger criteria is fulfilled,

wherein the predetermined trigger criteria includes that a driver of the vehicle is inattentive and at least one of the following additional criteria

a) the vehicle is approaching, or is at, a location with visibility impairments caused by a surrounding brightness or by brightness changes,

b) the vehicle is accelerated by autonomous control of the speed of the vehicle and the distance of the vehicle from the at least one other vehicle, and

c) there is an anomaly of traffic flow in an area surrounding the vehicle, wherein the anomaly of traffic flow is a higher vehicle density in lanes of the vehicle adjacent to a lane of the vehicle, there is a speed decrease of a vehicle in an overtaking lane adjacent to the vehicle relative to the speed of the vehicle, or there is a speed increase of a vehicle in a non-overtaking lane adjacent to the vehicle relative to the speed of the vehicle.