Method and device for determining the probable path to be covered by a vehicle

• US 6,230,093 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Michi, Harald, Lichtenberg, Bernd, Winner, Hermann, Uhler, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/424,733
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/96, 701/300, 701/301, 180/167, 180/169, 180/271, 340/435, 340/436, 340/901, 340/903, 340/904, 342/70, 342/456, 342/455
• US Class Current: 701/96
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders

Abstract

A method and a device for determining a future travel-course progression or travel-course range of a vehicle whose traveling speed is controllable as a function of a distance to preceding-traveling vehicles, the future course range being determined at least on the basis of a course progression of one preceding-traveling vehicle. Moreover, a lateral offset is determined for all detected preceding-traveling vehicles. The determined future course range is limited on the basis of detected stationary objects.

Claims

1. A method for determining a future travel-course range of a first vehicle equipped with a proximity sensor, comprising the steps of:

using the proximity sensor, determining at least two relative positions of one preceding-traveling vehicle with respect to the first vehicle;

ascertaining lateral offsets between the preceding-traveling vehicle and the first vehicle on the basis of the at least two relative positions;

ascertaining a future course range of the first vehicle as a function of a course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle;

forming the course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle from the at least two determined relative positions of the preceding-traveling vehicle;

forming reference points as a function of lateral offsets and of the course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle;

determining a function, corresponding to a future course progression of the first vehicle, which includes essentially all of the reference points; and

expanding the future course progression of the first vehicle by a predetermined width, yielding the future course range of the first vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a relative position of the preceding-traveling vehicle with respect to the first vehicle;

based on the relative position, determining a lateral offset between the preceding-traveling vehicle and the first vehicle; and

determining the future course range of the first vehicle as a function of the lateral offset and the course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

re-determining the lateral offset at predetermined instants; and

assuming that the lateral offset is constant between the predetermined instants.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining the future course range on the basis of course progressions of a plurality of preceding-traveling vehicles; and

isolating a travel-lane change of an individual preceding-traveling vehicle by one of a comparison, a correlation and an average of the course progressions of the plurality of preceding-traveling vehicles.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one further future course range of the first vehicle on the basis of at least one of a steering angle, a steering-wheel angle, a yaw rate, a difference of wheel speeds, a transverse acceleration, stationary objects, and oncoming vehicles detected by the proximity sensor; and

ascertaining a verified future course range as a function of the future course range and the at least one further future course range.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

limiting the future course range on the basis of positions of at least one of;

detected stationary objects and detected oncoming vehicles.

7. A device comprising:

a proximity sensor for determining at least two relative positions of one preceding-traveling vehicle with respect to a first vehicle;

an evaluation device for ascertaining at least an angle, a distance and a speed of the one preceding-traveling vehicle;

means for ascertaining lateral offsets between the preceding-traveling vehicle and the first vehicle on the basis of the at least two relative positions;

means for ascertaining a future course range of the first vehicle as a function of a course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle;

means for forming the course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle from the at least two determined relative positions of the preceding-traveling vehicle;

means for forming reference points as a function of lateral offsets and of the course progression of the preceding-traveling vehicle;

means for determining a function, corresponding to a future course progression of the first vehicle, which includes essentially all of the reference points; and

means for expanding the future course progression of the first vehicle by a predetermined width, yielding the future course range of the first vehicle.