Method and device for triggering a request for taking control in acc-controlled vehicles

• US 6,941,215 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Winner, Hermann, Irion, Albrecht, Hellmann, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/980,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/96, 701/301, 180/169, 180/179, 340/903, 342/455
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/102 where at least one electrical quantity is set by the vehicle operator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

In a method and a device for triggering a request for taking control (RTC), a driver of a vehicle having adaptive cruise control is signaled that the adaptive cruise control system may not be capable of controlling a driving situation, and that the driver may have to intervene, the signaling of the driver being generated in accordance with at least two vehicle variables, whereby the probability of a false alarm by the system is reduced, and the triggering of the RTC is adapted to the instantaneous vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A method, for notifying a driver of a vehicle to inform the driver of activation of a request for the driver to take control of the vehicle, the vehicle having an adaptive cruise control, comprising the steps of:

(a) signaling that at least one of a maximum braking force and pressure controllable by the adaptive cruise control is being applied and a deceleration therefrom is not sufficient to automatically decelerate the vehicle in time and to a sufficient degree; and

(b) activating the request for the driver to take control when at least three criteria, including at least two criteria relating to deceleration values and one additional criteria, are simultaneously satisfied.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least two criteria include values corresponding to vehicle deceleration, one of the values being limited in accordance with at least one of a time-related change variable, a maximum steepness variable, and an absolute value variable.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a value of the at least one of the maximum braking force and pressure is changeable.

4. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the value of the at least one of the maximum braking force and pressure is changeable as a function of at least one of a speed being instantaneously driven, road conditions and loading of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the criteria include a signal indicating that the adaptive cruise control is actively controlling the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the request for the driver to take control includes at least one of a warning activated over a minimum time, an elapsed minimum time between two warnings, a warning maintained until a minimum distance from a preceding vehicle is achieved, a warning maintained until a distance from the preceding vehicle is increasing, and a warning maintained until the driver intervenes by operating one of a gas pedal, a brake pedal and an on/off switch.

7. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the criteria includes at least one factor, the at least one factor one of predefined and variably calculated, the at least one factor converting a driver-selected driving program into an operating behavior of the ACC control automatic action.

8. A method for notifying a driver of a vehicle to inform the driver of activation of a request for the driver to take control of the vehicle, the vehicle having an adaptive cruise control, comprising the steps of:

(a) signaling that at least one of a maximum braking force and pressure controllable by the adaptive cruise control is being applied and a deceleration therefrom is not sufficient to automatically decelerate the vehicle in time and to a sufficient degree;

(b) activating the request for the driver to take control when at least two criteria relating to deceleration values are simultaneously satisfied; and

(c) activating a request for the driver to take control when one of at least one further condition is satisfied independent of the activating step (b).

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the further condition includes a signal indicating that an incorrect mode of operation of the adaptive cruise control has been detected.

10. A device for notifying a driver of a vehicle to inform the driver of an activation of a request for the driver to take control of the vehicle, the vehicle including an adaptive cruise control, the request for the driver to take control signalling that one of a maximum braking force and a maximum braking pressure controllable by the adaptive cruise control is being applied and that a deceleration resulting therefrom is not sufficient to automatically decelerate the vehicle in time and to a sufficient degree, comprising:

an arrangement configured to activate the request for the driver to take control when at least three criteria including at least two criteria relating to decelaration values and one additional criteria are simultaneously satisfied.