Method for assisting a driver when performing driving maneuvers

• US 7,089,101 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Seiler, Jakob, Ulmer, David, Spieker, Andreas, Keller, Helmut, Yap, Andy, Fischer, Eckart, Koehnlein, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/522,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/48, 701/70, 701/42, 701/72, 701/300, 180/413, 180/443, 180/446, 180/447, 303/140
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0066 responsive to vehicle path curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/04 and means for comparing one electrical quantity, e.g. voltage, pulse, waveform, flux, or the like, with another quantity of a like kind, which comparison means is involved in the development of an electrical signal which is fed into the controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• 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 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assisting the driver of a vehicle (10) when performing a driving maneuver, such as a parking or shunting maneuver. In this case, a reference trajectory (16) is determined, along which the vehicle (10) is to be moved. A steering wheel position to be set and controlling the vehicle along the reference trajectory (16) is indicated to the driver during the driving maneuver. The vehicle longitudinal speed is influenced independently of the driver in the event of a steering angle deviation between the actual steering angle actually set by the driver and the desired steering angle corresponding to the requested steering wheel position.

As a result, the driver can be given a greater reaction time in order to set the indicated steering wheel position.

Claims

1. A method for assisting the driver of a vehicle (10) when performing a driving maneuver formed by a parking or shunting maneuver, a reference trajectory (16) corresponding to the driving maneuver being determined, along which the vehicle (10) is to be moved, and the steering wheel position to be set in each case and controlling the vehicle (10) along the reference trajectory (16) being indicated to the driver during the driving maneuver, the vehicle longitudinal speed (v) being influenced independently of the driver in the event of a steering angle deviation (d_LW) between the actual steering angle (δ

_act) actually set by the driver and the desired steering angle (δ

_des) corresponding to the requested steering wheel position, characterized in that the vehicle longitudinal speed is influenced on the basis of the magnitude of the steering angle deviation (d_LW) in such a way that a greater vehicle retardation is carried out, the greater the magnitude of the steering angle deviation (d_LW) is.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, during the driving maneuver, depending on the current vehicle position (x_F,act/y_F,act/ψ

_F,act), a steering angle tolerance band (δ

_min to δ

_max) which determines the permissible steering angle is determined and the influence on the vehicle longitudinal speed (v) depends on the tolerance margin (δ

_des−

δ

_min or δ

_max−

δ

_des) between the desired steering angle (δ

_des) and the tolerance band limits (δ

_min or δ

_max).

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, in order to determine the steering angle tolerance band, a rotational angle tolerance band is determined, the actual rotational angle (ψ

_F,act) between the vehicle longitudinal axis (71) and a coordinate axis (y) of a stationary coordinate system (22) being enlarged or reduced until it is just still possible to determine a trajectory to the target position (17).

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the vehicle longitudinal speed (v) is chosen to be lower, the smaller the magnitude of the tolerance margin (67 _des−

δ

_min or δ

_max−

δ

_des).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle longitudinal speed (v) is chosen to be lower, the greater the magnitude of the steering angle deviation (d_LW).

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle longitudinal speed is influenced by means of speed regulation.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle (10) is retarded down to a standstill and is kept at a standstill as long as, on the basis of the existing steering angle deviation (d_LW), the vehicle (10) would assume a vehicle position during onward travel from which the target position (17) can no longer be reached without a shunting interruption to the driving maneuver.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the vehicle (10) is accelerated again independently of the driver if the driver sets a steering wheel position which leads to a permissible steering angle deviation (d_LW).

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the steering wheel position to be set is indicated by means for acoustic driver information and/or means for optical driver information (13) and/or means for tactile driver information (40 and 41).

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the means for tactile driver information (40 and 41) have means for changing the steering wheel torque to be applied by the driver.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the driving maneuver is a parking maneuver and the reference trajectory (16) indicates the ideal route from the actual vehicle position (x_F,act/y_F,act/ψ

_F,act) into the parking position (17).

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in the case of a vehicle (10) in trailer operation, each vehicle position along the actual reference trajectory (16) is assigned a desired trailer angle (β

_des) between the vehicle longitudinal axis (71) and the trailer longitudinal axis (72), and in that the actual trailer angle (β

_act) is determined and compared with the corresponding desired trailer angle (β

_des), the vehicle longitudinal speed (v) being influenced independently of the driver in the event of an angular deviation between desired trailer angle (β

_des) and actual trailer angle (β

_act).

13. A device for implementing a method for assisting a driver of a vehicle when performing a driving maneuver formed by a parking or shunting maneuver, having means (12) for determining a reference trajectory (16) along which the vehicle (10) is to be moved corresponding to the driving maneuver, means (13;

40 and 41) for indicating the steering wheel position to be set by the driver and controlling the vehicle (10) along the reference trajectory (16), an evaluation device, and retardation means (50) and/or forward drive means (51) for influencing the vehicle longitudinal speed (v), wherein the retardation means (50) and/or forward drive means (51) can be activated independently of the driver if a steering angle deviation (d_LW) between the actual steering angle (δ

_act) actually set by the driver and the desired steering angle (δ

_des) corresponding to the requested steering wheel position is established in the evaluation device (12), characterized in that the vehicle longitudinal speed is influenced on the basis of the magnitude of the steering angle deviation (d_LW) in such a way that a greater vehicle retardation is carried out, the greater the magnitude of the steering angle deviation (d_LW) is.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that means (12) are provided for determining the desired trailer angle (β

_des) between the vehicle longitudinal axis (71) and a trailer longitudinal axis (70) of a trailer being towed by the vehicle, and means for determining the actual trailer angle (β

_act), in that the evaluation device (12) compares the desired trailer angle (β

_des) and the actual trailer angle (β

_act), and in that the retardation means (50) and/or forward drive means (51) of the vehicle (10) are activated in the event of an angular deviation being established between the desired trailer angle (β

_des) and the actual trailer angle (β

_act).