Steering assistance method and device for a motor vehicle

• US 7,308,345 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Magna Donnelly GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Schmidt, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/141,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/36, 701/41, 180/168, 180/199, 180/204, 180/271, 348/113, 348/118, 348/119, 348/143, 348/148, 340/435, 340/436, 340/437
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A method for the assisted steering, particularly the assisted maneuvering and parking, of a motor vehicle which includes determining a nominal driving path (X) with a starting point (S) and a destination point (W_nominal); providing an output of the nominal driving path (X), and setting the motor vehicle in motion. An actual position (W₁) of the motor vehicle is determined, wherein a deviant circular arc (K_A) traveled as well as a first (K₁) and a second (K₂) corrective circular arc are determined if the actual position (W₁) deviates from the nominal driving path (X). The second corrective circular arc (K₂) is a congruent projection of the deviant circular arc (K_A) and ends at the destination point (W_nominal). A corrected nominal driving path (K₁, K₂) is provided as an output.

Claims

1. A method for assisted steering, including the assisted maneuvering and parking, of a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps:

determining a nominal driving path (X) with a starting point (S) and a destination point (W_nominal) and a nominal center of rotation (D_nominal);

outputting the nominal driving path (X);

setting the motor vehicle in motion;

determining an actual position (W₁) of the motor vehicle;

shifting said nominal center of rotation (D_nominal) to a deviant center of rotation (D_A) when movement of said motor vehicle deviates from said nominal driving path;

determining a deviant circular arc (K_A) traveled based on said deviant center of rotation (D_A) as well as a first (K₁) and a second (K₂) corrective circular arc if the actual position (W₁) deviates from the nominal driving path (X), wherein the second corrective circular arc (K₂) is a congruent projection of the deviant circular arc (K_A) and ends at the destination point (W_nominal), and wherein a corrected nominal driving path (K₁, K₂) is generated as output; and

adjusting movement of said motor vehicle based on said corrected nominal driving path.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a deviant center of rotation (D_A) for the deviant circular arc (K_A) and a distance (R_A) between the starting point (S) and the deviant center of rotation (D_A) are determined, wherein the deviant center of rotation (D_A) lies on a line (h₁) that is defined by the starting point (S) and a nominal center of rotation (D_nominal).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a compensative center of rotation (D₂) for the second corrective circular arc (K₂) is determined on a line (h₂) that is defined by the destination point (W_nominal) and the nominal center of rotation (D_nominal)), wherein this compensative center of rotation is spaced apart from the destination point (W_nominal) by a distance that corresponds to the distance between the starting point (S) and the deviant center of rotation (D_A).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a center of rotation (D₁) for the first corrective circular arc (K₁) lies in the intersecting point between a line (g₁) that is defined by the actual position (W₁) and the deviant center of rotation (D_A) and a line (g₂) that is defined by the compensative center of rotation (D₂) and the deviant steering angle (γ

_A).

5. The method according to one of claim 1, wherein the nominal driving path (X) and the corrected nominal driving path (K₁, K₂) are stored in a memory.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actual position (W₁) is determined in accordance with a time dependent and/or distance-dependent clocking.

7. The method according to one of claims 1, wherein the nominal driving path and the corrected nominal driving path are output by means of an optical and/or acoustical and/or mechanical/haptical indicating unit.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising triggering an electronic steering aid.

9. The method according to one of claims 1, wherein the nominal driving path and the corrected nominal driving path are output by means of an optical and/or acoustical and/or mechanical/haptical indicating unit.

10. A device for assisted steering including the assisted maneuvering and parking, of a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a data processing unit for determining a nominal driving path between a starting point and a destination point, said nominal driving path being defined by said starting point, said destination point and a nominal center of rotation;

an output unit for providing an output of a nominal driving path;

a displacement sensor;

a device for determining whether or not the actual position deviates from the nominal driving path, said device shifting said nominal center of rotation to a deviant center of rotation when movement of the motor vehicle deviates from said nominal driving path;

a unit that determines a deviant circular arc based on said deviant center of rotation as well as a first and a second corrective circular arc if the actual position deviates from the nominal driving path, wherein the second corrective circular arc is a congruent projection of the deviant circular arc such that said congruent projection extends continuously from an end point of said deviant circular arc to said destination point, said congruent projection terminating at said destination point.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising a memory for the nominal driving path.

12. The device according to claim 10, further comprising a steering angle sensor.

13. The device according to claims 10, further comprising two displacement sensors that respectively cooperate with a left wheel and a right wheel of the motor vehicle.

14. A method for assisted steering of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a device for assisted steering including a data processing unit for determining a nominal driving path between a starting point and a destination point, an output unit for providing an output of a nominal driving path, a displacement sensor, a device for determining whether or not the actual position deviates from the nominal driving path and a unit that determines a deviant circular arc as well as a first and a second corrective circular arc if the actual position deviates from the nominal driving path, wherein the second corrective circular arc is a continuous congruent projection of the deviant circular arc and ends at the destination point;

determining a nominal driving path based on a starting point, a nominal center of rotation and the destination point;

providing a nominal driving path as an output;

setting the motor vehicle in motion;

translating said nominal center of rotation to a deviant center of rotation when position of said motor vehicle differs from said nominal driving path;

determining an actual position of the motor vehicle;

determining the deviant circular arc traveled based on said deviant center of rotation as well as the first and the second corrective circular arc if the actual position deviates from the nominal driving path;

providing a corrected nominal driving path as an output; and

changing position of said motor vehicle based on said corrected nominal driving path.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a deviant center of rotation for the deviant circular arc and a distance between the starting point and the deviant center of rotation are determined, wherein the deviant center of rotation lies on a line that is defined by the starting point and a nominal center of rotation.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a compensative center of rotation for the second corrective circular arc is determined on a line that is defined by the destination point and the nominal center of rotation, wherein this compensative center of rotation is spaced apart from the destination point by a distance that corresponds to the distance between the starting point and the deviant center of rotation.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein a center of rotation for the first corrective circular arc lies in the intersecting point between a line that is defined by the actual position and the deviant center of rotation and a line that is defined by the compensative center of rotation and the deviant steering angle.

18. The method according to one of claim 14, wherein the nominal driving path and the corrected nominal driving path are stored in a memory.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the actual position is determined in accordance with a time dependent and/or distance-dependent clocking.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising triggering an electronic steering aid.