Method and device for informing a driver or for reacting when the vehicle leaves a lane

• US 7,620,497 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Maass, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US10/510,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/117, 701/301, 701/116, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/995.21, 180/280
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/082 using alarm actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/086 using driver related features
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A method and a device for driver information and for a reaction upon leaving the traffic lane by a vehicle. In this context, the course of at least one edge marking of the traffic lane is ascertained, the track of the vehicle that is to be expected is determined, and as a function of these variables the possible leaving of the traffic lane by the vehicle is ascertained. In the determination of the track of the vehicle, future reactions of the driver are taken into consideration.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of providing driver information and performing a vehicle intervention when leaving a traffic lane, the method comprising:

recording at least one boundary of the traffic lane;

determining an anticipated track of a vehicle, taking into account a future, anticipated path correction by the driver;

deriving at least one of the driver information and the vehicle intervention from the at least one boundary of the traffic lane and the anticipated track of the vehicle; and

at least one of;

a) providing the driver information when the vehicle one of leaves the traffic lane and threatens to leave the traffic lane; and

b) performing the vehicle intervention when the vehicle one of leaves the traffic lane and threatens to leave the traffic lane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the anticipated track of the vehicle is determined based on a future, anticipated steering reaction away from side markings of the traffic lane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one boundary is recorded using an image sensor system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a left future track of the vehicle and a right future track of the vehicle are determined, and the left future track and the right future track are compared to left edge markings and right edge markings of the traffic lane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle intervention includes an automatic intervention in steering in response to a threatened leaving of the traffic lane.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a variable representing attentiveness of the driver; and

determining a future steering correction by the driver that is used to determine at least one of the track of the vehicle and an extent of a warning of the driver based on the variable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a future possible track of the vehicle as a function of the course of the vehicle in the past.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the course of the vehicle in the past is determined at least one of from at least one of the yaw rate and the steering angle and using the steering movements of the driver.