Driver assistance system

• US 8,423,231 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
• Original Assignee: Wabco GmbH (Wabco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Breuer, Karsten, Hoffmann, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US12/992,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/29.2, 340435-438, 340901-905
• US Class Current: 701/29.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/221 Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• 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: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A driver assistance system includes a speed detector, a preceding vehicle detector having at least one video camera and at least one distance sensor for detecting the distance from a preceding vehicle, a device for determining the speed of the preceding vehicle, and an electronic control unit equipped to trigger an autonomous deceleration of the vehicle with the presence of predetermined brake trigger driving data and to terminate the autonomous deceleration with the presence of predetermined brake abortion driving data. The control unit effects: redundant detection of preceding vehicle driving data, and non-redundant detection of preceding vehicle driving data if a redundant detection is not possible. The non-redundantly detected preceding vehicle driving data is compared to preceding vehicle driving data redundantly detected within a predetermined time, and the non-redundantly detected data is used to control the autonomous deceleration if it corresponds to the redundantly detected data.

Claims

1. A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a speed detector for detecting a speed of the motor vehicle;

a preceding vehicle detector having at least one video camera and at least one distance sensor for detecting a distance between the motor vehicle and a preceding vehicle driving in front of the motor vehicle, the distance forming a part of preceding vehicle driving data;

a preceding vehicle speed determination device for determining a preceding vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle forming a part of the preceding vehicle driving data; and

an electronic actuation unit configured to;

(i) trigger autonomous braking of the motor vehicle when predetermined brake trigger driving data are present,

(ii) terminate autonomous braking of the motor vehicle when predetermined brake abort driving data are present, and

(iii) effect;

(a) redundant detection of the preceding vehicle driving data,

(b) non-redundant detection of the preceding vehicle driving data when redundant detection of the preceding vehicle driving data is not possible,

(iii) a comparison of the non-redundantly detected preceding vehicle driving data with preceding vehicle driving data detected redundantly within a predefined time, and

(iv) when the non-redundantly detected preceding vehicle driving data correspond to the redundantly detected preceding vehicle driving data, use of the non-redundantly detected preceding vehicle driving data to determine whether the predetermined brake trigger driving data or the predetermined brake abort driving data are present.

2. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the event of failure of at least one of the at least one video camera and the at least one distance sensor, the electronic actuation unit is configured to (i) determine whether a last-detected distance of the preceding vehicle from the motor vehicle undershoots a predefined mean distance, and (ii) when the last-detected distance undershoots the predefined mean distance, suppress termination of the autonomous braking.

3. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the event of failure of the at least one video camera and the at least one distance sensor after redundant detection of the preceding vehicle driving data, the electronic actuation unit is configured to extrapolate the distance from the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle speed, and use at least one of the extrapolated distance and the extrapolated preceding vehicle speed to determine whether the predetermined brake trigger driving data or the predetermined brake abort driving data are present.

4. The driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic actuation unit is configured to detect failure of at least one of (i) the at least one video camera and (ii) the at least one distance sensor by detecting whether the at least one video camera outputs signals and does not detect the preceding vehicle.

5. A motor vehicle, comprising a driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1.