Method for operating an automobile and an automobile with an environmental detection device

• US 8,489,281 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Reichel, Michael, Limbacher, Reimund
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US13/307,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 701300-302, 701/41
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering

Abstract

A method for operating an automobile includes the steps of a) detecting an object in an environment of the automobile with an environmental detection device; b) evaluating a collision risk of the automobile with the object; and c) depending on the evaluation, adjusting the steering angle of the automobile with a steering angle actuating device. The steering wheel is decoupled with the decoupling device depending on the adjustment performed in step c), so that the rotation of the steering wheel caused by the adjustment of the steering angle is smaller than if the same adjustment were made when the steering wheel is not decoupled.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automobile having an environmental detection device, a steering angle actuating device which is configured to adjust a steering angle of the automobile independent of an operator, a steering wheel for manually adjusting a steering angle of the automobile by an operator, and a decoupling device for partially decoupling a rotation of the steering wheel from an adjustment of the steering angle of the automobile caused by the steering angle actuating device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) detecting with the environmental detection device an object in an environment of the automobile;

b) evaluating a collision risk of the automobile with the object; and

c) depending on the evaluation of the collision risk, adjusting the steering angle of the automobile with the steering angle actuating device; and

d) operating the decoupling device, to controllably reduce the rotation of the steering wheel in response to the adjustment of the steering angle in step c), while still enabling adjustment of the steering angle by the operator with the steering wheel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a degree of decoupling in step d) depends on a speed and/or a rate of adjustment of the steering angle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the degree of decoupling in step d) increases with increasing speed or rate of the adjustment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steering wheel is not decoupled in step d) for an adjustment of the steering angle in step c) by a change steering angle that is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and wherein the steering wheel is decoupled in step d) for an adjustment of the steering angle in step c) by a change steering angle that is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the decoupling device comprises a superposition device having an actuator motor and a gear, wherein the superposition device intervenes through decoupling in the rotation of a steering column rotated by the steering wheel, such that a rotation of the steering column caused by the steering angle actuating device results in a smaller rotation of the steering wheel than if the intervention had not taken place.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein decoupling is affected by a control device which is configured to control the steering angle actuating device so as to adjust the steering angle of the automobile and which is further configured to control the actuator motor depending on control of the steering angle actuating device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the steering wheel is decoupled with the decoupling device when the steering angle of the automobile is adjusted with the steering angle adjusting device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental detection device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a distance sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a camera, a radar sensor, and a lidar sensor.

9. An automobile comprising:

an environmental detection device configured to detect an object in an environment of the automobile,

a steering angle actuating device configured to adjust a steering angle of the automobile independent of an operator,

a steering wheel for manual adjustment of a steering angle of the automobile by the operator,

a decoupling device for partially decoupling a rotary movement of the steering wheel from an adjustment of the steering angle of the automobile caused by the steering angle actuating device, and

a data processing device configured to evaluate a collision risk of the automobile with the object detected by the environmental detection device and to set an adjustment of the steering angle of the automobile depending on the evaluation of the collision risk,

wherein the data processing device is configured to control, depending on the set adjustment of the steering angle, the partial decoupling of the steering wheel by the decoupling device such that a resulting rotary movement of the steering wheel during execution of the adjustment of the steering angle set by the data processing device is smaller than if the same adjustment were made when the rotary movement of the steering wheel is not decoupled.