Method for warning the driver of a motor vehicle of increased risk of an accident

• US 8,508,351 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Roelke, Volker, Freess, Jascha, Knoop, Michael, Rentschler, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US12/733,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20110001617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/438
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/02 Active Steering, Steer-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17558 specially adapted for collision avoidance or collision mitigation road vehicle drive control systems for collision avoidance otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/09
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence

Abstract

In a method for warning the driver of a motor vehicle, the yaw rate is altered in the event of an increased risk of an accident, and the change in the yaw rate serves to warn the driver of the increased risk state.

Claims

1. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, using an accident detection system, a situation posing an increased risk of an accident involving the motor vehicle; and

altering at least one driving state variable of the motor vehicle in response to the detected situation posing an increased risk of an accident, wherein;

the at least one driving state variable includes at least one of a yaw rate and a state variable correlated with the yaw rate;

the altering of the at least one driving state variable produces a change in the yaw rate;

the change in the yaw rate provides a sensory warning detectable by the driver; and

the sensory warning alerts the driver to take corrective action to avoid an accident.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the change in the yaw rate is below a predefined upper limiting value, below which the change in the yaw rate has no significant effect on transverse dynamics of the vehicle.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the change in the yaw rate is correlated with at least one of expected accident probability and expected accident severity.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the yaw rate is changed through altering of the at least one driving state variable, only if the expected accident probability exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the change in the yaw rate is above a predefined lower limiting value, above which the change in the yaw rate is detectable by the driver.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the change in the yaw rate involves increasing the yaw rate at a maximized time-dependent rising gradient.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the change in the yaw rate involves reducing the yaw rate at a maximized time-dependent falling gradient.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the yaw rate is changed through altering of the at least one driving state variable, only if the motor vehicle is in a stable driving state.

10. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the yaw rate is changed as a function of the moment of inertia of the motor vehicle about the vertical axis.

11. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the yaw rate is changed as a function of the yaw torque about the vertical axis.

12. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the change in the yaw rate is performed according to the following function:

13. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one vehicle wheel is decelerated to produce the change in the yaw rate.

14. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein driving torques are distributed among different vehicle wheels to change the yaw rate by acting upon active actuators.

15. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the yaw rate is changed by generating an additional steering angle in an active steering system.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the additional steering angle is set in an active front-axle steering system.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the additional steering angle is set in an active rear-axle steering system.

18. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the yaw rate is changed by adjusting a yaw angle.

9. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, using an accident detection system, a situation posing an increased risk of an accident involving the motor vehicle;

altering at least one driving state variable of the motor vehicle in response to the detected situation posing an increased risk of an accident;

wherein;

the at least one driving state variable includes at least one of a yaw rate and a state variable correlated with the yaw rate;

the altering of the at least one driving state variable produces a change in the yaw rate;

the change in the yaw rate provides a sensory warning detectable by the driver;

the yaw rate is changed through altering of the at least one driving state variable, only if the motor vehicle is in a stable driving state; and

the yaw rate is changed through altering of the at least one driving state variable, only when the sideslip angle of the motor vehicle is below a permissible limiting value.

19. A device for warning a driver of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an accident detection system detecting a situation posing an increased risk of an accident involving the motor vehicle; and

a control unit configured to alter at least one driving state variable of the motor vehicle in response to the detected situation posing an increased risk of an accident, wherein;

the at least one driving state variable includes at least one of a yaw rate and a state variable correlated with the yaw rate;

the altering of the at least one driving state variable produces a change in the yaw rate;

the change in the yaw rate provides a sensory warning detectable by the driver; and

the sensory warning alerts the driver to take corrective action to avoid an accident.