Method for warning the driver of a motor vehicle of an impending hazardous situation due to accidental drifting into an opposing traffic lane

• US 8,983,725 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Breu, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/787,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 701 41- 44, 701300-302
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• 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 15/0265 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: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• 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 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• 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 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4091 during normal radar operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A method for warning the driver of a motor vehicle of an impending hazardous situation caused by accidental drifting towards or into an opposing traffic lane includes determining a virtual vehicle path of the own motor vehicle and a lane marker separating the lane of the own motor vehicle from the opposing traffic lane, determining a relative position of the own motor vehicle in relation to the lane marker, checking whether an oncoming vehicle enters or has entered the virtual vehicle path, checking whether the own motor vehicle will cross or has crossed the lane marker, checking for driver activity, and outputting a warning signal or performing an automatic driving mode intervention, when the oncoming vehicle will enter or has entered the virtual vehicle path and the own vehicle will cross or has crossed the lane marker, and when the driver is inactive.

Claims

1. A method for warning a driver of a motor vehicle of an impending hazardous situation caused by accidental drifting towards or into an opposing traffic lane, the method comprising:

determining a virtual vehicle corridor defining a width and directed in the travel direction of the own motor vehicle,

determining with a first detection sensor a lane marker separating the lane of the own motor vehicle from the opposing traffic lane,

determining a relative position of the own motor vehicle in relation to the lane marker,

determining an oncoming vehicle traveling on the opposing traffic lane with a second detection sensor,

checking whether the oncoming vehicle enters or has entered the virtual vehicle corridor,

checking whether the own motor vehicle will travel across or has traveled across the lane marker based on the determined relative position of the own motor vehicle,

checking for presence of additional sensor information indicating an active travel operation or a steering operation by the driver, thus indicating that the detected relative position of the own motor vehicle is caused by driver activity, and

outputting a warning signal or performing an automatic driving mode intervention, or both, when a result of the checking indicates that the oncoming vehicle will enter or has entered into the virtual vehicle corridor and the own vehicle will cross or has crossed the lane marker, thus making a collision likely, and when the sensor information indicates an absence of an active steering operation by the driver,

wherein the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed only when no additional marker located proximate to the lane marker separating the own lane from the opposing traffic lane is detected during a predetermined or adaptable time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first detection sensor is an optical sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second detection sensor is a radar sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual vehicle corridor is displaced laterally in the direction of the opposing traffic lane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle corridor is detected based on environment information relating to stationary objects captured with the first detection sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a likelihood of a collision of the own vehicle with the oncoming vehicle is determined by measuring a distance between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle and from information describing a relative movement of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle with respect to one another as well as existing information describing a movement of the own vehicle, and a likely virtual impact time is determined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed only when the lane marker separating the own lane from the opposing traffic lane is detected continuously during a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an instance of the own motor vehicle crossing the lane marker is detected, wherein the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed only from this instance on.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein information obtained with the first and second detection sensor or with an onboard camera comprises at least one of operating a turn signal, actuating an accelerator, actuating a brake pedal, turning a steering wheel, a steering angle, a steering angle gradient, a steering torque, an acceleration value, a deceleration value, an actual driving speed located within a predetermined interval, an actual driving speed located within an adjustable interval, a time gap indicating a distance between the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and an observation of the driver acquired with the onboard camera.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein additional information, based on which the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed, comprises at least one of a curve radius of the travel lane determined with the first detection sensor, a value of a lane width located between a minimum value and a maximum value, and an actual speed of the oncoming vehicle with respect to a threshold value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein additional information, based on which the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed, comprises route information from an onboard or external database.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein additional information, based on which the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed, comprises route information from a navigation system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning signal comprises at least one of an optical, acoustic and haptic warning signal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic driving mode intervention comprises applying a steering torque back in a direction of the own traffic lane or applying a braking torque to an individual wheel that drives the own vehicle in the direction of the own traffic lane.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed in a cascaded fashion such that in a first stage a visual or audible warning signal is outputted, in a second stage a haptic warning signal is outputted, in a third stage a steering torque is applied and in a fourth stage a braking torque is applied, wherein the steering torque and the braking torque drive the own vehicle in the direction of the own traffic lane.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual vehicle corridor is weighted by a distance between the own motor vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the stationary objects comprise at least one of crash barriers and lane markers.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the information describing the relative movement comprises a relative speed or a relative acceleration, or both.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined time period is adaptable.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a respective stage is selected depending on a detected danger situation.

21. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a first detection sensor configured to determine a virtual vehicle corridor defining a width and directed in the travel direction of the own motor vehicle, to determine a lane marker separating the lane of the own motor vehicle from an opposing traffic lane, and to determine a relative position of the own motor vehicle in relation to the lane marker,

a second detection sensor configured to determine an oncoming vehicle traveling on the opposing traffic lane, to determine whether the oncoming vehicle enters or has entered the virtual vehicle corridor, and to determine whether the own motor vehicle will travel across or has traveled across the lane marker based on the determined relative position of the own motor vehicle,

a monitoring device configured to check for presence of additional sensor information indicating an active travel operation or a steering operation by the driver, thus indicating that the detected relative position of the own motor vehicle is caused by driver activity, and

a warning device configured to output a warning signal or perform an automatic driving mode intervention, or both, when it is determined that the oncoming vehicle will enter or has entered into the virtual vehicle corridor and that the own vehicle will cross or has crossed the lane marker, thus making a collision likely, and when the sensor information from the monitoring device indicates an absence of an active steering operation by the driver,

wherein the warning signal is outputted or the automatic driving mode intervention is performed only when no additional marker located proximate to the lane marker separating the own lane from the opposing traffic lane is detected during a predetermined or adaptable time period.