Method and system for adapting the driving-off behavior of a vehicle to a traffic signal installation, and use of the system

• US 9,483,940 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Sthlin, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US14/406,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for adapting the driving-off behavior of a vehicle to a traffic signal installation, in which method the traffic signal installation permits passing in a first state and forbids passing in a second state. By means of vehicle-to-X communication means, state information and time information of the traffic signal installation are received by the vehicle and forwarded by the vehicle to a traffic light phase assistance system. Furthermore, the vehicle receives presence information comprising at least position indications from surrounding vehicles that are capable of vehicle-to-X communication. In addition, the position of the vehicle is determined by means of position-determining means. The method is characterized in that the position indications received by means of vehicle-to-X communication are displayed to the driver and the driving-off behavior is adapted in dependence on the state information and the time information and the presence of surrounding vehicles that are not capable of vehicle-to-X communication. The invention further relates to a corresponding system and a use of the system.

Claims

1. A method for adapting a driving-off behavior of a vehicle to a traffic signal installation,

in which the traffic signal installation permits passing in a first state and prohibits passing in a second state,

in which a state information item and a time information item of the traffic signal installation are received by the vehicle by vehicle-to-X communication means and are passed on to a traffic light phase assistance system,

wherein the state information item describes a present state of the traffic signal installation and the time information item describes a time window up to a change in state of the traffic signal installation,

in which presence information comprising at least position data on vehicles in the surroundings which are enabled for vehicle-to-X communication is also received by the vehicle, and

in which the vehicle determines its own position by position-determining means, wherein

the position data received by vehicle-to-X communication are displayed to the driver and the driving-off behavior is adapted as a function of the state information item and the time information item and the presence of vehicles in the surroundings which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication, and

the vehicle additionally detects the position data on the vehicles in the surroundings by a surroundings sensor system, and the vehicles in the surroundings are automatically detected as not being enabled for vehicle-to-X communication if the surrounding vehicles position data is detected exclusively by the surroundings sensor system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

a comparatively uniform driving-off behavior is selected if no vehicles in the surroundings which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication are detected, and

in that a comparatively dynamic driving-off behavior is selected if at least one vehicle in the surroundings which is not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication is detected.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the driving-off behavior is adapted exclusively as a function of vehicles in the surroundings which are following the vehicle, and

wherein relative positions of the vehicles in the surroundings with respect to the vehicle are determined from the vehicle'"'"'s own position and the position data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

it is indicated to a driver of the vehicle whether vehicles in the surroundings which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication are detected and, whether vehicles in the surroundings which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication and which are following the vehicle are detected.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the driving-off behavior is adapted by a visual and/or acoustic and/or haptic recommendation to the driver or by means of an autonomous cruise control process.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein

an intelligent adaptive cruise control system is used for the autonomous cruise control process and/or as a surroundings sensor system.

7. A system for adapting a driving-off behavior of a vehicle to a traffic signal installation, comprising a traffic signal installation and vehicles in the surroundings as well as the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle comprises vehicle-to-X communication means and position-determining means and display means and a traffic light phase assistance system,

wherein the traffic signal installation permits passing in a first state and prohibits passing in a second state,

wherein the vehicle receives a state information item and a time information item of the traffic signal installation by the vehicle-to-X communication means and passes them on to the traffic light phase assistance system,

wherein the state information item describes a present state of the traffic signal installation and the time information item describes a time window up to a change in state of the traffic signal installation,

wherein the vehicle also receives presence information of the vehicles in the surroundings which are enabled for vehicle-to-X communication, comprising at least position data, and

wherein the vehicle determines its own position by means of the position-determining means, wherein

the display means indicate to the driver the position data received by vehicle-to-X communication, and the driving-off behavior is adapted as a function of the state information item and the time information item and the presence of vehicles in the surroundings which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication, and

the vehicle additionally detects the position data on the vehicles in the surroundings by a surroundings sensor system, and the vehicles in the surroundings are automatically detected as not being enabled for vehicle-to-X communication if the surrounding vehicles position data is detected exclusively by the surroundings sensor system.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle comprises a surroundings sensor system and additionally detects the position data of the vehicles in the surroundings by means of the surroundings sensor system.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the vehicle-to-X communication means transmits and/or receives information on the basis of one or more connection classes selected from the group consisting of:

a WLAN connection, in accordance with IEEE 802.11,

an ISM connection (Industrial, Scientific, Medical Band),

a Bluetooth®

connection,

a ZigBee connection,

a UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) connection,

a WiMax®

(Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) connection,

an infrared connection and

a mobile radio connection.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the surroundings sensor system detects position data on the basis of one or more sensor classes selected from the group consisting of:

a radar sensor,

an optical camera sensor,

a lidar sensor,

a laser sensor and

an ultrasonic sensor.

11. Use of a system in a vehicle for adapting a driving-off behavior of the vehicle to a traffic signal installation, comprising a traffic signal installation and vehicles in the surroundings as well as the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle comprises vehicle-to-X communication means and position-determining means and display means and a traffic light phase assistance system,

wherein the traffic signal installation permits passing in a first state and prohibits passing in a second state,

wherein the vehicle receives a state information item and a time information item of the traffic signal installation by the vehicle-to-X communication means and passes them on to the traffic light phase assistance system,

wherein the state information item describes a present state of the traffic signal installation and the time information item describes a time window up to a change in state of the traffic signal installation,

wherein the vehicle also receives presence information of the vehicles in the surroundings which are enabled for vehicle-to-X communication, comprising at least position data, and

wherein the vehicle determines its own position by means of the position-determining means,

wherein the display means indicate to the driver the position data received by vehicle-to-X communication, and the driving-off behavior is adapted as a function of the state information item and the time information item and the presence of vehicles in the surroundings which are not enabled for vehicle-to-X communication, and

wherein the vehicle additionally detects the position data on the vehicles in the surroundings by a surroundings sensor system, and the vehicles in the surroundings are automatically detected as not being enabled for vehicle-to-X communication if the surrounding vehicles position data is detected exclusively by the surroundings sensor system.