Driver assistance system

• US 20040020698A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Gehrke, Helmar-Steffen, Irion, Albrecht, Guenther, Clemens
• Application Number:
  US10/414,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020698A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/170
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/042 where at least one electrical quantity is set by the vehicle operator
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/106 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling

Abstract

A driver assistance system for motor vehicles having a plurality of subfunctions which support the driver in handling the vehicle, for example, a speed control function, a distance control function and a warning function, in which an input element permits the driver to switch subfunctions on or off individually.

Claims

1. A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle having a plurality of subfunctions which support the driver in handling the vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one input element for allowing the driver to switch subfunctions on or off individually.

2. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein one of the subfunctions is a speed control function.

3. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein one of the subfunctions is a distance control function.

4. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein one of the subfunctions is a warning function which indicates an imminent collision danger to the driver by a warning signal.

5. The driver assistance system according to claim 3, wherein one of the subfunctions is that a distance correction prompt is output when a measured actual distance to a preceding vehicle deviates substantially from a predefined setpoint distance.

6. The driver assistance system according to claim 5, wherein a setpoint distance for distance control is the same as for the distance correction prompt.

7. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the system has a plurality of predefined operating modes which in each case include a subset of the available subfunctions and are disposed in a succession semi-ordered according to functional scope, and wherein the input element is adapted to advance from one of the operating modes to a next of the operating modes by a single input command.

8. The driver assistance system according to claim 7, wherein the input element includes a pushbutton.

9. The driver assistance system according to claim 8, wherein the input element is constructed at the same time as a rotating knob for selecting a parameter for the operating mode set in each instance.

10. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, further comprising a display for indicating the subfunctions switched on in each case.