Method for adapting to the lane width in a lane keeping support system

• US 20060047390A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rentschler, Tobias, Scherl, Michael, Weilkes, Michael, Buerkle, Lutz
• Application Number:
  US11/186,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047390A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• 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

Abstract

A method for adapting a steering-wheel torque, driver-independently exerted on the steering wheel, in a lane-keeping support system of a motor vehicle includes determining a deviation variable that characterizes the lateral vehicle deviation from an ideal line, and exerting a driver-independent steering wheel torque on the steering wheel as a function of the determined deviation variable. In this manner, the torque is adapted to the lane width.

Claims

1. A method for exerting a driver-independent steering-wheel torque on the steering wheel of a motor vehicle traveling in a lane, using a lane-keeping support system, comprising:

determining a width of the lane;

determining a deviation variable characterizing one of a lateral vehicle deviation from an ideal line and a lateral deviation of a vehicle trajectory from the ideal line; and

applying a steering-wheel torque that is dependent on the deviation variable and the width of the lane.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ideal line is the center of the lane.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the deviation variable represent a difference between the ideal line and the vehicle trajectory.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein no steering-wheel torque is exerted when the deviation variable does not exceed a first limiting value, and wherein the steering-wheel torque is exerted when the deviation variable exceeds the first limiting value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, when the deviation variable exceeds the first limiting value, a steering-wheel torque that monotonically increases with the deviation variable is applied.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the steering-wheel torque is maintained at a constant value when the deviation variable is greater than or equal to a second limiting value, the first limiting value being less than the second limiting value.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the steering-wheel torque linearly increases with the deviation variable, if the deviation variable exceeds the first limiting value and falls short of the second limiting value.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the first limiting value is dependent on the determined width of the lane.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the first limiting value increases with an increase in the width of the lane.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the first limiting value increases non-linearly with an increase in the lane width when the lane width falls short of a reference value, and wherein the first limiting value increases linearly with an increase in the lane width when the lane width exceeds the reference value.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first limiting value increases as a cubic function of the lane width when the lane width falls short of the reference value.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the second limiting value is dependent on the determined lane width.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second limiting value increases with an increase in the lane width.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second limiting value increases non-linearly with an increase in the lane width when the lane width falls short of a reference value, and wherein the second limiting value increases linearly with an increase in the lane width when the lane width exceeds the reference value.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the second limiting value increases as a quadratic function of the lane width as the lane width increase, if the lane width falls short of the reference value.

16. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the first limiting value and the second limiting value are dependent on the determined width of the lane;

the first limiting value and the second limiting value increase with an increase in the lane width;

the first limiting value and the second limiting value increase non-linearly with an increase in the lane width when the lane width falls short of a reference value;

the first limiting value and the second limiting value increase linearly with an increase in the lane width when the lane width exceeds the reference value; and

the first limiting value increases more than the second limiting value in the event that the lane width falls short of the reference value.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first limiting value increases as a cubic function of the lane width when the lane width falls short of the reference value, and wherein the second limiting value increases as a quadratic function of the lane width when the lane width falls short of the reference value.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the deviation variable is determined by using at least a video sensor.