Active Lane Assistant

• US 20070219688A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Gut, Matthias, Trost, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 7,528,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/082 using alarm actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/087 using active steering actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• 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 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

In a method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle driver, the markings (3) of the lane in which the vehicle is moving are detected and a direction of travel which the vehicle has to follow in order to stay in the lane is determined. In this case, the vehicle driver is assisted in staying in the lane by the steering wheel being automatically centered. If the vehicle exactly follows the determined direction of travel over a certain period of time, this is a sign that the vehicle driver is not actively steering the vehicle, and a warning signal is generated.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the condition of a vehicle driver, in which a vehicle'"'"'s position in a lane is detected and monitored, a direction of travel is determined, the actual position in the lane is compared with the direction of travel which is determined, and the driver is assisted in maintaining the position in the lane,

characterized

in that a warning signal for the driver is generated when the calculated direction of travel exactly matches the actual position in the lane over a prespecified period of time.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized

in that a visual and/or audible and/or haptic warning signal is generated.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized

in that a test signal, which depends on the driving situation, is added to the calculated direction of travel, and the warning signal is emitted when the vehicle follows the test signal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized

in that a deviation from the calculated direction of travel is determined, and the steering angle at which the steering wheel has to be steered to stay in the lane or to move into the lane is determined.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4,

characterized

in that a manual torque actuator (6) shifts the zero position of the steering torque by the determined steering angle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized

in that driver assistance for staying in the lane increases dynamically with the deviation from the calculated direction of travel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1,

characterized

in that driver assistance for staying in the lane is slowly withdrawn when no lane is identified.

8. A condition-monitoring device (1) comprising a lane-identification device (2), means (4) for determining a direction of travel, a monitoring device (5) for monitoring deviations from the direction of travel, and a warning device (11),

characterized

in that the warning device can be activated when the monitoring device detects that a specific direction of travel matches an actual direction of travel over a prespecified period of time.

9. The condition-monitoring device as claimed in claim 8,

characterized

in that a “

steer-by-wire”

system is provided.

10. The condition-monitoring device as claimed in claim 9,

characterized

in that a manual torque actuator (6) is provided.

11. The condition-monitoring device as claimed in claim 8,

characterized

in that a manual torque actuator (6) is provided.