METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WARNING OF THE WRONG-WAY TRAVEL OF A VEHICLE AFTER AN ACCIDENT AND/OR A SAFETY-CRITICAL DRIVING SITUATION, ESPECIALLY AFTER AN INTERIM STANDSTILL OF THE VEHICLE

• US 20190061784A1
• Filed: 08/22/2018
• Published: 02/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Koehler, Armin, Foltin, Johannes Ludwig
• Granted Patent: US 10,435,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered

Abstract

A method for warning of the wrong-way travel of a vehicle after an accident and/or a safety-critical driving situation, especially after an interim standstill of the vehicle, the method including a detecting task, in which a change in a direction of travel of the vehicle after an accident is detected. Finally, the method includes a task of providing a warning signal, the warning signal being provided as a function of a detected change in the direction of travel of the vehicle, to output the warning of the wrong-way travel of the vehicle after the accident and/or the safety-critical driving situation.

Claims

1. A method for warning of the wrong-way travel of a vehicle after an accident, a safety-critical driving situation, and/or an interim standstill of the vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a change in a direction of travel of the vehicle after an accident; and

providing a warning signal as a function of a detected change, to output the warning of the wrong-way travel of the vehicle after the accident, the safety-critical driving situation, and/or the interim standstill of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the providing, the output of the warning signal is suppressed if in the detecting, it is recognized that the direction of travel of the vehicle after the accident corresponds essentially to the direction of travel of the vehicle prior to the accident.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting, a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected using a magnetic-field signal, which represents a magnetic field of the earth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting, a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected using a signal of a global positioning system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting, a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected using an environment-comparison signal that represents a position determined optically, by radar/lidar and/or by ultrasound, and/or a type of at least one structural fixture prior to and after the accident.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting, a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected using a driving-direction sensing signal, which represents a direction of travel of external road users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting, a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected using a brightness signal and/or sun-position signal, which represents a shadow cast by an object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in the providing, the warning signal is output if during the accident, the vehicle was spun around within a tolerance range by 180°

and/or was spun around by a rotation and subsequent steering within a tolerance range by 180°

.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a warning signal to a road user external to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suppressing the provision of the warning signal if the driving-environment sensor for detecting the change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recognized as defective and/or if a plurality of alien vehicles are detected which are traveling in the same direction as the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein in the detecting, a change in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected using a brightness signal and/or sun-position signal, which represents a shadow cast by an object, which is the vehicle or a stationary object.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a warning signal to a road user external to the vehicle, the warning signal being transmitted via at least one of a visual arrangement, an acoustic arrangement, and a radio link.

11. An apparatus for warning of the wrong-way travel of a vehicle after an accident, comprising:

a device configured to perform the following;

detecting a change in a direction of travel of the vehicle after an accident; and

providing a warning signal as a function of a detected change, to output the warning of the wrong-way travel of the vehicle after the accident, the safety-critical driving situation, and/or the interim standstill of the vehicle.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for warning of the wrong-way travel of a vehicle after an accident, by performing the following;

detecting a change in a direction of travel of the vehicle after an accident; and

providing a warning signal as a function of a detected change, to output the warning of the wrong-way travel of the vehicle after the accident, the safety-critical driving situation, and/or the interim standstill of the vehicle.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein in the providing, the output of the warning signal is suppressed if in the detecting, it is recognized that the direction of travel of the vehicle after the accident corresponds essentially to the direction of travel of the vehicle prior to the accident.