Reversing assistant

• US 7,739,008 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Sulzbach, Thomas, Donk, Vera, Cieler, Stephan, Meier-Arendt, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/341,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20060185921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701 23- 26, 701/41, 348/113, 348/118, 348/119, 348/143, 348/148, 348/207.99, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 340435-438, 340/901, 340/903, 340/932.2, 180/199, 180/204, 180/271, 700/61, 700/255
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically

Abstract

The invention relates to a system in a vehicle for assisting a driver of a vehicle when reversing, having at least one sensor unit which detects objects within the surroundings to the rear of the vehicle, having a computing unit which is connected to the sensor unit and has the purpose of processing the detected objects, and having an actuator unit which is connected to the computing unit. According to the invention, the computing unit generates a virtual driving tube within which the vehicle can move backward without colliding with the detected objects. The actuator unit is a steering actuator which is actuated by the computing unit and has the purpose of outputting haptic information which informs the driver of the vehicle about the steering direction, which is to be adopted next for reverse travel within the driving tube.

Claims

1. A system in a vehicle for assisting a driver of a vehicle when reversing, comprising:

at least one sensor unit which detects objects within surroundings to a rear of the vehicle;

a computing unit which is connected to the sensor unit and processes the detected objects; and

an actuator unit which is connected to the computing unit, wherein the computing unit generates a virtual driving tube within which the vehicle can move backward without colliding with the detected objects, and the actuator unit is a steering actuator which is actuated by the computing unit and outputs haptic information which informs the driver of the vehicle about a steering direction, which is to be adopted next for reverse travel within the driving tube;

wherein the steering actuator provides the haptic information to a steering wheel as a force in the steering direction to be adopted when the vehicle will remain within the virtual driving tube if the steering direction is adopted; and

wherein the steering actuator provides the haptic information to the steering wheel as a force in an opposite direction to the steering direction to be adopted when there is a risk that the vehicle will leave the virtual driving tube if the steering direction is adopted.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the effect of the force is smaller than the steering force which can be applied by the driver of the vehicle.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the haptic information is provided if a change in the steering angle currently adopted by the driver of the vehicle is necessary to remain within the driving tube.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computing unit updates the driving tube at constant time intervals during the reverse travel.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor unit detects objects which are located in the surroundings of the vehicle to the side.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor unit is a video camera.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the image of the surroundings of the vehicle to the rear and/or to the side which are captured by the video camera has a graphic representation of the virtual driving tube superimposed on it and is output on a display unit in the vehicle.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor unit is an ultrasonic sensor.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information about the steering direction to be adopted next is additionally provided to the driver of the vehicle by means of an acoustic output unit and/or a visual output unit.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computing unit detects a risk of the vehicle leaving the driving tube and causes a warning to be output to the driver of the vehicle.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

an accelerator pedal actuator;

said computing unit detecting a risk that the vehicle will leave the driving tube when the driver ignores the haptic information; and

in response to the risk that has been detected, said computing unit causing said accelerator pedal actuator to apply a force to an accelerator pedal that opposes an activation of the accelerator pedal in order to output a warning to the driver of the vehicle.

12. The system as claimed claim 10, wherein a warning is issued to the driver of the vehicle by means of an acoustic and/or visual output unit.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is activated automatically when the reverse gear of the vehicle is engaged.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface of the steering wheel is of touch-sensitive design, and the system automatically switches off when the driver of the vehicle does not have a hand on the steering wheel.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface of the steering wheel is of touch-sensitive design, and the system automatically switches off when the driver of the vehicle does not have a hand on the steering wheel so that the haptic information is no longer applied to the steering wheel.