Driver Assistance System for the Automated Longitudinal Guidance of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A driver assistance system for automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle configured to detect at least one turning opportunity for the motor vehicle, and to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle in accordance with the at least one detected turning opportunity.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A driver assistance system for automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle, the driver assistance system configured to: detect at least one turning-off possibility for the motor vehicle; and decrease a speed of the motor vehicle in a manner that is dependent on the at least one detected turning-off possibility.

11. The driver assistance system according to claim 10, further configured to: detect the at least one turning-off possibility for the motor vehicle in a partial region of a driving route lying in front of the motor vehicle in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

12. The driver assistance system according to claim 11, further configured to: determine a first end of the partial region dependent on a first predefined vehicle deceleration.

13. The driver assistance system according to claim 11, further configured to: determine a second end of the partial region dependent on a second predefined vehicle deceleration.

14. The driver assistance system according to claim 10, further configured to: detect at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle; and select one of the at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle as the at least one detected turning-off possibility.

15. The driver assistance system according to claim 14, further configured to: determine a road type for each of the at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle; and select the one of the at least two turning-off possibilities dependent on the respective road types of the at least two turning-off possibilities.

16. The driver assistance system according to claim 15, further configured to: determine a value for the road type of each of the at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle; and select the one of the at least two turning-off possibilities with the highest value for the road type.

17. The driver assistance system according to claim 10, further configured to: detect the turning-off request of the driver of the motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle with automated longitudinal guidance; and reduce the speed of the motor vehicle in accordance with the detected turning-off request.

18. A method for the automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle, the method comprising: detecting of at least one turning-off possibility for the motor vehicle; and decreasing a speed of the motor vehicle in a manner that is dependent on the at least one detected turning-off possibility.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: detecting the at least one turning-off possibility for the motor vehicle in a partial region of a driving route lying in front of the motor vehicle in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: determining a first end of the partial region dependent on a first predefined vehicle deceleration.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: determining a second end of the partial region dependent on a second predefined vehicle deceleration.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: detecting at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle; and selecting one of the at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle as the at least one detected turning-off possibility.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: determining a road type for each of the at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle; and selecting the one of the at least two turning-off possibilities dependent on the respective road types of the at least two turning-off possibilities.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising: determining a value for the road type of each of the at least two turning-off possibilities for the motor vehicle; and selecting the one of the at least two turning-off possibilities with the highest value for the road type.

25. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: detecting the turning-off request of the driver of the motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle with automated longitudinal guidance; and reducing the speed of the motor vehicle in accordance with the detected turning-off request.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention,

[0069] FIG. 2 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the invention,

[0070] FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, and

[0071] FIG. 4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a driver assistance system for the automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle KFZ.

[0073] The driver assistance system is designed here to detect a turning-off request of the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ during operation of the motor vehicle KFZ with automated longitudinal guidance.

[0074] The turning-off request of the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ describes a request of the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ at a position which provides the driver with two or more possibilities M1, M2 for further travel, one thereof, e.g. M2, indicating remaining in the current traffic lane FS1 and the other, e.g. M1, indicating turning off from the current traffic lane FS1 at a turning-off possibility A1.

[0075] In addition, the driver assistance system is designed to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle KFZ in accordance with the detected turning-off request.

[0076] In particular, for this purpose, the driver assistance system is designed to detect an activation of a direction of travel indicator of the motor vehicle KFZ and to determine a number of traffic lanes FS1 on a directional roadway FB driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ.

[0077] If the directional roadway FB driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises only one traffic lane FS1, the driver assistance system is designed to detect the turning-off request of the driver in accordance with the activation of the direction of travel indicator.

[0078] FIG. 2 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a driver assistance system for the automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle KFZ.

[0079] The driver assistance system is designed here to detect a turning-off request of the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ during operation of the motor vehicle KFZ with automated longitudinal guidance, wherein, in the present example, the directional roadway FB driven on by the motor vehicle comprises more than one traffic lane FS1, FS2, namely two traffic lanes.

[0080] Traffic lane FS1 provides two possibilities M1, M2 here for further travel, of which M1 indicates turning off from the traffic lane FS1 at the turning-off possibility A1.

[0081] Traffic lane FS2 provides only one possibility M3 for further travel, namely remaining on the directional roadway FB.

[0082] The driver assistance system is designed to determine a traffic lane FS1 driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ, and to determine the turning-off request of the driver in accordance with the traffic lane FS1 driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ.

[0083] If, for example, the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ actuates an operating element, e.g. an indicator lever, in a manner such that the indicator lever could suggest, inter alia, a turning-off request to the left, in this case the driver assistance system will determine or establish the turning-off request of the driver since turning off to the left at the turning-off possibility A1 is possible in the current traffic lane FS1 of the motor vehicle KFZ.

[0084] If, on the other hand, the driver assistance system were not capable of determining the traffic lane FS1 driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ, the driver assistance system could nevertheless determine the turning-off request of the driver by the driver assistance system being designed to detect an activation of a direction of travel indicator of the motor vehicle KFZ and to determine the turning-off request of the driver if the direction of travel indicator is activated for longer than a predefined period of time.

[0085] FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a driver assistance system for the automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle KFZ.

[0086] The driver assistance system is designed here to detect a turning-off request of the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ during operation of the motor vehicle KFZ with automated longitudinal guidance, wherein, in the present example, the directional roadway FB driven on by the motor vehicle comprises more than one traffic lane FS1, FS2, namely two traffic lanes.

[0087] Traffic lane FS2 provides two possibilities M1, M2 here for further travel, of which M1 indicates turning off from the traffic lane FS2 at the turning-off possibility A1.

[0088] Traffic lane FS1 provides only one possibility M3 for further travel, namely remaining on the directional roadway FB.

[0089] The driver assistance system is designed to determine a traffic lane FS1 driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ, and to determine the turning-off request of the driver in accordance with the traffic lane FS1 driven on by the motor vehicle KFZ.

[0090] If, for example, the driver of the motor vehicle KFZ actuates an operating element, e.g. an indicator lever, in a manner such that the indicator lever could suggest, inter alia, a turning-off request to the left, in this case the driver assistance system will not determine or establish a turning-off request of the driver since turning off to the left is not possible in the current traffic lane FS1 of the motor vehicle KFZ.

[0091] If, however, the motor vehicle KFZ in this case were to change from traffic lane FS1 to traffic lane FS2, turning off to the left would be possible.

[0092] For this case, the driver assistance system is designed in particular to detect an activation of a direction of travel indicator of the motor vehicle KFZ, to detect a traffic lane change of the motor vehicle KFZ following the activation of the direction of travel indicator, and, after the traffic lane change, to detect the turning-off request of the driver in accordance with the activation of the direction of travel indicator, for example by the driver assistance system being designed to detect the turning-off request of the driver if the direction of travel indicator after the traffic lane change is still activated for longer than a predefined period of time.

[0093] FIG. 4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a driver assistance system for the automated longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle KFZ.

[0094] The driver assistance system is designed here to detect at least one turning-off possibility A1 - A4 for the motor vehicle KFZ, and to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle KFZ depending on the at least one detected turning-off possibility A1 - A4.

[0095] In particular, the driver assistance system is designed to detect an activation of a direction of travel indicator of the motor vehicle KFZ, to detect a turning-off request of the driver depending on the activation of the direction of travel indicator, and then to detect the at least one turning-off possibility A1 - A4 for the motor vehicle KFZ.

[0096] In an advantageous manner, the driver assistance system is designed to determine a partial region of the driving route lying in front of the motor vehicle KFZ in the direction of travel, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to determine a first end E1 of the partial region in accordance with a first predefined deceleration of the vehicle and a second end E2 of the partial region in accordance with a second predefined deceleration of the vehicle.

[0097] In addition, the driver assistance system is designed to detect at least one turning-off possibility A2, A3 for the motor vehicle KFZ in the partial region of the driving route lying in front of the motor vehicle KFZ in the direction of travel, and to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle KFZ in accordance with the at least one detected turning-off possibility A2, A3.

[0098] In order to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle KFZ, the driver assistance system is designed to select one of the at least two turning-off possibilities A2, A3 in the partial region, and to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle KFZ in accordance with the selected turning-off possibility.

[0099] The selection can be undertaken, for example, by a type of road being determined for each of the at least two turning-off possibilities A2, A3 for the motor vehicle KFZ, and one of the at least two turning-off possibilities A2, A3 being selected in accordance with their respective types of road.