Method for Operating a Vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle may be operated in a driving mode with autonomous lateral control and in a driving mode with manual lateral control, where the vehicle has a steering lever with a steering lever range, and where the steering lever range represents a circular space which is delimited about 360° by a rotational movement of the steering lever about a steering lever axis of rotation. A method associated with the vehicle may include one or more of the following steps: operating the vehicle in a driving mode with autonomous lateral control; detecting an intrusion in the steering lever range and/or a breaching of a predefined distance from the steering lever range by the vehicle occupant or another object with a sensor unit without the vehicle occupant coming into contact with the steering lever; and signaling the intrusion and/or the breaching of the distance to the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A method for operating a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is operable in a driving mode with autonomous lateral control and in a driving mode with manual lateral control, wherein the vehicle comprises a steering handle with a steering handle range, wherein the steering handle range represents a space which is formed by a virtual rotational path through which the steering handle geometry passes during a 360° rotation of the steering handle about its steering axis, the method comprising the following steps: operating the vehicle in a driving mode with autonomous lateral control; detecting an intrusion into a free space of the steering handle range and/or a breaching of a predefined distance to the free space of the steering handle range by a vehicle occupant or another object with a sensor unit and without necessitating the vehicle occupant touching the steering handle; and signaling the intrusion and/or the breaching of the distance to the vehicle occupant.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the steps from claim 12 are carried out repeatedly in a predefined time interval, and wherein, upon the detection of an intrusion that continues to exist and/or a breaching of the distance that continues to exist, requesting a vehicle occupant to take over manual vehicle control and/or stopping the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the steering handle range comprises a tolerance band in addition to the space, and wherein, upon the detection of an intrusion into the tolerance band and/or a breaching of a predefined distance to the tolerance band, a corresponding tolerance band signal is sent to the vehicle occupant.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the signaling is carried out at least one of optically, acoustically, and haptically.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the signaling is carried out redundantly.

17. A vehicle for carrying out the method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle can be operated in a driving mode with autonomous lateral control and in a driving mode with manual lateral control, and wherein the vehicle comprises: a sensor unit which is configured to detect the intrusion into the steering handle range and/or the breaching of the distance to the free space of the steering handle range; and a control unit, which is configured to generate the signal to a vehicle occupant when the intrusion and/or the breach occurs.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the control unit is designed to send a request to the vehicle occupant to take over the vehicle control and/or to stop the vehicle if the intrusion and/or the breaching of the distance continues to exist after signaling has been carried out.

19. The vehicle according to one of the preceding claim 17, wherein the sensor unit includes at least one of an optical sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a capacitive sensor, a radar sensor, and a lidar sensor.

21. The vehicle according to one of the preceding claim 17, wherein the sensor unit is arranged at at least one of a footwell area and a vehicle ceiling.

22. A steering handle for a vehicle, which is constructed according to claim 17, wherein the steering handle is mounted such that it can rotate about a steering axis, and wherein the steering handle is configured such that at least part of the space of the steering handle range is formed as a free space in every rotational position of the steering handle.

23. The steering handle according to claim 22, wherein the steering handle is coupled to the vehicle wheels such that in an autonomous lateral control driving mode of the vehicle, a rotational movement of the steering handle about the steering axis is carried out.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The invention will be explained further in the following by using an exemplary embodiment. In the single FIGURE, a steering handle 1 in the installed state in a vehicle (the vehicle not shown in its entirety) is illustrated schematically in a front view. All the features described in more detail can be important to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The vehicle, which can be steered with the steering handle 1 shown, can be operated both in a manual driving mode and in an autonomous driving mode. In a manual driving mode, the lateral control of the vehicle, that is to say the steering of the vehicle, is carried out via an operation of the steering handle 1 or via a rotation of the steering handle about the steering axis L. In an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the vehicle or a driver assistance system takes over the lateral control of the vehicle. In such an autonomous driving mode, provision is made in this practical example for the steering handle 1 to be coupled to the steered vehicle wheels in such a way that the steering handle 1 likewise corotates synchronously with the actual steering angle of the wheels.

[0035] In this case, the steering handle is not circular, as in conventionally known steering handles, but designed in the form of a narrow at least approximately oval construct. The position illustrated in the FIGURE of a steering handle 1 installed in the vehicle with respect to the steering axis L represents the zero position or neutral position of the steering handle 1, in which the wheels of the vehicle are not subjected to any steering lock. In this zero position of the steering handle 1 when installed in the vehicle, the vehicle is accordingly traveling in a straight line.

[0036] Likewise, the steering handle range 2 can be seen in the FIGURE in the form of a first dashed line. This steering handle range 2 represents a space, disk-shaped in this case, which is formed by a virtual outermost rotational path passed through by the steering handle geometry 1 during a 360° rotation of the steering handle 1 about its steering axis L.

[0037] If, therefore, the steering handle 1 is rotated about its steering axis L, then, depending on the rotational angle, this always needs at least part of the aforementioned space or the steering handle range 2. However, since the steering handle 1 is not formed circularly, corresponding to the steering handle range 2, and does not occupy the latter completely, there is a free space within the steering handle range 2 at all times. In the case of a neutral position of the steering handle 1, as is illustrated in the FIGURE, a lower part 4 and an upper part 5 of the steering handle range 2 are formed as a free space.

[0038] When the steering handle 1 is installed, in the neutral position of the steering handle 1 the legs of a vehicle occupant who is on a driver's seat are located underneath the steering handle 1. Here, it is possible that, during autonomous lateral control of the vehicle, this vehicle occupant has arranged his legs in the lower free space 4 of the steering handle range 2 in this case.

[0039] If, then, the steering handle position changes during the travel with the autonomous lateral control and the steering handle 1 rotates, for example, to the left or the right about its steering axis L, it is possible that the legs of the vehicle occupant placed in the lower free space 4 can accidentally collide with part of the steering handle 1.

[0040] In the event of such a collision, it is possible for discomfort or a worrying driving situation to occur.

[0041] In order to avoid such a collision, it is therefore provided that such an intrusion into or such an occupation of the free space 4, 5 of the steering handle, for example by the legs of a vehicle occupant, is detected during a journey with autonomous lateral control. This detection can be made in a manner already described, for example via suitable camera systems or other sensors. In the event of such a detection, provision is then made for the vehicle occupant to be warned in a manner likewise described, or to be requested to remove the legs or the interfering object from the free space.

[0042] In this case, the steering handle range 2 is also provided with a tolerance band 3 (likewise illustrated by a dashed line). Thus, in this case, a vehicle occupant is already warned if an object or a part of the body of the vehicle occupant breaches a specific distance from the tolerance band 3 or if an intrusion is made into the tolerance band 3.