METHOD FOR OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE USING A LONGITUDINAL DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle (1) having a long-distance driver assistance system (2) comprising at least one sensor (3) which detects the area in front of a vehicle, and a control device (4) which is designed to detect a vehicle traveling ahead as a function of sensor information and to output control or regulating commands to one or more of the vehicle components (5, 6) used for long-distance driving in order to drive the motor vehicle (1) relative to the vehicle ahead when the driver assistance system (2) is activated and operationally ready, wherein the activated and operationally ready driver assistance system (2) can be deactivated from a control or regulating mode by a driver activity and vice versa, wherein, when no vehicle ahead is detected by the activated driver assistance system (2) and the driver assistance system (2) is deactivated by a driver activity, detection of the area in front of the vehicle is continuously carried out and, when a vehicle ahead is detected, either a notification is output to the driver to reactivate the driver assistance system and to place the system in control or regulating mode by means of another driver activity, or the driver assistance system is activated autonomously and switched to the control or regulating mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: operating a motor vehicle having a long-distance driver assistance system comprising at least one sensor which detects the area in front of the vehicle, and a control device which is designed to detect a vehicle ahead as a function of sensor information and to output control or regulating commands to one or more of the vehicle components used for long-distance driving when the driver assistance system is activated and operationally ready, in order to drive the motor vehicle relative to the vehicle ahead, wherein the activated and operationally ready driver assistance system can be deactivated from a control or regulating mode by a driver activity and vice versa, wherein if no vehicle ahead is detected by the activated driver assistance system and the driver assistance system is deactivated by a driver activity, detection of the area in front of a vehicle takes place continuously and the driver assistance system activates itself autonomously and switches to the control or regulating mode upon detection of the vehicle ahead.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system is activated autonomously when a vehicle ahead is detected and at least a drag deceleration is required to reduce the speed difference between the motor vehicle in question and the vehicle ahead.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a self-activation is omitted if an actuation of the accelerator pedal, and thus an acceleration of the motor vehicle, is detected immediately before the time of the self-activation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a notification that the driver assistance system is again in the control or regulating mode is output to the driver, along with the self-activation.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a visual representation on a display and/or an acoustic notification is output as the notification.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein an image display relating to the actuation of a control lever by means of which the switchover to the control or regulating mode takes place is given as the visual representation.

7. A motor vehicle having a long-distance driver assistance system comprising at least one sensor which detects the area in front of the vehicle, and a control device which is designed to detect a vehicle traveling ahead as a function of sensor information and to output control or regulating commands to one or more of the vehicle components used for long-distance driving in order to drive the motor vehicle relative to the vehicle ahead, wherein the activated and operationally ready driver assistance system can be deactivated from a control or regulating mode by a driver activity and vice versa, designed for implementing the method according to claim 1.

Description

[0017] Additional advantages and individual details of the invention result from the exemplary embodiment described in the following as well as the corresponding drawings. The following is shown:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a motor vehicle according to the invention suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention; and

[0019] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the essential process steps;

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention comprising a long-distance driver assistance system 2 with at least one, normally a plurality, of sensors 3 which detect the area in front of the vehicle, by means of which information can be determined relating to or from the area in front of the vehicle. This information is provided to a control device 4 which is designed, in the case of operationally ready and activated driver assistance systems, for detecting a vehicle ahead as a function of the sensor information and for outputting control or regulating commands to one or more vehicle components serving for the long-distance driving. On one hand the engine 5, on the other hand the wheel brakes 6 are represented here as such vehicle components, so that the long-distance acceleration or deceleration can be controlled in an actively controlled manner via the control device 4. This control takes place as a function of the information regarding the vehicle ahead so that the vehicle can be approached in a controlled manner and the velocity can be controlled accordingly in order to regulate a certain distance etc.

[0021] The driver assistance system 2 can be placed from the activated state into a deactivated state by a driver's activity, for example stepping on the vehicle brake. In this deactivated state it is still ready for operation, meaning that the sensors 3 are still detecting information of the area in front of the vehicle and passing it to the control device 4. It is merely not in the control or regulating mode, meaning that none of the components described for the long-distance driving are activated, independently of the information detected regarding the area to the front of the vehicle.

[0022] If, in the case of a deactivated driver assistance system 2, a vehicle ahead is detected via the sensors 3 or, respectively, the control device 4 and said vehicle can be used as a regulating or reference vehicle with regard to which the long-distance driving is to take place, in a motor vehicle according to the invention a notification that the driver should reactivate the driver assistance system should thus be output via the control device 4 to the driver at a display device 7 and/or via a speaker system 8. This visual notification which is output via the display device 7 can, for example, take place in the form of a correspondingly conspicuous image display, for example, blinking etc. A corresponding voice request is executed via the speaker system 8.

[0023] The driver then has the discretion to follow the notification, but the driver can also disregard this. If the driver follows the notification, he activates the driver assistance system 2 by means of a corresponding driver activity, which thereupon immediately takes over the long-distance driving, thus activates the corresponding components 5, 6. If no driver activity is performed, thus the driver does not follow the notification, the driver assistance system remains in the ready-to-operate but deactivated state, wherein the monitoring of the area in front of the vehicle continues as before in order to output a new notification in the event of a changing situation, for example if a different vehicle is detected as a potential reference vehicle shortly thereafter.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows the essential sequence steps of the method according to the invention in the form of a flow chart.

[0025] It is assumed that the driver assistance system is what is known as an ACC system. In step S1, the ACC system is activated. However, during this time no vehicle traveling ahead was detected based on which the control or regulating mode could be switched off. The ACC system is deactivated, as shown in step S3, via a driver activity shown in step S2, for example a brief actuation of the brake. However, as previously described, the sensors 3 are still active. From this situation, i.e. with the ACC system deactivated, it would be fundamentally conceivable for the driver to reactivate the ACC system, as shown by the driver activity shown in step S4, even if no reference vehicle is detected during monitoring of the area in front of the vehicle. In this case, for example, this driver activity can be the actuation of a corresponding control lever of the ACC system. As a result, the ACC system is reactivated; see the corresponding arrow from step S3 to step S1.

[0026] If the deactivated ACC system remains in step S3, detection of the area in front of the vehicle continues as before according to step S5. If, as shown in step S6, a vehicle ahead is now detected that can be used as a reference vehicle for the control or regulating mode, in step S7 a notification is immediately output to the driver to activate the ACC system. As mentioned, this notification can be given visually via a display device, for example a corresponding middle console display or the instrument cluster, or alternatively also via the audio system, or both notifications can be given.

[0027] If the driver wants to follow the notification and now activate the ACC system, a driver activity is required according to step S8. For example, for this the driver must actuate the ACC control lever, for example pull it briefly or the like. However, activation by means of speech input etc. would also be possible. In step S9, the ACC system is then activated; it then switches immediately to the ACC control or regulating mode according to step S10, thus taking over the long-distance driving of the vehicle.

[0028] From this active mode, the ACC system can also be deactivated again, which takes place in that the driver again performs a driver activity; see step S11. For example, the driver again briefly actuates the brake or the like. The diagram clearly returns to step S3; the ACC system is deactivated. As previously described, from this situation, reactivation can take place according to step S4 through the driver activity; if not, detection of the area in front of the vehicle proceeds continuously as before according to step S5 and the described subsequent steps.

[0029] When the ACC system is activated in accordance with step S1, detection of the area in front of the vehicle naturally also proceeds, as shown in step S12. If, as shown in step S13, a vehicle ahead is detected as a reference basis, the ACC system immediately takes on the control or regulating mode according to step S10.

[0030] The detection of the area in front of the vehicle, which is also continuous in the deactivated state, thus ensures that the earliest possible detection of a vehicle ahead which can be used as a reference basis occurs, namely when the vehicle ahead is within the detection range of the sensors 3. The driver is notified promptly, i.e. at the earliest possible time, of the possibility to reactivate the ACC system since the system has detected a reference basis and can take over the automatic long-distance driving operation.

[0031] Alternatively, there is the possibility for the deactivated ACC system to also autonomously reactivate itself. In this case, according to step S6, upon detection of a vehicle traveling ahead the ACC system would automatically activate autonomously, meaning that the diagram according to FIG. 2 would then jump directly from step S6 to step S9, whereupon the ACC control or regulating mode proceeds according to step S10. In this case, no notification is output.