DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

Abstract

A driver assistance system for controlling a high beam, including an environment detecting device. At least one radar or lidar sensor system as well as a camera sensor system are provided for detecting the environment in front of the vehicle. A control signal for a high beam controller or warning device is generated when the high beam is active and at least one sensor system for detecting the environment simultaneously detects a potentially dazzled object.

Claims

1. A method for a driver assistance system for controlling a high beam, comprising environment detecting means, wherein at least one radar or lidar sensor system as well as a camera sensor system are provided for detecting the environment in front of a vehicle, the method comprising: generating a control signal for a high beam controller or a warning device when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is simultaneously detected by at least one sensor system for detecting the environment.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: generating a control signal when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is simultaneously detected by the radar or lidar sensor system and the camera sensor system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: generating a control signal when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein if additional, specified environment information is available, a control signal is also generated when a potentially dazzled object is only detected by the radar or lidar sensor system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor system for detecting the environment detects a development at the edge of the road.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: generating a control signal when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system and detecting an increased development at the edge of the road.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein means for detecting a traffic circle lying ahead are provided.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein a control signal is generated when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system and a traffic circle lying ahead of the vehicle is detected.

9. The method according to claim 1, which comprises a radar or lidar sensor system having a controllable range, wherein the radar or lidar sensor system is also used for other driver assistance functions, wherein a high sensor range is selected, if no relevant objects are located in a range which is relevant for another driver assistance function.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein in response to the signal, a warning is given to the driver using audible, visual or haptic means or the high beam is switched off or the range of the high beam is reduced or the light cone of the high beam is formed in such a manner that the potentially dazzled moving object is omitted in the light cone.

11. A driver assistance system for controlling the lights of a vehicle comprising: a control unit having a storage device on which a method according to claim 1 is stored, at least one radar or lidar sensor system as well as a camera sensor system for detecting the environment in front of a vehicle, and means for emitting a warning to a driver or controlling the high beam, wherein the three units indicated can be connected.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein if additional, specified environment information is available, a control signal is also generated when a potentially dazzled object is only detected by the radar or lidar sensor system.

13. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: generating a control signal when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system and an increased development at the edge of the road is detected.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein a control signal is generated when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensory system and a traffic circle lying ahead of the vehicle is detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Objects detected by a radar system are, in particular, moving objects which have a relative speed to the vehicle which is not equal to the vehicle's own speed. The objects may be e.g. vehicles driving ahead or oncoming vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians.

[0010] The radar sensor is able to measure the relative speed of objects very quickly and very precisely due to its Doppler evaluation system. It is then easy to distinguish between moving and stationary objects (stationary objects are e.g. guardrails, traffic signs, parked vehicles, and bushes and trees at the edge of the road) based on this and the known speed of the vehicle. Of course it is also possible to distinguish between oncoming vehicles and vehicles driving ahead, which does not, however, constitute a fundamental difference for deactivating the high beam.

[0011] The camera system detects the lights of vehicles driving ahead or oncoming vehicles. For example, a colour camera can be used, in order to reliably detect red taillights and white headlights. Due to the redundant environment detection by various sensor systems, the probability of detecting a potentially dazzled object is increased and, therefore, also the probability of not dazzling any other road user.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of an aspect of the invention, a control signal for controlling a high beam or a warning is generated, when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is simultaneously detected by the radar or lidar sensor system and the camera sensor system. This embodiment of the invention prevents an erroneous deactivation of the high beam, because the requirements for detecting a potentially dazzled object are very high in this case. Both sensor systems have to detect the object for the control signal for controlling the high beam to be emitted.

[0013] Another positive embodiment of an aspect of the invention is characterized in that a control signal is generated when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled moving object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system. This occurs, in particular, when the lights of an oncoming vehicle are concealed, e.g. in the case of visually separated roadways such as on a highway having bushes on the median or by a guardrail which separates the vehicle's roadway and the roadway of an oncoming vehicle. Furthermore, it is possible for the potentially dazzled object to be located on a traffic circle in front of the vehicle and to have not yet entered the vehicle's lane. A camera sensor system cannot detect the headlights of the potentially dazzled object in this case either.

[0014] According to one positive embodiment of an aspect of the invention, if additional, specified environment information is available, a control signal is also generated when a potentially dazzled moving object is only detected by the radar or lidar sensor system. In one positive embodiment, the control signal is otherwise only generated when both sensor systems detect a potentially dazzled object. Environment information can be e.g. fog, poor visibility, elevated development at the road edge or similar information implying that the camera sensor system has restricted visibility or a restricted field of view.

[0015] According to another embodiment of an aspect of the invention, at least one sensor system detects a development at the edge of the road. This can be both the radar sensor system and the camera sensor system. A development at the edge of the road means, in particular, elevated objects such as guardrails, bushes, a construction site fence or similar which separate roadways from one another, e.g. the median on a highway.

[0016] According to another embodiment of an aspect of the invention, a control signal is generated when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system. In addition, an increased development at the edge of the road, which separates roadways from one another, is detected.

[0017] In the case of visually separated roadways (e.g. a highway having bushes on the median) there is a risk, as described above, that a camera sensor system does not detect the headlights of an oncoming vehicle on a roadway on the other side of the development at the road edge, since these are concealed. However, the oncoming vehicle can be dazzled if a control signal for a high beam controller is not emitted.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of an aspect of the invention, means for detecting a traffic circle lying ahead of the vehicle are provided. A traffic circle lying ahead of the vehicle can, for example, be inferred from an electronic map, if the vehicle is equipped with a GPS system. Alternatively or additionally, a camera system for detecting traffic signs or a radio-based system (c2x) for transmitting this information or a special map, which can be updated, for driver assistance systems (E-horizon) can be provided.

[0019] According to one positive embodiment of an aspect of the invention, a control signal is generated when the high beam is active and a potentially dazzled object is detected by the radar or lidar sensor system, but not by the camera sensor system and, in addition, a traffic circle lying ahead of the vehicle is detected. There is also a risk of dazzling the object in this case, since the headlights cannot yet be detected by the camera sensor system, if the object is stopped at the traffic circle.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of an aspect of the invention, a driver assistance system includes a radar or lidar sensor system having a controllable range. The data from the radar or lidar sensor system is also used for other driver assistance functions such as e.g. an emergency braking assistant or adaptive cruise control or similar. A high sensor range is selected, if no relevant objects are located in a range which is relevant for another driver assistance function. The result is that the radar or lidar sensor system is able to detect oncoming vehicles, even when they are a great distance away.

[0021] According to one particular embodiment of an aspect of the invention, in response to the control signal, a warning is given to the driver using audible, visual or haptic means or the high beam is switched off or the range of the high beam is reduced or the light cone of the high beam is formed in such a manner that the potentially dazzled moving object is omitted in the light cone. Autonomous deactivation of the high beam can also be dispensed with in the case of cyclists and pedestrians, since these can be better detected by the driver at high beam than at low beam; cyclists and pedestrians can be roughly classified with respect to vehicles by means of the level of reflection and the absolute speed.