METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ASSISTING A DRIVER OF A VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING ONTO A CARRIAGEWAY VIA AN APPROACH ROAD

Abstract

A method for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road. First, an item of information concerning a course of the approach road is read in. Then, using the item of information concerning the course of the roadway, an activation signal is provided for the activation of a driver assistance function.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road, the method comprising: reading in an item of information concerning a course of the approach road; and providing an activation signal for activating a driver assistance function using the item of information concerning the course of the approach road.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: ascertaining a geographical position of the vehicle, the activation signal being provided in the providing if it is ascertained in the ascertaining that the vehicle is traveling on the approach road.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, in the reading in, an item of information is read in concerning a merging segment, merging into the roadway, of the approach road, the activation signal being provided in the providing if the item of information represents a merging segment that is less than a prespecified minimum length and/or that has at least one stopping signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein in the reading in an item of information is read in concerning a curved segment of the approach road that goes over into the merging segment, the activation signal being provided in the providing if it is ascertained in the ascertaining that the vehicle is traveling on the curved segment.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein in the reading in an item of information concerning the course of the approach road, provided by an environmental acquisition device of the vehicle and/or by a navigation device, is read in.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein in the providing the activation signal is provided to output a warning signal to the driver and/or to change a speed of the vehicle and/or to change a braking readiness of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: reducing a speed of the vehicle and/or of increasing the braking readiness of the vehicle, using the activation signal.

19. A computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising: a program code arrangement having program code for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road, by performing the following: reading in an item of information concerning a course of the approach road; and providing an activation signal for activating a driver assistance function using the item of information concerning the course of the approach road.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising: ascertaining a geographical position of the vehicle, the activation signal being provided in the providing if it is ascertained in the ascertaining that the vehicle is traveling on the approach road.

21. A device for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road, comprising: a read-in unit for reading in an item of information concerning a course of the approach road; and a provision unit for providing an activation signal for activating a driver assistance function using the item of information concerning the course of the approach road.

22. A vehicle, comprising: a device for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road, including: a read-in unit for reading in an item of information concerning a course of the approach road; and a provision unit for providing an activation signal for activating a driver assistance function using the item of information concerning the course of the approach road; and an environmental acquisition device and/or a navigation device, the environmental acquisition device and/or the navigation device being configured to provide the item of information concerning the course of the approach road to the device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIGS. 1a and 1b show schematic representations of various approach situations including a vehicle, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a device for carrying out a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIGS. 1a and 1b show schematic representations of various approach situations including a vehicle 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the two FIGS. 1a and 1b, in each case vehicle 100 is traveling on a curved segment 102 of an approach road 104 that, in a merging segment 106, merges into a roadway 108. Vehicle 100 is moving towards merging segment 106. Roadway 108 is connected with a further roadway (not shown) via merging segment 106 and curved segment 102, which goes over into merging segment 106. Curved segment 102 is in each case curved in such a way that a driver 109 of vehicle 100 cannot see, or at least cannot completely see, the end of curved segment 102, or merging segment 106, while driving on curved segment 102. A direction of view of driver 109 is marked with a dashed arrow.

[0036] In FIG. 1a, merging segment 106 is an acceleration lane that runs essentially parallel to roadway 108, here a two-lane high-speed roadway, and enables an approach to a right lane of roadway 108 along a dashed roadway marking. Curved segment 102 is shown as a long curve. Merely as an example, the curve angle of curved segment 102 is approximately 180°.

[0037] In FIG. 1b, merging segment 106 is significantly shorter than in FIG. 1a. In addition, merging segment 106 does not go over gradually into roadway 108, as in FIG. 1a, but rather intersects it, as an example, approximately at a right angle. Here as well, roadway 108 is shown as a two-lane high-speed roadway. Merging segment 106 has, in a stopping region merging into roadway 108, a stop line 110 and a yield sign 112 as stopping signals. Curved segment 102 is significantly less curved than in FIG. 1a. Merely as an example, the curve angle of curved segment 102 is approximately 90°.

[0038] Vehicle 100 has a device 114 that is fashioned to receive an item of information concerning a curve of approach road 104 and, as a function of the information, to activate a driver assistance function that supports driver 109 when approaching roadway 108 via approach road 104.

[0039] According to this exemplary embodiment, the information represents a respective length of merging segment 106 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. Device 114 is fashioned to activate the driver assistance function when the respective length of merging segment 106 is less than a prespecified minimum length. For example, the minimum length can be between 200 and 250 meters. Device 114 is in addition fashioned to activate the driver assistance function already when vehicle 100 is still on curved segment 102; i.e., the driver assistance function is activated before vehicle 100 enters merging segment 106. Through the activation, a warning signal can be outputted to driver 109, a speed of vehicle 100 can be changed, or a braking force of vehicle 100 can be regulated. Depending on the specific embodiment, these driver assistance functions can be activated individually or in combination.

[0040] In FIG. 1b, in which merging segment 106 is an intersection entrance, merging segment 106 is significantly shorter than the minimum length. For example, merging segment 106 is only between 20 and 50 meters long. According to this exemplary embodiment, device 114 is fashioned to receive an additional item of information about the presence of a stopping signal, here stop line 110 and yield sign 112, and to activate the driver assistance function as a function of the presence of the stopping signal. Here, device 114 can be fashioned to activate the driver assistance function when the stopping signal is present, independent of whether merging segment 106 has the minimum length.

[0041] In FIG. 1a, merging segment 106 is only slightly shorter than the specified minimum length. For example, merging segment 106 has a length of approximately 150 meters.

[0042] In both approach situations, the driver assistance function is activated by device 114. In this way, it is achieved that vehicle 100 is timely braked and drives through merging segment 106 with a correspondingly reduced speed. In this way, rear-end collisions can be avoided on approach road 104 that can occur when driver 109, after driving through curved segment 102, brakes with unexpectedly strong force, for example in order to timely come to a stop at the end of merging section 106.

[0043] Optionally, device 114 is fashioned to enable a timely acceleration of vehicle 100 as a function of the course of approach road 104, for example in order to reach a minimum speed required to merge onto roadway 108.

[0044] According to a further specific embodiment, device 114 is fashioned to additionally receive an item of information relating to a volume of traffic on roadway 108 and to activate the driver assistance function as a function of the volume of traffic. In this way, it can for example be prevented that driver 109, when accelerating out from curved segment 102, is surprised by a high volume of traffic on roadway 108 and abruptly brakes in merging region 106 in order to wait for a gap in the flow of traffic.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle 100 according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Vehicle 100 is for example the vehicle described on the basis of FIGS. 1a and 1b.

[0046] Vehicle 100 has, in addition to device 114, an environmental acquisition device 200. Environmental acquisition device 200, here a camera directed onto an area in front of vehicle 100, is configured to acquire the course of approach road 104. For this purpose, environmental acquisition device 200 can be realized having a lane recognition function. In addition, environmental acquisition device 200 can be fashioned to acquire stopping signals such as the yield sign and the stop line from FIG. 1b. Environmental acquisition device 200 is correspondingly fashioned to send an item of environmental information 202, representing the course of approach road 104 and the stopping signals, to device 114.

[0047] According to this exemplary embodiment, device 114 is additionally coupled with a navigation device 204. Navigation device 204 is fashioned to ascertain a geographical position of vehicle 100 on the basis of satellite-based map data, and to communicate a corresponding item of position information 206 to device 114. Navigation device 104 can also be fashioned to ascertain, in addition to environmental acquisition device 200, the course of approach road 104, such as its length, on the basis of the map data, and to send a corresponding item of navigation information 208 to device 114. In addition, navigation information 208 can contain indications of stopping signals in the region of approach road 104.

[0048] According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, device 114 is connected to a brake system 210, a cruise control 212, and a warning device 214 of vehicle 100. Warning device 114 is realized for example as a display panel integrated in a dashboard or steering wheel, or as a loudspeaker in vehicle 100. Device 114 is fashioned to send, using environmental information 202 and navigation information 208, a brake signal 216 to brake system 210 in order to change a braking readiness of vehicle 100, to send a speed signal 218 to cruise control 212 in order to change a speed of vehicle 100, and to send a warning signal 220 to warning device 214 in order to output an acoustic, optical, or haptic warning signal. Braking signal 216, speed signal 218, and warning signal 220 can also be designated activation signals. Device 114 is configured to output activation signals 216, 218, 220 only when position information 206 represents a geographical position of vehicle 100 on approach road 104, in particular on the curved segment of approach road 104.

[0049] For example, the braking readiness of vehicle 100 in approach situations, as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, can be correspondingly increased via brake signal 216 by pre-engaging the brakes. Alternatively or in addition, through speed signal 212 the speed of vehicle 100 can be regulated downward.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In method 300 for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road, in a step 302 first an item of information is read in concerning a course of the approach road. Then, in a step 304, an activation signal is provided for activating a driver assistance function, using the item of information concerning the course of the approach road.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment, in a step 306 a geographical position of the vehicle is ascertained. Depending on the specific embodiment, using the geographical position, in step 304 the activation signal can be provided as soon as the vehicle is on the approach road or is on a curved segment of the approach road.

[0052] According to a further exemplary embodiment, in a step 308 the braking readiness of the vehicle is increased using the activation signal. Alternatively or in addition, in a step 310 the speed of the vehicle is reduced.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a device 114 for carrying out a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Device 114 shown in FIG. 4 for supporting a driver of a vehicle when approaching a roadway via an approach road is for example the device described on the basis of FIGS. 1a through 2. Device 114 can be fashioned to carry out a method described on the basis of FIG. 3.

[0054] Device 114 has a read-in unit 402 for reading in an item of information concerning the course of the approach road. For example, read-in unit 402 can be connected, via suitable interfaces, to an environmental acquisition device and to a navigation device of FIG. 2, in order to read in environmental information 202 and navigation information 208.

[0055] Read-in unit 402 is coupled to a provision unit 404 that is fashioned to provide, using the information concerning the course of the approach road, an activation signal for activating a driver assistance function. Depending on the specific embodiment, provision unit 404 can be connected, either directly or via corresponding control devices, to a brake system, to a cruise control, or to a warning device of FIG. 2, and can be fashioned to provide activation signals 216, 218, 220 using information 202, 208.

[0056] According to this exemplary embodiment, read-in unit 402 is fashioned to additionally receive, from the navigation device, the item of position information 206 concerning the geographical position of the vehicle, and to forward it to provision unit 404. Correspondingly, provision unit 404 is fashioned to provide activation signals 216, 218, 220, using position information 206, as a function of the geographical position of the vehicle.

[0057] The exemplary embodiments described and shown in the Figures have been chosen only as examples. Different exemplary embodiments can be combined with one another in their entirety or with regard to individual features. An exemplary embodiment can also be supplemented with features of a further exemplary embodiment.

[0058] In addition, the method steps presented here can be repeated, and can be carried out in a sequence differing from that described.

[0059] If an exemplary embodiment includes an “and/or” linkage between a first feature and a second feature, this is to be read as meaning that according to one specific embodiment the exemplary embodiment has both the first feature and also the second feature, and according to a further specific embodiment the exemplary embodiment has either only the first feature or only the second feature.