Method and device for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle when forming a rescue path

Abstract

The application provides a method for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle when forming a rescue passage, comprising: detecting a traffic jam situation for the motor vehicle; determining a need for forming a rescue passage based on the detected traffic jam situation; detecting a viewing direction of the driver; and controlling the motor vehicle partially automatically or fully automatically in accordance with the determined need for forming a rescue passage and the detected viewing direction of the driver.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle when forming a rescue lane and a driving assistance device for a motor vehicle, the driving assistance device being specifically designed to perform the method. Background Technology

[0002] In particular, SAE Level 2 or higher autonomous vehicles may have driver assistance systems that at least temporarily take over the lateral and / or longitudinal guidance of the vehicle.

[0003] Automatic lateral guidance can provide what is known as steering assist, which ensures that the vehicle stays centered in its lane. The result is a significant reduction in driver workload, especially during monotonous driving on straight and slightly curved roads. Here, steering assist uses both recognized road markings (and, if necessary, the position of the vehicle ahead in the lane) as direction.

[0004] In the event of a traffic accident, many countries mandate the creation of rescue lanes to ensure emergency services can reach the scene quickly. To create rescue lanes, particularly on two- or multi-lane roads, road users in the left lane, especially motor vehicles, are required to align themselves to the left edge of the road, while road users in other lanes align themselves to the right edge. To increase driver comfort during traffic congestion, driver support systems can be provided when creating rescue lanes.

[0005] Therefore, such steering assistance can have a rescue lane function, ensuring that the vehicle automatically adjusts its direction during traffic congestion: when traffic congestion occurs on highways, for example at speeds below 60 km / h, the vehicle will align itself with surrounding vehicles and / or recognized lane markings, thus supporting the driver by laterally moving the vehicle to form a rescue lane through steering intervention. Additionally or alternatively, vehicles with rescue lane functionality can also form a rescue lane independently of other vehicles. Therefore, emergency services can pass through as quickly as possible.

[0006] For example, DE 10 2016 122 200 A1 discloses a method for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle when forming a rescue lane, comprising the steps of: detecting traffic congestion of the motor vehicle; determining the need to form a rescue lane based on the traffic congestion; and outputting information and / or performing partially or fully automatic control of the motor vehicle according to the determined need to form a rescue lane.

[0007] However, the drawback of the method disclosed in DE 10 2016 122 200 A1 is that it creates a rescue lane based solely on the identified traffic congestion, without taking into account the driver's condition in the decision to create the rescue lane. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the background of the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method that are respectively adapted to overcome at least the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

[0009] Therefore, this objective is achieved through a method for supporting drivers of motor vehicles when forming an emergency access lane. The method includes: detecting traffic congestion for the motor vehicle; determining the need to form an emergency access lane based on the detected traffic congestion; detecting the driver's direction of observation; and partially or fully automatically controlling the motor vehicle according to the determined need to form an emergency access lane and the detected direction of observation of the driver.

[0010] Standard SAE J3016 describes the classification and definitions of terminology used for road motor vehicles with automated driving systems. It was published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and came into effect in January 2014. The classification has six levels and describes the minimum requirements for each. In this context, a motor vehicle can be an SAE Level 2 or higher automated motor vehicle.

[0011] Partially or fully automated control may include partially or fully automated control of the lateral and / or longitudinal guidance of motor vehicles to form a rescue passage.

[0012] Traffic congestion can be considered, especially based on the speed of vehicles ahead. It can be considered that when traffic congestion is identified or detected, there will always be a need to create an emergency lane. However, it can also be considered that the need to create an emergency lane is related to other rules, such as the laws of a particular country.

[0013] The method may include: assessing the observed direction of the detected driver, wherein it is confirmed whether the driver is looking in the direction of the detected traffic congestion, and partially or fully automatically controlling the motor vehicle based on the determined need to form a rescue lane and the assessment of the observed direction of the detected driver.

[0014] Partially or fully automated control of motor vehicles may include: partially or fully automated crossing of road boundaries to create a rescue lane. It is possible to consider partially or fully automated crossing of road boundaries only if the assessment confirms that the driver is looking in the direction of the detected traffic congestion.

[0015] The detected direction of observation can be evaluated before and optionally during the partial or full automatic control of the motor vehicle.

[0016] The method may include: detecting at least one obstacle in the side region of a motor vehicle, and controlling the motor vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the detected obstacle.

[0017] The above content can be summarized in other ways as follows.

[0018] This method detects whether the driver is looking in the direction of vehicles ahead, thus determining whether the driver is monitoring traffic conditions, i.e., whether they are sufficiently attentive. For this purpose, the direction of the driver's gaze needs to be assessed. If the driver is confirmed to be sufficiently attentive, the driver can cross the lane boundary, where the direction of the driver's gaze is detected and assessed even while crossing the lane boundary, confirming whether it is pointing in the direction of traffic congestion or towards vehicles ahead.

[0019] One could assess the trajectories of one or more vehicles ahead and extrapolate the trajectory of outward movement (left lane to left). If one or more vehicles ahead have already moved outward across the lane, it can be inferred that the area can be traversed.

[0020] Additional safety can be achieved by using sensors (such as radar and / or ultrasonic sensors) to monitor the side areas of a motor vehicle.

[0021] The present invention also proposes a driving assistance device for a motor vehicle. This driving assistance device can be designed to perform the above-described method.

[0022] The driver assistance device includes: a first sensor device, particularly including a camera pointing towards the area in front of the motor vehicle, for detecting traffic congestion towards the motor vehicle; a computing device connected to the first sensor device for determining the need to form an emergency access route based on the traffic congestion detected by the first sensor device; and a second sensor device connected to the computing device, particularly including a camera pointing towards the interior of the motor vehicle, for detecting the driver's direction of observation.

[0023] The computing device is designed to control the motor vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the determined need to form a rescue passage and the driver's direction of observation detected by the second sensor device.

[0024] The computing device can be designed to: assess the direction of observation of the detected driver, wherein it is confirmed whether the driver is looking in the direction of the detected traffic congestion, and control the motor vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the determined need to form a rescue lane and the assessment of the direction of observation of the detected driver.

[0025] Partially or fully automatically controlling a motor vehicle may include: partially or fully automatically crossing road boundaries. It is possible to consider partially or fully automatically crossing road boundaries only when the assessment confirms that the driver is looking in the direction of the detected traffic congestion.

[0026] The computing device can be designed to perform the evaluation before and optionally during the partial or full automatic control of the motor vehicle.

[0027] The driver assistance device may include a third sensor device, particularly including at least one radar sensor and / or at least one ultrasonic sensor, pointed towards the side region of the vehicle for detecting at least one obstacle in the side region of the vehicle. The computing device may be designed to control the vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the detected obstacle.

[0028] A driver assistance device can be designed to detect the trajectory of at least one vehicle traveling ahead and to partially or fully automatically control the motor vehicle based on the detected trajectory. For this purpose, the driver assistance device may have an optional additional fourth sensor device. Alternatively or additionally, the first sensor device may be designed to detect the trajectory. The detected trajectory can also be used to determine the need to form a rescue lane.

[0029] The present invention also proposes a motor vehicle having the above-mentioned driving assistance device.

[0030] The above-described reference method also applies similarly to driver assistance devices and motor vehicles, and vice versa. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The following is for reference. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Describe the implementation method.

[0032] Figure 1 The illustration schematically depicts a driver assistance device for a motor vehicle.

[0033] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a method for supporting drivers of motor vehicles while creating a rescue lane is shown schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Figure 1 The driving assistance device 1 shown is designed to support the driver of a motor vehicle when forming a rescue lane, and its flowchart is as follows. Figure 2 As shown.

[0035] For this purpose, the driving assistance device 1 has a computing device 2 and multiple (three in this case) sensor devices 3, 4, and 5.

[0036] In the first step S1 of this method, traffic congestion for motor vehicles is detected by means of a first sensor device 3. For this purpose, the first sensor device 3 has a camera that records images of the area in front of the motor vehicle in the main direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

[0037] In the second step S2 of the method, the need to form a rescue lane is determined by means of a computing device 2 connected to the first sensor device 3 based on the traffic congestion detected by the first sensor device 3, i.e., based on the image data output by the first sensor device 3.

[0038] In the third step S3 of the method, the driver's viewing direction is detected by means of a second sensor device 4 connected to the computing device 2. The second sensor device 4 is a camera that records images of the driver inside the motor vehicle. This means that the viewing direction is determined based on the image data output by the second sensor device 4.

[0039] More specifically, the computing device is designed to perform an assessment of the observed direction of the detected driver in the third step S3, wherein it is confirmed whether the driver is observing in the direction of the detected traffic congestion.

[0040] In the third step S3, the third sensor device 5 is also used to determine whether there is at least one obstacle, such as another vehicle, in the side area of ​​the motor vehicle.

[0041] In addition, in the third step S3, the trajectory of at least one vehicle traveling ahead is detected by means of the first sensor device 3.

[0042] The computing device is designed to partially or fully automatically control the motor vehicle in the fourth step S4 of the method, based on the determined need to form a rescue passage and the driver's observation direction detected by the second sensor device.

[0043] Partially or fully automatically controlling motor vehicles includes: partially or fully automatically crossing road boundaries.

[0044] More specifically, in the fourth step S4, the motor vehicle is partially or fully automatically controlled based on the determined need to form a rescue passage and the assessment of the observed direction of the detected driver, wherein the vehicle crosses the road boundary partially or fully automatically only when the assessment confirms that the driver is observing in the direction of the detected traffic congestion.

[0045] Here, the computing device 2 is designed to evaluate the direction of observation before and optionally during the partial or full automatic control of the motor vehicle.

[0046] Furthermore, the computing device 2 is designed to partially or fully automatically control the motor vehicle based on the detected obstacles in the fourth step S4, in particular to prevent the motor vehicle from colliding with the obstacles.

[0047] Furthermore, the computing device 2 is designed to partially or fully automatically control the motor vehicle in the fourth step S4 based on the detected trajectory of the vehicle traveling ahead (so-called swarm intelligence). List of reference numerals

[0048] 1. Driving assistance devices

[0049] 2. Computing device or control device

[0050] 3 First sensor device

[0051] 4. Second sensor device

[0052] 5. Third sensor device

[0053] S1-S4 Method Steps

Claims

1. A method for supporting drivers of motor vehicles while creating a rescue lane, comprising: Detect traffic congestion for the aforementioned motor vehicle; Based on the detected traffic congestion, the need to form the rescue channel is determined; Detect the driver's direction of observation; Assess the observed direction of the detected driver, wherein it is confirmed whether the driver is looking in the direction of the detected traffic congestion; as well as Based on the determined need to form the rescue passage and an assessment of the detected direction of the driver's observation, the motor vehicle is partially or fully automatically controlled, wherein the vehicle crosses the road boundary only partially or fully automatically when the assessment confirms that the driver is observing in the direction of the detected traffic congestion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises: Detect at least one obstacle in the side region of the motor vehicle, and control the motor vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the detected obstacle.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method comprises: The system detects the trajectory of at least one vehicle traveling ahead and controls the vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the detected trajectory.

4. A driving assistance device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising: The first sensor device (3) is used to detect traffic congestion for the motor vehicle; A computing device (2) connected to the first sensor device (3) is used to determine the need to form a rescue lane based on traffic congestion detected by the first sensor device (3); and A second sensor device (4) connected to the computing device (2) is used to detect the driver's viewing direction; The computing device (2) is designed to: evaluate the detected direction of the driver's observation, wherein it confirms whether the driver is observing in the direction of the detected traffic congestion, and, based on the determined need to form the rescue passage and the evaluation of the direction of the driver's observation detected by the second sensor device (4), partially or fully automatically control the motor vehicle, wherein it partially or fully automatically crosses the road boundary only when the evaluation confirms that the driver is observing in the direction of the detected traffic congestion.

5. The driving assistance device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the driving assistance device (1) includes a third sensor device (5) for detecting at least one obstacle in the side region of the motor vehicle, and the computing device (2) is designed to partially or fully automatically control the motor vehicle based on the detected obstacle.

6. The driving assistance device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the driving assistance device (1) is designed to: detect the trajectory of at least one vehicle traveling ahead, and control the motor vehicle partially or fully automatically based on the detected trajectory.

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