Method for operating a driving assistance system of a vehicle providing a flocking driving mode for flocking a privator driving front

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a driving assistance system of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: checking whether a traffic participant running ahead is detected in the surroundings of the vehicle, providing a standard lateral guidance mode with automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle, the invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle, in which a road user running ahead is followed at least temporarily as soon as a predetermined functional condition is satisfied, and wherein the functional condition describes at least one driving behavior of the vehicle and / or the road user running ahead, and wherein a following driving mode is additionally provided if a road user running ahead is identified, in the following driving mode, a traffic participant following the front driving is guided in an automatic transverse manner independently of the fulfillment of the functional condition, and an output is sent in the following driving mode, which describes the traffic participant following the front driving independently of the fulfillment of the functional condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a driver assistance system of a vehicle. The invention also relates to a driver assistance system for a vehicle. Finally, the invention relates to a vehicle having such a driver assistance system. Background Art

[0002] Interest is currently focused in particular on driver assistance systems, which support the driver in the lateral guidance of the vehicle. Such driver assistance systems, which are also referred to as steering and lane guidance assistants or active lane keeping assistants, are used in particular to keep the vehicle in a lane or lane. Such driver assistance systems use data from one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle to identify the boundaries of lanes or lane markings. If these lane markings are detected with sufficient safety, the lane guidance assistant can be activated and a steering intervention can be performed in order to keep the vehicle in the lane or lane. For example, the steering intervention can be carried out so that the vehicle is kept in the center of the lane.

[0003] In the known prior art, lane keeping assistants from various manufacturers have, for example, partial functions, in which driving behind an object ahead or a traffic participant ahead is possible to a limited extent. For this purpose, at least visible lane markings are not required, but a number of other functional conditions are checked. On the one hand, these numerous restrictions ensure the safety of the driver assistance system, since the following driving mode ends if one of the functional conditions is violated. On the other hand, these restrictions lead to greatly reduced usability and frequent frustration of the customer, since the steering assistant often does not reliably follow a given traffic participant ahead.

[0004] In this context, EP 1 852 325 A1 describes a method for following a motor vehicle. Here, a motor vehicle is longitudinally and transversely controlled on a traffic path with multiple lanes so that, due to the longitudinal and transverse control, the motor vehicle follows the vehicle in front. For example, the trajectory of the vehicle in front can be followed as accurately as possible. If a lane change of the vehicle in front is detected, the following of the vehicle in front can be suspended or interrupted. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to specify a solution for how the functionality of a driver assistance system can be expanded to support the lateral guidance of a vehicle.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a method, a driver assistance system and a vehicle having the features according to the independent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0007] The method according to the invention is used for operating a driver assistance system of a vehicle. The method comprises checking whether a traffic participant traveling ahead in the environment of the vehicle is recognized. In addition, the method comprises providing a standard lateral guidance mode with automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle, wherein in the standard lateral guidance mode, the traffic participant traveling ahead is at least temporarily followed as long as a predetermined functional condition is met. In this case, the functional condition describes at least one driving behavior of the vehicle and / or the traffic participant traveling ahead. In this case, if the traffic participant traveling ahead is recognized, a following driving mode is additionally provided, wherein in the following driving mode, the traffic participant traveling ahead is followed with automatic lateral guidance regardless of whether the functional condition is met, and wherein in the following driving mode, an output is sent, which describes the traffic participant traveling ahead being followed regardless of whether the functional condition is met.

[0008] The driver assistance system may have at least one environment sensor, by means of which environment data can be provided. The environment data can describe the environment of the vehicle or the surroundings of the vehicle. The environment sensor can be, for example, a camera, by means of which image data can be provided as environment data. By means of the driver assistance system or a computing device of the driver assistance system, lane boundaries or road markings can be identified in the environment data, which delimit the lane in which the vehicle is currently located. It can also be provided that lane boundaries of other lanes or adjacent lanes are identified.

[0009] If these lane boundaries are detected with a predetermined probability or reliably within a predetermined time period, the standard lateral guidance mode of the driver assistance system can be activated. This means that a steering torque is provided or a steering intervention is performed with the help of the driver assistance system in order to keep the vehicle in the lane or roadway.

[0010] Furthermore, it is provided that the environment data is used to check whether at least one road user traveling ahead is present in the surroundings of the vehicle and in particular in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel. The road user traveling ahead can be another road user or another vehicle that is located in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel. It is not necessary for the road user traveling ahead to be a road user that is directly in front of the vehicle.

[0011] If such a road user ahead has been identified, then the road user ahead can also be followed in the standard transverse guidance mode. During following, for example, the relative position of the road user ahead to the vehicle can be continuously determined based on the surrounding data of the surrounding sensors, and the transverse guidance of the vehicle can be adapted so that the road user ahead is followed with regard to the transverse guidance. In particular, it is also provided that the longitudinal guidance of the vehicle is adapted to the road user ahead by means of a driver assistance system. This can be achieved, for example, by means of an adaptive speed control or by means of an adaptive cruise control.

[0012] In the standard transverse guidance mode, it is particularly provided that the traffic participant traveling ahead is followed only if predetermined functional conditions are met. These functional conditions or driving behaviors can describe the driving behavior of the vehicle and / or the traffic participant traveling ahead. For example, the functional conditions can describe the speed of the vehicle or the traffic participant traveling ahead, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle or the traffic participant traveling ahead, etc. The traffic participant traveling ahead can only be followed if these functional conditions are met. It is particularly provided that in the standard transverse guidance mode, the traffic participant traveling ahead can only be followed for a defined duration. Otherwise, the following travel or the automatic transverse guidance may be interrupted. In the standard transverse guidance mode, in this way, for example, a state in which no or insufficient road markings are recognized can be briefly bridged.

[0013] According to the invention, if a road user traveling ahead is detected, a following driving mode is additionally offered to the user or driver of the vehicle. In this mandatory following driving mode, the road user traveling ahead can be followed with automatic lateral guidance and in particular also with automatic longitudinal guidance, regardless of whether a functional condition is met. In particular, it is also provided that there is no preset time limit for the following driving mode. In particular, the road user traveling ahead can be followed if the road user traveling ahead is detected with a predetermined probability or reliability.

[0014] The principle of the present invention is based on the individual adjustment of existing driver assistance systems or steering assistants, by means of which the usability of object following driving can be maximized. For example, the following driving mode can be adjusted via a menu. It can also be provided that the following driving mode is suggested or offered to the driver in the form of a game or so-called gamification. It is also provided that in the following driving mode an output is sent to the driver or a user, which indicates to the driver or user that the traffic participant driving ahead is followed regardless of the fulfillment of the functional conditions. In this case, in particular, an output is also sent to the driver, which indicates to the driver that the driver should monitor the driving maneuvers performed by the vehicle. The driver is thus informed that risks may arise in the following driving mode and that the driver should monitor the environment or the road traffic.

[0015] When the following driving mode is activated, the driver assistance system or steering assistant now registers an object located in front of the host vehicle as a target object and then follows the object. In this case, the checking of all the conditions or functional conditions explained at the beginning can be deactivated, so that the lateral guidance is maintained in the following driving mode regardless of these conditions. Thus, "mandatory object following driving" is provided in the following driving mode. Overall, the function of the driver assistance system for automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle can be expanded in this way.

[0016] Preferably, the functional condition describes the speed of the vehicle, the speed of the traffic participant traveling ahead, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, the lateral acceleration of the traffic participant traveling ahead, the orientation of the vehicle, the orientation of the traffic participant traveling ahead and / or the distance between the vehicle and the traffic participant traveling ahead. For example, in the standard lateral guidance mode, following travel can only be maintained until a certain speed of the host vehicle or the traffic participant traveling ahead is reached. Furthermore, in the standard lateral guidance mode, following travel can only be maintained until a certain lateral acceleration of the host vehicle or the traffic participant traveling ahead is reached. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that in the standard lateral guidance mode, following travel is determined as a function of the orientation, relative position and / or distance between the host vehicle and the traffic participant traveling ahead. In principle, it can be provided in the following travel mode that the above-mentioned functional conditions are not taken into account or are not used as interruption criteria.

[0017] It is also advantageous that in the following driving mode the traffic participant ahead is followed even if the traffic participant ahead performs a lane change maneuver and / or the traffic participant ahead performs a turning maneuver. It is therefore provided in particular that the following driving mode is maintained even if the traffic participant ahead performs a lane change maneuver. The same applies to a turning maneuver in which the vehicle ahead performs a turning maneuver. In this case, the traffic participant ahead can also be followed. The safety of the driver assistance system or the steering assistant remains ensured during the following driving mode in that the driver is always reminded by a corresponding output or display that the mode is active and that the target object or the traffic participant ahead is reliably followed.

[0018] In particular, it is provided that an output is sent before following a traffic participant driving ahead who performs a lane change or a turning maneuver. If, for example, it is detected by means of environmental data of an environmental sensor that a traffic participant driving ahead performs a lane change maneuver, an output can be sent to the driver before performing the lane change maneuver or before following the traffic participant driving ahead. This applies in the same way to a turning maneuver of a traffic participant driving ahead. The driver can be informed, for example, visually and / or acoustically that a traffic participant driving ahead is being followed during a lane change or a turning maneuver. For example, corresponding arrows or other symbols can be shown, which illustrate the future trajectory of the vehicle when following the lane change or the turning maneuver. This can be achieved, for example, in the illustrated environmental image by means of augmented reality. In addition, a text can be shown and / or output acoustically, which indicates a future turning process or lane change. Thus, it can be explained to the driver again that, during a turning process or a lane change, the traffic participant driving ahead is also being followed in the following driving mode. It can also be provided that, if a traffic participant driving ahead is being followed during a lane change or a turning maneuver, the corresponding driving direction indicator is automatically activated. In this way, the traffic behind you can be informed of the intentions of your own vehicle.

[0019] It is also advantageous to provide a display that describes the vehicle environment, wherein the traffic participant traveling ahead being followed is highlighted in the display. As explained above, an output can be sent to the driver in the follow-up driving mode. For example, the output can be provided in the form of a display. In the display, the environment of the vehicle and other traffic participants located in the environment can be shown to the driver. For example, symbols representing other or traffic participants traveling ahead can be shown. When the follow-up driving mode is activated, the traffic participant traveling ahead currently being followed can be highlighted. This is particularly suitable when there are multiple traffic participants traveling ahead in the vehicle environment. Therefore, the driver can be informed which of these traffic participants is currently being followed in the follow-up driving mode. The traffic participant traveling ahead or its representative can be highlighted visually by coloring, marking, framing, etc.

[0020] In another embodiment, if multiple traffic participants traveling ahead are identified, these traffic participants traveling ahead are shown to the driver and provided for selection in the following driving mode for following. As explained above, the identified traffic participants traveling ahead can be shown. In order to activate or after activating the following driving mode, the driver can select the traffic participant traveling ahead from the traffic participants traveling ahead who is actually followed in the following driving mode. It can also be provided that during the following driving mode, the traffic participant traveling ahead who is followed is changed by corresponding operating input of the user or driver. In other words, other traffic participants traveling ahead who are followed in the following driving mode can be selected. This enables the driver or user to operate the following driving mode simply and comfortably.

[0021] Furthermore, it is advantageous to activate or keep activated an emergency braking function and / or a side collision warning in the following driving mode. During the following driving mode, the safety of the driver assistance system or the steering assistant is ensured in that, for example, an emergency braking function and / or a driver assistance function for avoiding a side collision is activated or kept activated. Thus, a collision between the vehicle and another road user can be prevented during the following driving mode.

[0022] Furthermore, the driver can preferably deactivate the follow-up driving mode at any time by a predetermined operating action. This operating action can be, for example, an intervention in the steering wheel. The follow-up driving mode can be deactivated if, for example, a predetermined steering wheel angle and / or a predetermined steering wheel torque is exceeded. Furthermore, the follow-up driving mode can be deactivated if the driver actuates the brake pedal. Furthermore, it can be provided that the follow-up driving mode ends when the driver actuates a corresponding operating element to deactivate the follow-up driving mode.

[0023] It is also advantageous if the interruption of the following driving mode is prohibited when the driver activates the turn signal indicator. In other words, the following driving mode cannot be terminated when the driver actuates the turn signal lever. This applies in particular when the driver actuates the turn signal lever while the road user ahead is changing lanes and / or turning. In this case, the driver can interpret the actuation of the turn signal lever or the activation of the turn signal indicator as confirmation of following the road user ahead.

[0024] The driving assistance system for a vehicle according to the invention is designed to check whether a traffic participant traveling ahead is recognized in the environment of the vehicle. In addition, the driving assistance system is designed to provide a standard lateral guidance mode with automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle at least temporarily follows the traffic participant traveling ahead in the standard lateral guidance mode as long as a predetermined functional condition is met. In this case, the functional condition describes at least one driving behavior of the vehicle and / or the traffic participant traveling ahead. The driving assistance system is also designed to additionally provide a following driving mode if a traffic participant traveling ahead is recognized, wherein in the following driving mode the vehicle follows the traffic participant traveling ahead with automatic lateral guidance regardless of whether the functional condition is met. In addition, the driving assistance system is designed to send an output in the following driving mode, which describes the traffic participant traveling ahead being followed regardless of whether the functional condition is met.

[0025] The driver assistance system may have at least one environmental sensor, by means of which environmental data may be provided. By means of a computing device of the driver assistance system, at least one traffic participant traveling ahead may be identified in the environmental data. Furthermore, the driver assistance system may have an output device in order to send an output to the driver. The output may in principle be output visually, acoustically and / or tactilely. The output device may preferably include at least one display, a monitor, a head-up display or the like. Furthermore, the driver assistance system may take over the lateral guidance of the vehicle and preferably also the longitudinal guidance in order to follow the traffic participant traveling ahead.

[0026] A vehicle according to the invention comprises a driver assistance system according to the invention. The vehicle is designed in particular as a passenger car.

[0027] The preferred embodiments mentioned with regard to the method according to the invention and their advantages apply correspondingly to the driver assistance system according to the invention and the vehicle according to the invention.

[0028] Further features of the invention are obtained from the claims, the drawings and the description of the drawings. Without departing from the scope of the invention, the features and feature combinations mentioned previously in the description and the features and feature combinations mentioned later in the description of the drawings and / or shown only in the drawings can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or alone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a vehicle having a driver assistance system is shown; and

[0031] Figure 2The following is shown in an exemplary traffic situation: Figure 1 A vehicle in which the vehicle follows the traffic participant ahead. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Figure 1 A vehicle 1, which is in the present case designed as a passenger car, is shown in a top view. The vehicle 1 comprises a driver assistance system 2, by means of which the driver of the vehicle 1 can be supported in the lateral guidance of the vehicle 1. The driver assistance system 2 comprises a computing device 3, which can be formed, for example, by at least one electronic control unit of the vehicle 1.

[0033] Furthermore, the driver assistance system 2 includes at least one environment sensor 4 . In the example shown, the driver assistance system 2 includes an environment sensor 4 , which is in the present case designed as a camera. The environment sensor 4 can provide environment data or image data describing an environment 5 of the vehicle 1 .

[0034] The computing device 3 is also designed to control a steering system 8, which is only shown schematically here, of the vehicle 1. By controlling the steering system 8, a steering torque or a steering intervention can be generated. By controlling the steering system, steerable wheels 9 of the vehicle 1 can be steered and thus influence the lateral guidance of the vehicle 1. In addition, the driver assistance system 2 can take over the longitudinal guidance of the vehicle 1.

[0035] The driver assistance system 2 further comprises an output device 7, by means of which outputs are sent to the driver or user of the vehicle 1. The output device 7 may comprise at least one display device or display, with which an optical display may be provided as output. Furthermore, an acoustic and / or tactile output may be provided by means of the output device 7.

[0036] Figure 2 The schematically shown traffic situation is shown according to Figure 1 Vehicle 1. Currently, vehicle 1 is located on a road 10, which has a first lane 11 and a second lane 12. In the forward direction in front of vehicle 1, there is a traffic participant 13 traveling ahead. Traffic participant 13 traveling ahead is another passenger car.

[0037] Based on the environmental data provided by the environmental sensor 4 or the camera, lane boundaries 14 that delimit the first lane 11 can be identified. Lane boundaries 14 are currently road markings. When these lane boundaries 14 are identified, the standard lateral guidance mode of the driver assistance system 2 can be activated. In this standard lateral guidance mode, the steering system 8 can be controlled by the control unit 3 so that the vehicle 1 remains in the center of the first lane 11.

[0038] In the area 15 of the road 10, the road marking between the first lane 11 and the second lane 12 is not present or cannot be identified based on the surrounding data. In this case, in the standard lateral guidance mode, the road user 13 traveling ahead can be followed briefly and the automatic lateral guidance can therefore be maintained in order to keep the vehicle 1 in the lane 11. In the standard lateral guidance mode, the road user 13 traveling ahead can be followed if predetermined functional conditions are met. For example, these functional conditions can describe the speed of the vehicle 1, the speed of the road user 13 traveling ahead, the lateral acceleration of the vehicle 1, the lateral acceleration of the road user 13 traveling ahead and / or the relative position or orientation between the vehicle 1 and the further road user 13.

[0039] Furthermore, it is provided that, if the road user 13 traveling ahead is reliably identified, a following driving mode is offered to the driver. In this following driving mode, the automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle 1 can be performed by means of the driver assistance system 2 so that the road user 13 traveling ahead is followed independently of the fulfillment of the functional conditions. In the following driving mode, an output can additionally be sent to the driver by means of the output device 7, which indicates to the driver that the road user 13 traveling ahead is followed and that the functional conditions are not taken into account during the following driving mode.

[0040] In accordance with Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , it is assumed that the driver of vehicle 1 is on his daily journey from his apartment to the office. After turning onto road 10 , the driver can activate the standard lateral guidance mode of the driver assistance system or driver assistance system 2 . Object following can then be achieved in a limited form with the aid of driver assistance system 2 , without the driver having to provide any support in this regard.

[0041] However, if the driver is aware of the situation of his working path or road 10, he knows, for example, that there are many sections on the road 10 or working path where the steering assistant or driver assistance system 2 cannot automatically take over the vehicle guidance. This can occur, for example, in areas 15 where there are no road markings or lane boundaries 14.

[0042] In the present example, the driver can activate the following driving mode and follow the road user 13 traveling ahead. Then, a warning message can be sent to the driver by means of the output device 7, that the driver should monitor the driving path of his vehicle 1 and that his vehicle 1 will therefore follow the road user 13 traveling ahead. The driver can then rely on the fact that the driver assistance system 2 of his vehicle 1 will follow the road user 13 traveling ahead, which, for example, travels the largest part of its operating route in the same way. As soon as the driver should take a different path from the road user 13 traveling ahead, the driver can end the following driving mode by pressing a button or by steering wheel manipulation.

[0043] In this case, the following driving mode can also be maintained if the road user 13 driving ahead performs a lane change maneuver. This is shown in the present case by the trajectory 16 performed by the road user driving ahead. In this case, a lane change maneuver is also performed with the aid of the vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 moves along the trajectory 17. The following driving mode can also be maintained if the road user 13 driving ahead performs a turning maneuver. In the following driving mode, the emergency brake assistant and / or the assistant for avoiding side collisions can in particular remain active in order to ensure safety.

Claims

1. A method for operating a driver assistance system (2) of a vehicle (1), the method comprising the following steps: - checking whether a road user (13) travelling ahead is detected in the surroundings (5) of the vehicle (1), - providing a standard lateral guidance mode with automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle (1), -in, In the standard lateral guidance mode, the preceding road user (13) is at least temporarily followed as long as a predetermined functional condition is met, and - wherein the functional condition describes at least one driving behavior of the vehicle (1) and / or the preceding road user (13), It is characterized in that - if the road user (13) driving ahead is detected, then a following driving mode is additionally provided, - wherein in the following driving mode, the road user (13) traveling ahead is followed with automatic lateral guidance regardless of whether the functional condition is met, and - wherein in the following driving mode, an output is emitted which describes following the preceding road user (13) independently of fulfilling the functional condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional condition describes the speed of the vehicle (1), the speed of the preceding road user (13), the lateral acceleration of the vehicle (1), the lateral acceleration of the preceding road user (13), the orientation of the vehicle (1), the orientation of the preceding road user (13) and / or the relative position between the vehicle (1) and the preceding road user (13).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In the following driving mode, the preceding traffic participant (13) is followed even when the preceding traffic participant (13) performs a lane change maneuver and / or the preceding traffic participant performs a turning maneuver.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that An output is sent before following the preceding road user (13) who is performing a lane change maneuver or a turning maneuver.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A display depicting the surroundings (5) of the vehicle (1) is provided, wherein the preceding road user (13) being followed is highlighted in the display.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that If a plurality of road users (13) travelling ahead are detected, the plurality of road users (13) travelling ahead are displayed to the driver and are provided for selection in the following driving mode for following.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In the following driving mode, the emergency braking function and / or the side collision warning is activated or remains activated.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that When the driver activates a direction indicator, an interruption of the follow-up driving mode is prevented.

9. A driving assistance system (2) for a vehicle (1), wherein: The driving assistance system (2) is designed to: - checking whether a road user (13) travelling ahead is detected in the surroundings (5) of the vehicle (1), - providing a standard lateral guidance mode with automatic lateral guidance of the vehicle (1), wherein the vehicle (1) at least temporarily follows the road user (13) travelling ahead in the standard lateral guidance mode as long as a predetermined functional condition is met, and The functional condition describes at least one driving behavior of the vehicle (1) and / or the preceding traffic participant (13), Characterized in that the driving assistance system (2) is also designed to: - additionally providing a following driving mode when the preceding road user (13) is detected, - wherein the vehicle (1) in the following driving mode follows the road user (13) travelling ahead with automatic lateral guidance independently of whether the functional condition is met, and In the following driving mode, an output is emitted which describes the following of the road user ahead independently of the fulfillment of the functional condition.

10. A vehicle (1), in particular a passenger car, comprising a driver assistance system (2) according to claim 9.

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