Method and system for monitoring the manual intervention capacity of a driver

Abstract

A system (1) for a vehicle includes: a common steering recognition module (11) for providing a first signal (S1) indicating whether the driver of the vehicle is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of an automated driving function; a hand grip recognition module (12) for providing a second signal (S2) indicating whether the driver's hands are at the steering wheel, wherein the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2) are based on the detection of different measurement variables; and a processing device (10) designed to evaluate the first signal (S1) for whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of an automated driving function, wherein if the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel, greater sensitivity is provided for confirming the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction based on the first signal (S1) compared to the case where the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a computer-implemented method and a system for monitoring the driver's ability to manually intervene in the lateral guidance of a vehicle during the operation of an automated driving function. Furthermore, this invention relates to a processing apparatus and computer program for performing this method, and a computer-readable storage medium having such a computer program. Background Technology

[0002] Automated driving functions are becoming increasingly important. An exemplary automated driving function is lane keeping assist. Using cameras, lane keeping assist checks lane boundaries (particularly lane markings and lateral lane edges or curb edges) and compares these boundaries to the vehicle's position within the lane. If there is a risk of the vehicle unintentionally leaving the lane, lane keeping assist warns the driver via optical, acoustic, and / or tactile signals. Furthermore, active lane keeping assist (sometimes also called lane keeping support; hereinafter referred to as LKA, for Lane Keeping Assist) is designed to steer the vehicle away from the lane boundary and towards the center of the lane when the vehicle is below a minimum distance from the lane boundary.

[0003] In automated driving functions capable of actively intervening in the lateral guidance of the vehicle, specific measures can be provided to prevent the driver from intentionally relinquishing control of the vehicle, thereby shirking their primary responsibility for guiding the vehicle, a responsibility that continues throughout the operation of the automated driving function. For this purpose, for example, UNECE Regulation 79 requires that if the driver fails to steer in the correct direction or in the opposite direction within a certain reaction time when active lane keeping assist intervenes, an audible warning cascade is triggered. This aims to prevent active lane keeping assist from being abused as a hands-free system.

[0004] The identification of whether the driver is steering in the same direction or in the opposite direction when the LKA intervenes in steering can be performed in a manner known to itself via appropriate sensors in the steering system (e.g., hand torque sensor, steering angle sensor, etc.). In the following text, this identification will also be referred to simply as common steering identification; that is, in this document, the term common steering identification refers to identification of either steering in the same direction or in the opposite direction.

[0005] Here, it may be necessary to set the relevant thresholds for identifying forward or reverse steering (e.g., for detected hand torque signals) relatively high so that common steering recognition is not erroneously triggered by external influences (e.g., bumps, roadbed unevenness, or gusts of wind). If common steering recognition is set more sensitively, there is a risk that hypothetical forward or reverse steering may also be identified due to the aforementioned types of external influences, thus failing to ensure compliance with relevant requirements (e.g., according to UNECE R79 mentioned above).

[0006] Because of the relatively high threshold set to identify co-steering or counter-steering, in practice, this can lead to audible warnings to the driver, as they are assumed not to be co-steering or counter-steering, even though the driver actually has their hands on the steering wheel and is co-leading. This false warning can be triggered because the driver is not applying enough hand torque to reach the relatively high threshold for co-steering recognition. The resulting false audible warnings can be disruptive to the driver, leading to annoyance and complaints. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on the above, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and a corresponding system for monitoring the driver's ability to manually intervene in the lateral guidance of the vehicle during the operation of automated driving functions.

[0008] According to the invention, this objective is achieved through the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are given in the dependent claims.

[0009] The first aspect of the invention relates to a computer-implemented method for monitoring a driver's ability to manually intervene in the lateral guidance of a vehicle during the operation of an automated driving function.

[0010] Automated driving functions can specifically be lateral guidance-oriented automated driving functions, such as Active Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) or Steering and Lane Guidance Assist (LSA), which take over lateral guidance for extended periods. In other words, automated driving functions can include lane keeping assist, either as a standalone function or as part of a more comprehensive automated driving function (such as LSA).

[0011] One step of the method is to provide a first signal indicating whether the driver is steering in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the automated driving function intervenes in steering.

[0012] Within the scope of this application, providing a signal can be understood, for example, as: a (data) processing device performing a computer-implemented method receiving a relevant signal from another unit (e.g., from a hand torque sensor or steering angle sensor in the case of the first signal), and / or otherwise providing the signal for further data processing by means of the processing device.

[0013] Within the scope of this application, the description of a signal indicating a specific situation (e.g., a driver's forward and / or reverse steering) should be understood as follows: the relevant signal is meaningful, at least to some extent or with a certain degree of accuracy or probability, regarding the existence of the corresponding situation. In other words, it is therefore not necessary for the relevant signal to definitively provide information about the existence or non-existence of the relevant situation.

[0014] The first signal indicates whether the driver steers in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the steering function intervenes. Specifically, it can also mean whether the driver steers in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction shortly after the steering intervention begins (e.g., within a predefined reaction time from the start of the steering intervention). For example, the first signal can indicate the degree of forward and / or reverse steering (which can also be zero) of the driver's response to the steering intervention of the automated driving function (e.g., within a specific reaction time from the start of the steering intervention).

[0015] Another step in the method is to provide a second signal indicating whether the driver's hands (or both hands) are on the steering wheel, especially at or close to the time of steering intervention.

[0016] Here, the first signal and the second signal are based on the detection of different measured variables. In other words, the first signal is based on a first measured variable, and the second signal is based on a second measured variable, which is different from the first measured variable. In particular, it is therefore possible to use different physical principles to perform co-orientation recognition on the one hand (expressed in the first signal) and hand grip recognition on the other hand (expressed in the second signal).

[0017] As already mentioned, common steering recognition can be based, for example, on detected hand torque (steering torque) and / or on detected steering angle and / or on detected steering angle changes. Accordingly, the first signal can be based on the detection of hand torque and / or steering angle and / or steering angular velocity as possible physical measurement variables.

[0018] In contrast, the second signal can be based on hand grip recognition, which is performed by means of capacitive recognition of the hand at the steering wheel and / or by means of (particularly optical) image detection. Capacitive recognition of the hand (or both hands) at the steering wheel can be performed, for example, by means of a capacitive pad disposed in the steering wheel rim. Optical image detection of the driver's hand (or both hands) at the steering wheel can be performed, for example, by means of an interior space camera.

[0019] Here, the aforementioned possibilities for implementing hand grip recognition are respectively associated with the detection of corresponding physical measurement variables, such as electrical variables (from which capacitance changes in the steering wheel rim area are derived), or measurement variables that accompany optical image detection (e.g., via a CCD camera) in a manner known per se. According to the method, the measurement variables used in hand grip recognition differ from those used for common steering recognition (e.g., hand torque, steering angle, steering angle change, steering angular velocity).

[0020] Another method step is to evaluate a first signal for whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the steering function of the automated driving function is intervened. If a second signal indicates that the driver's hands (or both hands) are on the steering wheel (or were on the steering wheel) at the time of the steering intervention or in time approaching the steering intervention, then greater sensitivity is provided for confirming forward and / or reverse steering based on the first signal compared to the case where the second signal does not indicate that the driver's hands (or both hands) are on the steering wheel (or were on the steering wheel) at the time of the steering intervention or in time approaching the steering intervention.

[0021] Here, the second signal not indicating that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel can also specifically include situations where the signal even definitively indicates that the driver's hands are not at the steering wheel.

[0022] The greater sensitivity mentioned should be understood as: given a first signal, it tends to be easier to confirm that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.

[0023] If the evaluation is based on a threshold comparison of the first signal, this can be achieved, for example, by a correspondingly adapted threshold. For instance, evaluating the first signal in relation to whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction could include comparing the first signal to a threshold, wherein the first threshold is used if the second signal indicates that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel, and a second threshold, different from the first threshold, is used if the second signal does not indicate that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel. The first and second thresholds can be set relative to each other such that greater sensitivity is achieved when hands are identified at the steering wheel, compared to the case where hands are not identified at the steering wheel (or even if it is definitively identified that no hands are at the steering wheel), when hands are identified at the steering wheel. For example, if there is a provision that confirms the driver is steer in the forward direction or in the reverse direction when the first signal exceeds the first or second threshold, then the first threshold can be selected to be less than the second threshold.

[0024] Therefore, this invention is based on the principle of switching the sensitivity of co-steering recognition based on whether the driver's hands are on the steering wheel. When hands are off the wheel, this allows for robust identification of any missing forward or reverse steering during intervention of the automated driving function; that is, by using, for example, a relatively high second threshold that does not respond to distortion effects such as road surface unevenness, gusts of wind, or other vibrations caused by vibrations in the vehicle (lower sensitivity of co-steering recognition). However, if the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, the more sensitive setting of co-steering recognition prevents or reduces the frequency of undetected, unwanted forward or reverse steering errors. This is particularly advantageous for drivers, who are often disturbed by false triggering of acoustic warnings, especially when their hands are on the steering wheel. Simultaneously, from a safety perspective, it is tolerable, from the perspective of safety, for the occasional misidentification of the effects of bumps or gusts as forward or reverse steering. Therefore, in this case, by increasing the sensitivity of co-steering recognition, the quality of the automated driving function and driver comfort can be prioritized to avoid unnecessary warning messages. In contrast, when hand grip is not detected, the accuracy of co-rotation recognition is prioritized, and occasional false warnings due to the lower sensitivity of co-rotation recognition are tolerated.

[0025] Since the first and second signals are based on the detection of different measured variables according to the method, the independence of the corresponding measurements that form the basis for hand grip recognition or common steering recognition can be advantageously ensured. This, in general, improves the reliability of monitoring the driver's ability to manually intervene during the operation of automated driving functions.

[0026] According to an improved form, the method further includes, in response to an assessment of a first signal determining that the driver is not steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction, generating a warning (e.g., a warning cascade) directed at the driver and / or a control signal for disabling or downgrading the automated driving function. Here, downgrading the automated driving function should be understood as reducing the functional scope and / or permissible operating range of the automated driving function, rather than completely shutting it down.

[0027] The second aspect of the invention relates to a (data) processing apparatus having at least one processor and being designed (in particular programmed) to perform the method according to the first aspect of the invention by means of the at least one processor.

[0028] The processing device can be, for example, a control device of a vehicle or part of a control device, such as a control device for automated driving functions. According to some embodiments, the processing device can also be a spatially distributed processing device (e.g., on multiple processors or microcontrollers spaced apart from each other).

[0029] The third aspect of the invention is a system for vehicles.

[0030] The system includes a common steering recognition module for providing a first signal indicating whether the vehicle's driver is steering in the same direction and / or in the opposite direction when the automated driving function intervenes in steering.

[0031] The common steering recognition module may include, for example, a hand torque sensor and a steering angle sensor disposed at the steering wheel. Accordingly, the common steering recognition module may be designed to generate a first signal in the form of a hand torque signal, a steering angle signal, a steering angle change signal, etc.

[0032] The system also includes a hand grip recognition module for providing a second signal indicating whether the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.

[0033] Here, the first and second signals are based on the detection of different measurement variables. For example, the second signal can be based on capacitive recognition of an opponent at the steering wheel and / or on image detection (e.g., using an in-vehicle camera).

[0034] The system also includes a processing unit designed to evaluate a first signal in response to whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of an automated driving function. Specifically, if a second signal indicates that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, greater sensitivity is provided for confirming forward and / or reverse steering based on the first signal compared to a situation where the second signal does not indicate that at least one of the driver's hands is on the steering wheel.

[0035] The system's processing apparatus can be a processing apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention.

[0036] Overall, the system can be designed to perform the method according to the first aspect of the invention. Here, providing a first signal or a second signal according to the method can, for example, include the processing device receiving a corresponding signal from the common steering recognition module or from the hand grip recognition module.

[0037] Generally, the above and following explanations of the methods and possible design schemes according to the invention can be similarly understood to apply to the systems according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0038] For example, in response to an assessment of a first signal that the driver has not performed forward steering and / or reverse steering (e.g., within a predefined reaction time after the steering intervention has begun), the processing device can generate a control signal for triggering a warning or warning cascade and / or for disabling or downgrading the automated driving function, and output the control signal to a control module for controlling the automated driving function and / or the associated warning function for further processing.

[0039] The fourth aspect of the invention is a vehicle equipped with the system according to the third aspect of the invention. This vehicle can in particular be a motor vehicle. Here, the term "motor vehicle" should be specifically understood as a land vehicle that moves by mechanical power and is not tied to rails. A motor vehicle in this sense can, for example, be constructed as a passenger car, a motorcycle, or a tractor-trailer.

[0040] The fifth aspect of the invention is a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device (e.g., a processing device according to the second aspect of the invention), cause the processing device to perform the method according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0041] The sixth aspect of the invention is a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform the method according to the first aspect of the invention. In other words, a computer program according to the fifth aspect of the invention can therefore be stored on the computer-readable storage medium. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Figure 1 A system for a vehicle is illustrated schematically and exemplary.

[0044] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating, and exemplarily demonstrating, the steps of a method having the ability to manually intervene in monitoring the driver is shown.

[0045] Figure 3The timing of the first and second signals schematically and exemplary illustrates the co-steering recognition during intervention of the automated driving function, with the first signal providing information about the driver’s forward and / or reverse steering, and the second signal indicating the result of hand grip recognition. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Figure 1 The system 1 shown includes a common steering recognition module 11 for generating a first signal S1, which indicates whether the driver of the vehicle is steering in the same direction and / or in the opposite direction when the automated driving function intervenes in steering. For example, the common steering recognition module 11 may include a hand torque sensor and / or a steering angle sensor arranged at the steering wheel, which generate corresponding sensor signals as the first signal S1.

[0047] System 1 also includes a hand grip recognition module 12 for generating a second signal S2 indicating whether the driver's hands (or both hands) are on the steering wheel. Here, the second signal S2 is generated based on a different physical principle than the first signal S1. Therefore, the second signal S2 can be, for example, an electrical signal generated by means of a capacitive pad arranged in the steering wheel rim. Alternatively or additionally, the second signal S2 can be based, for example, on optical recognition of the hand (or both hands) on the steering wheel by means of a camera.

[0048] The common steering recognition module 11 and the hand grip recognition module 12 are respectively connected to the processing device 10 of the system 1 in terms of signal technology, and are designed to output the first signal S1 or the second signal S2 to the processing device 10.

[0049] Processing device 10 is designed (programmed) to perform in Figure 2 The method steps 21 to 23 are illustrated in the form of a flowchart.

[0050] In step 21, the processing device receives a first signal S1 from the common steering identification module 11 and thereby provides the first signal for further processing of the data.

[0051] In step 22, the processing device 10 receives the second signal S2 from the hand grip recognition module 12, and thereby also provides the second signal S2 for further data processing.

[0052] Steps 21 and 22 need not be performed in the order mentioned above. Instead, steps 21 and 22 can be performed simultaneously, or they can be performed close to each other in time but in reverse order (i.e., step 22 first, then step 21).

[0053] In step 23, the processing device 10 evaluates the first signal S1 for whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of the automated driving function. Here, if the second signal S2 indicates that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, it provides greater sensitivity for confirming forward and / or reverse steering based on the first signal S1 compared to the case where the second signal S2 does not indicate that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.

[0054] In other words, the sensitivity of common steering recognition should be set according to hand grip recognition in the following way: if the driver's hands are not at the steering wheel, the sensitivity of common steering recognition based on the first signal S2 is designed to be relatively robust so as not to mistakenly identify the assumed common steering through bumps, gusts of wind, vehicle vibrations or similar conditions.

[0055] Conversely, if the second signal S2 indicates that the driver's one or both hands are on the steering wheel based on hand grip identification, the sensitivity of common steering recognition should be increased. This allows even very slight forward or reverse steering to be detected during active steering interventions in automated driving functions such as LKA. Therefore, the result is fewer false alarms due to the absence of assumed forward or reverse steering when driving with hands on the wheel. Here, sometimes external influences (such as road surface unevenness) are also mistakenly interpreted as forward or reverse steering, which is more tolerable from a safety perspective when driving with hands on the wheel because the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, allowing for quick lateral guidance intervention if needed.

[0056] In the following text, it will be based on Figure 3 The diagram shown exemplarily illustrates the switching between different sensitivities in co-directional recognition depending on the hand grip recognition results, according to the method.

[0057] The top chart shows the time series of automatic steering intervention by Active Lane Keeping Assist (LKA). Here, the activation state of LKA is plotted above the horizontal time axis. The "on" state means that LKA actively intervenes to guide the vehicle laterally at relevant points in time, such as turning the vehicle to the left toward the center of the lane when the vehicle is too close to the right lane boundary.

[0058] In the middle chart, the first signal S1 (solid line) serving as the basis for common steering recognition is plotted on the horizontal time axis in the form of hand torque (steering torque) detected by the sensor. Furthermore, thresholds T1 and T2 are plotted in corresponding dashed lines; if these thresholds are exceeded, forward steering (or reverse steering) is confirmed within the framework of evaluation step 23 of method 2.

[0059] In the chart below, the (binary) results of hand grip recognition are plotted above the timeline. Here, the recognized "hand grip" state is indicated by a specific value of the second signal S2 (see dashed line), while the recognized "hand off" state is indicated by a lower value of the second signal S2.

[0060] During the time period considered in this paper, the driver initially keeps both hands on the steering wheel, which is correctly identified by the hand grip recognition. Accordingly, the second signal S2 indicates the "hand grip" state during the first portion of the time period, extending to the vertical dashed line drawn for clarity. Subsequently, the driver removes both hands from the steering wheel, and signal S2 logically indicates the "hands off" state in the second portion of the time period (to the right of the vertical dashed line) as a result of the hand grip recognition.

[0061] What becomes clear from the overview of the charts below and at the top is that LKA steering interventions occurred repeatedly during two separate time periods, namely to the left of the vertical dashed line (“hand-holding” state) and to the right of the vertical dashed line (“hand-free” state).

[0062] Immediately after the first LKA steering intervention begins, the first signal S1 indicates that the driver is perceptibly steering in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction. Here, the first signal S1, reflecting the detected hand torque, exceeds the first threshold T1 set for the "hands-on" state for co-steering identification. Therefore, the driver's co-steering is identified in evaluation step 23 of method 2. Here, in the illustrated embodiment, the identified co-steering state lasts for a slightly longer time than the active LKA steering intervention. Similarly, shortly after the second LKA steering intervention begins, the first signal S1 again exceeds the first threshold T1, resulting in co-steering being confirmed again during a specific time interval.

[0063] In the second time period to the right of the vertical dashed line, further LKA steering intervention occurs. Here, no forward or reverse steering by the driver occurs, and the driver does not indeed keep both hands on the steering wheel during this phase (the identified "hands-off" state). Nevertheless, the first signal S1 is not a flat zero line, but rather exhibits a large amplitude over a time interval, in addition to a specific background noise with a small amplitude, caused, for example, by an uneven roadbed. If the first threshold T1 is continued as a basis during this phase, the effect of the uneven roadbed will be incorrectly identified as forward or reverse steering by the driver, because the first signal S1 will at least temporarily exceed the first threshold T1. However, according to the method, during the identified "hands-off" state, a lower sensitivity is set for confirming forward and / or reverse steering than during the identified "hands-on" state. This is achieved by a threshold T2 that is increased compared to the first threshold T1. As can be seen from the middle graph: the amplitude of the first signal S1 caused by the uneven roadbed is therefore insufficient to reach or exceed the higher second threshold T2. Therefore, it is possible to correctly identify the absence of the driver's desired or anticipated forward or reverse steering, and subsequently trigger appropriate follow-up actions.

[0064] For example, in response to the assessment 23 of the first signal determining that the driver did not (e.g., within a predefined reaction time after the LKA steering intervention begins) steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction, the processing device 10 can generate a control signal A for triggering a warning or warning cascade and / or for disabling or downgrading the LKA. The processing device 10 can, for example, output the control signal A to a control module 13 for controlling the automated driving function (here, LKA) and / or its associated warning functions for further processing. Claims (as amended under Article 19 of the Treaty) 1. A computer-implemented method (2) for monitoring a driver's ability to manually intervene in the lateral guidance of a vehicle during the operation of an automated driving function, wherein the method (2) comprises: Provide (21) a first signal (S1) indicating whether the driver steers in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the automated driving function intervenes in steering; Provide (22) a second signal (S2) indicating whether the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, wherein the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2) are based on the detection of different measured variables; and The first signal (S1) is evaluated (23) for whether the driver steers in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of the automated driving function. If the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, then greater sensitivity is provided for confirming forward direction and / or in the reverse direction based on the first signal (S1) compared to the case where the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel. 2. The method (2) of claim 1, wherein evaluating (23) the first signal (S1) in relation to whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction comprises comparing the first signal (S1) with thresholds (T1, T2), wherein the first threshold (T1) is used when the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hand is at the steering wheel, and a second threshold (T2) different from the first threshold (T1) is used when the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hand is at the steering wheel. 3. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first signal (S1) is based on the detection of hand torque and / or steering angle and / or steering angular velocity. 4. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second signal (S2) is based on capacitive recognition of the opponent at the steering wheel and / or on image detection. 5. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the automated driving function includes lane keeping assist. 6. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: in response to an evaluation (23) of the first signal that the driver is not steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction, generating (24) a control signal (A) for triggering a warning and / or for disabling or degrading the automated driving function. 7. A processing apparatus (10) having at least one processor and designed to perform the method (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by means of the at least one processor. 8. A system (1) for a vehicle, comprising: A common steering recognition module (11) is used to provide a first signal (S1) indicating whether the driver of the vehicle is steering in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the steering function of the automated driving function intervenes; A hand grip recognition module (12) is used to provide a second signal (S2) indicating whether the driver's hands are at the steering wheel, wherein the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2) are based on the detection of different measurement variables; and The processing device (10) is designed to evaluate the first signal (S1) in relation to whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of the automated driving function, wherein if the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel, it provides greater sensitivity for confirming forward direction and / or in the reverse direction based on the first signal (S1) compared to the case where the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel. 9. A vehicle having the system (1) according to claim 8. 10. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device (10), cause the processing device to perform the method (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 11. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device (10), cause the processing device to perform the method (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (2) for monitoring a driver's ability to manually intervene in the lateral guidance of a vehicle during the operation of an automated driving function, wherein the method (2) comprises: Provide (21) a first signal (S1) indicating whether the driver steers in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the automated driving function intervenes in steering; Provide (22) a second signal (S2) indicating whether the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, wherein the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2) are based on the detection of different measurement variables; and The first signal (S1) is evaluated (23) for whether the driver steers in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of the automated driving function. If the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, then greater sensitivity is provided for confirming forward direction and / or in the reverse direction based on the first signal (S1) compared to the case where the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hands are on the steering wheel.

2. The method (2) of claim 1, wherein evaluating (23) the first signal (S1) in relation to whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction comprises comparing the first signal (S1) with thresholds (T1, T2), wherein the first threshold (T1) is used when the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hand is at the steering wheel, and a second threshold (T2) different from the first threshold (T1) is used when the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hand is at the steering wheel.

3. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first signal (S1) is based on the detection of hand torque and / or steering angular velocity.

4. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second signal (S2) is based on capacitive recognition of the opponent at the steering wheel and / or on image detection.

5. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the automated driving function includes lane keeping assist.

6. The method (2) according to any one of the preceding claims further includes: In response to the evaluation (23) of the first signal and the conclusion that the driver is not steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction, a control signal (A) is generated (24) to trigger a warning and / or to disable or degrade the automated driving function.

7. A processing apparatus (10) having at least one processor and designed to perform the method (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 by means of the at least one processor.

8. A system (1) for a vehicle, comprising: A common steering recognition module (11) is used to provide a first signal (S1) indicating whether the driver of the vehicle is steering in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the steering function of the automated driving function intervenes; A hand grip recognition module (12) is used to provide a second signal (S2) indicating whether the driver's hands are on the steering wheel, wherein the first signal (S1) and the second signal (S2) are based on the detection of different measurement variables; and The processing device (10) is designed to evaluate the first signal (S1) in relation to whether the driver is steer in the forward direction and / or in the reverse direction when the driver intervenes in the steering of the automated driving function, wherein if the second signal (S2) indicates that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel, it provides greater sensitivity for confirming forward direction and / or in the reverse direction based on the first signal (S1) compared to the case where the second signal (S2) does not indicate that the driver's hands are at the steering wheel.

9. A vehicle having the system (1) according to claim 8.

10. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device (10), cause the processing device to perform the method (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

11. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device (10), cause the processing device to perform the method (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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