Procedures for operating a vehicle

Abstract

Method for operating a following vehicle (4) with a speed-dependent distance control device, wherein a parameter representative of the driving style of a preceding vehicle (3) is detected with spatial resolution and the following vehicle (4) is controlled and / or regulated at the same location in a manner that imitates the preceding vehicle (3), at least in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that, in the event of a road surface irregularity (2) ahead of the following vehicle (4) that is optically detected by the following vehicle (4), the adoption of a driving speed (v1) of the preceding vehicle (3) is carried out with a delay.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle with a speed-dependent distance control device, wherein a parameter representative of a driving style of a vehicle traveling ahead is detected in a spatially resolved manner and the vehicle is controlled and / or regulated at the same location in a manner imitating the vehicle traveling ahead.

[0002] DE 10 2009 014 187 A1 discloses a method and a device for operating a vehicle. The method for operating a following first vehicle provides for detecting a distance to a preceding second vehicle and regulating and / or controlling this distance between a minimum value and a maximum value. At least one parameter representing a driving style of the preceding second vehicle is detected cyclically and with spatial resolution. Upon reaching at least one of the detected locations, the following first vehicle is controlled in an imitative manner at the same location depending on the parameter detected for the preceding second vehicle at that location. Furthermore, DE 10 2012 222 869 A1 discloses a method according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of providing a method for operating a vehicle with a speed-dependent distance control device which is improved compared to the prior art.

[0004] The object is achieved according to the invention by the features specified in claim 1.

[0005] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0006] A method for operating a vehicle with a speed-dependent distance control device provides that a parameter representative of the driving style of a preceding vehicle is detected in a spatially resolved manner, and the vehicle is controlled and / or regulated at the same location, imitating the preceding vehicle at least in the longitudinal direction. According to the invention, if the vehicle visually detects an uneven road surface ahead of the preceding vehicle, the vehicle's speed is adopted with a delay.

[0007] By delaying the speed of the vehicle ahead when a road bump is detected, it is particularly advantageous to ensure that the vehicle does not automatically accelerate at the location of the bump and thus does not drive over the bump during acceleration. This significantly increases comfort by proactively controlling the vehicle's suspension in relation to the detected road bump.

[0008] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0009] Showing: Fig. 1 schematically shows a road course with two vehicles and a driving speed curve for both vehicles according to the state of the art and Fig. 2 schematically shows the road course with the two vehicles, a respective driving speed profile and an elevation profile according to the method according to the invention.

[0010] Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures.

[0011] In Fig. 1 shows a road surface 1 with a road surface irregularity 2 in the form of a speed bump.

[0012] On the roadway 1 there are two vehicles 3, 4 driving one behind the other towards the road irregularity 2.

[0013] Below the lane 1 are Fig. 1 shows two curves of driving speeds v1, v2 of the two vehicles 3, 4 determined as a function of the roadway course 1, wherein a curve of a first driving speed v1 is assigned to a preceding vehicle 3 and a curve of a second driving speed v2 is assigned to a following vehicle 4.

[0014] The following vehicle 4 has a speed-dependent distance control device by means of which a target speed specified by the driver is regulated as a function of a distance between the preceding vehicle 3 and the following vehicle 4.

[0015] The distance between a minimum value and a maximum value is regulated and / or controlled. Furthermore, a parameter representing a driving style of the preceding vehicle 3 is recorded cyclically and with spatial resolution. In particular, the first driving speed v1 of the preceding vehicle 3 is recorded as a parameter. When the following vehicle 4 reaches a recorded location that the preceding vehicle 3 has already passed, the second driving speed v2 of the following vehicle 4 is controlled and / or regulated in accordance with the recorded first driving speed v1 of the preceding vehicle 3.

[0016] The first driving speed v1 of the preceding vehicle 3 is detected as a spatially resolved parameter using radar, whereby the following vehicle 4 automatically accelerates when the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 3 is detected.

[0017] With respect to the existing road surface 1, the preceding vehicle 3 reduces its current first driving speed v1 shortly before reaching the road surface irregularity 2 in the form of the braking threshold, thereby reducing the distance of the following vehicle 4 from the preceding vehicle 3. Due to the associated reduction in the distance between the vehicles 3, 4 and / or a failure to detect the brief reduction in the first driving speed v1, the driving speed v2 of the following vehicle 4 is automatically reduced by means of the distance control device. The preceding vehicle 3 drives over the road surface irregularity 2 at a reduced first driving speed v1 and then accelerates again.Since the first driving speed v1 of the preceding vehicle 3 was reduced for a comparatively short period of time, there is the possibility, as described above, that the reduction as such was not detected by the following vehicle 4 and the following vehicle 4 automatically accelerates due to the subsequent acceleration and thus drives over the road unevenness 2 in the acceleration process and at a second driving speed that is too high for the road unevenness 2.

[0018] In order to prevent the following vehicle 4 from driving over the road irregularity 2 at a speed v2 that is too high for the vehicle to drive over it, the following vehicle 4 is to optically record the road surface 1 and a road profile measurement is to be carried out based on the recorded signals. By means of the road profile measurement, a Fig. 2, on which a subsequent regulation and / or control of the second driving speed v2 of the following vehicle 4 is based.

[0019] To perform the road profile measurement, a high-precision stereo camera, a laser scanner, a photonic mixer detector, and / or a high-precision 3D sensor are or will be mounted on the following vehicle 4 as an optical detection unit (not shown in detail). Partial paving, potholes, or similar features can also be detected using the optical detection unit.

[0020] The respective optical detection unit is directed in front of the following vehicle 4 onto the roadway 1, so that an environment in front of the following vehicle 4 is detected.

[0021] As described above, the road course 1 is recorded by means of the optical detection unit and the recorded signals are used to determine the Fig. 2 shown road height profile h of the roadway course 1 is fed to a control unit not shown, in particular the speed-dependent distance control device.

[0022] By means of the optical detection unit, the road surface irregularity 2 on the road surface 1 in the form of the speed bump is detected and used as the basis for the speed-dependent distance control device. The following vehicle 4 follows the preceding vehicle 3, wherein an imitation of the driving style of the preceding vehicle 3 is carried out by the determined road height profile h of the roadway 1 and the road unevenness 2 detected thereby in the form of the braking threshold, in particular after driving over the road unevenness 2.

[0023] A second driving speed v2 of the following vehicle 4 resulting from the detected road irregularity 2 is in Fig.2 is shown using the curve of the driving speed v2.

[0024] By means of the delayed adoption of the first driving speed v1 of the preceding vehicle 3 as the second driving speed of the following vehicle 4, the comfort during operation of the following vehicle 4 with the distance control device switched on can be significantly increased for vehicle occupants.

Claims

[1] Method for operating a following vehicle (4) with a speed-dependent distance control device, wherein a parameter representative of a driving style of a preceding vehicle (3) is recorded in a spatially resolved manner and the following vehicle (4) is controlled and / or regulated at the same location in an imitative manner of the preceding vehicle (3), at least in the longitudinal direction, characterized by that in the event of an unevenness (2) in the road surface ahead of the following vehicle (4) which is optically detected by the following vehicle (4), the adoption of a driving speed (v1) of the preceding vehicle (3) is carried out with a delay. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the road surface unevenness (2) is determined by means of a road profile measurement. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that partial paving, speed bumps and / or potholes are recorded as road surface irregularities (2). [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the road surface unevenness (2) is detected by means of a stereo camera arranged on or in the following vehicle (4), a laser scanner of a photonic mixer detector and / or a 3D sensor as an optical detection unit.

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