Method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle, driver assistance system for carrying out the method, and motor vehicle with a driver assistance system

Abstract

Method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle (1) on a carriageway (2) with a lane marking with road marking bolts (70-74), comprising the steps: - Locating the road marking bolts (70-74) in the vicinity of the motor vehicle (1) by at least one sensor unit, - Detecting the speed of the motor vehicle (1) by a detection unit (10), - After a lane-change intention of the driver of the motor vehicle (1) has been detected, a control unit (11) determines a time and a corresponding steering angle for carrying out the lane change of the motor vehicle (1) by means of a control unit (11), taking into account the located road marking bolts (70-74) and the detected speed, such that when carrying out the lane change at the determined time the motor vehicle (1) does not cross the road marking bolts (70-74) with any of its wheels (12), characterized in that the control unit (11) exerts a predetermined steering angle torque on the steering wheel at the determined time in order to encourage the driver to carry out the lane change or to indicate to him that the lane change is being started automatically.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle on a roadway with lane markings using road marking bolts, a driver assistance system for carrying out such a method, and a motor vehicle comprising such a driver assistance system.

[0002] In some countries, such as Ireland, in addition to visual lane markings such as printed median and shoulder strips, so-called road marking bolts are also used to mark the lanes of a road. Such raised road marking bolts, which are usually equipped with reflectors, offer better visibility of the lane markings than printed, purely visual road markings. A further advantage of such road marking bolts is that driving over these bolts with a motor vehicle is clearly audible and noticeable to the driver. This provides an acoustic and physical warning to the driver if they unintentionally deviate from their current lane.

[0003] When driving on a highway or motorway, frequent lane changes by a motor vehicle are intentional or expected. However, with frequent, intentional lane changes, driving over the road marking studs becomes relatively unpleasant for the driver and other vehicle occupants due to the noise and impact generated when driving over the studs.

[0004] Various methods and systems are already known from the prior art for detecting lanes, and in particular, road marking studs. US 2016 / 0132705 A1 describes a method for the safe autonomous driving of a motor vehicle that uses special lane markings. The described method makes it possible to precisely detect these lane markings, which are preferably made of magnetic materials, and to use the positions of the markings to perform an autonomous driving process within the lane markings.

[0005] A system for estimating lane boundaries taking into account raised reflective or non-reflective pavement markings can be found in US 9 530 062 B2.

[0006] US 2017 / 0113696 A1 describes a vehicle with a photography unit for capturing images of the vehicle's surroundings, which includes a control unit that can be used to perform a lane change. To perform this lane change, a lane marking in the vehicle's surroundings is detected in the recorded images, and the change in the position of this marking is determined in various images captured by the photography unit. Based on this change in the position of the marking, a start and destination position for the vehicle is determined, and from this, a route for the motor vehicle's lane change is determined.

[0007] DE 10 2016 224 361 A1 describes a method for operating a driver assistance system in a motor vehicle, with which an automatic change of lanes can be carried out, in which at least one of two pairs of wheels of the motor vehicle does not drive over marking strips of a road marking.

[0008] DE 10 2014 207 541 A1 describes a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle. It first determines whether the motor vehicle is likely to cross a lane marking with at least one wheel during an already initiated or planned maneuver. For this purpose, data is accessed that indicates the spatial position of the lane marking in the area in front of the vehicle. If the likely crossing of the lane marking is detected, a warning signal is issued to the driver, for example.

[0009] It is the object of the invention to provide a solution by means of which a lane can be changed particularly advantageously.

[0010] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle on a roadway with lane markings using road marking bolts, which method comprises the following steps: First, the road marking bolts are located in the surroundings of the motor vehicle by at least one sensor unit. In addition, the speed of the motor vehicle is detected by a detection unit. After an intention of a driver of the motor vehicle to change lanes has been detected, a time and an associated steering angle for carrying out the lane change of the motor vehicle are determined by means of a control unit, taking into account the located road marking bolts and the detected speed, such that when the lane change is carried out at the specific time, the motor vehicle does not drive over the road marking bolts with any of its wheels.

[0011] This method makes it possible to avoid road marking bolts when changing lanes in order to avoid noise and impacts in the vehicle caused by driving over these road marking bolts.

[0012] According to the invention, a method is therefore proposed that is designed to assist a motor vehicle in changing lanes when the vehicle is on a road that uses raised studs to mark the lanes, rather than purely visual lane markings. First, the position of the road marking studs located near the current position of the motor vehicle is determined. This is done by a corresponding sensor unit integrated into the motor vehicle. Furthermore, a corresponding measuring unit determines the current speed of the motor vehicle.If it is determined that the driver of the motor vehicle wishes to change the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling, a control unit of the motor vehicle determines a steering angle for the lane change, taking into account the position of the road marking bolts and the current speed of the vehicle. This specific steering angle is linked to a point in time; i.e., if the motor vehicle is controlled according to the steering angle and at this specific point in time, a lane change is possible without one or more of the vehicle's wheels crossing the road marking bolts.

[0013] If, for example, a motor vehicle is on a multi-lane expressway with lane markings using road marking bolts and the driver of the motor vehicle wishes to overtake a motor vehicle in front of them, they can use the method provided according to the invention to avoid driving over road marking bolts when overtaking the motor vehicle in front of them. To do this, the position of the bolts in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel is first recorded using various sensors on the motor vehicle, for example a front camera. In addition, the current speed of the motor vehicle is determined, for example based on the current wheel revolutions and / or GPS signals from a navigation system. If the driver then activates the motor vehicle's indicator and thereby signals that they wish to change lanes, a steering angle for the motor vehicle is determined for a point in time in the relatively near future.When the motor vehicle is steered according to this steering angle and at this specific time, it is now possible to avoid the road marking bolts when changing lanes. Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to assist a motor vehicle in changing lanes on a roadway with lane markings using road marking bolts, preventing the vehicle's wheels from overrunning the bolts.

[0014] According to the invention, the control unit applies a predetermined steering angle torque to the steering wheel at a specific time in order to encourage the driver to perform the lane change or to inform them that the lane change will start automatically. At the time at which a lane change is possible without one or more wheels of the motor vehicle crossing the road marking bolts, the steering angle torque associated with that time is applied to the steering wheel of the motor vehicle. This encourages the driver to perform the lane change manually. This occurs when the driver gives in to the applied steering angle torque, i.e., follows this torque applied to the steering wheel when steering the motor vehicle.

[0015] However, the specified steering angle torque applied to the steering wheel can also simply serve to alert the driver of the motor vehicle that an automatic lane change is about to begin. This means that the driver of the motor vehicle transfers control of the motor vehicle to a corresponding fully automated vehicle function for the lane change, which performs the lane change without the road marking bolts touching any of the vehicle's tires. Alternatively, instead of a specified steering angle torque, a voice output or a display within the vehicle can be provided, alerting the driver to manually change lanes at a specific time.The method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle on a roadway with lane markings using road marking bolts can thus be carried out both with manual and automatic control of the motor vehicle.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control unit determines a lane change trajectory based on the steering angle and carries out the lane change along this lane change trajectory at a specific time using a vehicle control system fully autonomously. Therefore, not only is a time and a corresponding steering angle determined, but based on this data, a precise path, i.e., a precise route, for the lane change can also be determined. With fully autonomous vehicle guidance, the control unit intervenes in the control of the motor vehicle and steers the motor vehicle from the current lane into the desired lane along the specific lane change trajectory. This lane change occurs in such a way that none of the motor vehicle's wheels drive over the road marking bolts.The procedure therefore makes it possible not only to support a lane change of a motor vehicle, but also to carry it out.

[0017] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that only after a predetermined operating action has been performed by the driver does the control unit perform the lane change fully autonomously along the lane change trajectory at the specific time using the vehicle control system. The method is therefore activated by the driver if they desire fully autonomous vehicle control for changing the vehicle's lane. This activation can occur, for example, by pressing a button inside the vehicle or by a predetermined voice command from the driver via a corresponding vehicle component. This enables a particularly secure activation of the method for assisting the vehicle's lane change.

[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sensor unit comprises a camera and / or a radar device by means of which the road marking bolts are located. To determine the position of the road marking bolts, either imaging methods or radio-based positioning are used. These cameras and / or radar devices are located, for example, in the front and / or sides of the vehicle. This makes corresponding positioning data available for bolts located in the road section in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, and / or corresponding data for bolts located to the side of the vehicle and which the vehicle is currently driving past. The alternative or additional use of radar data enables road marking bolts to be detected particularly reliably even in the dark.

[0019] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that if the sensor unit determines that the road marking bolts are at regular intervals, the sensor unit locates the road marking bolts located in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel by extrapolating the already located road marking bolts. Therefore, if it is determined that the road marking bolts are continuously arranged at the same distance from one another, no positioning data from a front camera or a front radar device is required to locate the road marking bolts, since the bolts located in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel can be located by extrapolation. If, for example, only lateral camera data is available, recorded, for example, with an area view system, only information about the positions of road marking bolts to the side of the motor vehicle is available.If no additional front camera were activated in the vehicle, it would not be possible to directly detect the road marking bolts in front of the vehicle. However, since road marking bolts are generally arranged at constant distances from one another, the positions of the road marking bolts in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel can be determined by extrapolating the road marking bolts located to the side of the vehicle and their position. Similarly, this approach can be applied to radar devices that only measure to the side of the vehicle, whose data can also be used by extrapolation to locate the road marking bolts in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel.In order to locate the road marking bolts within the scope of the method proposed according to the invention, it is therefore sufficient if either a sensor unit arranged in the front of the vehicle or a sensor unit arranged on the side of the vehicle is provided by the motor vehicle.

[0020] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the intention to change lanes is recognized based on the activation of a turn signal and / or a predetermined gaze pattern. By activating a turn signal of the motor vehicle, the driver signals to the control unit that he intends to change lanes. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible for the system to recognize that the driver intends to change lanes based on a predetermined gaze pattern. Such a gaze pattern can, for example, be composed of a combination of glances over the shoulder and glances in the side mirrors and / or the rearview mirror. As an alternative to a gaze pattern, it is conceivable that an intention to change lanes can be expressed by a predetermined gesture of the driver, for example a predetermined hand movement.This predetermined gesture is detected, for example, by a camera inside the vehicle, and the driver's intention to change lanes is then transmitted to the control unit, whereupon the method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle on a roadway with lane markings and road marker bolts is initiated. Thus, the invention provides various options through which a driver of the motor vehicle can express their intention to change lanes.

[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the location of the road marking bolts and the recording of the speed only occur when the intention to change lanes has been detected. It is therefore possible for the method to be deactivated when it is not currently in use. Only when it is determined that a lane change is imminent is the location of the road marking bolts in the vicinity of the motor vehicle triggered and the speed of the motor vehicle recorded. Based on this data, a time and associated steering angle for carrying out the lane change of the motor vehicle are determined. This can reduce the energy consumption of the motor vehicle, since the location of the road marking bolts does not occur during every journey of the motor vehicle.Alternatively, it is also possible that the procedure could only be activated in certain countries where lane markings with road marker bolts are common, such as Ireland. It is also conceivable that the procedure could only be activated on expressways and motorways, i.e., roads where lane changes occur frequently and intentionally. This would have the advantage of ensuring that the actual function of the road marker bolts is retained: that is, that an acoustic and tangible signal is sent to the driver if the vehicle unintentionally leaves a lane when driving over the bolts.

[0022] According to the invention, a driver assistance system is further provided, which is designed to carry out a method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle on a roadway with lane markings using road marking studs according to one of the preceding claims. With such a driver assistance system, it is thus possible to carry out a lane change of a motor vehicle in such a way that, during this lane change, the motor vehicle does not drive over the road marking studs with any of its wheels. For this purpose, the driver assistance system uses the method described above for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle.

[0023] According to the invention, a motor vehicle with a driver assistance system is also provided which can carry out the described method for supporting a lane change of a motor vehicle.

[0024] The invention also includes further developments of the method according to the invention that have features already described in connection with the further developments of the motor vehicle according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

[0025] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below. It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with a driver assistance system for supporting a lane change of the motor vehicle on a roadway with lane markings with road marking bolts.

[0026] In Fig.1 shows a motor vehicle 1 moving on a roadway 2 with two lanes 3 in a direction of travel 4. The roadway 2 is delimited at each of its outer edges by a shoulder 5. Between the two lanes 3 are an interrupted central reservation 6 and road marking bolts 70-74. The motor vehicle 1 itself has a front camera 8 and a side camera 9. In addition to these sensor units, the motor vehicle 1 has a detection unit 10 for determining the current speed of the motor vehicle 1 and a control unit 11. The motor vehicle 1 is thus equipped with a driver assistance system for supporting a lane change of the motor vehicle 1 on a roadway 2 with lane markings with road marking bolts 70-74.This driver assistance system has at least the control unit 11 and can access either a front camera 8 and / or a side camera 9 as well as a detection unit 10 with this control unit 11.

[0027] The control unit 11 is capable of accessing the control system of the motor vehicle 1. The front camera 8 only detects the road marking bolts 73 and 74 located in front of the motor vehicle 1, but not the road marking bolts 71 and 72 or 70 located to the side or behind the motor vehicle 1. Based on the images of the two road marking bolts 73 and 74 recorded by the front camera 8, these are located in the surroundings of the motor vehicle 1. The side camera 9 also makes it possible to locate the road marking bolts 71 and 72 currently located to the side of the motor vehicle 9. As an alternative to the two sensor units mentioned, the front camera 8 and the side camera 9, corresponding radar devices on the front and on the side of the motor vehicle 1 would also be possible, which enables particularly precise location of the road marking bolts 71-74, especially in the dark.

[0028] The detection unit 10 is, for example, a measuring unit for determining the number of wheel revolutions, i.e. a speedometer, or a navigation system that determines the current speed of the motor vehicle 1 based on GPS signals.

[0029] If the driver of motor vehicle 1 wishes to change lane 3, for example, because he or she wishes to overtake a vehicle traveling in front of him or her, he or she signals this to control unit 11 using a predetermined lane change signal. Such a lane change signal is the activation of a turn signal 14 of the motor vehicle. Alternative signals indicating the driver's intention to change lanes would be a predetermined gaze pattern, i.e., a combination of a glance over the shoulder and glances in the side and rearview mirrors of motor vehicle 1, or a specific gesture by the driver.As soon as the activated turn signal 14 has been registered by the control unit 11, the control unit 11 determines, based on the road marking bolts 73 and 74 located by the front camera 8 and the speed of the motor vehicle 1 determined by the detection unit 10, at what time and with an associated steering angle, the motor vehicle 1 can change lanes from the current lane 3 to the adjacent lane 3 such that when this lane change is carried out at the specific time, the motor vehicle 1 does not drive over the road marking bolts 71-74 with any of its wheels 12. The corresponding movement of the four wheels 12 of the motor vehicle is shown in the figure using the lines 13. The control unit 11 thus determines both a time for and a steering angle at which a lane change of the motor vehicle 1 can take place without the motor vehicle 1 driving over the road marking bolts 71-74 with one or more wheels 12.

[0030] If the motor vehicle 1 does not have a front camera 8, but only a side camera 9, or as an alternative to the procedure described above, the location of the road marking bolts 73 and 74 can be achieved by extrapolating the road marking bolts 71 and 72 located to the side of the motor vehicle 1 by the side camera 9. This is possible because road marking bolts 70-74 are generally arranged at equal distances from one another as lane markings between lanes 3.

[0031] The described method can be applied to both manual and fully automatic vehicle control. In the case of manual control of the motor vehicle 1, the driver's intention to change lanes is expressed, for example, by activating the turn signal 14, and at the time determined by the method, a predetermined steering angle torque is applied to the driver's steering wheel. If the driver manually applies this applied steering angle torque, i.e., if he follows the torque applied to the steering wheel with his hands, the motor vehicle 1 travels across the central reservation 6 between the two lanes 3 in such a way that none of its wheels 12 touches any of the road marking bolts 71-74.

[0032] With manual vehicle control, however, it is also possible for the driver to activate a fully autonomous lane change, for example, by pressing a button inside the vehicle. The control device 11 then intervenes in the vehicle control of the motor vehicle 1 and, based on the determined steering angle at the determined time, performs a lane change along a lane change trajectory, as outlined in the figure using lines 13. This means that the control device 11 performs a lane change such that none of the wheels 12 crosses the road marking bolts 71-74.

[0033] In the case of fully autonomous vehicle control, a driver assistance system designed for fully autonomous driving can, based on the steering angle determined by the control unit 11 at the specific time, fully autonomously carry out a lane change along the lane change trajectory, i.e. along the lines 13, i.e. fully autonomously carry out a lane change in such a way that none of the wheels 12 crosses the road marking bolts 71-74.

[0034] Overall, the example shows how a lane change of a motor vehicle 1 on a roadway 2 with lane markings using road marking studs 70-74 can be supported. If a lane change is performed according to this procedure, it can be ensured that motor vehicle 1 does not cross the road marking studs 70-74 with any of its wheels 12.

[0035] The exemplary embodiment explained below is a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the described components of the embodiment each represent individual, independently considered features of the invention, which also further develop the invention independently of one another and are thus also to be considered as components of the invention, either individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described. List of reference symbols 1 motor vehicle 2 lanes 3 lanes 4 Direction of travel 5 edge strips 6 central reservations 8 front camera 9 side camera 10 Recording unit 11 Control unit 12 wheels 13 Line 14 indicators 70 road marking bolts 71 road marking bolts 72 road marking bolts 73 road marking bolts 74 road marking bolts

Claims

[1] Method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle (1) on a roadway (2) with a lane marking with road marking bolts (70-74), comprising the steps: - locating the road marking bolts (70-74) in the surroundings of the motor vehicle (1) by at least one sensor unit, - detecting the speed of the motor vehicle (1) by a detection unit (10), - after a lane change intention of a driver of the motor vehicle (1) has been detected, a time and an associated steering angle for carrying out the lane change of the motor vehicle (1) are determined by means of a control unit (11), taking into account the located road marking bolts (70-74) and the detected speed, in such a way that when the lane change is carried out at the specific time, the motor vehicle (1) does not drive over the road marking bolts (70-74) with any of its wheels (12), characterized in that the control unit (11) exerts a predetermined steering angle torque on the steering wheel at the specific time in order to encourage the driver to carry out the lane change or to inform him that the lane change is started automatically. [2] Method according to the preceding claim, characterized bythat the control unit (11) determines a lane change trajectory based on the steering angle and carries out the lane change along this lane change trajectory at the specific time fully autonomously by means of a vehicle control. [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized by that only after a predetermined operating action has been carried out by the driver, the control unit (11) carries out the lane change along the lane change trajectory at the specific time fully autonomously by means of the vehicle control. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the sensor unit has a camera and / or a radar device by means of which the road marking bolts (70-74) are located. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat if the sensor unit determines that the road marking bolts (70-74) are located at regular distances from one another, the sensor unit locates the road marking bolts (73-74) which are located in front of the motor vehicle in the direction of travel by extrapolating the already located road marking bolts (71-72). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the intention to change lanes is recognized by setting an indicator (14) and / or a predetermined gaze pattern. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the location of the road marking bolts (70-74) and the recording of the speed only take place when the intention to change lanes has been detected. [8] Driver assistance system which is designed to carry out a method for assisting a lane change of a motor vehicle (1) on a roadway (3) with a lane marking with road marking bolts (70-74) according to one of the preceding claims. [9] Motor vehicle (1) with a driver assistance system according to claim 8.

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