Method for a driver assistance function for situation-appropriate warning of a vehicle driver and / or for situation-appropriate automatic intervention in the vehicle longitudinal guidance

Abstract

Method for a driver assistance function (1) for situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance when the vehicle (10) enters the area of ​​a critical traffic situation (kVS) and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation (kVS) is predicted, having at least a) an environment detection system (2) directed in the direction of the preceding travel trajectory (7) and / or a position determination unit (3) located in the vehicle for determining the current vehicle position, b) an optical detection system (4) located inside the vehicle, designed for an attention assessment function (AGF) of the driver, c) an analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle, designed to evaluate a traffic situation depending on the situation, d) a communication unit (6) located in the vehicle, designed to exchange information with at least one other vehicle (11) and / or an infrastructure (12) for the travel trajectory (7), characterized in that e) situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance in the form of a braking operation, f) in the case of a critical traffic situation (kVS), based on a relative exceedance of an individual response threshold (iAS) with regard to the critical traffic situation (kVS), g) whereby the individual response threshold (iAS) is changed directly and / or indirectly by means of a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), or is influenced directly and / or indirectly, h) where - the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) is event-dependent (IVf) and / or traffic information-dependent (IVf) and / or driver-dependent (Ff), - has a different weighting (G) for the parameters acting as input variables and / or for the output result(s) and / or is formed from several correction factors (IV, v, kFV, AG) which have a different weighting (G).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for a driver assistance function for warning a vehicle driver in a situation-appropriate manner and / or for automatically intervening in the vehicle longitudinal guidance in a situation-appropriate manner, as well as a driver assistance function for increasing the acceptance of driver assistance systems by the vehicle driver.

[0002] The driver assistance functions include, in particular, environmental detection systems and communication devices to detect / locate hazards / dangerous situations at an early stage and to warn the driver at an early stage (e.g. LDW, blind spot detection, 360-degree vision, traffic sign recognition, cloud-based traffic warning systems, ...).

[0003] In order to provide drivers with the most accurate and up-to-date traffic status data possible, new developments, so-called cloud-based systems, are being used in line with the state of the art.

[0004] In cloud-based systems, individual vehicles are required to travel on sections of the route, a) current traffic status data of these travelled sections are determined in real time and transferred to a “central server” (cloud) so that b) this traffic status data can be made available as current traffic information for other road users who travel the corresponding sections of the route as subsequent road users.

[0005] The traffic information includes, for example, road condition data, such as - Wetness, fog, black ice, snow, - Oil film, pollution, debris - pothole / bump, - Construction site, bottleneck, accident / obstacle, - People, animals, - etc.

[0006] This route-relevant information provision for subsequent road users traveling on the same route section appears - to be very helpful at first glance, whereby - upon closer inspection, this can also lead to problems with regard to the resulting “information overload”.

[0007] The following question arises: What is done with all this information and how is it handled? a) Is a note relevant??? or not relevant???, or b) is automatic intervention in the driving vision appropriate??? or not appropriate???. The major challenge here is that - on the one hand, a motor vehicle driver is not informed too early, and - on the other hand, a motor vehicle driver is not informed too late, or that - on the one hand, intervention in the vehicle control does not occur too early, and - on the other hand, intervention in the vehicle control does not occur too late.

[0008] The assessment of whether it is too EARLY or too LATE is also very relative, as this is perceived as very subjective by individual road users.

[0009] In other words: A warning message / vehicle intervention in a specific situation can a) are perceived by an experienced driver as too early and therefore as disturbing (patronising), whereas b) an inexperienced driver may perceive the warning message / vehicle intervention as too late and therefore not very helpful.

[0010] Since the number of assistance systems in automotive technology is constantly increasing, it will become even more important in the future to ensure that an assistance system is activated at the “right moment” (in the “right situation”), so that the desired acceptance of the assistance systems by vehicle users can be guaranteed in the long term. In other words:

[0011] If the assistance systems generate a warning message too early or intervene in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance (braking process), this can become very annoying in the long run and call into question the effectiveness of one or more assistance systems, so that system behavior that is perceived as inappropriate could negatively influence acceptance (level of equipment of assistance systems) in the medium term.

[0012] DE 692 13 196 T2 discloses a warning device for a vehicle, such as an automobile, that can warn the vehicle operator when there is a possibility of a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle. In particular, it relates to a warning device that changes the conditions that must be met for a warning to be generated, depending on the driver's physical or mental state, the driver's driving characteristics, environmental conditions, or other factors.

[0013] DE 10 2015 210 782 A1 discloses a means of transportation, a driver assistance system, and a method for determining the cognitive activity of a driver of a means of transportation. The method comprises the following steps: - Determination of an initial parameter for the driver’s stress due to a driving situation, - Determination of a second parameter for the strain on the driver caused by non-driving activities, - Recognition of a leadership behavior of the leader that deviates from a predefined leadership behavior and based on the first parameter, the second parameter and the deviating leadership behavior - Detecting increased cognitive engagement of the leader.

[0014] From the document DE 10 2004 048 013 A1, a method and a device for driver assistance are known in which the warning threshold at which the driver is warned, for example, of leaving the lane, is adaptively adjusted depending on the driver state and / or the driving situation. Object of the invention:

[0015] The objective object of the invention can be seen in the fact that it is to present / provide an improved method or an improved assistance function, a) which will enable, in the future, traffic scenarios with different hazard levels, as described in more detail below in the discussion of the figures, b) to develop rules for generating alerts in order to a. situation-dependent, as well as b. to be able to customize automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance and, if necessary, the generation of warning messages (displayed on the screen) depending on the driver, so that these actions are carried out by the driver assistance system and are perceived as appropriate by the driver (and not as disruptive or inappropriate). Solution to the task:

[0016] The object is achieved by a method for a driver assistance function, as well as a driver assistance function according to independent claims 1 and 10. Advantageous further developments are specified in the dependent claims, wherein combinations not described in detail or resulting logical further developments which are obvious to the person skilled in the art are also included.

[0017] The problem is solved in such a way that, according to the invention, when generating a warning message (particularly in connection with cloud-based solutions) and / or intervening in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance, a. the individual vehicle familiarity factor of the driver and / or the individual vehicle experience factor of the driver, as well as b. the nature of the impairment in relation to the current vehicle speed, or c. the topology or the curve of the trajectory ahead in the direction of travel is / are taken into account.

[0018] The invention is based on the knowledge that in particular - the current vehicle speed, - in conjunction with the driver's individual vehicle familiarity factor and / or the driver's individual vehicle experience factor, and - the cause of the traffic disruption (the event) - has a significant influence, and from these influencing factors / input parameters the response threshold for generating / transmitting / visualising / displaying a warning for the driver and / or intervening in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance can be determined very precisely.

[0019] Furthermore, the invention is based on the knowledge that in particular - the maximum permissible vehicle speed in the curve area, - is misjudged by many drivers or can be significantly reduced by roadway / lane-related impairments, thus forming a hotspot for accidents, - if there is a traffic disruption in the curve area, - so that the cause of traffic disruption in the curve area, - has a significant influence on road safety, and from these influencing factors / input parameters the maximum permissible cornering speed can be easily determined, and the response threshold for automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance can be implemented very precisely.

[0020] The two terms "situation-dependent correction factor (sk)" and "correction factor (k)," as used in this description, are to be understood as absolutely equivalent terms in the light of the invention and are interchangeable. The addition of "situation-dependent" merely serves to facilitate understanding and better express the dynamics of the correction factor or its dependence on an event. Note:

[0021] By means of the method according to the invention for determining an individual response threshold, taking into account - the driver's vehicle familiarity factor and / or driver experience factor, and - the current vehicle speed, and - if necessary / optionally a situation-dependent correction factor, a realistic application behavior can be mapped in a very simple way (in the implementation), since this does justice to the fact that - at a low vehicle speed and an insignificant traffic obstruction and a high vehicle familiarity factor of the driver, the warning signal can be / is to be realized in a less sensitive manner (later responding), whereas - in the case of high vehicle speed and a significant traffic obstruction and a low vehicle familiarity factor of the driver, the warning signal can be / should be implemented more sensitively (responds earlier).

[0022] Based on this solution, it can be achieved analogously that by means of the method according to the invention for determining an individual maximum vehicle speed when driving through a curve, taking into account - the driver's vehicle familiarity factor and / or driver experience factor, and - the topography or the curve course / curve radius, and - if necessary / optionally a situation-dependent correction factor, a solution can be created in a very simple way (in implementation) and very easy to understand, by means of which an application adapted / satisfactory to the traffic situation can be achieved, in which a warning message generation and / or an automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance - individually tailored to the type of traffic disruption and adapted to the driving skills of the driver - is generated or carried out not too early and not too late. Further note:

[0023] The driver’s familiarity with the vehicle or driver experience factor should not be confused with or compared to the driver’s level of attention, but is very different from it, since, for example, a) a novice driver with a high level of attention when completing a critical traffic situation, b) the driving skills / confidence of a driver with “only” an average level of attention and with many years of driving experience will not normally be achieved.

[0024] Therefore, the invention proposes that a vehicle familiarity factor of the driver or driver experience factor is additionally taken into account in the evaluation or decision-making process as to whether a) the driver is given a warning appropriate to the situation, and / or b) automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance is carried out in accordance with the situation.

[0025] The determination of the driver's level of attention is not discussed in detail within the scope of the invention, since common methods for this are known from the prior art, such as, for example, from document DE 11 2006 000 550 B4, in which a driver assistance system for detecting fatigue and / or assessing the level of attention of a driver is disclosed or described in more detail, or from document DE 10 2011 105 949 B4, in which a method and a device for assessing fatigue and / or attention is disclosed or described in more detail, or from document DE 10 2004 034 748 B4, in which a driver assistance system for detecting fatigue and / or assessing the level of attention of a driver is disclosed or described in more detail.

[0026] In order to further improve or increase the functionality and / or acceptance of driver assistance systems, a method is proposed according to the invention for a driver assistance function, which method is designed for automatic, situation-appropriate intervention in the vehicle longitudinal guidance when the vehicle comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation is predicted, comprising at least a) an environment detection system directed in the direction of the upcoming driving trajectory and / or a position determination unit located in the vehicle for determining the current vehicle position, b) an optical detection system located inside the vehicle, designed to assess the driver’s attention, c) an analysis unit located in the vehicle, designed to evaluate a traffic situation depending on the situation, d) a communication unit located in the vehicle, designed to exchange information with at least one other vehicle and / or an infrastructure for the driving trajectory, and characterized in that e) the situation-appropriate automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance in the form of a braking operation, f) in a critical traffic situation, based on a relative exceedance of an individual response threshold with regard to the critical traffic situation, g) whereby the individual response threshold is changed directly and / or indirectly by means of a situation-dependent correction factor, or is influenced directly and / or indirectly, h) where - the situation-dependent correction factor is event-dependent and / or traffic information-dependent and / or driver-dependent, - has a different weighting for the parameters acting as input variables and / or for the output result(s) and / or is formed from several correction factors which have a different weighting.

[0027] The wording “relative exceeding” of an individual response threshold is to be understood in the light of the invention in such a way that, depending on the embodiment / realization of the invention, exceeding a threshold is possible in two directions (from smaller to larger OR from larger to smaller).

[0028] In an advantageous modified form of the invention, the situation-appropriate warning of a vehicle driver and / or the situation-appropriate automatic intervention in the vehicle longitudinal guidance, instead of the events mentioned as examples, relates in particular to a vehicle cornering as an event in order to determine, based on certain rules or correction factors, an individual maximum permissible cornering speed dependent on the driver's vehicle familiarity factor, and to be able to decide, depending on the determined maximum permissible cornering speed and the current actual vehicle speed, whether a situation-appropriate warning of the vehicle driver is issued and / or a situation-appropriate automatic intervention in the vehicle longitudinal guidance is carried out. The decisive influencing parameters for determining the maximum permissible vehicle cornering speed are in particular the parameters - Driver's vehicle familiarity factor, and - road trajectory ahead, where the road trajectory ahead is defined more precisely by the topography, in particular by a circle segment with a radius and an angle (see Fig. 8).

[0029] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that the analysis unit located in the vehicle is further designed for a vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function of the vehicle driver in order to determine a vehicle familiarity factor of the vehicle driver.

[0030] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that the situation-dependent correction factor is created on the basis of a multidimensional value table.

[0031] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that the situation-dependent correction factor is created on the basis of a multidimensional characteristic field.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that when specifying and / or determining an individual response threshold taking into account a situation-dependent correction factor, when generating the situation-dependent correction factor to be taken into account, the input variables - in addition to traffic information, - the current vehicle speed, - the driver’s familiarity with the vehicle, and / or - the driver's driving experience factor is taken into account.

[0033] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that the driver's vehicle familiarity factor is taken into account when generating the situation-dependent correction factor to be taken into account.

[0034] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that, in addition to the situation-appropriate automatic intervention in the vehicle longitudinal guidance in the manner of a braking process, a situation-appropriate warning of a vehicle driver is provided.

[0035] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that whenever the vehicle comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation is predicted, a) a warning message is issued to the driver and / or automatic intervention in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance takes place, b) however, in deviation from this, no warning message is issued to the driver and / or no automatic intervention in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance takes place if c) the individual response threshold is changed by means of the situation-dependent correction factor in such a way that d) the analyzed criticality of the current traffic situation, the individual resulting response threshold corrected with the situation-dependent correction factor is not reached and / or is predicted not to be reached.

[0036] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method for a driver assistance function is characterized in that whenever the vehicle enters the area of ​​a critical traffic situation and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation is predicted, a) a warning message is issued to the driver and / or an automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance takes place, b) however, in deviation from this, no warning message is issued to the driver and / or no automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance takes place and / or these actions are carried out at least with an individual response threshold shifted towards less sensitive, if c) the analysis unit located in the vehicle determines that - the driver’s vehicle familiarity factor is positive, and - the driver’s current level of attention is positive, and - the driver experience factor is event-dependent and / or traffic information-dependent, correlating with this, and is positive.

[0037] According to the invention, a driver assistance function is further proposed which is suitable for automatically intervening in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance in a situation-appropriate manner when the vehicle comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation is predicted, comprising at least a) an environment detection system directed in the direction of the upcoming driving trajectory and / or a position determination unit located in the vehicle for determining the current vehicle position, b) an optical detection system located inside the vehicle, designed to assess the driver’s attention, c) an analysis unit located in the vehicle, designed to evaluate a traffic situation depending on the situation, d) a communication unit located in the vehicle, designed to exchange information with at least one other vehicle and / or an infrastructure for the driving trajectory, e) an evaluation device for evaluating data from the environment detection system and / or the position determination unit, the optical detection system located inside the vehicle, the analysis unit located in the vehicle, vehicle sensor data, TCM data, Car-to-X data, and / or additional environment detection systems, and is characterized by the fact that f) the evaluation device and / or analysis unit carry out a situation-appropriate automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance in the form of a braking operation, g) in a critical traffic situation, based on an exceedance of an individual response threshold with regard to the critical traffic situation, where h) the individual response threshold is changed by means of a situation-dependent correction factor, whereby i) furthermore, the evaluation device and / or analysis unit are designed with a vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function and take into account the determined vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver when generating the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) in order to generate a corrected individual resulting response threshold (irAS) therefrom j) where - the situation-dependent correction factor is event-dependent and / or traffic information-dependent and / or driver-dependent, - has a different weighting for the parameters acting as input variables and / or for the output result(s) and / or is formed from several correction factors which have a different weighting.

[0038] In the following, the invention is described with reference to Fig. 1 to 9 are explained in more detail by way of example. The figures and the values ​​mentioned or derived therein (if any) are only examples and are intended to facilitate understanding.

[0039] All figures are only principle representations (not to scale).

[0040] They show schematically: Fig. 1: a motor vehicle with the essential components of the driver assistance system according to the invention; Fig. 2: a traffic scenario according to the state of the art; Fig. 3: another schematic diagram in which a vehicle receives road condition data via cloud or car-to-x communication; Fig. 4: a principle representation of an evaluation option taking into account the primary influencing parameter, that of the driver's vehicle familiarity factor; Fig. 5: a principle representation of an evaluation option using a two-dimensional characteristic field; Fig. 6: a schematic diagram of another evaluation option using a three-dimensional characteristic field; Fig. 7: a schematic representation of another evaluation option using a one- or multi-dimensional value table; Fig. 8: another schematic diagram in which a vehicle receives road condition data via cloud or car-to-x communication; Fig. 9: a schematic diagram of another evaluation option using a two-dimensional characteristic field;

[0041] The Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a motor vehicle (10) with the essential components of the driver assistance system (1) according to the invention.

[0042] As from the Fig. 1, the vehicle (10) has the following components: - an environment detection system (2) directed in the direction of the preceding travel trajectory (7), with a detection characteristic (2.1), - a position determination unit (3) located in the vehicle for determining the current vehicle position, - an optical detection system (4) located inside the vehicle, designed for an attention assessment function (AGF) of the driver, - an analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle, designed to evaluate a traffic situation depending on the situation, - a communication unit (6) located in the vehicle, designed to exchange information with at least one other vehicle (11) and / or an infrastructure (12) for the travel trajectory (7), and - an evaluation device (8) located in the vehicle for evaluating data originating from components of the driver assistance system (1).

[0043] For reasons of clarity, the interfaces / connections between the individual components (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) of the driver assistance system (1) are not shown in detail.

[0044] The communication unit (6), designed to exchange information with at least one further vehicle (11), and / or an infrastructure (12) for the travel trajectory (7), and / or a cloud (7), is preferably designed as so-called car-to-x communication (14).

[0045] The Fig. Figure 2 shows a traffic scenario according to the state of the art. As can be seen from the Fig. 2, the vehicle (11) makes road condition data, for example in the form of an obstacle (13) or a hindrance (13) in the course of travel, available to other vehicles, in particular vehicle (10) via car-to-x communication (14), via the cloud (9) or car-to-x communication (14). Thus, the information regarding the road condition data about an obstacle (13) or a hindrance (13) in the roadway ahead or in the travel trajectory (7) ahead is available in the vehicle (10) earlier than this information can be detected by the environmental detection system (2) located in the vehicle (10).

[0046] The Fig. 3 shows how the vehicle (10) receives road condition data (13) and / or (possibly additionally) standardized values ​​regarding the road condition data (13) via cloud (9) or car-to-x communication (14).

[0047] The road condition data (13) are, for example, information regarding - wetness, fog, - Black ice, snow, - oil film, - pothole / bump, - Construction site, bottleneck, - Pollution, debris, - Accident / Obstacle, - People, animals, - etc.

[0048] As already described as a problem at the beginning, it is necessary to find a reasonable solution - as proposed by the invention - by means of which a sensible filtering of the "received information flood" can be carried out so that the output of a warning message and / or activation of an assistance system takes place at the "right moment" (in the "right situation" / not too early and not too late), so that the desired acceptance of the assistance systems by the vehicle users can be guaranteed in the long term. In other words:

[0049] By means of the method according to the invention for determining an individual response threshold (iAS), taking into account - a vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver, and if necessary / optionally other parameters, such as - a driver experience factor (kFE), - the current level of attention (AG) of the driver, - the current vehicle speed (v), and - a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), a realistic application behavior can be mapped in a very simple way (in the implementation), since this takes into account the fact that - at a low vehicle speed (v) and an insignificant traffic obstruction (13) the warning signal (W) can be / is to be implemented in a less sensitive manner (later response), whereas - at a high vehicle speed (v) and a significant traffic obstruction (13), the warning signal (W) can be / should be implemented more sensitively (responds earlier), - whereby an individuality can be achieved in each case, which can be adapted to the driver on the basis of the driver experience factor (kFE) of the driver.

[0050] The Fig. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the inventive concept. The key feature of the invention is primarily that (in addition to the known parameters not shown in detail), an (additional) parameter representing / mapping the driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) is introduced to influence thresholds (AS) or to weight decision criteria. The driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) also includes, in the broadest sense, a driver experience factor (kFE).

[0051] The type of implementation is of secondary importance, as it can be implemented in a variety of ways, for example, by incorporating the driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) as a directly acting parameter and / or as an indirectly acting parameter in the form of a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), for example, by changing an individual response threshold (iAS) using a situation-dependent correction factor (sk). All implementation examples based on this solution are within the range of equivalence and are included in the scope of protection. In other words:

[0052] The term “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)” includes both a realization based on a “vehicle familiarity factor of the driver (kFV)” a) a direct influence is exerted on a response threshold (AS), thus forming it into an individual response threshold (iAS), and / or b) a direct influence is exerted in the analysis of a criticality (aKV) of a current traffic situation, or in the analysis of a current traffic situation according to its critical degree, and / or c) an indirect influence is exerted on a response threshold (AS), thus forming an individual response threshold (iAS), for example the influence in the way that one or more of the parameters to be taken into account are adjusted / changed / corrected with a “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)”, and / or d) an indirect influence is exerted when analyzing a current traffic situation with regard to its criticality (aKV), or when analyzing a current traffic situation according to its critical degree, for example the influence in the way that one or more of the parameters to be considered are adjusted / changed / corrected with a “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)”, and / or e) a combination of two or more of the preceding items a) to d) in their entirety, and / or parts thereof.

[0053] In the simplest case, the “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)” is the “driver’s vehicle familiarity factor (kFV)” itself, or a direct reflection thereof, and / or a value derived from the “driver’s vehicle familiarity factor (kFV)” (weighted or unweighted).

[0054] In more complex implementations, the “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)” is a result in which one or more of the parameters to be considered are incorporated, whereby the parameters to be considered can also be incorporated partly or entirely as weighted quantities.

[0055] In the light of the invention, the expression or the term “vehicle familiarity factor of the driver” is to be understood as meaning that a parameter is defined by means of a value or a factor, by means of which the familiarity of the driver is taken into account, whereby the familiarity a) both on the handling of the vehicle, b) as well as on the handling of a certain driving situation, whereby the “driver’s vehicle familiarity factor” is primarily directed / related to the handling of the vehicle.

[0056] The degree of familiarity can be derived, for example, from the vehicle operation, whether vehicle inputs / operations (in response to an event / driving situation) are carried out quickly or with a time delay (in relation / comparison to typical reaction times of a larger number of vehicle drivers in comparable situations, and the results summarized using statistical evaluation methods as a reference), and / or whether the vehicle driver has already "managed" similar driving situations in the past with a certain degree of safety (whether experience in dealing with a certain situation is available, and if YES, whether the situation was completed with good or poor "driving performance").

[0057] The term “driver’s vehicle familiarity factor” thus includes, to a certain extent (depending on the area / situation), a “driver experience factor” or can be regarded in the broadest sense as a synonym for this, or is a measure / parameter of how familiar a driver is with a certain event and / or the vehicle or the vehicle handling.

[0058] In the light of the invention, the expression or the term “driver experience factor” (of the driver) is to be understood as meaning that a parameter is defined by means of a value or a factor, by means of which the experience of the driver is taken into account, whereby the experience a) both on the handling of the vehicle, b) can also relate to the handling of a certain driving situation, whereby the “driver experience factor” is preferably directed / related to the handling of a certain driving situation.

[0059] The degree of the experience factor can be derived, for example, from vehicle operation or driving practice, whether a driver has a lot of driving experience (in relation / comparison to typical annual driving experience in hours of a larger number of drivers, and the results are used as a reference using statistical evaluation methods), and / or whether the driver has already "managed" similar driving situations in the past with a certain degree of safety (whether experience in dealing with a certain situation is available, and if YES, whether the situation was completed with good or poor "driving performance").

[0060] The expression “individual response threshold (iAS) is changed directly and / or indirectly by means of a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), or is directly and / or indirectly influenced”, a) is (in the broadest sense) to understand that either one or both of the quantities to be compared according to Fig. 4, is / are adapted to a current situation with a “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)” in order to achieve an improved, dynamic decision-making process that better takes into account the driver’s abilities when deciding or weighing up whether to generate a warning message or not to issue a warning message, b) also to understand that the response threshold (AS) itself is adjusted / changed / corrected with a “situation-dependent correction factor (sk)” and thus forms an individual response threshold (iAS).

[0061] The Fig. 4 in a few words: In the vehicle (10) based on, a) road condition data (13) transmitted to the vehicle (10) by means of a communication unit (6) or a car-to-x communication (14) - for the section of road ahead in the direction of travel - or made available, provided by one or more vehicles (11), b. who have driven on the relevant road in a relevant previous period, b) and on the basis of position-determining data (GPS system) in the vehicle (10) and road course information derived therefrom (e-horizon or navigation system), the upcoming road course in the direction of travel is determined, correlating with the road condition data (13), c) and generates a warning message based on this, where d) when generating the warning message and / or intervening in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance, a. the individual driver experience (kFE) or the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver, as well as b. the type of impairment (13) is taken into account in conjunction with the current vehicle speed (v).

[0062] The Fig. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of an evaluation option using a two-dimensional characteristic field. As can be seen from the Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) is shown on the x-axis, with the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) represented as "low (0.1)", "medium (0.5)", and "high (1.0)" to demonstrate the dependency. Further value gradations between the aforementioned gradations, as well as meaningfully continuing value gradations at the edges, are also possible. Optionally, the driver's vehicle experience factor (kFE) can also be shown / plotted on the x-axis instead of the driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV).

[0063] On the y-axis, a response threshold (AS) or a criticality of the traffic situation (kVS) is shown, whereby the response threshold (AS) or the criticality of the traffic situation (kVS) is represented with “10 (sensitive)”, “5 (medium)” and “1 (insensitive)” in order to show the dependency, whereby further value gradations between the mentioned gradations, as well as meaningfully continuing value gradations at the edge areas, are of course also possible.

[0064] Furthermore, the Fig. 5 in dashed form an individual response threshold (iAS), or an individual resulting response threshold (irAS), which is shifted upwards or downwards as a function in parallel, whereby the shift in this example takes place depending on the vehicle speed (v) and a situation-dependent correction factor (sk) and resulting from this (the intersection point with the diagonally running "warning signal line"), depending on the situation, a certain vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver is required for the corresponding traffic situation, and depending on the fulfillment of this, a decision is made as to whether or not the driver assistance system (1) issues a situation-appropriate warning (sW) to the driver and / or a situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance for the current traffic situation.

[0065] As from the Fig. As can be seen further in Figure 5, the display threshold / response threshold is influenced / changed as a function of the current vehicle speed (v) and a correction factor (sk).

[0066] Since in this solution the correction factor (k) is between 0.0 and 1.0 and is considered as a divisor, the relationship results that - at high vehicle speed (v) and small correction factor (in the denominator) a shift towards more sensitive results, whereas - at low vehicle speed (v) and large correction factor (in the denominator) a shift towards less sensitive results.

[0067] This variation (Δ) / adaptation (Δ) is brought into effect as an influencing variable on the "function line", so that the result is a change in the response threshold or a shift in the limit - at which a warning signal and / or intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance, or no warning signal and / or no intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance is generated or carried out.

[0068] As from the Fig. As further stated in paragraph 5, when determining the response threshold, the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver and / or the vehicle driver experience factor (kFE) of the driver are also taken into account in such a way that the greater the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver and / or the vehicle driver experience factor (kFE), the less sensitive the response threshold can be selected.

[0069] As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen further in Figure 5, at a low vehicle speed (v) and a large situation-dependent correction factor (k, sk), the individual response threshold (iAS) or the individual resulting response threshold (irAS) is shifted downwards, i.e. in the direction of less sensitivity, which ultimately means that a warning signal (W) is generated later or as a result of a greater criticality of the traffic situation (kVS).

[0070] As can be seen from the Fig. As can be seen further in Figure 5, at a high vehicle speed (v) and a small situation-dependent correction factor (k, sk), the individual response threshold (iAS) or the individual resulting response threshold (irAS) is shifted upwards, i.e. in the direction of more sensitivity, which ultimately results in a warning signal generation (W) taking place earlier or, as a result, at a lower criticality of the traffic situation (kVS).

[0071] The Fig. 6 shows a principle diagram of another evaluation option using a three-dimensional characteristic field.

[0072] As from the Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) is shown on the x-axis, with the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) represented as "0.1 (low)", "0.5 (medium)", and "1.0 (high)" to demonstrate the dependency. Further value gradations between the aforementioned gradations, as well as meaningfully continuing value gradations at the edges, are also possible. Optionally, the driver's vehicle experience factor (kFE) can also be shown / plotted on the x-axis instead of the driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV).

[0073] On the y-axis, a response threshold (AS) or a criticality of the traffic situation (kVS) is shown, whereby the response threshold (AS) or the criticality of the traffic situation (kVS) is represented with “10 (sensitive)”, “5 (medium)” and “1 (insensitive)” in order to show the dependency, whereby further value gradations between the mentioned gradations, as well as meaningfully continuing value gradations at the edge areas, are of course also possible.

[0074] The events are shown on the z-axis, with the events being shown / mapped with a different rating depending on the type of event.

[0075] As from the Fig. 6, as further shown by means of two examples, an individual resulting response threshold (iAS, irAS) results from the corresponding input parameters (kFV, event), which is a measure of which value is required by the driver with regard to the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver for the corresponding traffic situation, and depending on the fulfilment of this, a decision is made as to whether or not the driver assistance system (1) issues a situation-appropriate warning (sW) to the driver and / or a situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance for the current traffic situation.

[0076] As from the Fig. 6, the individual (resulting) response threshold (iAS, irAS) becomes less sensitive (later responding), the higher the evaluation of the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver is analyzed by the analysis unit (5) using the vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function (kFVF) of the driver contained / integrated in the analysis unit (5), and the higher (the value from 0.0 to 1.0) the classification / rating (factor) of the event (event) is (as is exemplified below using the Fig. 7 is shown in more detail).

[0077] The Fig. Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of another evaluation option using a one- or multi-dimensional value table, as well as an example of a classification / rating (factor) of different events (event).

[0078] In the upper table of the Fig. 7, different events (IV) are listed in the first column, which are transmitted, for example, as information of a traffic message / traffic information (IV) to the vehicle (10) by means of a communication unit (6) or a car-to-x communication (14).

[0079] In order to be able to meaningfully consider a traffic situation as an input parameter for an assistance system, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each traffic situation is assigned a correction factor (k, sk) between 0.0 and 1.0, whereby the weighting can also change depending on the application, or a different value can be assigned (can assume).

[0080] The second column shows a respective factor (k) or correction factor (k), wherein the factor (k) or correction factor (k) is assigned to a specific event, or a factor (k) or correction factor (k) is assigned to a specific event. For this purpose, the factor (k) can be assigned to the event on the vehicle side, or can already be transmitted to the vehicle (10) as information in a traffic message / traffic information (IV) by means of a communication unit (6) or a car-to-x communication (14).

[0081] Columns 3 to 5 show, as an example, a weighting of individual correction factors (k) or the situation-dependent correction factors (sk) resulting from the weighting. As can be seen from the table, the individual weighting factors, - Weighting (G v ) of the correction factor (sk) for speed, - Weighting (G w) of the correction factor (sk) for warning signal generation, - Weighting (G kVF ) of the correction factor (sk) for vehicle familiarity, with respect to a specific event, take on different values, or take on values ​​which differ from each other depending on the event, in order to be able to better depict / take into account the driver familiarity values ​​(kFV) / driver experience values ​​(kFE) depending on the event and situation.

[0082] The situation-dependent correction factor (k) is weighted on the cloud side, preferably with standard values, and / or on the vehicle side in the assistance system (1), preferably with individual driver-assignable or driver-dependent experience factors (kFE) or the driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV). The values ​​in the table are purely exemplary for ease of understanding, whereby the parameters (instead of 0.0 to 1.0) can also assume values ​​greater than 1.0 if the correction factor (k, sk)(s) are used as a multiplier rather than as a divisor. Example calculation for understanding:

[0083] Using the analysis unit (5), a situation-dependent assessment of a traffic situation is performed, determining the value 0.5, or the analyzed criticality of the traffic situation (aKV) is 0.5. The individual response threshold (AS, iAS) without correction would thus be 0.5.

[0084] As an event, a pollution of the road surface is assumed, whereby the pollution of the road surface is determined according to the upper table of the Fig. 7, the factor (k), or correction factor (k) with a value of 0.6 (0.0 < k < 1.0).

[0085] Furthermore, it is assumed that the analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle (10), which is further designed for a vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function (kFVF) of the driver, determines a vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver with a value of 0.75 (0.0 < kFV < 1.0).

[0086] The weighting (G kVF) of the correction factor (sk) for the vehicle familiarity is assumed for the event "contamination" with the correction factor 0.8 (0.0 < sk < 1.0) for the driver currently sitting at the wheel, since the driver has already managed a comparable situation several times without error with the identical vehicle, for example, and thus a high degree of familiarity / vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) can be assumed.

[0087] The decision as to whether or not a situation-appropriate warning (sW) of the driver and / or a situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance is carried out in this calculation example is determined taking into account the parameters mentioned as follows: a) Response threshold (AS, iAS) without correction, b) divided by correction factor (k), c) divided by weight (G kVF ) of the correction factor (sk).

[0088] In numbers: 0.5(AS,iAS) / 0.6(k) / 0.8(GkVF)=1.04

[0089] The corrected value is 1.04. Since 1.04 is greater than the analyzed value of the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of 0.75, the result is a situation-appropriate warning (sW) to the driver and / or a situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance.

[0090] Depending on the implementation, additional parameters can of course be taken into account, and the invention is in no way limited to the example shown with the number of parameters or correction factors contained therein.

[0091] The decisive factor for the invention is that a vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver, or a factor that adequately represents (reproduces) a vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver, is used in the decision as to whether a) a situation-appropriate warning (sW) is given to the driver, and / or b) a situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance is carried out, is taken into account in any form (if necessary / optionally in addition to other parameters as influencing factors), for example as a situation-dependent correction factor (sk) and / or as a correction factor (k), in which a vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver has had an influence, or is already included / integrated therein, or if necessary also in the form of a function / as a functional relationship in the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) [f (sk)] can be included / integrated, wherein in a preferred embodiment of the invention weighted factors or correction factors (k) or situation-dependent correction factors (sk) are also taken into account, which define the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver, correlating to an event, directly and / or indirectly depending on the event or situation.

[0092] In the table below the Fig. Figure 7 shows a further possible application of the invention. The first column shows various possible reactions of the vehicle driver to different events, for example, the driver's reaction to events in the form of traffic information (IV), which is transmitted to the vehicle (10) via a communication unit (6) or a car-to-x communication (14) and supplied to the driver as information.

[0093] Columns 2 and 3 show, as an example, a weighting of individual correction factors (k) or the situation-dependent correction factors (sk) resulting from the weighting. As can be seen from the table, the individual weighting factors, - Weighting (G kVF ) of the correction factor (sk) for vehicle familiarity, - Weighting (G v ) of the correction factor (sk) for speed, among themselves, in relation to a reaction of the driver to a specific event (reaction options of the driver to different events), assume different values, or assume values ​​which differ from each other depending on the event, in order to be able to better depict / take into account the driver familiarity values ​​(kFV) / driver experience values ​​(kFE), depending on the event and situation.

[0094] The Fig. 8 shows another principle diagram of this analogous to the Fig. 3 a vehicle (11) receives road condition data via cloud or car-to-x communication (13). Fig. 3, in this example it is assumed that instead of the vehicle (10), the vehicle (11) receives road condition data (13) via cloud or car-to-x communication (14), whereby as can be seen from the Fig. 8 it can further be seen that an event to be taken into account is cornering, wherein the curve trajectory is designed as a circular segment and is defined by means of a radius (r) and an angle (α), and thus, by means of these characteristic data, a centrifugal force acting on the vehicle (11) when cornering is determined as a function of speed / can be calculated based on physical laws, wherein a maximum permissible vehicle cornering speed can be determined from this, which the vehicle (11) must not exceed when cornering.

[0095] The Fig. 9 shows a principle diagram of a further evaluation option using a two-dimensional characteristic field, in particular as an implementation during cornering according to Fig. 8.

[0096] As from the Fig. As can be seen further in Figure 9, the maximum permissible speed is influenced / changed by means of a correction factor (k, sk) in order to ultimately achieve a speed limit (via braking intervention and / or warning message).

[0097] Since in this solution the correction factor (k, sk) is between 0.0 and 1.0 and is considered as a divisor, the relationship results that - with a small correction factor (in the denominator) there is a shift towards a lower permissible speed, whereas - with a large correction factor (in the denominator) there is a shift towards a higher permissible speed.

[0098] This variation (Δ) / adaptation (Δ) is brought into effect as an influencing variable on the "function line", so that the result is a change in the maximum permissible vehicle speed, or a shift in the limit / response threshold - in which case an automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance (braking process) and / or a request signal for braking request.

[0099] As from the Fig. As further shown in Figure 9, the topography or the curve shape / curve radius (α, r) is also taken into account when determining the response threshold in such a way that the larger the curve radius (r) in the direction of travel, the higher the permitted vehicle speed can be selected (always taking into account that physical limit values ​​due to centrifugal force are safely complied with).

[0100] By means of the method according to the invention for determining an individual maximum vehicle speed when driving through a curve, taking into account - the topography or the curve shape / curve radius (α, r), and - a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), a solution can be created in a very simple way (in implementation) and in a very easy-to-understand manner, by means of which an application adapted / satisfactory to the traffic situation can be achieved, in which a warning message generation and / or an automatic intervention in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance - individually tailored to the type of traffic disruption and adapted to the driver's driving skills - is generated or executed neither too early nor too late.

[0101] In order to be able to meaningfully consider a traffic situation as an input parameter for an assistance system, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each traffic situation is assigned a correction factor (sk) between 0.0 and 1.0, whereby the weighting can also change depending on the application, or a different value can be assigned (can assume). List of reference symbols: 1 driver assistance function 2 Environmental detection system 3 Positioning unit 4 optical detection system 5 Analysis Unit 6 Communication unit 7 ahead driving trajectory 8 Evaluation device 9 Cloud 10 Vehicle / Motor Vehicle 11 additional vehicles 12 Infrastructure for the travel trajectory 13 Road condition data (obstacle / obstruction) 14 car-to-x communication aE automatic intervention AG current level of attention of the driver AGF attention assessment function aKV analyzed the criticality of the traffic situation AS response threshold Ff driver dependent G Weighting iAS individual response threshold irAS individual resulting response threshold IV Traffic information IVf traffic information dependent / event dependent k Correction factor kFE driver experience factor kFV Driver's vehicle familiarity factor kFVF vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function kVS critical traffic situation mK multidimensional characteristic field mW multidimensional value table saE situation-appropriate automatic intervention sk situation-dependent correction factor (k) sW situation-appropriate warning v Vehicle speed W Warning message / warning signal

Claims

[1] Method for a driver assistance function (1) for situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle longitudinal guidance when the vehicle (10) comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation (kVS) and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation (kVS) is predicted, having at least a) an environment detection system (2) directed in the direction of the preceding travel trajectory (7) and / or a position determination unit (3) located in the vehicle for determining the current vehicle position, b) an optical detection system (4) located inside the vehicle, designed for an attention assessment function (AGF) of the driver, c) an analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle, designed to evaluate a traffic situation depending on the situation, d) a communication unit (6) located in the vehicle, designed to exchange information with at least one other vehicle (11) and / or an infrastructure (12) for the travel trajectory (7), characterized by , that e) situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance in the form of a braking operation, f) in the case of a critical traffic situation (kVS), based on a relative exceedance of an individual response threshold (iAS) with regard to the critical traffic situation (kVS), g) whereby the individual response threshold (iAS) is changed directly and / or indirectly by means of a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), or is influenced directly and / or indirectly, h) where - the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) is event-dependent (IVf) and / or traffic information-dependent (IVf) and / or driver-dependent (Ff), - has a different weighting (G) for the parameters acting as input variables and / or for the output result(s) and / or is formed from several correction factors (IV, v, kFV, AG) which have a different weighting (G). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle (10) is further designed for a vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function (kFVF) of the vehicle driver in order to determine a vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the vehicle driver. [3] Method according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized by that the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) is created on the basis of a multidimensional value table (mW). [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized by that the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) is created on the basis of a multidimensional characteristic field (mK). [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that when setting and / or determining an individual response threshold (iAS) taking into account a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), when generating the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) to be taken into account, as input variables - in addition to the traffic information (IV), - the current vehicle speed (v), - the vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver, and / or - the driver's experience factor (kFE) is taken into account. [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the driver's vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) is taken into account when generating the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) to be taken into account. [7] Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized bythat in addition to the situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance in the form of a braking process, a situation-appropriate warning (sW) is given to the driver. [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that whenever the vehicle (10) comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation (kVS) and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation (kVS) is predicted, a) a warning message (W) is issued to the driver and / or automatic intervention (aE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance takes place, b) however, in deviation from this, no warning message (W) is issued to the driver and / or no automatic intervention (aE) in the vehicle’s longitudinal guidance takes place if c) the individual response threshold (iAS) is changed by means of the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) in such a way that d) the analyzed criticality (aKV) of the current traffic situation, which is corrected with the situation-dependent correction factor (sk), is not reached and / or is predicted not to reach the individual resulting response threshold (irAS). [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that whenever the vehicle (10) comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation (kVS) and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation (kVS) is predicted, a) a warning message (W) is issued to the driver and / or automatic intervention (aE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance takes place, b) however, in deviation from this, no warning message (W) is issued to the driver and / or no automatic intervention (aE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance takes place and / or these actions are carried out at least with an individual response threshold (iAS) shifted towards less sensitive, if c) the analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle determines that - the driver’s vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) is positive, and - the current level of attention (AG) of the driver is positive, and - the driver experience factor (kFE) is event-dependent (IVf) and / or traffic information-dependent (IVf), correlating positively with this. [10] Driver assistance function (1) for situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle longitudinal guidance when the vehicle (10) comes into the area of ​​a critical traffic situation (kVS) and / or an approach to a critical traffic situation (kVS) is predicted, comprising at least a) an environment detection system (2) directed in the direction of the preceding travel trajectory (7) and / or a position determination unit (3) located in the vehicle for determining the current vehicle position, b) an optical detection system (4) located inside the vehicle, designed for an attention assessment function (AGF) of the driver, c) an analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle, designed to evaluate a traffic situation depending on the situation, d) a communication unit (6) located in the vehicle, designed to exchange information with at least one other vehicle (11) and / or an infrastructure (12) for the travel trajectory (7), e) an evaluation device (8) for evaluating data from the environment detection system (2) and / or the position determination unit (3), the optical detection system (4) located inside the vehicle, the analysis unit (5) located in the vehicle, vehicle sensor data, TCM data, Car-to-X data and / or additional environment detection systems, characterized by , that f) the evaluation device (8) and / or analysis unit (5) carry out a situation-appropriate automatic intervention (saE) in the vehicle's longitudinal guidance in the form of a braking operation, g) in a critical traffic situation (kVS), based on an exceedance of an individual response threshold (iAS) with regard to the critical traffic situation (kVS), where h) the individual response threshold (iAS) is changed by means of a situation-dependent correction factor (sk), whereby i) furthermore, the evaluation device (8) and / or analysis unit (3) are designed with a vehicle familiarity factor evaluation function (kFVF) and take into account the determined vehicle familiarity factor (kFV) of the driver when generating the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) in order to generate a corrected individual resulting response threshold (irAS), j) where - the situation-dependent correction factor (sk) is event-dependent (IVf) and / or traffic information-dependent (IVf) and / or driver-dependent (Ff), - has a different weighting (G) for the parameters acting as input variables and / or for the output result(s) and / or is formed from several correction factors (IV, v, kFV, AG) which have a different weighting (G).

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