Driver assistance system and driver assistance procedures for a vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a driver assistance system (100) for a vehicle (10), comprising a detection module (110) configured to detect an actual or imminent lane departure (SV) of the vehicle (10) due to a steering movement by the driver of the vehicle (10); an analysis module (120) configured to determine, based on historical data (HD), whether the steering movement is related to driving around at least one obstacle (HI); and at least one control module (130) configured to control at least one vehicle function related to the detected actual or imminent lane departure (SV) based on whether the steering movement is related to driving around an obstacle (HI) or not.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driver assistance system for a vehicle, a vehicle having such a driver assistance system, a driver assistance method for a vehicle, and a storage medium for executing the driver assistance method. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an accurate and efficient response to a detected lane departure. State of the art

[0002] Driver assistance systems for vehicles are becoming increasingly important. One example of a driver assistance system is the lane departure warning system, which supports the driver in ensuring that the vehicle does not leave its ego lane. To do this, the driver assistance system records the lane path and, optionally, other parameters such as vehicle speed, steering angle and turn signal activation. If the vehicle leaves its ego lane, e.g. without activating the turn signals, the lane departure warning system issues a warning to the driver and / or intervenes directly in the vehicle guidance by means of active steering intervention in order to keep the vehicle in the ego lane. In this case, the driver and the lane departure warning system may work against each other, which can be unpleasant for the driver and, if it occurs frequently, can lead to the system being deactivated and thus poses risks in traffic. Disclosure of the invention

[0003] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a driver assistance system for a vehicle, a vehicle with such a driver assistance system, a driver assistance method for a vehicle, and a storage medium for executing the driver assistance method, which can improve the reliability of the driver assistance system, in particular a lane keeping assistance system. Furthermore, it is an object of the present disclosure to increase road safety by preventing the driver from being tempted to deactivate the system due to unwanted interventions.

[0004] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

[0005] According to an independent aspect of the present disclosure, a driver assistance system for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is specified. The driver assistance system comprises a detection module configured to detect an actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle due to a steering movement of a driver of the vehicle; an analysis module configured to determine, based on historical data, whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle; and at least one control module configured to control at least one vehicle function related to the detected actual or impending lane departure based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle.

[0006] According to the invention, historical data is used to determine whether an actual or impending lane departure is related to avoiding at least one obstacle, i.e. whether the lane departure is intentional or conscious or unintentional or unconscious. For example, a usual or average driving path at a specific location can be learned from the driving behavior of the driver of the ego vehicle and / or from fleet data. If this learned driving path deviates from a lane course detected, for example, by environmental sensors and / or map data, it can be assumed that the steering movement is related to avoiding an obstacle. The driver assistance system controls the at least one vehicle function, such as a lane keeping assistance function, based on this knowledge, so that, for example, warnings and / or steering interventions that are annoying to the driver can be avoided.As a result, the reliability of the driver assistance system can be improved and road safety increased, as the driver is not tempted to switch off the system due to unwanted interventions.

[0007] The detection module and / or the analysis module and / or the at least one control module can be implemented in a common software and / or hardware module. Alternatively, the detection module and / or the analysis module and / or the at least one control module can each be implemented in separate software and / or hardware modules.

[0008] Preferably, the at least one obstacle is selected from the group consisting of or consisting of a structural elevation (e.g., a blow-up, a loose object, etc.), a structural depression (e.g., a pothole, etc.), and a foreign material (e.g., water or a puddle). In preferred embodiments, the at least one obstacle may be a pothole.

[0009] The detection module of the driver assistance system is configured to detect an actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle due to a steering movement of the driver. Actual lane departure can be detected, for example, if a lane boundary has already been crossed. Similarly, an impending lane departure can be detected if a lane boundary is imminent due to the driver's steering movement.

[0010] The detection module preferably uses environmental data from an environmental sensor system of the vehicle to detect the actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle. The environmental sensor system can, for example, comprise at least one camera, in particular at least one exterior camera. The detection module can analyze the image data provided by the at least one camera to detect the actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle. For example, lane markings can be detected in the image data, wherein a horizontal change in the position of the lane markings in the image can be used to conclude that the vehicle has already departed or is about to depart from its lane.

[0011] However, the present disclosure is not limited to cameras, and environmental data from at least one infrared sensor and / or a lidar system can be used additionally or alternatively to detect the actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle. For example, at least one infrared sensor can be provided on an underbody of the vehicle to detect whether the vehicle is crossing or threatening to cross a lane marking. From this, it can be concluded that the vehicle has or will be crossing a lane.

[0012] Optionally, the detection module can use additional information in addition to the environmental data to detect the actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle, such as a steering angle, digital map data, a vehicle position, etc.

[0013] Preferably, the historical data relates to the vehicle driver's past driving behavior. This allows for a driver-specific determination of whether the driver repeatedly performs a steering movement at a specific location. If this is the case, it can be assumed that the actual or impending lane departure is intentional, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, the historical data relates to a driving behavior of at least one other vehicle, in particular a driving behavior of a driver of the at least one other vehicle. In some embodiments, the historical data can relate to a driving behavior of a vehicle fleet, i.e., a driving behavior of a plurality of vehicles. Thus, it can be determined from the fleet behavior whether the fleet vehicles often (or usually, or always) perform a steering movement at a specific location. If this is the case, it can be assumed that the actual or impending lane departure by the driver of the other vehicle is intentional, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0015] Preferably, the analysis module is configured to detect a driver intention to leave the lane based on the history data and to determine that: - the steering movement is related to avoiding an obstacle when the driver's intention to leave the lane is detected, and - the steering movement is not related to avoiding an obstacle if no driver intention to leave the lane is detected.

[0016] The historical data preferably relates to or is driving path information. In some embodiments, the analysis module can be configured to compare the driving path information with a lane course detected, for example, from the environmental data of the environmental sensors and / or digital map data; and to determine, based on the comparison of the driving path information with the lane course, whether the driver intends to leave the lane. For example, a driving path learned from the fleet data may differ significantly at one point from a course of the lane markings detected by the environmental sensors. In this case, a driver's intention when crossing the lane can be assumed, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0017] Preferably, the at least one control module is configured to trigger the at least one vehicle function for a counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure if it is detected that the steering movement is not related to avoiding an obstacle. For example, active counter-steering can be performed by the steering system if it is detected that the steering movement is not related to avoiding an obstacle.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively, the at least one control module can be configured not to trigger the at least one vehicle function to counteract the detected actual or impending lane departure if it is detected that the steering movement is related to avoiding an obstacle. In some embodiments, the at least one control module can be configured not to trigger the at least one vehicle function to counteract, so that lane departure is enabled without countermeasures by the driver assistance system. For example, no active countersteering can be performed by the steering system if it is detected that the steering movement is related to avoiding an obstacle.

[0019] Preferably, the at least one control module is configured to control the at least one vehicle function for the counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure in such a way that an acoustic and / or optical and / or haptic warning is issued to the driver. The warning is a signal to the driver that the ego lane is being left. The acoustic warning can be issued to the driver, for example, via at least one interior loudspeaker. The optical warning can be issued to the driver, for example, via at least one display device, such as a central information output device of an infotainment system (e.g. head unit or pillar-to-pillar display). The haptic warning can be issued to the driver, for example, by a vibration of the steering wheel.

[0020] Preferably, the at least one control module is configured to control the at least one vehicle function for the counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure such that a steering system of the vehicle actively intervenes to prevent the lane departure and return the vehicle to a current lane. In particular, counter-steering can be initiated to prevent the vehicle from leaving the ego lane.

[0021] Preferably, the at least one control module is configured to control the at least one vehicle function such that a turn signal is activated when it is detected that the steering movement is related to avoiding an obstacle. This allows the avoidance of the obstacle or lane departure to be signaled to the outside, thereby improving road safety.

[0022] In some embodiments, the driver assistance system may be a lane-keeping assistant, such as a passive lane-keeping assistant or an active lane-keeping assistant. The passive lane-keeping assistant warns the driver when the vehicle leaves the ego lane. The active lane-keeping assistant can actively intervene in the steering to keep the vehicle in the ego lane. In other words, the driver assistance system can provide automated lateral guidance.

[0023] According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is specified. The vehicle comprises the driver assistance system according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] The term "vehicle" includes cars, trucks, vans, buses, mobile homes, motorcycles, etc., used to transport people, goods, etc. In particular, the term includes motor vehicles used to transport people.

[0025] According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a driver assistance method for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is specified. The driver assistance method comprises detecting an actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle due to a steering movement of a driver of the vehicle; determining, based on historical data, whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle; and controlling at least one vehicle function related to the detected actual or impending lane departure based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle.

[0026] Preferably, the driver assistance method further comprises aggregating the history data, wherein the history data is provided by the vehicle and / or at least one third-party vehicle, in particular a vehicle fleet.

[0027] Preferably, the aggregation of the historical data is performed by the vehicle or an external unit. In some embodiments, the external unit may be a server or a backend.

[0028] Preferably, determining, based on the historical data, whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle comprises comparing travel path information with a lane profile; and determining, based on the comparison of the travel path information with the lane profile, whether a driver intention to leave the lane exists. For example, a travel path learned from fleet data may differ significantly at one point from a profile of the lane markings detected by environmental sensors of the ego vehicle. In this case, a driver intention when crossing the lane can be assumed, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0029] Preferably, the determination of whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle is performed by the vehicle or an external unit. In some embodiments, the external unit may be a server or a backend. The vehicle may, for example, communicate with the external unit via a mobile network (e.g., an LTE or 5G network) for data exchange to implement the driver assistance method described in this document. In this case, no historical data needs to be maintained or stored in the vehicle, which saves memory and computing resources in the vehicle.

[0030] The driver assistance procedure can implement the aspects of the driver assistance system described in this document.

[0031] According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a software (SW) program is provided. The SW program can be configured to be executed on one or more processors and thereby to carry out the driver assistance method described in this document.

[0032] According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium may comprise a software program configured to be executed on one or more processors and thereby to execute the driver assistance method described in this document.

[0033] According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, software with program code is provided. The software is configured to implement the driver assistance method when the software runs on one or more software-controlled devices.

[0034] According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a driver assistance system for a vehicle is provided. The driver assistance system comprises one or more processors; and at least one memory connected to the one or more processors and containing instructions executable by the one or more processors to carry out the driver assistance method described in this document.

[0035] A processor or processor module is a programmable computing unit, i.e. a machine or an electronic circuit that controls other elements according to given instructions and thereby drives an algorithm (process). Short description of the drawings

[0036] Embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated in the figures and are described in more detail below. They show: Fig. 1 schematically shows a vehicle with a driver assistance system according to embodiments of the present disclosure, Fig. 2 schematically shows a vehicle leaving an ego lane according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a driver assistance method for a vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the disclosure

[0037] In the following, unless otherwise stated, the same reference symbols are used for identical and equivalent elements.

[0038] Fig. 1 schematically shows a vehicle 10 with driver assistance system 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 schematically illustrates vehicle 10 exiting an ego lane according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] The driver assistance system 100 comprises a detection module 110 configured to detect an actual or impending lane departure SV of the vehicle 10 due to a steering movement of a driver of the vehicle 10; an analysis module 120 configured to determine, based on history data HD, whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle HI; and at least one control module 130 configured to control at least one vehicle function related to the detected actual or impending lane departure SV based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle HI.

[0040] In some embodiments, the driver assistance system 100 may be a lane-keeping assistant, such as a passive lane-keeping assistant or an active lane-keeping assistant. The passive lane-keeping assistant warns the driver when the vehicle 10 leaves the ego lane. The active lane-keeping assistant can perform active steering interventions to keep the vehicle 10 in the ego lane. In other words, at least automated lateral guidance can be provided by the driver assistance system 100.

[0041] The at least one obstacle HI can be, but is not limited to, a structural elevation (e.g., a blow-up, a loose object, etc.), a structural depression (e.g., a pothole, etc.), or a foreign surface (e.g., water or a puddle). In preferred embodiments, the at least one obstacle HI can be a pothole.

[0042] The detection module 110 preferably uses acquisition data from an environmental sensor system of the vehicle 10 to detect the actual or impending lane departure SV of the vehicle 10. The environmental sensor system can, for example, comprise at least one camera, in particular at least one exterior camera. The detection module 110 can analyze the image data provided by the at least one camera to detect the actual or impending lane departure SV of the vehicle 10. For example, lane markings FM can be detected in the image data, wherein a horizontal change in the position of the lane markings FM in the image can be used to conclude that the lane departure SV of the vehicle 10 has occurred or is imminent.Optionally, the detection module 110 may use additional information in addition to the detection data to detect the actual or impending lane departure SV of the vehicle 10, such as a steering angle, digital map data, a vehicle position, etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, the historical data HD relates to past driving behavior of the driver of vehicle 10. This allows for a driver-specific determination of whether the driver repeatedly performs a steering movement at a specific location. If this is the case, it can be assumed that the actual or impending lane departure SV is intentional, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0044] Additionally or alternatively, the historical data HD could relate to the driving behavior of a vehicle fleet, in particular the driving behavior of the fleet's drivers. This makes it possible to determine from the fleet behavior whether the fleet vehicles often (or mostly, or always) perform a steering movement at a specific location. If this is the case, it can be assumed that the actual or impending lane departure SV of the driver of the ego vehicle 10 is intentional, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0045] In some embodiments, the historical data HD comprises driving path information, for example of the vehicle fleet. The analysis module 120 can be configured to compare the driving path information with a current lane course detected, for example, from the environmental data of the environmental sensors and / or digital map data, and to determine, based on the comparison of the driving path information with the current lane course, whether there is a driver intention to leave the lane SV. For example, a driving path learned from the fleet data can differ significantly at one point from a course of the lane markings detected by the environmental sensors. In this case, a driver intention when crossing the lane can be assumed, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention can be suppressed.

[0046] The at least one control module 130 controls the at least one vehicle function based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle HI. In particular, the at least one control module 130 can be configured to control the at least one vehicle function for a counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure SV if it is detected that the steering movement is not related to avoiding at least one obstacle HI. Furthermore, the at least one control module 130 can be configured not to control the at least one vehicle function for a counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure SV or to suppress counter-reactions if it is detected that the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle HI.

[0047] In some embodiments, the at least one control module 130 can be configured to control the at least one vehicle function for the counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure SV such that an acoustic and / or optical and / or haptic warning is issued to the driver. The warning is a signal to the driver that the ego lane is being left. The acoustic warning can be issued to the driver, for example, via at least one interior loudspeaker. The optical warning can be issued to the driver, for example, via at least one display device, such as a central information output device of an infotainment system (e.g., head unit or pillar-to-pillar display). The haptic warning can be issued to the driver, for example, by a vibration of the steering wheel.

[0048] Additionally or alternatively, the at least one control module 130 can be configured to control the at least one vehicle function for the counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure SV such that a steering system of the vehicle 10 actively intervenes to prevent the lane departure SV and return the vehicle 10 to a current lane. In particular, counter-steering can be initiated to prevent the vehicle 10 from leaving the ego lane.

[0049] If, however, it is recognized that the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle HI and lane departure SV is therefore intended, countermeasures such as the exemplary countermeasures mentioned above can be suppressed.

[0050] Fig.Figure 3 schematically shows a flowchart of a driver assistance method 300 for a vehicle according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The driver assistance method 300 can be implemented by appropriate software executable by one or more processors (e.g., a CPU).

[0051] The driver assistance method 300 comprises, in block 310, detecting an actual or impending lane departure of the vehicle due to a steering movement of a driver of the vehicle; in block 320, determining, based on historical data, whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle; and, in block 330, controlling at least one vehicle function related to the detected actual or impending lane departure based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle.

[0052] In some embodiments, the driver assistance method 300 further comprises aggregating the history data, wherein the history data is provided by the vehicle and / or at least one third-party vehicle, in particular a vehicle fleet, and wherein the aggregation of the history data is performed by the vehicle or an external unit, such as a server or a backend.

[0053] In some embodiments, the determination in block 320 includes comparing travel path information with a lane profile and determining, based on the comparison of the travel path information with the lane profile, whether a driver intent to leave the lane exists. For example, a travel path learned from fleet data may differ significantly at one point from a path of the lane markings detected by environmental sensors of the ego vehicle. In this case, a driver intent when crossing the lane may be assumed, whereupon, for example, a lane departure warning and / or steering intervention may be suppressed.

[0054] Additionally or alternatively, the determination in block 320 is performed by the vehicle or an external unit, such as a server or a backend. The vehicle can, for example, communicate with the external unit via a mobile network (e.g., an LTE or 5G network) for data exchange to implement the driver assistance method 300. In this case, no historical data needs to be maintained or stored in the vehicle, which saves memory and computing resources in the vehicle.

[0055] According to the invention, historical data is used to determine whether an actual or impending lane departure is related to avoiding at least one obstacle, i.e. whether the lane departure is intentional or conscious or unintentional or unconscious. For example, a usual or average driving path at a specific location can be learned from the driving behavior of the driver of the ego vehicle and / or from fleet data. If this learned driving path deviates from a lane course detected, for example, by environmental sensors and / or map data, it can be assumed that the steering movement is related to avoiding an obstacle. The driver assistance system controls the at least one vehicle function, such as a lane keeping assistance function, based on this knowledge, so that, for example, warnings and / or steering interventions that are annoying to the driver can be avoided.As a result, the reliability of the driver assistance system can be improved and road safety increased, as the driver is not tempted to switch off the system due to unwanted interventions.

[0056] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned by way of example are truly only examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope, possible applications, or configuration of the invention in any way.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

Claims

[1] Driver assistance system (100) for a vehicle (10), comprising: a detection module (110) configured to detect an actual or impending lane departure (SV) of the vehicle (10) due to a steering movement of a driver of the vehicle (10); an analysis module (120) configured to determine, based on historical data (HD), whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI); and at least one control module (130) configured to control at least one vehicle function related to the detected actual or impending lane departure (SV) based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI). [2] Driver assistance system (100) according to claim 1, wherein: - the history data (HD) relate to past driving behaviour of the driver of the vehicle (10); and / or - the history data (HD) relate to a driving behavior of at least one other vehicle, in particular wherein the history data (HD) relate to a driving behavior of a vehicle fleet. [3] Driver assistance system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the analysis module (120) is configured to detect a driver intention for lane departure (SV) based on the history data (HD) and to determine that: - the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI) when the driver's intention to leave the lane (SV) is detected, and - the steering movement is not related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI) if no driver intention to leave the lane (SV) is detected. [4] Driver assistance system (100) according to claim 3, wherein the history data (HD) relate to or comprise travel path information, and wherein the analysis module (120) is configured to: - to compare the path information with a track layout; - to determine whether the driver has the intention to leave the lane (SV) based on the comparison of the path information with the lane progression. [5] Driver assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one control module (130) is configured to: - to control the at least one vehicle function for a counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure (SV) if it is detected that the steering movement is not related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI); and - not to control the at least one vehicle function for a counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure (SV) if it is detected that the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI), in particular so that the lane departure (SV) is made possible without countermeasures by the driver assistance system (100). [6] Driver assistance system (100) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one control module (130) is configured to control the at least one vehicle function for the counter-reaction to the detected actual or impending lane departure (SV) such that: - an acoustic and / or optical and / or haptic warning is issued to the driver of the vehicle (10); and / or - a steering system of the vehicle (10) actively intervenes to prevent lane departure (SV) and to return the vehicle (10) to a current lane. [7] Vehicle (10), in particular a motor vehicle, comprising the driver assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6. [8] Driver assistance method (300) for a vehicle (10), comprising: Detecting (310) an actual or impending lane departure (SV) of the vehicle (10) due to a steering movement of a driver of the vehicle (10); Determining (320), based on historical data (HD), whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI); and Controlling (330) at least one vehicle function with reference to the detected actual or impending lane departure (SV) based on whether or not the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI). [9] Driver assistance method (300) according to claim 8, further comprising aggregating the history data (HD), wherein the history data (HD) is provided by the vehicle (10) and / or at least one external vehicle, and wherein the aggregation of the history data (HD) is carried out by the vehicle (10) or an external unit. [10] Driver assistance method (300) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: - determining (320), based on the history data (HD), whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI), comprises: - Matching path information with a lane path; and - Determine, based on the comparison of the travel path information with the lane progression, whether there is a driver intention to leave the lane (SV); and / or - determining (320), based on the history data (HD), whether the steering movement is related to avoiding at least one obstacle (HI), is carried out by the vehicle (10) or an external unit. [11] Storage medium comprising a software program configured to be executed on one or more processors and thereby to execute the driver assistance method (300) according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

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