Procedure for performing a lane change with a motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for performing a lane change in a motor vehicle (4), wherein a change from a lane (2) currently being driven on by the motor vehicle (4) to an adjacent lane (3) is carried out autonomously when a control unit issues a recommendation to change lanes (2, 3), characterized in that the control unit issues the recommendation to change from a faster lane (2) to a slower lane (3) when - a lane change is possible without endangering one's own vehicle (4) and / or a vehicle traveling in the slower lane (5,6), - the vehicle (4) is not prevented from driving at a speed specified for the vehicle (4) by another vehicle (8) driving ahead in the lane (2) currently being used, and - no motor vehicle traveling at a higher speed than the speed of the own motor vehicle (4) is detected on the slower lane (3) at a certain distance behind the own motor vehicle (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for performing a lane change in a motor vehicle, wherein a change from a lane currently being traveled by the motor vehicle to an adjacent lane is carried out autonomously, according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A generic method is known from DE 10 2013 021 337 A1. It proposes to autonomously perform a lane change from a currently occupied lane to an adjacent lane if the vehicle is prevented from driving at a predetermined speed in the currently occupied lane by a vehicle ahead, and faster driving is possible in the adjacent lane.

[0003] However, a disadvantage of this method is that it only describes a change from a slower lane to a faster lane.

[0004] A similar state of the art is also shown in DE 10 2013 005 248 A1.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing a lane change in a motor vehicle, which offers solutions for changing from a faster lane to a slower lane.

[0006] According to the invention, this problem is solved by the features mentioned in claim 1.

[0007] According to the procedure described herein, a lane change from a faster lane to a slower lane is carried out if there is no risk to one's own vehicle or to other road users, if driving faster in the currently used, faster lane is not desired, and if no vehicle is approaching the one's own vehicle at a higher speed in the slower lane, i.e., if there is no reason to fear that the one's own vehicle is about to be overtaken by a vehicle in the slower lane.

[0008] The solution according to the invention increases road safety, since, if the specified criteria are met, an autonomous lane change to a slower lane is carried out, so that the faster lane is kept clearer in accordance with the rule of driving on the right, which exists at least within the scope of the German Road Traffic Regulations.

[0009] In countries with right-hand traffic, such as Germany, the USA, and many others, the faster lane refers to the left lane and the slower lane to the right lane. If there are more than two lanes in one direction on a roadway, the faster lane also refers to the left of two adjacent lanes. Naturally, the method according to the invention also allows for lane changes across multiple lanes, with the method being carried out separately for each individual lane change. In countries with left-hand traffic, the faster lane refers to the right lane and the slower lane to the left lane.

[0010] The method according to the invention can primarily be carried out on multi-lane roads, such as motorways and motorway-like federal highways; however, it is also possible to carry out the method on multi-lane urban roads. The application of the method can optionally be controlled depending on navigation data.

[0011] Based on the criteria of the inventive method, the vehicle itself would also switch from the faster lane to the slower lane if the road were completely empty.

[0012] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control unit can be configured to issue a lane change recommendation only if no other vehicle is detected in the slower lane ahead of the vehicle whose speed is a certain amount lower than the vehicle's own speed. This prevents a lane change from the faster to the slower lane, followed immediately by another change from the slower to the faster lane due to another vehicle in the slower lane. This results in a more consistent driving style.

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control unit may only issue a recommendation to change lanes if the vehicle has not reached the maximum permissible speed for the currently driven lane. This assumes that a lane change is unnecessary if the applicable maximum permissible speed has been reached, such as in motorway construction zones where all lanes are limited to a specific speed. This prevents excessively frequent lane changes.

[0014] A further limitation to the implementation of the method according to the invention may arise if the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes when the vehicle has overtaken another vehicle traveling in the slower lane and no further vehicle is detected within a certain distance of the overtaken vehicle. This criterion indicates that no overtaking maneuver is currently taking place in the slower lane, allowing the vehicle to change to the slower lane.

[0015] Claim 9 specifies a computer program with programming means to execute the method according to the invention when the computer program is executed on a computer.

[0016] A control device configured for executing the computer program according to claim 9 is defined in claim 10.

[0017] Further advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention are described in the remaining dependent claims. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated below with reference to the drawing.

[0018] It shows: Fig. 1 a first situation in which the method according to the invention is carried out; Fig. 2 a second situation in which the method according to the invention is carried out; Fig. 3 a third situation in which the method according to the invention is not carried out; and Fig. 4 a fourth situation in which the method according to the invention is not carried out.

[0019] Fig. Figure 1 shows a carriageway 1, in this case a motorway, which has two lanes for each direction of travel. For the procedure described below, only the right half of the carriageway is relevant, on which the motor vehicles travel in the direction designated "X". Carriageway 1 has two lanes, namely a left, faster lane 2 and a right, slower lane 3. In the Fig. In the situation depicted in Figure 1, a motor vehicle 4 is traveling in the faster lane 2 at a certain speed. Two other motor vehicles, namely a motor vehicle 5 traveling behind the motor vehicle 4 and a motor vehicle 6 traveling in front of the motor vehicle 4, are traveling in the slower lane 3.

[0020] In all situations described herein, it is assumed that during autonomous driving, the speed of the vehicle 4 is not changed, or only very rarely, using the accelerator pedal or a similar device, but is instead set by means of cruise control or another suitable device, so that the driver of the vehicle 4 wishes to move it at a specific speed. This is therefore a speed predetermined for the vehicle 4.

[0021] It will be in the Fig. In the situation shown in Figure 1, it is assumed that the speed of the vehicle 4, preferably entered via a cruise control or similar device, is approximately the same as the speed of the two vehicles 5 and 6.In order for a control unit (not shown) of the vehicle 4 to issue a recommendation to change from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3, whereupon the vehicle 4 autonomously changes from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3, a lane change should be possible without endangering the vehicle 4 and / or the two vehicles 5 and 6 traveling in the slower lane 3, the vehicle 4 should not be prevented from driving at a speed specified for the vehicle 4 by another vehicle ahead in the currently occupied lane 2, and no vehicle traveling at a higher speed than the vehicle 4 should be detected behind the vehicle 4 in the slower lane 3 at a certain distance.This distance, like all other distances referenced herein, can be determined using suitable environmental sensors, which are present on the vehicle itself (4), but not shown. Since all of these criteria apply to the situation described in... Fig. Once conditions 1 are met, the lane change from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3 is initiated. This is indicated by the arrow marked with reference numeral 7.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 shows a second situation in which the method according to the invention can be carried out. Again, the vehicle 4 is moving at a certain speed in the faster lane 2. The two other vehicles 5 and 6 are driving in the slower lane 3. The speed of the vehicle 4 is greater than the speed of the vehicle 5 driving behind it in the slower lane 3, but approximately the same as, or only slightly greater than, the speed of the vehicle 6 driving in front of the vehicle 4 in the slower lane 3.Since no other vehicle is detected on the slower lane 3 whose speed is significantly lower than that of the vehicle 4, the control unit of the vehicle 4 issues a recommendation to change lanes, and the vehicle 4 moves from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3, as indicated by arrow 7. Should a change from the slower lane 3 to the faster lane 2 become necessary later, for example, to overtake the vehicle 6 in front of the vehicle 4, the required lane change can then be carried out in a manner known per se.

[0023] Even if the speed of one's own vehicle 4 is not only insignificantly greater than the speed of the vehicle 6 traveling in front of one's own vehicle 4 in the slower lane 3, the change from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3 can be carried out if the distance between the other vehicle 6 and one's own vehicle 4 is large enough.

[0024] A situation in which the method according to the invention is not carried out is in Fig. Figure 3 illustrates this scenario. Here, the speed of the vehicle 4, which is traveling in the faster lane 2, is greater than the speed of the vehicle 5 behind it in the slower lane 3, but also greater than the speed of the vehicle 6 in front of the vehicle 4 in the slower lane 3. Consequently, the distance to the vehicle 6 in front of the vehicle 4 in the slower lane 3 is too small. Since, in this case, changing from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3 would immediately require another lane change back to the faster lane 2 to overtake the other vehicle 6, the control unit does not issue a lane change recommendation in this instance.In principle, it can be provided that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if no other vehicle is detected in front of the vehicle 4 on the slower lane 3 whose speed is at least 20 km / h lower, in another embodiment at least 10 km / h lower and in another embodiment at least 5 km / h lower than the speed of the vehicle 4.

[0025] In Fig. Figure 4 also depicts a situation in which the method according to the invention is not carried out. Here, the vehicle 4 is traveling on the faster lane 2 at a constant speed, preferably set via cruise control or similar. On the slower lane 3, the two vehicles 5 and 6 are traveling, but their speed is irrelevant in this case. Ahead of the vehicle 4 on the faster lane 2 is another vehicle 8, whose speed is equal to or less than that of the vehicle 4.Since the other vehicle 8 is preventing the driver's vehicle 4 from traveling faster, changing to the slower lane 3 is not necessary. Therefore, the control unit does not issue a recommendation to change from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3, and the driver's vehicle 4 remains in the faster lane 2. If the vehicle 8 in front of the driver's vehicle 4 is traveling at a slightly higher speed than the driver's vehicle 4, it moves away from the driver's vehicle 4 and thus no longer presents an obstacle. In this case, the change from the faster lane 2 to the slower lane 3 can be carried out according to the conditions described above, provided all other necessary criteria are met.

[0026] Another situation, not shown in the figures, in which the procedure is carried out, could be that the control unit only issues the lane change recommendation if the vehicle itself has overtaken another vehicle traveling in the slower lane and no further vehicle is detected within a certain, sufficient distance in front of the overtaken vehicle. For example, this would be the case if, in the situation of Fig. 2, where the vehicle 4 has overtaken the vehicle 5 traveling in the slower lane 3, vehicle 6 would not be present. A sufficient distance can be a distance that corresponds at least to the distance traveled by the vehicle 4 at its speed in 5 seconds.

[0027] In principle, it is also possible that the control unit will only issue the recommendation to change lanes if the vehicle has not reached the maximum permissible speed applicable to the currently driven lane, i.e., the faster lane 2. Reference symbol list 1 lane 2 faster lanes 3 slower lanes 4 own motor vehicle 5 other motor vehicle 6 other motor vehicle 7 Arrow 8 other motor vehicle

Claims

Method for performing a lane change in a motor vehicle (4), wherein a change from a lane (2) currently being traveled by the vehicle (4) to an adjacent lane (3) is carried out autonomously when a control unit issues a recommendation to change lanes (2, 3), characterized in that the control unit issues the recommendation to change from a faster lane (2) to a slower lane (3) if: - a lane change is possible without endangering the vehicle (4) and / or a vehicle traveling in the slower lane (5, 6), - the vehicle (4) is not prevented from traveling at a speed specified for the vehicle (4) in the currently being traveled lane (2) by another, preceding vehicle (8).and- no motor vehicle traveling at a higher speed than the speed of the own motor vehicle (4) is detected on the slower lane (3) at a certain distance behind the own motor vehicle (4). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if no other motor vehicle is detected on the slower lane (3) in front of the own motor vehicle (4) whose speed is a certain amount lower than the speed of the own motor vehicle (4). Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if no other motor vehicle is detected on the slower lane (3) in front of the own motor vehicle (4) whose speed is at least 20 km / h lower than the speed of the own motor vehicle (4). Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if no other motor vehicle is detected on the slower lane (3) in front of the own motor vehicle (4) whose speed is at least 10 km / h lower than the speed of the own motor vehicle (4). Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if no other motor vehicle is detected on the slower lane (3) in front of the own motor vehicle (4) whose speed is at least 5 km / h lower than the speed of the own motor vehicle (4). Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if the vehicle (4) has not reached the maximum permissible speed applicable to the currently driven lane (2). Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control unit only issues the recommendation to change lanes if the own motor vehicle (4) has overtaken another motor vehicle (5) traveling in the slower lane (3) and no further motor vehicle is detected within a certain distance in front of the other overtaken motor vehicle (5). Method according to claim 7, characterized in that a sufficient distance is a distance which corresponds at least to the distance traveled at the speed of the own motor vehicle (4) in 5 seconds. Computer program with programming means to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 when the computer program is executed on a computer. Control device configured to execute the computer program according to claim 9.

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