METHOD AND CONTROL UNIT FOR OPERATING A MOTORCYCLE WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a motorcycle with an adaptive cruise control system, a corresponding control unit and a corresponding computer program product. State of the art

[0002] Adaptive cruise control can regulate a vehicle's speed depending on the vehicle's speed and the distance to a target vehicle ahead. If the target vehicle accelerates to a preset target speed, the speed is increased up to the target speed, increasing the distance in line with the increasing speed. If the target vehicle continues to accelerate, the target speed is maintained, and the distance continues to increase. As the vehicle approaches a target vehicle, the speed is reduced to such an extent that the vehicle follows the target vehicle at a distance appropriate to its speed and at the speed of the target vehicle.

[0003] The adaptive cruise control determines the distance to the target vehicle, for example using a radar sensor on the vehicle.

[0004] Adaptive cruise control can also be installed on a motorcycle if the motorcycle has a sensor for detecting the distance. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] Against this background, the approach presented here presents a method for operating a motorcycle with adaptive cruise control, a corresponding control unit, and a corresponding computer program product according to the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and improvements of the approach presented here emerge from the description and are described in the dependent claims. Advantages of the invention

[0006] A conventional adaptive cruise control system has a following zone in which a vehicle driving ahead must be positioned in order to be detected as a target object. The following zone essentially corresponds to a circular sector with a vehicle's distance sensor located at the tip. If the vehicle driving ahead is too far to the side of the vehicle, it may be outside the following zone and will not be detected as a target object there. The adaptive cruise control system then switches to a vehicle driving further ahead as the target object and attempts to regulate the distance to this target object. In doing so, the distance to the vehicle driving laterally offset can be significantly reduced. If no vehicle driving further ahead is detected, the adaptive cruise control system regulates the speed to a preset target speed. In this case, too, the distance to the vehicle driving laterally offset can be significantly reduced.

[0007] When motorcycles are traveling in a group, they can form a formation and travel in two laterally offset rows. A motorcycle in front travels at a longitudinal distance and a transverse distance to the right or left in front of the motorcycle. The laterally offset motorcycle in front is the relevant target object for the adaptive cruise control, but is part of the other row. The longitudinal distance to the relevant target object depends on the speed, but can be less than a speed-dependent minimum distance to a target object directly ahead. The lateral distance depends on the width of a lane used by the group. In a wide lane, the lateral distance is greater than in a narrow lane. Due to the lateral distance, the laterally offset motorcycle in front can travel outside the usual following zone and thus not be recognized as the relevant target object.Instead, a motorcycle further ahead in your own row can be detected as a target object.

[0008] The conventional following zone can be extended by a group zone. The group zone extends laterally beyond the conventional following zone. The motorcycle traveling in front in the other row, offset laterally, thus remains within the group zone even at greater lateral distances and can be identified and maintained as the relevant target object. A motorcycle traveling in front in the same row can be used as a supplementary target object. The speed-dependent minimum distance can then be maintained from this supplementary target object, for example.

[0009] In the approach presented here, the lateral boundaries of the group area are adjusted to the width of a used lane. The lane width is entered by the motorcycle rider and used to adjust the group area.

[0010] The approach presented here allows a motorcycle traveling laterally offset in front to be reliably identified as the relevant target object in different lane widths. Furthermore, false detections of target objects, for example, in an adjacent lane, are prevented or at least reduced.

[0011] A method for operating a motorcycle with an adaptive cruise control system is proposed, wherein a lateral boundary of a group area of ​​the adaptive cruise control system is set using lane width information, wherein the lane width information is read in by a human-machine interface of the motorcycle, wherein a group mode of the adaptive cruise control system can be activated when a target object is detected within the group area.

[0012] Ideas for embodiments of the present invention can be considered, among other things, to be based on the thoughts and findings described below.

[0013] A motorcycle can be a powered two-wheeler. The motorcycle can be, for example, a motorcycle, moped, or scooter. The motorcycle can have an electric drive or an internal combustion engine. The motorcycle can have a distance sensor. The distance sensor can be a radar sensor, for example. The distance sensor can be installed facing forward and have a detection area in front of and to the side of the motorcycle. The distance sensor can map distances to detected objects within the detection area using distance information. The detection area can also include adjacent lanes, at least in part. The distance sensor can map angles to the detected objects using angular information. The angular information can, for example, be related to a longitudinal axis of the motorcycle. The distance sensor can track the objects and provide trends in distance information and angular information about tracked objects.

[0014] An adaptive cruise control system can read in and evaluate the distance and angle information. The adaptive cruise control system can also read in speed information representing the current speed of the motorcycle. The adaptive cruise control system can control the drive and braking systems of the motorcycle to influence the speed of the motorcycle. The adaptive cruise control system can regulate the distance to a target object depending on the speed. Target objects can be located in a following zone of the adaptive cruise control system and / or in a group zone of the adaptive cruise control system. Objects outside the group zone and the following zone can be ignored. For example, a target object can travel in front of the motorcycle in the following zone at a similar speed to the motorcycle. Likewise, the target object can travel laterally offset in front of the motorcycle in the group zone at a similar speed.The speed can be reduced to increase the distance if the target object slows down. Conversely, the speed can be increased to decrease the distance if the target object accelerates. The speed can be increased up to a preselected target speed.

[0015] The distance to the target object can be defined as a time gap. The time gap can be the length of time that elapses until two vehicles driving one behind the other pass the same point on the road. By specifying the distance via the time gap, the distance is always speed-dependent. The driver can adjust the size of the time gap to approach the target object more or less closely.

[0016] The group area and the follow-up area can be sub-areas of the distance sensor's detection range. The detection range can be larger than the group area. The follow-up area can be located centrally between two sub-areas of the group area.

[0017] If a target object is detected in the following zone, the adaptive cruise control can regulate the distance to the target object using a conventional time gap or in the conventional speed-dependent manner. If a target object is detected in the group zone, a group mode of the adaptive cruise control can be activated. In group mode, the time gap to the target object traveling in the group zone can be reduced compared to the conventional time gap to a target object detected in the following zone. This allows the motorcycle to drive laterally offset closer to the target object traveling in the group zone than to the target object traveling in front of the motorcycle in the following zone.

[0018] The motorcycles traveling in a group utilize the width of their lane and adjust the distance between the two rows to the width of the lane. With the approach presented here, the width of the group area can be adjusted to the width of the lane used. Thus, the width of the group area adapts to the lateral distance between the rows of the group. The width of the lane can be represented in lane width information.

[0019] A motorcycle rider can estimate the width of the lane and enter it as lane width information via a human-machine interface on the motorcycle. The human-machine interface can, for example, be a multifunction display on the motorcycle. However, the human-machine interface can also comprise at least one switch or rotary control on a handlebar of the motorcycle. By adjusting the group area, motorcycles in the group can be reliably detected and false detections in adjacent lanes can be avoided. The lane width information can, for example, be read in before starting a trip. Likewise, the lane width information can be read in while driving.

[0020] A list of possible lane widths can be provided on the human-machine interface. A lane width selected by the driver can be read in as lane width information. The list can, for example, contain regionally typical lane widths. Typical lane widths in different regions of the world can vary considerably. For example, a region can be preselected in a setup menu. The region can also be set via a motorcycle position. The list can also be sorted. For example, the list entries can be sorted by selection frequency. Likewise, the entries can be sorted hierarchically, ascending, or descending.

[0021] The read lane width information can be stored in a memory. This memory can be overwritten if the lane width information changes. In particular, the memory can be non-volatile, so the lane width information can be read from the memory after restarting the motorcycle and used to adjust the group area limits.

[0022] A right and left boundary of the group area can be set symmetrically to the motorcycle's longitudinal axis. The group area can be the same size to the right and left of the motorcycle. The group areas can be the same size to the right and left of the following area.

[0023] Group information can be provided on the human-machine interface when a target object is detected within the group area. A group mode of the adaptive cruise control can then be activated in response to a confirmation read in via the human-machine interface. In group mode, a speed-dependent group distance to the target object within the group area can be set. Group information can be an indication to the rider that the conditions for activating group mode have been met. The rider can then manually confirm activation of group mode. At the same speed, a group distance can be smaller than a following distance to a target object traveling ahead in the following area. The group distance can be defined obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle. The group distance can also be defined as a longitudinal component and a transverse component.When the group distance is adjusted, the target object is kept within the group distance. In contrast to the group distance, a following distance can be defined essentially in the longitudinal direction of the motorcycle, since the following distance essentially extends centrally, i.e., in the area of ​​the motorcycle's longitudinal axis, in front of the motorcycle.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, group mode can be activated automatically when the target object is detected within the group area. For example, group mode can be activated automatically if adaptive cruise control is already activated and the target object is detected in the group area. Likewise, it is possible to switch from group mode to follow mode of the adaptive cruise control when the target object moves into the follow area and / or is detected in the follow area. In follow mode, the speed-dependent following distance to the target object in the follow area can then be adjusted. By automatically activating group mode or follow mode, the adaptive cruise control can automatically switch between group mode and follow mode when the target object moves within the detection range of the distance sensor.

[0025] The method is preferably computer-implemented and can be implemented, for example, in software or hardware or in a mixed form of software and hardware, for example in a control unit.

[0026] The approach presented here further creates a control device that is designed to carry out, control or implement the steps of a variant of the method presented here in corresponding devices.

[0027] The control unit can be an electrical device with at least one computing unit for processing signals or data, at least one memory unit for storing signals or data, and at least one interface and / or a communication interface for reading in or outputting data embedded in a communication protocol. The computing unit can be, for example, a signal processor, a so-called system ASIC, or a microcontroller for processing sensor signals and outputting data signals depending on the sensor signals. The memory unit can be, for example, a flash memory, an EPROM, or a magnetic storage unit. The interface can be designed as a sensor interface for reading in the sensor signals from a sensor and / or as an actuator interface for outputting the data signals and / or control signals to an actuator.The communication interface can be configured to read or output data wirelessly and / or via a wired connection. The interfaces can also be software modules, which are present, for example, on a microcontroller alongside other software modules.

[0028] Also advantageous is a computer program product or computer program with program code that can be stored on a machine-readable carrier or storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk memory or an optical memory and is used to carry out, implement and / or control the steps of the method according to one of the embodiments described above, in particular when the program product or program is executed on a computer or a device.

[0029] It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features of the control device and the method can be combined, adapted, or exchanged as appropriate to achieve further embodiments of the invention. Short description of the drawing

[0030] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description are to be interpreted as limiting the invention.

[0031] Fig. 1 shows a representation of motorcycles in a group formation.

[0032] The figure is merely schematic and not to scale. Like reference numerals denote like or equivalent features. Embodiments of the invention

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a representation of three motorcycles 100 in a group formation. The group formation consists of two laterally offset rows 102 on a common lane 104 of a road 106. The motorcycles 100 travel diagonally offset from one another in the group formation, so that the motorcycles 100 of both rows 102 alternate longitudinally and approximately form the corners of a zigzag pattern.

[0034] The rows 102 utilize a lane width 108 of the lane 104. Therefore, a transverse distance a between the rows 102 depends on the lane width 108. Longitudinal distances b and c to the laterally offset motorcycle 100 in the other row 102 and to the motorcycle 100 traveling ahead in the same row 102 essentially depend on the speed traveled.

[0035] At least one of the motorcycles 100 has an adaptive cruise control system 110 and a control unit 112 according to the approach presented here. The adaptive cruise control system 110 reads the lateral distance a and the longitudinal distances b and c from a distance sensor 114 of the motorcycle 100. The distance sensor 114 is, for example, a radar sensor. The distance sensor 114 has a detection zone 116 in front of and to the side of the motorcycle 100. Within the detection zone 116, two different detection zones are defined for the adaptive cruise control system 110. A following zone 118 extends in front of the motorcycle 100 symmetrically to a longitudinal axis of the motorcycle 100. Two group zones 120 border the following zone 118 to the right and left.

[0036] In the approach presented here, the control unit 112 sets lateral boundaries 122 of the group areas 120 using lane width information 124. The lane width information 124 represents the lane width 108. The lane width information 124 is read in via a human-machine interface 126 of the motorcycle 100. For this purpose, the driver of the motorcycle 100 enters the lane width information 124 via the human-machine interface 126.

[0037] In one embodiment, a list 128 of possible lane widths 108 is output on the human-machine interface 126 and the driver selects the best-fitting lane width 108 as the lane width information 124.

[0038] The lane width information 124 is stored in a non-volatile memory 130 so that the lane width information 124 can be read even after an interruption of the power supply to the memory 130. If the driver changes the lane width information 124, the memory 130 is rewritten.

[0039] The motorcycle 100 traveling ahead in its own row 102 is located in the following zone 118. The motorcycle 100 traveling in the other row 102 is located in one of the group zones 120. The longitudinal distance c to the motorcycle 100 traveling in the following zone 118 is greater than a speed-dependent following distance 132 of the adaptive cruise control 110. A combined distance of the lateral distance a and the longitudinal distance b to the motorcycle 100 traveling in the group zone 120 is within the range of a speed-dependent group distance 134 of the adaptive cruise control 110. Group information 136 is provided to the driver via the human-machine interface 126. The group information 136 would also be provided if only the motorcycle traveling in the group zone 120 was detected.

[0040] If the driver confirms the group information 136 via the human-machine interface 126, a group mode of the adaptive cruise control 110 is activated, and the motorcycle 100 traveling in the group area 120 is used as the primary target object 138. The adaptive cruise control 110 regulates the group distance 134 to the primary target object 138 based on the speed of the motorcycle 100.

[0041] The motorcycle 100 traveling ahead in the same row 102 is farther away than the primary target object 138. The adaptive cruise control system 110 uses the motorcycle 100 traveling in the following zone 118 as the secondary target object 140 while in group mode. Only when the longitudinal distance c reaches the following distance 132 does the adaptive cruise control system 110 switch to a following mode and uses the motorcycle 100 traveling in the following zone 118 as the primary target object. The adaptive cruise control system 110 then adjusts the longitudinal distance c to the following distance 132 based on the speed of the motorcycle 100.

[0042] The transition occurs smoothly. For example, if the motorcycle 100 used as the primary target object 138 and traveling in the other row 102 drifts too far toward the center of lane 104, it leaves the group area 120 and enters the following area 118, but continues to travel at the group distance 134 in front of the motorcycle 100. The group distance 134 is smaller than the following distance 132. The adaptive cruise control 110 automatically switches to following mode and then reduces the speed until the following distance 132 to the primary target object 138 is maintained. If the primary target object 138 drifts back into the group area 120, the adaptive cruise control 110 automatically switches back to group mode and increases the speed again until the group distance 134 is maintained again.

[0043] If the longitudinal distance c to the motorcycle 100 traveling in the following area 118 previously comes within the range of the following distance 132, the adaptive cruise control 110 switches back to the following mode and uses the motorcycle 100 traveling in the following area 118 as the primary target object for adjusting the following distance 132.

[0044] When the longitudinal distance b to the motorcycle 100 traveling in the group area 120 returns to the range of the group distance 134, the adaptive cruise control 110 switches back to group mode and uses the motorcycle 100 traveling in the group area 120 as the primary target object 138 for adjusting the group distance 134.

[0045] In the following, possible embodiments of the invention are summarized again or presented with slightly different wording.

[0046] A driver selection of the lane width via a human-machine interface for detecting a group driving situation is presented.

[0047] In a motorcycle group ride, the motorcycles of a group ride in a formation of two laterally and longitudinally offset rows forming a zigzag pattern. A group riding situation with at least one target vehicle is assumed. The group occupies one lane, and the lateral distance between the two laterally offset rows depends solely on the width of the lane. Fig. 1 A valid group driving situation is shown, where the distance "a" is the distance between the two laterally offset rows.

[0048] The motorcycles feature radar-based adaptive cruise control, which is suitable for group riding.

[0049] To detect a valid group driving situation, the system requires information about the lane width. This information cannot be accurately calculated by the radar-based system. A fixed value for the lane width can be assumed. To cover a range of markets, preset lane width values ​​can be stored in the system. If the assumed lane width is incorrect, this can lead to false positive or false negative detections.

[0050] Here, the lane width is specified by the driver via the human-machine interface. Using precise lane width values ​​improves the performance of the algorithm for detecting group driving situations.

[0051] The driver selects the lane width value on the human-machine interface, which is then sent from the human-machine interface to the radar sensor. The sensor stores this value in a non-volatile memory area for use in group driving detection.

[0052] The radar sensor uses the lane width value to calculate a range of values ​​for the lateral distance between two consecutive motorcycles in a valid group riding situation.

[0053] Once the range of values ​​is determined, the system continuously checks whether the ego motorcycle and the motorcycles ahead meet the lateral distance requirements for a valid group riding situation. The system checks whether the distance "a" is within the range of lateral distances calculated based on the road width entered by the rider via the human-machine interface.

[0054] The lane width information is provided to the system via the human-machine interface to improve the performance of the group driving situation detection algorithm.

[0055] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "comprising," "having," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered limiting.

Claims

1. Method for operating a motorcycle (100) with an adaptive cruise control system (110), wherein a side boundary (122) of a group region (120) of the adaptive cruise control system (110) is set using lane width information (124), wherein the lane width information (124) is read from a human-machine interface (126) of the motorcycle (100), wherein a group mode of the adaptive cruise control system (110) can be activated when a target object (138) is identified within the group region (120).

2. Method according to Claim 1, in which a list (128) of possible lane widths (108) is provided on the human-machine interface (126), wherein a selected lane width (108) is read as the lane width information (124).

3. Method according to either of the preceding claims, in which the read lane width information (124) is stored in a memory (130), wherein the memory (130) is overwritten in the event of a change in the lane width information (124).

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, in which a right-hand boundary (122) and a left-hand boundary of the group region (122) are set symmetrically to a longitudinal axis of the motorcycle (100).

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, in which group information (136) is provided on the human-machine interface (126) when a target object (138) is identified within the group region (120), wherein a group mode of the adaptive cruise control system (110) is activated in response to a confirmation read via the human-machine interface (126), wherein a speed-dependent group distance (134) from the target object (138) within the group region (120) is adjusted in the group mode.

6. Method according to any of Claims 1 to 4, in which a group mode of the adaptive cruise control system (110) is automatically activated when a target object (138) is identified within the group region (120), wherein a speed-dependent group distance (134) from the target object (138) within the group region (120) is adjusted in the group mode.

7. Method according to any of Claims 5 or 6 and Claim 4, in which a changeover is made from the group mode to a follow mode of the adaptive cruise control system (110) when the target object (138) moves to a follow region (118) of the adaptive cruise control system (110) and / or a target object (138) is identified in the follow region (118), wherein a speed-dependent follow distance (132) from the target object (138) in the follow region (118) is adjusted in the follow mode.

8. Controller (112) for operating a motorcycle (100), wherein the controller (112) is designed to execute, implement and / or activate the method according to any of the preceding claims in corresponding devices.

9. Computer program product which is configured to instruct a processor to execute, implement and / or activate the method according to any of Claims 1 to 7 when executing the computer program product.

10. Machine-readable storage medium, on which the computer program product according to Claim 9 is stored.