DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM, MEANS OF MOVING AND METHOD FOR OPERATION OF A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a driver assistance system, a means of transportation, and a method for operating a driver assistance system to support a driver of a means of transportation. In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement of user-specific wishes and preferences in the provision and activation of driver assistance functions.

[0002] The increasing number of functions in modern vehicles is perceived by some customers as overly complex. In other words, the usability, or even the initial discovery, of driver assistance functions is sometimes criticized due to the ever-expanding range of assistance features on the one hand and the increasingly streamlined driver's workspaces on the other. Therefore, simplification seems necessary. Reducing the number of buttons on the steering wheel and integrating alternative operating methods is particularly effective in this regard. Voice input is sometimes suggested for configuring and activating driver assistance functions. For example, navigation functions or the adjustment of heating / air conditioning parameters can be controlled via voice commands. The existing solutions are exclusively voice assistants that execute the driver's actions based on a voice command.The system is initially activated by the driver (e.g., via an activation phrase such as "Hello ID" or by pressing a button). This requires active driver input. A proactive AI assistant is not implemented.

[0003] DE 10 2011 055 495 A1 discloses a method for operating a driver assistance system of a vehicle in which, in response to the sensor-detected entry into a play street, a limiter reduces the vehicle speed to 20 km / h, provided that this process has already been carried out by the identified driver on a previous occasion when entering a play street.

[0004] Furthermore, reference is made to the publications US 2017 / 0313324 A1 and DE 11 2016 001 585 T5, which are helpful for understanding the present invention.

[0005] DE 10 2019 102 924 A1 discloses a method for operating a driver assistance function of a vehicle, in which the vehicle's position is determined. Map data from a road map is provided. Depending on the position, current and historical traffic data are provided. A list of driver assistance functions is provided. Based on the position, the map data, and the current and historical traffic data, it is determined whether a situation exists in which a driver assistance function from the list can be used. If it is determined that such a situation exists, information is provided to the driver of the vehicle to activate the driver assistance function.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to further improve the support provided to a user of a means of transport in selecting and activating suitable and desired driver assistance functions.

[0007] The aforementioned problem is solved according to the invention by a method according to claim 1 for operating a driver assistance system to support a driver of a means of transport, as well as by a driver assistance system according to claim 9. The means of transport can be, for example, a car, van, motorcycle, truck, aircraft, and / or watercraft. The means of transport can be an autonomously driving vehicle, but in particular also a semi-autonomously or assistively driven vehicle. In a next step, a driving situation is automatically determined, in particular by means of an environmental sensor or further environmental sensors. The driving situation can be characterized, for example, by a level of guidance automation (level 1 to 4) or by a state of motion, in particular a travel speed, a direction, an acceleration (longitudinal and / or lateral acceleration), and other circumstances.For example, precipitation, ambient light intensity, or the curvature of the road ahead can characterize the driving situation. Therefore, the driving situation could also be understood as the "vehicle situation," which can be characterized by the vehicle's environmental sensors as well as by information transmitted via the internet. For the sake of simplicity, the driving situation and the vehicle situation will be referred to collectively as the "situation" below, which is automatically determined using data. In a second step, a condition, particularly a predefined one, for activating a driver assistance function is automatically determined. In other words, the system derives from the situation which driver assistance functions are suitable for the situation and can be identified as contributing to safety or comfort.For this purpose, a data set can be stored in the vehicle's data storage system, in which potentially conceivable or suitable driver assistance functions are assigned to the identified situation. Subsequently, it is determined to what extent the conditions for activating the driver assistance function, or the numerous predefined conditions associated with the situation, are met in the present case. In other words, parameters of the situation are recorded and categorized by sensors to characterize the actual situation using data. For example, the curvature or curve radii, light incidence, surrounding vegetation, icy slope, road surface, and other factors can be detected by sensors and compiled electronically. In this way, the information available for determining the predefined conditions for activating the driver assistance function can be significantly improved.The requirements can be formulated more precisely, and a particularly suitable decision can be made in the further course of the inventive method. First, however, the identity of the current driver of the means of transport is automatically determined. All methods known in the prior art are suitable for this purpose. Thus, a driver who is generally known to the means of transport is recognized, and the data associated with him is used, at least partially. In particular, in a next step, a set of driver-specific acceptance parameters or acceptance conditions can be checked to determine whether they are met or not. Alternatively or additionally, threshold values ​​for individual parameters in the acceptance conditions can also be stored electronically. For example, a curve in the road and / or an ambient light intensity and / or a precipitation intensity, etc., can be considered.The system can store information about the point at which the driver typically requests or activates driver assistance functions. It can also verify whether the driver has previously accepted or rejected driver assistance functions offered by the vehicle under specific conditions. The previously determined situation or situation class can dictate which acceptance criteria are even checked. Alternatively or additionally, the driver's identity can determine which acceptance criteria are relevant. If the driver generally does not wish to use certain driver assistance functions, the check of the corresponding acceptance criteria or thresholds can be omitted.The acceptance conditions can be understood as a kind of "key" to determining whether a driver assistance function is likely desired by the driver and, if applicable, to which threshold values ​​the parameters of the situation should be compared in order to assess the activation of the driver assistance function as likely desired by the user. According to the invention, data is also collected using other means of transport. This involves determining whether drivers of other identities have exhibited or defined certain acceptance conditions in similar or identical situations, which are also plausible for the driver of the means of transport under consideration. Thus, provided there is a sufficient "similarity" between the situations of the fleet vehicles or...Since the acceptance conditions are not the same as those of other vehicles and the vehicle under consideration, an adjustment is made to the set of acceptance conditions to improve the process according to the invention for activating or suggesting the driver assistance function. Subsequently, if the acceptance condition(s) is / are met, the associated driver assistance function is activated and / or suggested. In other words, if the acceptance conditions are met, the driver assistance function is evaluated as at least beneficial for vehicle control in the current situation and suggested to the user. This can include, for example, a visual display on a display unit and / or an acoustic output (e.g., voice output). Alternatively or additionally, haptic or tactile output can also be provided to the user to suggest the driver assistance function, provided the user has given their prior consent.If the vehicle is already using a (semi-)autonomous driving mode, the driver assistance function can be activated directly. If parameterization of the driver assistance function is required, this can also be done depending on the situation. For example, a parameter that can be defined in increments or a parameter that changes continuously depending on the current situation (e.g., rainfall intensity, ambient light intensity, average curve radius, etc.) can be used to raise or lower a parameter of the driver assistance function.

[0008] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0009] The identified situation can be associated with, for example, two, three, four, five, or more individual conditions, and these conditions are then checked to determine whether a driver assistance function, which can be selected from a variety of available functions, should be activated. For instance, one driver might have two or three individual conditions for activating the driver assistance function, while another driver might only have one or two conditions. Thus, depending on the driver's identity in the same situation, a given driver assistance function is either activated / suggested or not activated / suggested.

[0010] The driver's identity can be selected from a variety of different driver identities stored in the vehicle. Each identity can specify one or more potentially desired driver assistance functions, indicating the conditions under which the user would or would not want them. Alternatively or additionally, different acceptance criteria can be assigned to the respective driver assistance functions, allowing each driver to define different thresholds or circumstances under which the driver assistance function is desired in a given situation, depending on the situation. Thus, detailed, situation-specific information about the driver assistance functions likely desired by the user can be stored in the vehicle.

[0011] The parameters can, for example, characterize a current or upcoming route. This can be characterized by road surface, maximum speed, curvature, or curve radii. Alternatively or additionally, the situation can be characterized by time of day, season, day of the week, and / or ambient light intensity. Alternatively or additionally, the frequency with which the driver has previously been at this location can also be considered as a parameter. The driver's familiarity suggests that they require less assistance with orientation. Furthermore, the driver's vital signs (level of alertness, agility, etc.) can be determined via suitable sensors and stored as part of the driving situation data.Furthermore, the presence and intensity of precipitation can be used as parameters for characterizing the situation. According to the invention, the aforementioned parameters can be evaluated and weighted depending on the driver's identity in order to decide whether to activate or recommend a driver assistance function.

[0012] Once the situation has been recorded using information technology, it can first be determined whether the identified driver generally desires assistance in such a situation. Only if the situation cannot be identified as one for which the current driver does not desire any assistance from the vehicle, can the acceptance conditions be examined in detail in a second step to determine whether a sufficient number and / or suitable thresholds are reached in response to which the activation or suggestion of a driver assistance function is triggered.

[0013] Acceptance criteria can also be determined based on the driver's vehicle usage history. For example, the history can be evaluated over a limited period, provided such a time limit is appropriate. For instance, a driver's vehicle handling behavior may change over time, meaning that preferences identified much earlier may no longer be current. A period of three months, six months, nine months, one year, or several years can be considered if such a time limit seems appropriate for a given situation. This might be particularly relevant if vehicle usage patterns changed significantly at a specific point in the past.Such a change could, for example, involve the vehicle's primary use being in a different geographical location. This shift in the vehicle's primary use could result from a vacation trip, a change in the usual seating arrangement (e.g., a child being born or moving out), etc. Such circumstances can lead to changes in the vehicle's driving style and, consequently, the driver's assistance needs, which can be taken into account by limiting the time period for evaluating the vehicle history. Of course, the user can also explicitly input data (via the vehicle's user interface or on their smartphone) to assess the acceptance criteria, weight them, add to them, clean them up, or extend or limit the vehicle history to a different evaluation period.

[0014] Based on this, the inventive method can be further developed to determine the validity of operating conditions of the means of transport as components or characteristics of a situation and to compare these conditions with data indicating situations similar or identical to the current one that have occurred in the past. The situation can be characterized, for example, by a geographical position, the occupancy of the vehicle, and / or the use of a trailer with the vehicle. The aforementioned and other conditions can be excluded from consideration in the following steps, particularly after a predefined period of time. These conditions can then be used, for example, to compare the current situation with similar or identical situations in the past.In this way, driver assistance functions accepted or rejected by the user in the context of past situations can be determined, and the automatic activation of these same functions can be used to inform a decision regarding a suggestion. If the user has previously declined to use any or only certain driver assistance functions in similar situations, a suggestion or automatic activation may be withheld unless a predefined time interval indicates that the history is unlikely to reflect the driver's current preferences. In other words, if a driver assistance function is repeatedly rejected in similar situations, it may not be activated and / or suggested, depending on the circumstances.This step can be performed as an alternative to, or after, the steps above.

[0015] In particular, the aforementioned third-party vehicles can provide information about their experiences in a similar geographical area (mountainous landscape, forest tracks, or wooded environments) when the similar or identical situation occurred. This allows the vehicle or driver assistance system to adapt to acceptance conditions that are likely to be a promising starting point for the current driver, even before the vehicle or driver has ever been in such a location. This ensures the earliest possible adaptation of the vehicle / driver assistance system and supports optimal driving safety.

[0016] According to claim 9, a driver assistance system for supporting a driver of a means of transportation is proposed. The driver assistance system comprises an electronic control unit having a data input, an evaluation unit, and a data output. The evaluation unit, in conjunction with the data input, is configured to execute the determination steps of the method according to the invention, while the evaluation unit, in conjunction with the data output, is configured to activate or suggest the driver assistance function when the acceptance condition is determined to be fulfilled. The features, combinations of features, and the advantages resulting therefrom correspond so clearly to those which have been implemented in connection with the method according to the invention that, to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above descriptions.

[0017] According to claim 10, a means of transport (e.g., a car, van, motorcycle, truck, aircraft and / or watercraft) is proposed which has a driver assistance system according to the second aspect of the invention mentioned. The features, combinations of features, and the advantages arising therefrom are thus also corresponding for the means of transport, so that reference is made to the above statements to avoid repetition.

[0018] The invention will now be explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments. These will be shown below: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of processes during the execution of a method according to the invention by a driver assistance system of a means of transport according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating steps of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating a driver assistance system.

[0019] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a driver assistance system 1, which is used in a passenger car as a means of transport 10 in a scene 2. This scene is a cross-country journey on a winding road in darkness. Information about the scene 2 is gathered via environmental sensors 5, consisting of a camera and an antenna 4. In a situation assessment module 8, the received data is evaluated to determine the current situation type (A, B, or C). Additionally, an interior camera identifies a user 3, who has currently registered their identity 15 in an identity module 12, indicating that their identity 2 should only be associated with a single situation, in which all driver assistance functions available in situation C should also be offered.During the journey, the situation detection module 8 and the identity module 12 provide the central coordination module 11 with the information that the current driver 3 wishes to use all available assistance functions in driving situation C. Data from a vehicle usage history assigned to driver 3 is then located in a data storage device 6 in order to configure the driver assistance functions "steering assistance 13" and "lane assist 14". For this purpose, information from the rest of the vehicle fleet is also stored in the data storage device 6, which allows the steering assistance 13 and the lane assist 14 to be configured using the insights and behaviors of other drivers.

[0020] Figure 2Figure 1 shows the steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating a driver assistance system to support the driver of a means of transportation. In step 100, a driving situation (situation) is automatically determined using environmental sensors and wireless communication devices. In step 200, a plurality of conditions associated with the determined situation are automatically determined. These conditions are generally intended to determine whether the driver assistance function is activated or suggested, but can be overridden or modified by the user's preferences or current situation parameters. In step 300, the extent to which the condition or a plurality of conditions are fulfilled by situation parameters is then determined.In other words, the process determines whether a current configuration of a situation appears fundamentally suitable for suggesting a specific driver assistance function. In step 400, the identity of a current driver is determined. This driver has demonstrated their own personal preferences and behaviors, which are identified in step 500 as a set of driver-specific acceptance conditions. These acceptance conditions are always predefined based on a categorized situation and the identity of the current driver. They essentially form a kind of evaluation, weighting, and / or threshold set, which determines whether driver assistance functions are activated or suggested depending on the specific situation. Therefore, in step 600, it is determined whether one or more acceptance conditions from the set of acceptance conditions are met.If, for example, the user specifies as an acceptance condition that night vision assistance should only be activated or suggested during winding night driving, it is not sufficient for the driver assistance function to be automatically activated or suggested simply because it is currently night driving or the road has a winding course. Rather, both acceptance conditions must be met simultaneously in order for the driver assistance function (night vision assistance) to be activated or suggested in step 700, provided that the acceptance conditions associated with the driver and the situation are met. Reference symbol list

[0021] 1 Driver assistance system 2 Scenery 3 User 4 Antenna 5 Front camera 6 Data storage 7 Interior camera 8 Situation assessment module 10 Means of transport 11 Central control unit 12 Identity determination module 13 Steering assistance system 14 Lane keeping assist system 15 Smartphone 100 to 700 Process steps

Claims

1. Method for operating a driver assistance system (1) for supporting a driver (3) of a means of transport (10), which method comprises the steps of: - automatically ascertaining (100) a driving situation and / or a vehicle situation, hereinafter referred to as "situation," - automatically ascertaining (200) a condition for activating a driver assistance function (13, 14), - automatically ascertaining (300) to what extent the condition (9) is met by parameters of the situation, - automatically ascertaining (400) an identity of the driver (3), - automatically ascertaining (500) a set of acceptance conditions predefined for the situation and the identity of the driver (3), characterized by the further steps of: - ascertaining data which have been ascertained by means of other means of transport, it being ascertained when drivers of other identities in similar or identical situations have applied or defined certain acceptance conditions which are also plausible for the driver (3) of the means of transport (10) under consideration, - if there is a sufficient similarity between the situations of the other means of transport and the means of transport (10) under consideration, adapting the set of acceptance conditions by means of the determined acceptance conditions, - automatically ascertaining (600) whether an acceptance condition of the adapted set of acceptance conditions is met and - activating (700) or suggesting the driver assistance function (13, 14) when the acceptance condition is met.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least two, particularly three, preferably four, particularly preferably five individual conditions are assigned to the situation before the driver assistance function is activated.

3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the identity is selected from a plurality of different driver identities, each identity being assigned a plurality of - potentially desired driver assistance functions (13, 14) and / or - acceptance conditions for the relevant driver assistance function (13, 14).

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the parameters characterize - a route and / or - a time of day and / or - an ambient light intensity and / or - a familiarity of the driver with an environment of the means of transport and / or - a level of alertness of the driver and / or - a presence of precipitation.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the identity of the driver is ascertained by means of an optical sensor (7) and / or by means of a portable electronic user terminal (15) carried by the driver.

6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the situation is ascertained by means of information technology as a situation for which the identified driver in principle desires support.

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising - ascertaining the acceptance conditions - by means of a history of the use of the means of transport (10) by the driver (3) and / or - by means of explicit input from the driver (3).

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising - ascertaining a validity of circumstances under which the situation occurs, - comparing the circumstances with data which indicate under what situations similar or identical to the situation have occurred in the past, and - not activating and / or not suggesting the driver assistance function depending on the circumstances.

9. Driver assistance system (1) for supporting a driver (3) of a means of transport (10), which driver assistance system comprises: - a data input, - an evaluation unit and - a data output, - the evaluation unit being designed, in conjunction with the data input, - to ascertain a driving situation and / or a vehicle situation, hereinafter referred to as "situation," - to ascertain a condition for activating a driver assistance function (13, 14), - to ascertain to what extent the condition (9) is met by parameters of the situation, - to ascertain an identity of the driver (3), - to ascertain a set of acceptance conditions which is predefined for the situation and the identity of the driver (3), characterized in that the evaluation unit is further designed, in conjunction with the data input, - to ascertain data which have been ascertained by means of other means of transport, it being ascertained when drivers of other identities in similar or identical situations have applied or defined certain acceptance conditions which are also plausible for the driver (3) of the means of transport (10) under consideration, - if there is a sufficient similarity between the situations of the other means of transport and the means of transport (10) under consideration, to adapt the set of acceptance conditions by means of the determined acceptance conditions, and - to ascertain whether an acceptance condition of the adapted set of acceptance conditions is met and - the evaluation unit is designed, in conjunction with the data output, to activate or suggest the driver assistance function (13, 14) when the acceptance condition is met.

10. Means of transport comprising a driver assistance system according to claim 9.