DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EXECUTING A LANE CHANGE FOR AN AUTONOMOUSLY OPERATED VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device and a method for performing a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle from an existing lane to a target lane, comprising a control unit for monitoring the vehicle's movement and a sensor unit for continuously detecting the front and rear target lane distances between a front and rear neighboring vehicle on the target lane and the front and rear actual lane distances between a front and rear neighboring vehicle on the existing lane, and for transmitting this data to the control unit. The invention relates to a vehicle equipped therewith.

[0002] From DE 10 2011 016 770 a method for carrying out a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle is known, in which an intention to change lanes with vehicles located in a target lane is indicated by approaching a lane marking separating the current lane and the target lane, and the lane change only takes place when a sufficient distance to the vehicles in front and behind is detected.

[0003] From DE 10 2021 002 900 A1 a method is known in which a direction indicator is first activated and after a certain period of time an approach to the lane marking is carried out even if, taking into account the usual braking distances, no sufficient space has been detected on the target lane to communicate the intention to change lanes more clearly to the vehicles on the target lane.

[0004] From DE 10 2022 110 247 A1, a method for assisting a vehicle user in maneuvering the vehicle on a multi-lane road is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a navigation command to guide the vehicle from a second lane of the road across a first lane at an exit. A lane-change maneuver from the second lane to the first lane is prepared, and suitable gaps for the vehicle between other road users in the first lane are sought. If no suitable gap is found in the first lane, a gap that is currently unsuitable in terms of dimensions is sought among the road users in the first lane.The procedure involves performing at least one driving maneuver and / or at least one vehicle function in such a way that at least the road users who limit the unsuitable gap are shown an intention to carry out the lane change maneuver by the vehicle into the unsuitable gap.

[0005] DE 10 2011 016 770 A1 discloses a method for assisting a vehicle driver during a lane change from a current lane to an adjacent target lane. Following an action by the driver indicating an intended lane change in a first, preparatory step, the vehicle is brought into a suitable lane-change starting position by intervening in the steering, braking, and / or drivetrain. This is achieved by reducing the vehicle's lateral distance to the target lane to a predetermined starting position lateral distance. In a second, lane-change step, the vehicle is shifted to the target lane by intervening in the steering, braking, and / or drivetrain once sufficient clearance for the vehicle has been determined in the target lane.

[0006] Based on this, the invention aims to achieve an increase in immersion depth (lane change) even when sufficient free space is not available.

[0007] The invention is defined by the subject matter of the independent claims; the dependent claims specify possible embodiments.

[0008] The object of the invention is achieved by a device for performing a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle, hereinafter also referred to as the self-propelled vehicle, from an actual lane to a target lane, comprising a control unit for controlling the movement of the self-propelled vehicle and a sensor unit for continuously detecting a front and a rear target lane distance between the vehicle and a front and a rear target lane neighboring vehicle on the target lane, and for transmitting this data to the control unit, wherein if the detected front target lane distance is greater than a minimum front target lane distance but less than a target front target lane distance and the detected rear target lane distance is greater than a minimum rear target lane distance but less than a target rear target lane distance, the control unit: The system causes the vehicle to dip into the target lane by a predetermined depth e perpendicular to the direction of movement, wherein the depth e is determined between the outer edge of the vehicle on the target lane side and the outer edge of the vehicle in front of the neighboring target lane on the current lane side, then holds the vehicle at this depth for a predetermined period, whereby if, during this time, the distances between the target lanes reach the target lane distances, the vehicle moves to complete the lane change; otherwise, after the end of the period, the vehicle is released to abort the lane change and return to the current lane.

[0009] This procedure, implemented by the control unit, makes it possible to actively create a gap even if, under normal circumstances, the gap between two vehicles V1 and V2 in the target lane is too small. This is achieved by moving the control unit's own vehicle a certain distance e into the target lane, thereby prompting the following vehicle V2 in the target lane to briefly decelerate and increase the distance to the control unit's vehicle entering the target lane to the target distance, thus ensuring a safe lane change for the control unit. A gap is considered too small whenever the distances between the control unit's own vehicle and the vehicles in front and behind it in the target lane fall below a critical distance represented by the target distances in the target lane.If the target lane distances are maintained to the front and rear vehicles on the target lane, a lane change of the own vehicle can be carried out without restrictions; if the target lane distances are not maintained, but are higher than the minimum target lane distances, then a lane change takes place according to the method according to the invention; and if the minimum target lane distances are not maintained, no lane change takes place.

[0010] Of course, before initiating the lane change according to the invention, a direction indicator (flasher) is activated, and it can then be waited for a certain time to see whether the vehicle V2 following in the target lane is already prompted to increase the gap to the own vehicle.

[0011] Within the scope of the invention, the distances in the direction of travel to a vehicle V1 traveling ahead on the target lane and a vehicle V2 traveling behind are determined. Furthermore, the immersion depth e, the minimum distance to the front target lane and the target distance to the front target lane are calculated, as well as the minimum distance to the rear target lane and the target distance to the rear target lane.

[0012] The immersion depth e, as previously explained, is the lateral distance (y-direction relative to a vehicle system) between the outer edge of the vehicle on the destination lane side (left edge in countries with right-hand traffic) and the outer edge of the vehicle in front of the destination lane (right edge in countries with right-hand traffic) on the current lane side (right edge in countries with right-hand traffic). If e is zero, the vehicle would just graze the vehicle ahead, V1, if it were to pass it on the right. The immersion depth e is initially set to a value of 0.3 to 0.7 m, preferably 0.4 to 0.6 m.

[0013] The target distance to the vehicle ahead is preferably determined based on the current vehicle speed and a sum of time values. This sum comprises the system reaction time required by the control unit to reliably calculate vehicle and environmental status data from various sensor data. This reaction time is typically in the range of approximately 0.1 to 0.5 seconds. This system reaction time is then added to a comfort braking time, which the vehicle needs at the current speed to decelerate to a "comfortable" stop if the vehicle ahead brakes sharply or is forced to stop immediately by an obstacle, provided the deceleration remains within a comfortable range, i.e., in the range of 4 to 5 m / s².This comfortable braking time is naturally also dependent on external factors such as temperature, road surface, humidity, etc., since the time to come to a complete stop is longer on a wet road than on a dry one. In any case, a total time is calculated from the sum of the system reaction time and the comfortable braking time, from which the target distance to the lane ahead is calculated using the current speed of the vehicle.

[0014] The target distance to the rear lane is preferably determined in the same way, except that a longer reaction time can be used instead of the system reaction time if it cannot be reliably determined via sensors or vehicle-to-vehicle communication that the following vehicle V2 is also operating autonomously, because a longer reaction time of approximately one second should be assumed for a manually operated vehicle. Therefore, the two target distances to the rear lane are preferably not the same.

[0015] To calculate the minimum distance to the target lane, it is assumed that in the event of a sudden deceleration by vehicle V1 ahead in the target lane, the vehicle does not brake while remaining in its lane, but instead moves back to the current lane to avoid a collision with V1. In addition to the system reaction time, a return travel time is determined, which, taking into account permissible lateral decelerations and other influencing factors, is required to move the vehicle back towards the current lane by the lateral distance of the immersion depth e, sufficiently to pass the vehicle V1 laterally, preferably with simultaneous braking deceleration, because the reason for the sudden braking of vehicle V1 in the target lane could equally apply to a vehicle V3 ahead in the current lane, meaning that this vehicle V3 ahead in the current lane also brakes in the same way as V1.

[0016] The minimum distance between the rear and the target lane can be less than the minimum distance between the front and the target lane, preferably 0.5 to 0.8 times the minimum distance between the front and the target lane, since in the event of sudden braking by the vehicle V1 ahead, the vehicle primarily performs an evasive maneuver back into the current lane, thus preventing a sudden and significant reduction in the distance to the following vehicle V2. Because the vehicle does not perform a complete lane change but only dips into the target lane by a distance e, i.e., in other words, travels in both lanes simultaneously, the vehicle V4 following in the current lane will typically maintain the existing distance unchanged or only reduce it slowly until the vehicle has completely entered the target lane.

[0017] According to the invention, the vehicle is moved further into the target lane, provided that neither the minimum distance to the front nor the rear target lane is breached, until the immersion depth e is reached, and then held there for a certain period of time. If the rear vehicle V2, upon perceiving the movement of the vehicle, reduces its own speed at least briefly in order to increase the distance to the vehicle, a preferred embodiment of the invention allows the immersion depth e to be increased, thus moving the vehicle even further into the target lane.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is also possible to briefly decelerate the vehicle in order to increase the front distance to the vehicle V1 ahead and, at the same time, to cause the rear neighboring vehicle V2 to increase this distance by means of a brief braking maneuver by reducing the distance to the rear neighboring vehicle V2 in the target lane.

[0019] According to a further development of the invention, the sensor unit is configured to continuously detect the front and rear distances between the vehicle and a front and rear neighboring vehicle in the actual lane. The control unit initiates an abort of the lane change maneuver and a return to the actual lane if the sensor unit detects a fall below the target distance (sIV) to the front neighboring vehicle V3 or a fall below the target distance (sIH) to the rear neighboring vehicle V4, or if the control unit predicts such a fall from the sensor unit's measurement data. This ensures that the option to return to the actual lane is not precluded because the distances to the front vehicle V3 and the rear vehicle V4 in the actual lane are too small. If the control unit predicts that, due to dynamic changes, i.e.,If it is expected that either the vehicle V3 ahead in the current lane will brake or the vehicle V4 behind it will accelerate, causing one of the target distances to be breached, the emergency evasive maneuver option, which is important according to the invention, would be eliminated, for example, when the vehicle V1 ahead in the target lane brakes and returns to the current lane, potentially creating a dangerous situation. Therefore, even in such a case, the lane change maneuver is aborted for safety reasons.

[0020] According to a further development of the invention, the device comprises a rearward-facing display unit, wherein the control unit transmits the rear target lane distance to the rear target lane neighboring vehicle V2 when initiating the lane change.

[0021] According to a further development of the invention, the vehicle comprises a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit (Car2x), and the control unit transmits the rear target lane distance to the rear target lane neighboring vehicle V2 when initiating the lane change, so that, if it is operated autonomously, it increases the distance to the rear target lane distance by means of a braking process.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the invention, this also includes carrying out the method described above using the device.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, it also includes a vehicle equipped with the device according to the invention.

[0024] The invention has previously been described in connection with a lane change from a slower right-hand lane to a left-hand overtaking lane. A lane change from an overtaking lane to a (right-hand) slower lane works according to the same procedure. The procedure also works in reverse in countries with left-hand traffic.

[0025] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, in which – possibly with reference to the drawings – at least one embodiment is described in detail. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are identified by the same reference numerals.

[0026] They show: Figure 1: Schematic representation of a device for performing a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle; Figure 2: Flowchart of the process steps according to the invention; Figure 3: Schematic representation of a roadway section with two lanes and vehicles before the start of a lane change; Figure 4: Schematic representation of the roadway section of Fig. 2 during the lane change.

[0027] Fig. 1Figure 10 shows a device 10 for performing a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle, comprising a control unit 12 and a sensor unit 14, comprising a plurality of environmental sensors, preferably optical and radar-based, for detecting the vehicle's surroundings, in particular distances and directions to surrounding vehicles. The device 10 further comprises a drive and steering unit 16 for controlling the autonomous vehicle equipped with it, in order to control the movements of the autonomous vehicle, in particular to steer it, control drive and braking operations, and to actuate a turn signal. The device 10 optionally includes a rearward-facing display unit 18 to transmit information to a following vehicle. The device optionally also includes a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 20, for example according to the Car2x system, to exchange data wirelessly with vehicles in the vicinity.

[0028] Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows a flowchart of the process steps according to the invention. The starting point is a need for a lane change of the vehicle 24 in step 200, determined by a navigation system, which is preferably also part of the control unit 12, for example because the speed of the vehicles is higher on the target lane Z than on the current lane I and thus a destination can be reached faster.

[0029] Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 The figures schematically show a roadway section with a vehicle 24 located on lane I of a (at least) two-lane roadway before initiating a planned lane change, as well as a lane change that has already begun. Fig. 3In front of the vehicle 24, on the current lane I, are a preceding vehicle V3 and a following vehicle V4, both moving at approximately the same speed as the vehicle 24. To the left of the current lane is a second lane, namely a destination lane Z, into which the vehicle 24 intends to change. There are also two vehicles in this lane: a preceding, adjacent vehicle V1 in the destination lane and a following, adjacent vehicle V2 in the destination lane. The invention is, of course, equally applicable if the destination lane Z were located to the right of the current lane I.

[0030] As shown in the flowchart in step 201, the control unit 12 continuously records the distances and directions to all four vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4 via the sensors of the sensor unit 14. In step 202, the control unit 12 calculates the following from this data: Fig. 3 and Fig. 4The distances shown between the vehicle 24 and these vehicles V1, V2, V3, V4 are calculated, with distances calculated in the direction of travel of the vehicle 24, in particular the distance sZV (in the direction of travel) of the vehicle 24 to the preceding target lane neighboring vehicle V1 and the distance sZH (in the direction of travel) of the vehicle 24 to the following target lane neighboring vehicle V2. In step 202, based on the vehicle's speed and, if applicable, other data such as road surface condition, humidity, and temperature, the target distance sSV and the target distance sSH, as well as the target distance sIV and the target distance sIH, are continuously calculated for the target lane Z, as described above. In step 202, the following are also calculated: Fig. 3 and Fig. 4The distances shown of the own vehicle 24 on the actual track I to the front and rear were determined, and the target distances sIV and sIH of the own vehicle to the preceding vehicle V3 and the following vehicle V4 on the actual track were calculated.

[0031] In step 203, it is checked whether both target distances sSV and sSH are maintained, i.e., whether the measured distances sZV and sZH on the target lane Z are greater than the target distances sSV and sSH. If this is the case, the control unit 12 can control the vehicle 24 in step 204 without applying the inventive method for performing the lane change.

[0032] If at least one of the target distances sSV and sSH is not met, and a safe lane change is therefore not possible, step 205 checks whether at least the minimum front and rear target lane distances sMV and sMH calculated in step 202 are exceeded, i.e., whether the current distances sZV and sZH are greater than these minimum target lane distances sMV and sMH. If this is not the case, i.e., if one of the minimum distances sMV or sMH is not met, this is insufficient for carrying out the method according to the invention, so that the vehicle 24 remains in the current lane I, and the updated distance data are recorded again in step 201, and the distances are calculated again in step 202.

[0033] If, however, both minimum distances to the target lane (sMV, sMH) are exceeded, the control unit 12 activates a direction indicator or turn signal in step 206. This condition is recorded in Fig. 3As shown, either simultaneously or after a certain time interval of 1 to 2 seconds, the control unit 12 moves the vehicle 24 in step 206 towards the target track Z until the immersion depth e is reached. A timer is then started in step 207.

[0034] In step 208, the distances to the front and rear are continuously remeasured or recalculated in the same way as in steps 201 and 202, both on the current lane I and on the target lane Z, because the entry of vehicle 24 into the target lane Z should have an effect on the behavior of the following vehicle V2, which is precisely the goal of this movement.

[0035] In step 209, it is checked whether the current distances sZV and sZH have become greater than the target distances sSV and sSH, respectively, and therefore whether the lane change can continue. If this is the case, in step 210, control unit 12 initiates the completion of the lane change until the vehicle 24 is moving centrally in the target lane Z.

[0036] If the distance to the following vehicle V2 increases, i.e., if the latter brakes to increase the distance to the own vehicle 24, in step 211 the control unit 12 initiates a brief speed reduction of the own vehicle 24 in order to convert this rear distance gain into a front distance gain and thus attempt to increase the front distance sZV to such an extent that it reaches the front target distance sSV.

[0037] In step 212, it is checked whether the specified time period tV has been exceeded. If this is the case, and according to step 209, the target distances sSV and sSH to the front and rear have not been reached during this time, the lane change attempt is aborted as unsuccessful, and in step 213, the vehicle is moved back to the current lane I by control unit 12. If, however, the specified time period tV has not yet been reached, the system returns to step 208 to measure or calculate the distances in an effort to induce the following vehicle V2 to continue a limited braking maneuver in order to achieve sufficiently large distances for the safe completion of the lane change.

[0038] In step 212, it is further checked whether the current distances on the actual lane are still greater than the front and rear target distances sIV, sIH on the actual lane. If this is not the case, then, also in step 213, the vehicle 24 is moved back to the actual lane I by the control unit 12.

[0039] Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from them by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned as examples are truly only examples and are not to be understood in any way as limiting, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications, or the configuration of the invention.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 leaving the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description. Reference symbol list

[0040] 10 Device 12 Control unit 14 Sensor unit 16 Drive and steering unit 18 Display unit 20 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 24 Vehicle or own vehicle sZVfront target lane distance sMVfront target lane minimum distance sSVfront target lane target distance sZH rear target lane distance sMH rear target lane minimum distance sSH rear target lane target distance sIV front actual track target distance sIH rear actual track target distance e immersion depth

Claims

1. Device for performing a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle (24) from an actual lane (I) to a target lane (Z), comprising a control unit (12) for controlling the movement of the vehicle and a sensor unit (14) for continuously detecting a front and a rear target lane distance (sZV, sZH) between the vehicle (24) and a front and a rear target lane neighboring vehicle (V1, V2) on the target lane (Z) and for transmitting these data to the control unit (12), wherein, if the detected front target lane distance (sZV) is greater than a front target lane minimum distance (sMV) but less than a front target lane target distance (sSV) and the detected rear target lane distance (sZH) is greater than a rear target lane minimum distance (sMH) but less than a rear target lane target distance (sSH), the control unit (12): - causes the vehicle (24) to dip into the target lane (Z) by a predetermined immersion depth (e) perpendicular to the direction of movement, wherein the immersion depth (e) is determined between the target lane-side outer edge of the vehicle (24) and an actual lane-side outer edge of the front target lane neighboring vehicle (V1), - then holds the vehicle (24) at this immersion depth (e) for a specified period (tV), wherein if, during this time, the target lane distances (sZV, sZH) reach the target lane target distances (sSV, sSH), the vehicle (24) moves to complete the lane change, and if not, after the end of the period (tV), the vehicle (24) moves back to abort the lane change and return to the actual lane (I).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (12) determines the front target lane minimum distance (sMV) as the road section traveled during a target lane minimum time, wherein this is composed of a system reaction time and the minimum time required to revert onto the actual lane (I).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit (12) determines the rear target lane minimum distance (sMH) as the stretch of road traveled during a period of 0.3 - 0.7 seconds.

4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (12) controls the vehicle (24) during the period (tV) when the front target lane distance (sZV) increases, in particular to continuously increase the immersion depth (e).

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (12) slows down the vehicle (24) during the period (tV) and thus increases the front target lane distance (sZV).

6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor unit (14) is configured to continuously detect a front and a rear distance between the vehicle (24) and a front and a rear actual lane neighboring vehicle (V3, V4) on the actual lane (I) and the control unit (12) aborts the lane change maneuver and returns to the actual lane (I) if a shortfall in an actual lane target distance (sIV) to the front actual lane neighboring vehicle V3 or a shortfall in an actual lane target distance (sIH) to the rear actual lane neighboring vehicle V4 is detected or predicted.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a rear-facing display unit (18), and the control unit (12) transmits the rear target lane target distance (sSH) to the rear target lane neighboring vehicle (V2) when the lane change is initiated.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit (20), and the control unit (12) transmits the rear target lane target distance (sSH) to the rear target lane neighboring vehicle (V2) when the lane change is initiated.

9. Method for performing a lane change for an autonomously operated vehicle (24) from an actual lane (I) to a target lane (Z) using the device (10) according to any of the preceding claims.

10. Vehicle (24) having a device according to any of claims 1 to 8.