REDUCTION OF A SENSOR VISION OBSTRUCTION TO SECURE A VEHICLE'S LANE CHANGE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system for checking a planned lane change of a vehicle with all-wheel steering on a multi-lane road, and to a vehicle with such a system.

[0002] Particularly on a motorway with at least one carriageway and two or more parallel lanes traveling in the same direction, overtaking maneuvers require a vehicle to at least temporarily change from a slower to a faster lane. During this maneuver, the driver must ensure sufficient distance to any vehicle following behind in the faster lane. This distance should be adjusted according to the speed difference between the following vehicle and the driver's vehicle, thus minimizing the need for the following vehicle to brake in response to the driver's change of lane.The dependence of the distance on the speed, which must be taken into account, stems from the fact that with a lower distance and higher speed of the following road user to one's own vehicle, the time until the following road user reaches one's own vehicle becomes shorter for a given distance between them.

[0003] This relationship must be taken into account by a human driver when operating a vehicle manually. Likewise, this fact must be considered when developing and designing highly automated vehicles capable of performing such an overtaking maneuver as described above independently, i.e., through machine guidance.

[0004] Just as rear visibility of rapidly approaching road users at a sufficient distance is often a limiting factor in the optimal execution of these principles when driving manually, automated vehicles also have sensors with limited range. Furthermore, another road user behind the vehicle can obstruct the view of a sensor on the vehicle itself. This also reduces the range of the vehicle's ADAS sensors, thus limiting the availability of automated lane changes.Methods are known in the prior art to simplify such a lane change of a vehicle for a manual driver: DE 10 2013 226 773 A1 relates in this context to a device for supporting a course change of a vehicle, with the following features: A detection device for detecting a distance and a speed of at least one vehicle behind the vehicle; and a display device for displaying an indication of the detected distance and the detected speed of the rear vehicle.

[0005] DE 10 2013 016908 A1 describes a method for operating a vehicle with a front axle steering system for steering the front wheels and a rear axle steering system for steering the rear wheels, wherein, when a determined intended lane change of the vehicle is made, the rear wheels are automatically turned in the same direction as the front wheels in such a way that the vehicle is moved essentially parallel from one lane to another during the lane change.

[0006] US Patent 11,220,266 B2 discloses a method for at least partially clearing the field of vision of a motor vehicle. The method involves locating other vehicles in the current lane of travel, in the front and / or rear of the vehicle, using a sensor system in the vehicle, and determining whether at least one of the other vehicles is at least partially obstructing the vehicle's field of vision in the current lane. If the obstruction of the field of vision is to be reduced, a request is sent to the other vehicles via a communication device in the vehicle.

[0007] US patent 2018 / 174467 A1 discloses a driver assistance device with a control unit that captures information about a vehicle driving behind the vehicle in the same lane.

[0008] US Patent 2020 / 406969 A1 discloses a method for verifying a planned lane change by a vehicle with all-wheel steering on a multi-lane road. The method includes receiving information about the longitudinal position of an object in front of the vehicle from at least one of several sensors connected to the vehicle; determining a sequence of control inputs for a specific time horizon to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the object based on a constraint and the object's position; determining the sequence of control inputs, including minimizing the vehicle's maximum slip angle during the constraint time horizon; and inducing a vehicle control system to execute a vehicle maneuver based on the sequence of control inputs.

[0009] The object of the invention is to increase safety when a vehicle changes lanes on a road with multiple lanes.

[0010] The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] A first aspect of the invention relates to a system for checking a planned lane change of a vehicle with all-wheel steering on a multi-lane road, comprising a sensor unit and a control unit, wherein the sensor unit, with its field of view, serves to detect a road user approaching the vehicle from behind and is designed to transmit sensor data to the control unit, characterized in that the control unit is designed to control an all-wheel steering system of the vehicle in such a way that, with the front and rear wheels deflected in the same direction of rotation relative to the vehicle, a displacement of one track of the rear wheels relative to one track of the front wheels occurs in order to pivot the field of view of the sensor unit onto a lane targeted by the planned lane change by means of a yaw angle deflection of the vehicle relative to a kinematic direction of travel generated by the displacement.The yaw angle deflection describes, in this case, a deflection by an angle. ψ between the vehicle's longitudinal axis and the kinematic direction of travel vector, i.e., the direction of motion of the vehicle or its center of gravity. The vehicle's longitudinal axis is the line of symmetry of the vehicle in the direction of its greatest extent, which corresponds to the direction of travel when traveling straight ahead.

[0012] It is assumed that the vehicle has all-wheel steering and that the front and rear wheels can be independently adjusted in their respective steering angles. This means that the front wheels can be turned clockwise around the vehicle's vertical axis while the rear wheels turn counterclockwise, but also that the front and rear wheels can be turned clockwise or counterclockwise together.This not only allows for counter-steering of all wheels for improved cornering behavior, but also the so-called "dog walk," in which one track of the rear wheels and one track of the front wheels are offset from each other. Thus, a fixed longitudinal axis of the vehicle exhibits a deflection angle relative to its kinematic direction of travel about a vertical axis of the vehicle, where the kinematic direction of travel indicates the kinematic direction of travel, which in turn indicates the direction of motion of the vehicle, i.e., the direction of motion of the vehicle's center of gravity relative to the ground. This "dog walk" allows a yaw angle deflection relative to the kinematic direction of travel to be generated, i.e., a fixed longitudinal axis of the vehicle can be deflected without affecting the vehicle's lateral acceleration to the maximum extent that the wheels can be turned.

[0013] Such all-wheel steering systems are known from the prior art: DE 10 2018 220 575 B4 relates to a method for carrying out a driving maneuver with a four-wheeled motor vehicle having steerable front wheels and steerable rear wheels, comprising the following steps to be carried out while the vehicle is moving: initiating a curve by steering the front wheels, increasing the yaw rate of the vehicle by additionally steering the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the steering of the front wheels, counter-steering the front wheels until their steering angle is at least in the same direction as the steering angle of the rear wheels, wherein, in order to maintain a curve of the vehicle in a state similar to drifting, the steering angle of the front wheels is set to a lesser degree than the steering angle of the rear wheels.

[0014] By appropriately controlling an actuated all-wheel steering system on the vehicle, a control unit can deliberately induce such a yaw angle deflection of the vehicle. This allows, for example, a sensor unit mounted immobile at the rear of the vehicle and facing against the direction of travel to pivot around the vehicle's vertical axis, thus adjusting the field of view accordingly. This is particularly useful when the vehicle is planning a lane change towards the desired lane. This can advantageously increase the range of the sensor unit's field of view, especially if another road user is behind the vehicle in the currently occupied lane, potentially obstructing the view.This eliminates the need to position multiple sensors at the rear of the vehicle to achieve an extended rearward field of view against the vehicle's direction of travel. Furthermore, the sensor unit's field of view can be kept small in terms of its opening angle, thus optimizing its range.

[0015] The system is particularly advantageous when a vehicle equipped with it is traveling on a carriageway with two or more parallel lanes in the same direction of travel, for example, on a motorway. The system is advantageously fully integrated into the vehicle itself; in particular, a sensor unit is mounted on the vehicle with its detection range oriented rearward, opposite the vehicle's main direction of travel, to detect road users approaching from behind. However, the system can also be advantageously used on roads with only one lane in each direction to detect and assess road users already overtaking and approaching from behind.

[0016] For this purpose, the control unit continuously monitors whether the vehicle is planning a lane change. This can be determined, for example, by the driver activating the turn signal; or, in the case of a highly automated vehicle with automatic vehicle control, when a lane change is calculated by an automatic driving control system.

[0017] In a first embodiment, the control unit can deflect the vehicle by a predetermined yaw angle during such a maneuver without generating a lateral speed relative to the currently traveled lane, at least as a result of this maneuver. In a further embodiment, the control unit is configured to calculate a necessary yaw angle deflection depending on situational parameters; preferably, the desired yaw angle deflection is calculated using a single-lane model. In addition to the situational parameters, the control unit preferably takes into account the opening angle of the sensor unit's field of view. Situational parameters can include the current speed, the curvature of the current lane, the expected speed of following traffic, the vehicle's engine power, and other factors.

[0018] In a maneuver to achieve such a yaw angle deflection of the vehicle, which preferably does not induce any lateral velocity of the vehicle relative to its current lane, the front and rear wheels are first turned in opposite directions and then in the opposite direction. The steering of the front and rear wheels is coordinated by the control unit in such a way that one track of the rear wheels shifts relative to one track of the front wheels along an imaginary transverse line connecting the left and right edges of the lane. Even when the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle is held steady relative to its kinematic direction of travel relative to the Earth, the tracks of the front and rear wheels have parallel direction vectors, allowing the vehicle to remain in its current lane.When driving around curves, i.e., on curved lanes, the vehicle can follow the curve.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to control the all-wheel steering of the vehicle in a first phase to turn the front and rear wheels in opposite directions to build up the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle, and in a second phase following the first phase to control the all-wheel steering to align the front and rear wheels parallel to each other in order to prevent the yaw angle deflection generated in the first phase from influencing the lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to determine the current visibility of the sensor unit on the lane being pursued with the lane change, to compare the visibility with a predetermined limit value, and only if the predetermined limit value is undershot to control the all-wheel steering of the vehicle with the aim of achieving a yaw angle deflection of the vehicle relative to the kinematic direction of travel.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to control the all-wheel steering in a stationary position for a predetermined period of time in order to maintain the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle relative to the kinematic direction of travel.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to detect a safe lane change if no road user approaching the vehicle is detected in the field of view of the sensor unit after the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle has been generated, and, upon detection of the safe lane change, to control the all-wheel steering to carry out the lane change.

[0023] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to reduce the deflection angle of the rear wheels relative to the vehicle at least to the extent necessary to perform the lane change, until the offset of the track of the rear wheels relative to the track of the front wheels is eliminated.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to specify the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle relative to a kinematic direction of travel depending on a predetermined line of sight of the sensor unit to the lane being sought with the lane change and to control the all-wheel steering accordingly.

[0025] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to determine the predetermined visibility range based on the maximum permissible speed on a section of the road currently or in the future being traveled by the vehicle, the current speed of the vehicle, and / or the expected speed of another road user in the lane intended for the lane change relative to the vehicle itself. The control unit determines the predetermined visibility limits, for example, from current driving data of the vehicle or other vehicles, such as current or future speed, as well as environmental and boundary conditions such as the type of road being traveled (i.e., motorway, federal highway, or state road), the maximum permissible speed on the currently or in the future being traveled road, whether the road is curved or straight, or weather conditions.For example, on a motorway with a permitted high or even unlimited speed, the required visibility range defined by the limit is significantly greater than on a rural road with a permitted maximum speed of 80 km / h, since a greater distance to other vehicles must be maintained to avoid a collision due to potentially high speed differences. The required visibility range is influenced by the speed of the vehicle itself; that is, the slower the vehicle travels on a motorway, the greater the potential speed differences to following traffic, and therefore the greater the required visibility range for collision avoidance. According to the invention, the all-wheel steering is controlled in such a way that a yaw angle deflection is achieved which enables the required, i.e., the required, visibility range, thus avoiding an unnecessarily high yaw angle deflection.Similarly, a required, predetermined view may be determined or dependent on fog, obscuration by objects, or curves.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to specify the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle relative to the kinematic direction of travel depending on a current curve radius of the road.

[0027] According to another advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to maintain the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle by controlling the all-wheel steering for a maximum predetermined period.

[0028] In a highly automated vehicle, the intended lane change can be discarded if a safe lane change is not detected within a specified time period.

[0029] Another aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a system as described above and below, wherein the field of view of the sensor unit is directed against a main direction of travel of the vehicle in order to be able to detect road users approaching the vehicle from behind.

[0030] Advantages and preferred further developments of the proposed vehicle result from an analogous and substantive transfer of the above statements made in connection with the proposed system.

[0031] Further advantages, features and details will become apparent from the following description, in which - possibly with reference to the drawing - at least one embodiment is described in detail.

[0032] They show: Fig. 1: A situation in which the field of view of a sensor unit is insufficient for detecting following traffic. Fig. 2: Adjusting the field of view according to Fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3: The adaptation of the Fig. 2 In detail. Fig. 4: A calculation of the yaw angle deflection for adjusting the field of view according to Fig. 2

[0033] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0034] Fig. 1 This diagram depicts a situation in public road traffic on a carriageway with two parallel lanes traveling in the same direction, i.e., a carriageway of a motorway. In this situation, vehicle 1 is traveling in the right-hand lane. For example, due to a slow-moving vehicle ahead, there is a desire to change to the faster left-hand lane. Other road users 3, who are approaching at a higher speed than vehicle 1, must be taken into account. For safety reasons, the desired change to the left-hand lane may only be made if a minimum distance to another road user 3 can be maintained, preferably taking into account the relative speed of the other road user 3 to vehicle 1.The sensor unit, with its field of view directed against the main direction of travel of vehicle 1, serves to detect the area behind the vehicle 1 and to check whether there is sufficient space in the intended lane without another road user 3 entering it within a short time. However, due to an object traveling behind the vehicle 1 and a limited field of view of the sensor unit, a following road user 3 may not be detected, and the lane change by the vehicle 1 could lead to a critical situation.

[0035] Fig. 2 shows a solution approach to avoid a situation like the one described below. Fig. 1 The described potentially critical situation. If a lane change is required, an initial clearance check is performed by the sensor unit. The sensor unit's field of view, when the vehicle is traveling in a yaw-free state (the vehicle's longitudinal axis points essentially in the same direction as the kinematic direction vector relative to the ground), covers at least part of the intended lane. This initial clearance check is defined as the area of ​​the target lane in which no overtaking vehicle 3 may be located to allow a safe lane change. This clearance is defined as the full width of the intended lane up to the outer edge of the lane marking, with the required length corresponding to the necessary distance to the overtaking vehicle 3, taking into account the speed difference and any deceleration of the overtaking vehicle 3. If this check is successful, the yaw angle deflection is initiated.A yaw angle relative to the lane is generated by controlled steering intervention at the rear and front axles. During this process, the lateral speed remains zero relative to the vehicle's original lane. The controlled yaw angle is calculated from the horizontal opening angle of the sensor unit's field of view, the necessary distance to the overtaking vehicle 3 (calculated from any applicable speed limit and the maximum speed of the potentially overtaking vehicle), the vehicle's own speed 1, and the distance between the sensor unit's installation location and the outer edge of the target lane marking, taking into account the lane's curvature.Here, a control unit of vehicle 1 controls an actuated all-wheel steering system of vehicle 1 in such a way that vehicle 1 remains in its current lane, but a yaw angle deflection of vehicle 1 occurs without its center of gravity or geometric reference point undergoing any lateral movement due to this yaw angle deflection. Vehicle 1 is thus in a "dog walk" position, in which the vehicle's longitudinal axis deviates from the kinematic direction of travel, which essentially runs along a center line between the left and right edges of the lane, due to this deflection. The sensor of the sensor unit, for example a radar or lidar system, which is fixed to the rear of vehicle 1, is also moved laterally and rotated about a vertical axis of vehicle 1. This allows the following road user 3 to be detected. The dashed lines, starting from the rear of vehicle 1, indicate the... Fig. 1 and in the Fig. 2 The respective field of view of the sensor unit is outlined. It shows how the generated yaw angle deflection of vehicle 1 allows the detection of another road user 3 in the intended lane. The lane change then occurs with a continuously decreasing yaw angle relative to the lane, achieved by building up lateral speed through steering of the front wheels.

[0036] Fig. 3 This yaw angle deflection of vehicle 1 is shown as below. Fig. 2 described in more detail. If the yaw angle deflection of vehicle 1 is set, the vehicle has the same direction of travel as before the yaw angle deflection was applied, but is deflected by a yaw angle that is referenced to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle by rotation about a vertical axis of vehicle 1. In this case, the tracks of the front and rear wheels are offset from each other, whereas without such a yaw angle deflection they are essentially congruent. During such a yaw angle deflection, the front and rear wheels are thus deflected in the same direction of rotation relative to the body of vehicle 1.

[0037] Fig. 4 This shows an example calculation method used by the control unit to determine a desired yaw angle deflection, for example, in the unit "degrees" or "radians". Accordingly, the yaw angle deflection is variable and is set by the control unit depending on the situation. The necessary or desired yaw angle ψThe control unit calculates this using the following formula: The arcsine of the ratio "lateral distance between the sensor unit and the distant lane boundary of the intended lane" (denoted by 'h') and the "square root of the sum of the required sensor range and the lateral distance between the sensor unit and the distant lane boundary of the intended lane" (where the required sensor range is denoted by nr and the lateral distance by 'h') is calculated, and half of the horizontal opening angle of the sensor unit's field of view is subtracted from the result (where the horizontal opening angle of the sensor unit is denoted by nr). α(referred to as lane change). The expected maximum speed of the other road user 3 in the intended lane is subtracted from the speed of the vehicle 1 to determine the relevant speed difference. The necessary range nr is calculated as the product of the predicted duration of the lane change and the relevant speed difference, plus a remaining safety distance, from which the expected deceleration of the other road user 3 as overtaking can optionally be subtracted. For curved roads (whose course is known from ADAS lane detection and, if applicable, map information), the distance h is calculated based on the maximum distance along the curve within the distance nr. The lateral displacement of the sensor unit's position due to the rotation of the vehicle 1 around its instantaneous center of rotation is not considered here, due to small angles and runtime optimization.However, it can also be taken into account. In this case, the calculation of the yaw angle deflection is calibrated using a single-track model.

[0038] 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.

Claims

1. System for checking a planned lane change of a vehicle (1) having all-wheel steering, on a multi-lane road, which system comprises a sensor unit and a control unit, wherein the sensor unit is used to capture, by means of its visual range, a road user (3) approaching the vehicle (1) from behind and is designed to transmit sensor data to the control unit, characterized in that the control unit is designed to control the all-wheel steering of the vehicle (1) in such a way that, when the front and rear wheels are deflected in the same direction of rotation relative to the vehicle (1), a driving lane of the rear wheels is displaced relative to a driving lane of the front wheels in order to pivot the visual range of the sensor unit to a driving lane intended for the planned lane change, as a result of a yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1), relative to a kinematic direction of travel, generated due to the displacement.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to control the all-wheel steering of the vehicle (1) in a first phase to perform a counter turn of the front wheels and the rear wheels to generate the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1), and in a second phase, following the first phase, to control the all-wheel steering to align the front wheels and the rear wheels parallel to one another in order to prevent the yaw angle deflection generated in the first phase from influencing the lateral acceleration of the vehicle (1).

3. System according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to ascertain a current visibility of the sensor unit onto the driving lane intended for the lane change, to compare the visibility with a specified limit value and, only if the visibility falls below the specified limit value, to control the all-wheel steering of the vehicle (1) with the aim of achieving a yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1) relative to the kinematic direction of travel.

4. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to control the all-wheel steering for a specified amount of time in order to keep the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1) stationary relative to the kinematic direction of travel.

5. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to detect a safe lane change when no road user (3) approaching the ego vehicle (1) is detected in the visual range of the sensor unit after the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1) has been generated, and, upon detection of the safe lane change, to control the all-wheel steering to carry out the lane change.

6. System according to claim 5, wherein the control unit, in order to carry out the lane change, is designed to reduce a deflection angle of the rear wheels relative to the vehicle (1) at least until the offset of the driving lane of the rear wheels relative to the driving lane of the front wheels is eliminated.

7. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to specify the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1) relative to a kinematic direction of travel, depending on a specified visibility of the sensor unit onto the driving lane intended for the lane change and to control the all-wheel steering accordingly.

8. System according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is designed to ascertain the specified visibility depending on a maximum permissible speed on a portion of the road traveled by the vehicle (1), currently or in the future, depending on a current speed of the vehicle (1) and / or depending on an expected speed of another road user (3), located in the driving lane intended for the lane change, relative to the ego vehicle (1).

9. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to specify the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1) relative to the kinematic direction of travel depending on a current curve radius of the road.

10. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to maintain the yaw angle deflection of the vehicle (1) by controlling the all-wheel steering for a maximum specified amount of time.

11. Vehicle (1) comprising a system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the visual range of the sensor unit is oriented counter to a main direction of travel of the vehicle (1) in order to be able to capture road users (3) approaching the vehicle (1) from behind.