Method for determining an appropriate cornering speed of a vehicle, apparatus for carrying out the method, and use of the method

Abstract

A method for determining a cornering speed suitable for a vehicle, for a current user of the vehicle, first, in a first step (48), for at least one specific curve, a ratio of the cornering speed driven by the user in the past in the specific curve to the cornering speed driven by at least one other driver in the past in the same at least one specific curve is determined, then, in a second step, for the current or approaching curve, at least one cornering speed in the past of the current or approaching curve of at least one other driver is used and multiplied by the ratio calculated in the first step, then, in a third step (50), the speed calculated in the second step is output as a recommended speed to the user of the vehicle by an output unit. The method is described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for determining a cornering speed suitable for a vehicle, described in the preamble of the independent claim, an apparatus for executing the method, and the use of the method.

Background Art

[0002] There are already technical approaches to warn a driver when the vehicle, especially a two-wheeler, is going too fast for a curve located in front of the driver. In that case, it is a difficult problem to determine the dangerous speed for passing the approaching curve. Nevertheless, for example, a purely dynamic approach for motorcycles has already been pursued.

[0003] In this regard, from Patent Document 1, a driver assistance system is known in which the driver's historical driving data is stored and investigated regarding the driver's reaction pattern. Based on these historical data, an assessment is made of how much the driver's future behavior is necessary, and then this is provided to the driver assistance system accordingly.

[0004] Furthermore, from Patent Document 2, a method for outputting a warning signal by a navigation device is known. In this case, when the driver approaches a dangerous location, an evaluation is made of how the driver has behaved in the past with respect to such a dangerous location, and a warning signal is output according to the evaluation result.

[0005] From Patent Document 3, another warning method is known in which a traffic infrastructure transmission unit outputs region-specific information, and the information can be notified to the driver via a receiving unit of an automobile. This notification is made when criteria based on a specific situation are met.

[0006] Furthermore, from Patent Document 4, a method for assisting a driver of a single-track vehicle to drive safely on a curve is known. In this method, on the one hand, the latest vehicle data is collected, and on the other hand, the historical vehicle data regarding the limit state of the vehicle is also considered. Furthermore, the navigation data is considered. A warning signal is output when a danger threshold is exceeded.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for determining an appropriate cornering speed of a vehicle, an apparatus for executing the method, and the use of the method, which have the distinguishing features of the independent claims.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] According to the present invention, a method for determining a cornering speed of a vehicle suitable for a user is provided. In this case, in a first step, a ratio is determined by calculation from historical data regarding the passage of at least one specific curve passed by the user, where the cornering speed reached in that case is known. For this purpose, at least one cornering speed of the at least one curve in the past of at least one other driver is put in relation (ins Verhaeltnis gesetzt) to the ratio. Then, the obtained ratio is multiplied by at least one cornering speed of the current curve, which was traveled at that cornering speed by other drivers in the past and which approached or is approaching the user. The speed for passing the curve calculated in this way is output to the user of the vehicle as the recommended speed.

[0010] A particular advantage of this procedure is that by associating the historical data of the user of the vehicle with the corresponding speed data of the users of other vehicles, individual user behavior can be taken into account when calculating (Berechnung) the recommended speed for passing a curve. This individual behavior can be manifested, for example, in individual skills, the technical boundary conditions of the vehicle used, or the driver's awareness of danger. Thereby, higher approval is obtained when considering the speed recommended with respect to the driving behavior of the user of the vehicle.

[0011] Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0012] It is advantageous if, for a specific curve, a large number of cornering speeds selected by other drivers in the past when passing the curve are considered, and based on this large number of multiple cornering speeds, an analysis based on the mean value, quantile, or standard deviation is performed and used to determine the ratio in the first step of the method described above.

[0013] Furthermore, it is advantageous to also consider the cornering speed of the current or approaching curve in order to determine the ratio by means of the first method step of the method described above. This applies both to the utilization of the cornering speed driven in the past by another driver on the current or approaching curve and to the cornering speed selected in the past by the current user of the vehicle for the curve.

[0014] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, road surface parameters are additionally taken into account for calculating the speed recommended for passing through the curve. These are, in particular, the road surface condition in the area of the curve, the angle described by the curve, a possible uphill gradient of the road surface, the number of lanes, the geographical location of the curve, the overall curvature of the course (Gesamtkurvigkeit), the width of the road surface, the curvature profile (Kruemmungsverlauf) of the road surface within the curve, a possible cross gradient, or a possible regulatory speed limit.

[0015] In that case, furthermore, the consideration of the road surface parameters is advantageously carried out such that, for determining the ratio by means of the first method step, only curves that have a certain degree of similarity to the approaching or current curve are taken into account with respect to the road surface parameters and in relation to the user of the vehicle. In this way, the reliability and usefulness of the speed recommended for cornering by the method described above, and thus also the acceptance of the speed so recommended, are much higher.

[0016] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the age (Alter) of the data regarding the cornering speed in the curve, which is used to determine the ratio by means of the method described above, is taken into account together. This is done such that older data is considered less than newer data when determining the ratio. This can be done, for example, by taking into account the age factor (Altersfaktor) of the corresponding speed data.

[0017] According to another particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, in addition to the ratio of the cornering speed according to the first method step of the method described above, in order to calculate a cornering speed suitable for the current or approaching curve, additional vehicle-specific data are considered together, such as, for example, the bending maneuvers (Kruemmungsfahrten) actually achieved by the vehicle, the inclination position of the vehicle, possible interventions of the vehicle's assistance system, and parameters characterizing the driver behavior.

[0018] This consideration enables possible corrections to the output value of the cornering speed suitable for the vehicle. By considering only the cornering speed of another driver on a specific curve whose vehicle data has a profile that is similar to a certain extent to the vehicle data of the user of the vehicle, it is also possible to use the corresponding vehicle data for determining the ratio in the first method step, depending on the availability of the vehicle data of another driver.

[0019] According to the invention, additionally, a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, in particular with a single track, is provided, which has means for carrying out the method according to the invention described above. In this case, the driver assistance system can additionally comprise a control device in addition to an optical or acoustic display unit for indicating the calculated appropriate cornering speed, which, for example, comprises a data storage device for storing historical data regarding the user's cornering speed for a predefined curve or the cornering speed of another driver. Furthermore, for example, a transceiver unit for receiving such data and / or for storing such data in an external data storage system is provided.

[0020] The driver assistance system described above can advantageously be used for driving a motor vehicle with a single track.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail in the following description of the figures.

[0023] In FIG. 1, a method for generating cornering data used as a basis for executing a method for calculating an appropriate cornering speed according to the present invention is schematically shown.

[0024] In the first method step 12, the data acquisition method 10 is started at an appropriate time during the operation of the vehicle. In the second method step 14, during the running of the vehicle, vehicle data, particularly vehicle speed data, is collected by sensors in the area of the vehicle or the driver. Then, the collected vehicle data is associated with the data of, for example, the navigation system of the vehicle in the third method step 16 so that the collected vehicle data can be combined with local position data (oertliche Positionsdaten) and stored in a map. In the fourth method step 18, it is checked whether the vehicle is currently passing through a curve.

[0025] If not, the method returns to the second method step 14 and the data acquisition method 10 is executed again. In the fourth method step 18, if it is detected that the vehicle is currently passing through a curve, in the fifth method step 20, the vehicle data collected during the curve driving is assigned to the curve and stored as a corresponding data pair. Then, in the sixth method step 22, the data is stored.

[0026] In FIG. 2, the procedure of the method according to the present invention for providing a cornering speed suitable for a vehicle is schematically illustrated. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same method steps as in FIG. 1.

[0027] In a first method step 42, a method 40 for determining a cornering speed suitable for a vehicle is started. In a second method step 44, vehicle data of a vehicle driven by a user is collected periodically or continuously by sensors in the vehicle or in the driver's area, similar to the second method step 14 according to FIG. 1. In a third method step 46, the collected vehicle data is associated with local data (Ortsdaten), for example, by a navigation system. In a fourth method step 48, based on the existing local data, if it is recognized that a curve driving is approaching, first, it is checked whether historical vehicle data of the own vehicle or the currently observed vehicle (Egofahrzeug) for the curve already exists and / or whether there is vehicle data related to the approaching or current curve that can be received or has been received from an external data source.

[0028] Furthermore, a ratio is obtained by calculation from historical data regarding the passage of at least one specific curve that has already been passed by the user in the past and does not necessarily correspond to the currently approaching curve, and the cornering speed achieved in that case is known. For this purpose, at least one cornering speed of the same at least one curve in the past of at least one other driver is used for the ratio.

[0029] Subsequently, the obtained ratio is multiplied by the cornering speed corresponding to the historical vehicle data of the curve approaching or current for the user. The speed for passing the curve calculated in this way is output optically or haptically to the driver as an appropriate cornering speed in a fifth method step 50, or in some cases, is associated with a system intervention, for example, a brake intervention.

[0030] In that case, for a specific curve, it is advantageous to consider a number of cornering speeds selected by other drivers in the past when passing the curve. Based on this number of multiple cornering speeds, an analysis based on the mean value, quantile, or standard deviation is performed and used to obtain the ratio in the first step of the above method.

[0031] To execute the fourth method step 48, if there is no vehicle data for the approaching curve, a ratio is obtained based on a data set related to curves where both the self - selected cornering speed and the cornering speed selected by others exist, from the self - selected cornering speed and the cornering speed selected by others. Then, the resulting ratio is multiplied by the average cornering speed selected by others for the approaching curve. Additionally, the chronological order of the curve - specific vehicle data used and the road surface parameters of the curve can also be considered in the calculation by the fourth method step 48. This is done as already described above.

[0032] In an alternative embodiment, instead of newly obtaining the ratio for each data set by the fourth method step 48 of the method according to the present invention, it is possible to calculate it once based on a model and make it available. Such a model calculation can be performed, for example, by adding a self - learning system. To create this model, for example, a plurality of historical data regarding the cornering speeds of the vehicle user himself and other drivers are considered and used for the calculation.

[0033] According to the invention, there is also provided a vehicle assistance system (Fahrzeugassistenzsystem) having means for carrying out a method for determining at least an appropriate cornering speed according to FIG. 2, but in some cases also for carrying out a method for acquiring data according to FIG. 1. For this purpose, the driver assistance system preferably comprises a control device including such means for carrying out the method according to the invention. Furthermore, the driver assistance system comprises means for transmitting and receiving data, for example, a data storage area and / or external data. Furthermore, the driver assistance system comprises, for example, a haptic, acoustic, or optical output system, by which the appropriate or recommended cornering speed can be notified to the user of the vehicle.

Explanation of Signs

[0034] 10 Data acquisition method 12 First method step 14 Second method step 16 Third method step 18 Fourth method step 20 Fifth method step 22 Sixth method step 40 Method for determining cornering speed 42 First method step 44 Second method step 46 Third method step 48 Fourth method step 50 Fifth method step

Claims

1. A method for determining a cornering speed suitable for a vehicle, for a current user of the vehicle, first, in a first step (48), for at least one specific curve, a ratio of the cornering speed driven in the past by the user in the specific curve to the cornering speed driven in the past by at least one other driver in the same at least one specific curve is determined, then, in a second step, for a current or approaching curve, at least one past cornering speed of the current or approaching curve of at least one other driver is used and multiplied by the ratio calculated in the first step, then, in a third step (50), the speed calculated in the second step is output as a recommended speed by an output unit to the user of the vehicle.

2. For a specific curve, a large number of past cornering speeds of other drivers in the curve are used, and an analysis of the average value, quantile, or standard deviation of the cornering speed of the specific curve is used as the basis for obtaining the ratio in the first step, according to the method of Claim 1.

3. For an approaching or current curve, both the past cornering speed of another driver and the cornering speed of the current user of the vehicle are included in obtaining the ratio by the first method step, according to the method of Claim 1 or 2.

4. In addition, in order to calculate the recommended cornering speed, approaching or current road surface parameters of the curve are considered together, in particular, parameters such as road surface condition, number of lanes, curvature profile, road surface width, angle described by the curve, number of curves in the whole course, road class, cross slope, possible uphill slope of the road surface, geographical location, and / or regulatory speed limit are considered, according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The consideration of the road surface parameters is carried out such that only road surfaces that are similar to a certain extent to the current or approaching curve with respect to the road surface parameters are considered for calculating the ratio by the first method step, according to the method of Claim 4.

6. When determining the ratio by the first method step, the age of the past data regarding the cornering speed of at least one specific curve considered for determining the ratio is considered together such that older data is considered less than newer data. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. For calculating the cornering speed suitable for the current or approaching curve, additional vehicle data of the vehicle currently used by the user is included together, in particular the actual bends traveled, the inclination position of the vehicle, possible interventions of the vehicle assistance system, and / or driver behavior. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, in particular a single-track motor vehicle, comprising means for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A single-track motor vehicle having the driver assistance system according to claim 8.

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