Method and control device for carrying out a lane change of a vehicle
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure EP2026051409_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] R.412830
[0002] - 1 -
[0003] Description
[0004] title
[0005] Method and control unit for performing a lane change of a vehicle
[0006] State of the art
[0007] The present invention relates to a method and a control unit for performing a lane change of a vehicle.
[0008] Lane change assistance systems for vehicles are known from the state of the art, which support the drivers of the vehicles in carrying out a lane change.
[0009] In this context, lane change assistance systems are known which monitor a blind spot of the vehicle and, for example, use a light source arranged in a side mirror of the vehicle to indicate other road users who are on a target lane of the lane change and within a blind spot of the vehicle.
[0010] Furthermore, lane change assistance systems are known which derive a recommendation to perform a lane change based on general data such as vehicle speed, navigation data, map data and sensor data from an environment detection system of the vehicle.
[0011] US2022306113A1 describes an active lane change assist system for motor vehicles designed to cause a motor vehicle to perform autonomous lane change maneuvers and to modify the autonomous lane change maneuvers based on manual lane change habits R.412830
[0012] - 2 -
[0013] to adapt to the driver of the motor vehicle, which were learned during one or more manual driving sessions of the motor vehicle.
[0014] US10710497B2 describes a lane change assistant which recognizes a driver's wish to change lanes. To recognize the driver's wish, the activation of a turn signal by the driver is evaluated.
[0015] Disclosure of the invention
[0016] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for performing a lane change of a vehicle is proposed, wherein the vehicle is designed, for example, as a car, truck, bus, van, two-wheeler, or as a rail vehicle.
[0017] The method according to the invention is carried out, for example, by means of an evaluation unit designed as an ASIC, CPU, microcontroller, etc., which can in particular be arranged in the vehicle as a component of a control unit of the vehicle.
[0018] In a first step of the method according to the invention, a lane change request for the vehicle is received from a driver of the vehicle, wherein the lane change request includes information about a direction of the lane change (i.e., whether the lane change is to take place from a currently driven lane to a lane arranged to the left or to the right in the direction of travel).
[0019] The lane change request is initiated, for example, by the driver activating the vehicle's turn signal in the direction of the desired lane change. Alternatively or additionally, the lane change request can be made via other user interfaces, such as a voice recognition system, a display, a control element (e.g., buttons, switches, etc.), and / or a camera (e.g., for gesture recognition and / or head and / or eye movement detection, etc.). R.412830
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[0021] In a case where the inventive method is carried out by an evaluation unit according to the invention as described above, it is accordingly possible that the evaluation unit is set up on the basis of an information technology connection to a user interface used in each case, in order to receive the lane change request from the user interface.
[0022] In a second step of the method according to the invention, first current boundary conditions relating to the vehicle are determined. These first current boundary conditions can, in principle, be any boundary conditions that may be relevant, particularly with regard to the safety and / or comfort of the driver and / or the occupants of the vehicle. Specific examples of the first current boundary conditions include, for example, a clear target lane in the area of the lane change, vehicle speed, traffic volume in the vicinity of the vehicle, weather conditions, visibility conditions, road surface condition, etc., which can be determined, among other things, based on the vehicle's environmental sensors and / or on weather data and / or map data and / or odometry data, etc.
[0023] In a third step of the inventive method, it is checked whether the first current boundary conditions fulfill the predefined lane change boundary conditions required for the lane change, with examples of the required lane change boundary conditions being described in more detail below in the course of describing advantageous embodiments of the present invention.
[0024] In a fourth step of the method according to the invention, the lane change request is stored if the lane change boundary conditions are not met by the first current boundary conditions. The lane change request is stored, for example, in a storage unit connected to the evaluation unit via information technology. It is understood that if the lane change boundary conditions are met by the first current boundary conditions, the lane change is advantageously executed and / or recommended immediately or at least promptly. R.412830
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[0026] In the case where a stored lane change request exists, a fifth step of the method according to the invention involves determining second current boundary conditions. These second current boundary conditions preferably represent the same boundary conditions as the first current boundary conditions (i.e., they are preferably determined based on the same sensors and / or the same data sources), with the difference that the second boundary conditions are acquired at a time point following the acquisition of the first boundary conditions. It should be noted that it is also possible for the second current boundary conditions to differ from the first current boundary conditions. This can be the case, for example, if the lane change boundary conditions are adapted depending on the current driving situation.
[0027] Preferably, the second boundary conditions are determined repeatedly at least until the required track-change boundary conditions are satisfied by the second boundary conditions. The time interval between determining the first boundary conditions and determining the second boundary conditions, or between repeatedly determining the second boundary conditions, can be a predefined uniform interval (e.g., 1 s, 10 s, 30 s, etc.) and / or a varying interval.
[0028] It should be noted that the following procedural steps apply only in the case where a stored lane change request exists.
[0029] In a sixth step of the method according to the invention, it is checked whether the lane-change boundary conditions are met by the second current boundary conditions.
[0030] In a seventh step of the method according to the invention, at least one semi-automated lane change (i.e., at least based on automated lateral guidance of the vehicle) is carried out for the vehicle in accordance with the stored lane change request (i.e., in particular in accordance with the direction requested for the lane change), if the lane change boundary conditions are met by the second current boundary conditions. R.412830
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[0032] In an eighth step of the method according to the invention, the lane change request is deleted as soon as the corresponding lane change has been started and / or completed.
[0033] The method according to the invention offers, among other advantages, that a lane change request from the driver of the vehicle is not immediately rejected if the lane change is not possible at the time of the request due to current conditions. This increases driver comfort by maintaining the lane change request and automatically determining a suitable time for later execution of the lane change. As a result, the driver does not need to repeatedly initiate a lane change. This can also lead to increased safety during vehicle operation.
[0034] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.
[0035] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the lane-change boundary conditions represent compliance with a predefined distance to the vehicle by other road users and / or compliance with current regulations through lane markings and / or signage and / or a predefined speed range by the vehicle, which may arise in particular from applicable traffic regulations in the area of the planned lane change. Alternatively or additionally, the lane-change boundary conditions represent compliance with predefined traffic situations (e.g., no traffic jam, no excessive traffic volume, etc.) in the vicinity of the vehicle and / or predefined minimum visibility conditions (for the driver and / or sensors of the vehicle, which may be due to weather conditions, road layout, etc.).may be restricted) and / or a predefined minimum lane width and / or a predefined minimum number of lanes and / or a predefined road surface condition (e.g. no or only minor damage, no slipperiness due to ice and / or snow and / or dirt, etc.) and / or a predefined minimum curve radius of a road section traveled by the vehicle in the area of the lane change and / or predefined for the lane changeR.412830.
[0036] - 6 -
[0037] permissible road types and / or road environments (e.g. no lane changes inside a tunnel and / or in the area of construction sites, etc.).
[0038] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, steps five and six of the method according to the invention are repeated as long as a stored lane change request exists and until, in step six of the method, it is recognized that the lane change boundary conditions are satisfied by the second current boundary conditions. The repetition can, for example, occur at fixed time intervals and / or be event-driven, for instance, when it is recognized that the current second boundary conditions have changed.
[0039] A further advantage is the ability to adapt the lane change boundary conditions depending on the current driving situation. The current driving situation could, for example, refer to the current traffic volume, allowing the lane change boundary conditions to permit greater tolerances in low traffic volumes than in high traffic volumes. Different traffic volumes could be determined, for instance, based on the vehicle's environmental perception system and predefined thresholds for the number of vehicles per unit area in the vehicle's vicinity. Furthermore, it is possible to disregard certain lane change boundary conditions in less critical driving situations, while making them mandatory in critical situations.
[0040] Preferably, a suggestion to perform a lane change is issued to the vehicle's driver as soon as the lane change boundary conditions are met by the second set of current boundary conditions. Furthermore, the at least partially automated lane change is only carried out once the driver has confirmed the lane change suggestion through interaction with the vehicle. The lane change suggestion is displayed, for example, on a vehicle display and / or via acoustic and / or haptic feedback to the driver. Confirmation of the lane change is provided, for example, by the driver activating a vehicle control element (e.g., a button, a touchscreen, etc.) and / or by a voice command and / or a gesture, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the R.412830
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[0042] At least partially automated lane changes are only performed after a predefined waiting period has elapsed following the suggestion being issued to the driver. This eliminates the need for further driver interaction to execute the lane change, thereby increasing vehicle safety.
[0043] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, a driver preference is determined and stored based on the driver's behavior in response to the lane change suggestion. This driver preference is then considered as an additional lane change boundary condition for subsequent lane changes. In particular, it is possible for a given driver preference to be stored and applied in a location- and / or time-related manner. For example, it can be determined for one or more locations that the driver generally does not wish to perform a lane change at these locations for reasons of comfort and / or safety (e.g., on narrow roads), even though such a change would be possible in principle with regard to the second boundary conditions and the lane change boundary conditions. On the other hand, the driver may wish to restrict lane changes to a specific time of day (e.g.,The storage of driver preference may also stipulate that a driver preference is only considered as an additional lane-change boundary condition if the driver's behavior in similar driving situations (e.g., at the same location and / or within the same time frame) is essentially identical, so that a driver preference is not derived from a single instance of driver behavior and may not represent a genuine preference.
[0044] A particularly advantageous feature is that a stored lane change request is automatically deleted if a predefined deletion period has expired after the lane change request was stored and / or a new lane change request and / or a cancellation of the stored lane change request is received. A cancellation of the lane change request occurs, for example, by activating a vehicle control element (e.g., a button, a touchscreen, etc.) and / or by a voice command and / or a gesture, etc., from the driver. The deletion period is advantageously set such that after the expiry of the R.412830
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[0046] The deletion period is usually based on the assumption that the lane change request is no longer relevant to the driver and / or the vehicle and / or that the boundary conditions have changed to such an extent that the original lane change request no longer corresponds to the current boundary conditions. Alternatively or additionally, a stored lane change request can be automatically deleted if the type and / or number of lanes on a road traveled by the vehicle changes (e.g., when changing from a motorway to a rural road, from a substantially straight stretch to a winding stretch, from a three-lane road to a two-lane road, etc.) and / or a vehicle function with a higher priority than a lane change function provided by the procedure requires intervention in the vehicle's control system (e.g., when an emergency braking assistant, etc.).is activated while a lane change request is pending) and / or a change is made to a route planned for the vehicle and / or a predefined change in a traffic situation in the vicinity of the vehicle occurs (e.g., in the event of a traffic jam or if the volume of traffic increases above a threshold compared to the time of the lane change request, etc.).
[0047] Lane changes are particularly preferred when performed by means of automatic lateral and / or longitudinal guidance of the vehicle, which is controlled, for example, by a system for (partially) automated ferry operation of the vehicle.
[0048] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, a notification is issued to the driver of the vehicle, informing the driver about lane change boundary conditions that are currently not being met for the requested lane change. This notification is provided, for example, visually (e.g., via a vehicle display) and / or audibly (e.g., via the vehicle's audio system). In this way, the driver is enabled to rectify the currently unmet lane change boundary conditions, if possible, by appropriately intervening in the vehicle's operation. This is possible, for example, if the vehicle's speed is outside a predefined speed range.
[0049] - 9 -
[0050] Alternatively or additionally, it is advantageous to provide the driver with a notification informing them of the expected distance and / or time at which the requested lane change will be possible. For such a prediction, it is conceivable, for example, to evaluate current route information and / or traffic information, etc. This information can also be displayed visually (e.g., via a vehicle display) and / or audibly (e.g., via the vehicle's audio system).
[0051] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control unit is proposed, wherein the control unit is configured to execute a lane change of the vehicle using the method according to the first aspect of the invention. For this purpose, the control unit includes, for example, an evaluation unit, which can be configured, among other things, as an ASIC, FPGA, CPU, microcontroller, etc., and which is advantageously configured to execute the method according to the invention based on a computer program. The features, combinations of features, and the advantages resulting therefrom correspond to those described in connection with the first aspect of the invention in such a way that reference is made to the above descriptions to avoid repetition.
[0052] Brief description of the drawings
[0053] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing shows:
[0054] Figure 1 is a flowchart representing an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for carrying out a lane change of a vehicle;
[0055] Figure 2 shows a first example of performing a lane change based on a control unit according to the invention;
[0056] Figure 3 shows a second example of performing a lane change based on the control unit according to the invention; and R.412830
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[0058] Figure 4 shows a third example of performing a lane change based on the control unit according to the invention.
[0059] Embodiments of the invention
[0060] Figure 1 shows a flowchart representing an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for carrying out a lane change of a vehicle, wherein the method is carried out on the basis of a control unit 50 (see Figures 2 to 4) of the vehicle.
[0061] The vehicle shown here is designed as a passenger car and in this case performs a fully automated ferry operation, in which longitudinal and lateral guidance of the vehicle is carried out automatically.
[0062] In step 100, a lane change request 20 is received for the vehicle from the driver of the vehicle, where the lane change request 20 contains information about the direction of the lane change. The lane change request is generated in this case by the driver activating the vehicle's turn signal.
[0063] In step 200, the first current boundary conditions relating to the vehicle are determined, whereby the first current boundary conditions include a speed of the vehicle and a level of current traffic volume in the vicinity of the vehicle.
[0064] In step 300, the system checks whether the predefined lane change boundary conditions required for the lane change are met by the first current boundary conditions. These lane change boundary conditions represent a maximum permissible vehicle speed and a maximum permissible traffic volume in the vicinity of the vehicle. These lane change boundary conditions are stored in a memory unit of the control unit and are retrieved from this unit by the control unit for the check.
[0065] If the lane change boundary conditions are met by the first current boundary conditions, the requested lane change is executed immediately in step 700. In the subsequent step 750, it is checked whether R.412830
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[0067] A stored lane change request exists in the storage unit. Since the lane change was executed immediately in this case, there is no stored lane change request, which is why the procedure terminates in step 900.
[0068] In the case where the lane change boundary conditions are not met by the first current boundary conditions, the lane change request 20 is stored in the control unit's memory unit in step 400.
[0069] After waiting a delay of 5s, second current boundary conditions are then determined in step 500, whereby the second current boundary conditions represent the same boundary conditions as the first current boundary conditions.
[0070] In step 600, it is checked whether the lane change boundary conditions are met by the second current boundary conditions.
[0071] If this is not the case, the delay time T is waited for again, and the determination of the second current boundary conditions is then performed again. It should be noted that this loop can be advantageously terminated by an additional condition, namely when a predefined deletion period (e.g., 1 min, 2 min, etc.) for the stored lane change request has expired. In this case, it can be assumed that the lane change request is no longer relevant after this time due to changed driving and / or boundary conditions. In this case, the procedure continues at step 800.
[0072] In the case where the lane change boundary conditions are met by the second current boundary conditions, a fully automated lane change for the vehicle is performed in step 700 in accordance with the stored lane change request 20.
[0073] In step 800, the stored lane change request 20 is deleted as soon as the corresponding lane change has been completed, and the procedure is terminated in step 900. R.412830
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[0075] Figure 2 shows a first example of performing a lane change based on a control unit 50 according to the invention, which is a component of a vehicle 10. The control unit 50 is configured to execute a method according to the invention for performing a lane change of the vehicle 10. For this purpose, the control unit 50 has an evaluation unit designed as an ASIC (not shown) and a storage unit (not shown). The method according to the invention is preferably implemented by means of a computer program stored in the storage unit.
[0076] Figure 2 further shows a roadway with a first lane 40, a second lane 42 and a third lane 44, wherein the vehicle 10 is located on the second lane 42 at the beginning of the method according to the invention, while other road users 60, 60', 60" are located in the vicinity of the vehicle 10.
[0077] A lane change 30 requested in this state to change to the third lane 44 is checked by the control unit 50 and cannot be executed directly at the time of the request, because the other road user 60 is located in an area on the third lane 44 that would have to be traversed by the vehicle 10 for the lane change 30 to occur. The boundary condition for carrying out the lane change 30, namely that a target lane to be reached by the lane change 30 is free of other road users 60, 60', 60" in the area of the lane change 30, is therefore not met.
[0078] According to the invention, the lane change request is therefore stored in the memory unit of the control unit 50 in order to automatically recheck the boundary conditions for carrying out the lane change 30 at a later time.
[0079] Figure 3 shows a second example of performing a lane change based on the control unit 50 according to the invention. It should be noted that, due to numerous similarities between Figure 3 and Figure 2, to avoid repetition, only the differences between Figures 3 and 2 are described below, and otherwise reference is made to the description of Figure 2. R.412830
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[0081] In Figure 3, a lane change request is received in the area of a sharply curved roadway, which is why the lane change 30 is not released by the control unit 50 at the time of the request for safety reasons and is automatically attempted again at a later time, as in the example of Figure 2.
[0082] Figure 4 shows a third example of performing a lane change based on the control unit 50 according to the invention. It should be noted that, due to numerous similarities between Figure 4 and Figure 2, to avoid repetition, only the differences between Figures 4 and 2 will be described below, and otherwise reference is made to the description of Figure 2.
[0083] In Figure 3, a lane change request is received in the area of a construction site with numerous obstacles 70, which is why the lane change 30 is not released by the control unit 50 at the time of the request for safety reasons and is automatically attempted again at a later time, as in the example of Figure 2.
Claims
R.412830 - 14 - Claims 1. Method for performing a lane change (30) of a vehicle (10) comprising: - a first step (100) to receive a lane change request (20) for the vehicle (10) from a driver of the vehicle (10), wherein the lane change request (20) includes information about a direction of the lane change (30), - a second step (200) to determine the first current boundary conditions concerning the vehicle (10), - a third step (300) to check whether the first current boundary conditions satisfy the predefined lane change boundary conditions required for the lane change (30), - a fourth step (400) to store the lane change request (20) if the lane change boundary conditions are not met by the first current boundary conditions, if a stored lane change request (20) is present, - a fifth step (500) to determine second current boundary conditions, - a sixth step (600) to check whether the lane change boundary conditions are satisfied by the second current boundary conditions, - a seventh step (700) to perform at least a semi-automated lane change (30) for the vehicle (10) in accordance with the stored lane change request (20), if the lane change boundary conditions are met by the second current boundary conditions, and - an eighth step (800) to delete the lane change request (20) once the corresponding lane change (30) has been started and / or completed.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lane-change boundary conditions comply with R.412830 - 15 - - a predefined distance to the vehicle maintained by other road users (60, 60', 60"), and / or - current regulations through road markings and / or signage, and / or - a predefined speed range through the vehicle (10), and / or - predefined traffic situations in the vicinity of the vehicle (10), and / or - predefined minimum visibility conditions, and / or - a predefined minimum track width and / or a predefined minimum number of tracks, and / or - a predefined road surface condition, and / or - a predefined minimum curve radius of a road section travelled by the vehicle (10) in the area of the lane change (30), and / or - predefined road types and / or road environments permissible for lane changing (30) represent.
3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the fifth step (500) and the sixth step (600) of the method are repeated as long as a stored lane change request (20) exists and until in the sixth step (600) it has been recognized that the lane change boundary conditions are satisfied by the second current boundary conditions.
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lane-changing boundary conditions are adapted depending on a current driving situation.
5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein - a suggestion to perform the lane change (30) is issued to the driver of the vehicle (10) as soon as the lane change boundary conditions are met by the second current boundary conditions, and - the at least partially automated lane change (30) is only carried out when R.412830 - 16 - - the suggestion to perform the lane change (30) by the driver was confirmed by means of an interaction with the vehicle (10), and / or - a predefined waiting time has elapsed after the suggestion has been issued to the driver.
6. Method according to claim 5, wherein, based on the driver's behavior in response to the output of the suggestion to perform the lane change (30), a driver preference is determined and stored, which is taken into account as an additional lane change boundary condition in subsequent lane changes (30).
7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a stored lane change request (20) is automatically deleted if - a predefined deletion period has elapsed after storage of the lane change request (20), and / or - a new lane change request (20) is received, and / or - a cancellation of the stored lane change request (20) is received, and / or - the type and / or number of lanes (40, 42, 44) of a road travelled by the vehicle (10) changes, and / or - a vehicle function with a higher priority than a lane-change function provided by the procedure requires intervention in a control of the vehicle (10), and / or - a change is made to a route planned for the vehicle (10), and / or - a predefined change in a traffic event in the vicinity of the vehicle (10) is present.
8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lane change (30) is carried out by means of an automatic lateral and / or longitudinal guidance of the vehicle (10).
9. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a notification is issued to the driver of the vehicle (10) informing the driver of lane change boundary conditions that are not currently being met for the requested lane change (30). R.412830 - 17 - 10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a notification is issued to the driver of the vehicle (10) which informs the driver of the vehicle (10) of the distance and / or time at which the requested lane change (30) is expected to be possible.
11. Control unit (50) of a vehicle (10), wherein the control unit (50) is configured to perform a lane change (30) of the vehicle (10) by means of the method according to one of the preceding claims.