DE10310655A1 - Optimization of a virtual driving tunnel so that it is matched as closely as possible to the driving conditions of a vehicle fitted with an adaptive cruise control system, whereby the ACC system is linked to the navigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for determining a virtual driving tunnel for a motor vehicle adaptive cruise control (ACC) regulator (18) that has an interface (38) to a vehicle navigation system (30) that provides information relating to the driving path geometry.

Description

The invention relates to a device for determining the driving hose in adaptive speed controllers for motor vehicles.

For Motor vehicles are also known to be adaptive cruise controls referred to as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) systems that have an automatic Allow regulation of the distance to a vehicle in front. These systems use a radar sensor or a comparable tracking device the distances and relative speeds of vehicles driving ahead, and the speed of your own vehicle will automatically be like this customized, that that is immediate vehicle in front is tracked at a suitable safety distance becomes. If no vehicle in front is located, regulation takes place to one chosen by the driver Desired speed.

On multi-lane roads correct distance control makes a distinction between vehicles ahead in their own lane and vehicles in secondary lanes. While Location targets at the edge of the road and oncoming vehicles relative can be easily recognized by the fact that their absolute speed within the measurement error is zero or less than zero, the distinction requires between vehicles in their own lane and in secondary lanes in general a measurement of the location coordinates of the vehicles in front a two-dimensional coordinate system. With an angle-resolving multi-beam radar like it typically as a locator the locations of the vehicles in front can be used measure in polar coordinates. The coordinates, distance and azemuth angle, can then be translated into the appropriate coordinates in a Cartesian coordinate system Convert whose X axis in the direction of travel through the center of the vehicle runs, So that the y coordinate directly the lateral offset of the vehicle in front indicates. For the distance control will then only take into account vehicles those within a certain one that corresponds to your own lane Driving hose. This driving hose is through when the road is straight upper and lower limits of the y coordinate are determined. The width of the driving hose should be as possible exactly with the actual Lane width match. If the travel tube is too wide, vehicles in the secondary lanes will be incorrect assigned to the own lane, so that so-called secondary lane disorders occur. If, on the other hand, the travel tube is too narrow, there is a risk of that vehicles for example two-wheelers or heavily displaced vehicles, not taken into account be, although they are predominantly on your own. Lane.

If the carriageway is curved, the travel tube should be adapted to the curvature of the carriageway. If your own vehicle has already entered a curve, the information required for this about the curvature of the road can be calculated approximately from the absolute speed and the yaw rate or lateral acceleration of the own vehicle. Out DE 197 22 947 C1 it is known to use localized targets at the edge of the road to determine the course of the road. However, this presupposes that suitable radar targets are available at the edge of the road.

Out DE 101 18 265 A it is known to temporarily extend the driving hose to the left side lane when a driver's overtaking request is recognized by the driver's own vehicle.

Advantages of invention

The invention with the in claim 1 specified features allows an improved adaptation of the travel tube to the respective road geometry.

According to the invention, the ACC controller is used for this purpose combined with a known navigation system that the Device for determining the travel tube via a suitable interface details information about provides the road geometry.

With conventional navigation systems is information about the course of the lane on a data carrier (e.g. CD-ROM or DVD) saved. By using this information, the driving tube looking ahead, even before entering a bend, to be adapted to the curvature of the road, so that a vehicle in front can also be tracked without gaps, if it is due to the curvature of the road temporarily from the original Travel hose emigrates.

Advantageous configurations and Further developments of the invention result from the subclaims.

It is preferably the Navigation system around an advanced, intelligent navigation system, the above the pure lane course further information about the Provides roadway geometry, in particular information about the Lane width and / or the number of lanes in your own Direction of travel. These complementary Information can either on disk be saved or by an in the intelligent navigation system integrated communication system from a traffic control system or other Data sources are received.

Knowing the number of lanes makes it possible to distinguish between single-lane and multi-lane lanes. In the case of single-track lanes, the travel tube can then be expanded beyond the usual width, since no secondary lane disturbances are to be expected. In this way, a more reliable location of all relevant vehicles is made possible and a greater tolerance towards Road curvatures reached.

If the width of the lane or the total width of the lane and the number of lanes are known are, so that can calculate the lane width, can Moreover the width of the travel tube precisely can be adapted to the respective track width.

If the number of lanes is known, for example, by locating vehicles in the secondary lanes that are not taken into account in the distance control and / or by detecting lane change processes (e.g. as in DE 101 18 265 A described) decide which lane your own vehicle will use. If it has been determined in this way that the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane, the travel tube can be widened to the right in order to achieve greater positioning security without fear of secondary lane disturbances. Accordingly, the driving tube can be widened to the left when driving in the extreme left lane.

Because the navigation system when driving on highways or expressways also information about supplies any exits or driveways, on the other hand, the driving hose when driving on the extreme prevent the right-hand lane on the right-hand side in such a way that side lane disturbances occur Vehicles in the deceleration or acceleration lane reliable be excluded. On the other hand, the driving hose can be suitable adjust if your own vehicle's acceleration or deceleration lane is traveling. The navigation system also makes it easier to determine whether your own vehicle is on the acceleration or deceleration lane located. For example, the navigation system typically delivers that a position system (e.g. GPS) contains the information that your own Vehicle is just driving onto a motorway. The vehicle is going to therefore in the acceleration lane until a lane change process is recognized. Conversely, a lane change process leaves to the right in connection with the information that one is located at a motorway exit, suggest that the vehicle on the delay track has changed. If the navigation system for guidance a programmed destination can also be used the information about the planned route will be used.

According to a development of the invention the intelligent navigation system via the integrated communication system also information about temporary Receive road narrowing, for example at construction sites, so that the driving hose adapted to the narrowing of the track can be. Usually on construction sites on highways the right and left lanes have different standard widths. As can be seen from the system, as already described, You can decide whether your own vehicle is on the left or the right lane Driving hose can also be adapted to the respective track width here.

drawing

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and in the description below explained in more detail.

Show it:

1 a block diagram of an inventive device for driver assistance; and

2 and 3 Sketches to explain the functioning of the device using example situations.

In 1 is shown as a block diagram of a driver support system for motor vehicles, the ACC control device 10 has, the functions of which are carried out, for example, by one or more suitably programmed microprocessors. The ACC control device 10 is a sensor device 14 assigned to the at least one location sensor, for example an angle-resolving radar sensor 16 , for locating vehicles in front and other sensors (not shown in more detail) for detecting the longitudinal speed, the yaw rate and other relevant movement data of the own vehicle. The location data of the sensor device 14 are in a manner known per se in a speed controller (ACC controller) 18 processed by a command issuing unit 20 on the drive system 22 of the vehicle and possibly also acts on the braking system.

In detail, those from the radar sensor 16 measured data in an evaluation unit 24 evaluated. The evaluation unit 24 then delivers a pair of coordinates for each object located by the radar sensor, which specifies the distance of the object in the direction of travel and the transverse offset of the object with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the own vehicle, to a selection module 26 , In the selection module 26 From the totality of all located objects, those objects are selected that can be identified as vehicles in front that are in the same lane as your own vehicle. Among these vehicles, the vehicle with the smallest distance is then generally selected as the target object, which forms the basis for the distance control in the ACC controller 18 forms. If necessary, however, the distances between the vehicles ahead can also be included in the control so that a more forward-looking driving style is achieved.

The selection module is required to select the vehicles traveling in their own lane 26 Information about the assumed width and location of your own lane. This information is provided by a driving tube module 28 provided. Under "Driving hose" that area is ver stood, which corresponds in its width and in its course to the assumed width and the assumed course of its own lane. Located objects that lie within this travel tube and have an absolute speed greater than zero are then in the selection module 26 assigned to your own lane. In the case of a straight roadway, the driving tube is through the driving tube module 28 simply defined with the help of left and right boundaries for the transverse offset of the objects. In the case of a curved roadway, these limits can also be dependent on the distance, so that the travel tube can be modeled according to the roadway curvature. From the sensor device 14 , for example from a yaw rate sensor, receives the driving hose module 28 Information about the yaw rate of the own vehicle, so that the current curvature of the road can be calculated when driving through a curve and thus the course of the driving tube can be adjusted.

The ACC control device 10 is still an intelligent navigation system 30 with an integrated communication system 32 assigned.

The navigation system 30 contains in a known manner a data carrier, not shown, on which map information about the road network is stored. A corresponding map section can be viewed on a screen 34 being represented. The navigation system also includes a position system, for example a satellite-based position system (GPS; Global Positioning System), with which the current position of one's own vehicle can be determined. The vehicle position is shown on the screen 34 by a position pointer 36 specified, which also shows the current direction of travel.

In addition to the information on the road network are on the disk of the navigation system also stores lane attributes that determine the lane width, the number of lanes, one-way regulations and the like specify.

The communication system 32 allows the wireless reception of messages from a traffic control system and optionally also the exchange of messages with other road users whose vehicles are equipped with a comparable system. The communication system 32 can also be used to control the lane attributes in the navigation system 30 to update and transfer the position data of temporary disability points such as construction sites to the route map.

The driving tube module 28 is through an interface 38 with the navigation system 30 connected so that it can take over all the information available in the navigation system that is relevant for an optimal determination of the driving tube, in particular information about the course of the lane, the width of the lane, the number and possibly width of the lanes per direction of travel, the presence of parallel lanes with the same direction of travel, for example, acceleration or deceleration strips at motorway exits or driveways, parallel lanes at motorway junctions and the like. If the information about the lane width is not directly in the navigation system 30 is available or using the communication system 32 can be obtained, the track width can be calculated from the total width of the road and the known number of lanes. In this way, the width of the travel tube can be adapted to the actual track width, including, where appropriate, any security surcharges for increased location security or security discounts to avoid secondary lane disturbances.

The functioning of the device will now be explained using a few case studies.

In 1 it can be seen that the vehicle is currently traveling on the screen 34 illustrated street 40 describes a right-hand curve at a distance from the current vehicle position. It is also in the navigation system 30 the information available that it is the road 40 is a two-lane road with only one lane in each direction. 2 shows a sketch of this situation. The course of the street is shown 40 with a median 42 , which separates the two directional lanes from each other, as well as the vehicle equipped with the ACC system 44 and, as a hatched area, that of the driving tube module 28 based on that from the navigation system 30 supplied information calculated driving hose 46 ,

Because the navigation system 30 the information provides that the road 40 A two-lane road is a lane disturbance caused by vehicles that are on a lane in the same direction as the vehicle 44 drive, not to fear. Any vehicles on the opposite lane can be recognized by the sum of the vehicle's own speed 44 and the measured relative speed of the located vehicle is negative. To ensure that all vehicles in their own lane, including two-wheelers, are taken into account in the distance control, the driving hose shows 46 a safety surcharge on each side, ie the driving hose 46 extends a little over the lane boundary on the right and a little over the median on the left 42 out.

Because the vehicle 44 is a straight section of the road, the yaw rate of the vehicle 44 almost zero, so that the upcoming right curvature of the roadway based solely on that of the sensor device 14 delivered data would not yet be recognizable. The one from the navigation system 30 However, provided information about the course of the road allows the driving tube 46 already adapt to the upcoming lane curvature in this situation and into special to the right, so that a temporary loss of target object can be safely avoided.

3 illustrates a situation in which the vehicle 44 a four-lane road 48 drives, i.e. a street with two lanes 50 . 52 in the direction of travel of the vehicle 44 , In this case, side lane disturbances are due to on the left side lane 52 moving vehicles 54 to fear. For this reason, the driving hose module fits 28 the driving tube 46 so to the known actual track width of the track 50 that he was not with the next lane 52 overlaps. In addition, the lane module 28 from the evaluation unit 24 the location data of all located objects are made available, including the location data of one on the adjacent lane 52 moving vehicle 54 , Since the number of lanes is known, the driving tube module can 28 recognize from this information that your own vehicle 44 in the right lane 50 moves. On the right-hand side, there is therefore no fear of side lane disturbances. The driving hose is accordingly 46 on the right side similar to in 2 extended by a security surcharge. The driving hose would be correspondingly 46 only expanded to the left when the vehicle 44 would drive in the left lane. If the communication system 32 reports a construction site area in which the left lane 52 is narrower than the right lane 50 , the width of the driving tube 46 automatically to the width of the vehicle 44 adjusted lane.

In the in 3 The example shown approaches the vehicle 44 just a driveway with an acceleration lane 56 , This information is also in the navigation system 30 available. For lane disturbances caused by vehicles in the acceleration lane 56 to avoid the driving hose 46 narrowed in the area of this acceleration lane so that a safety discount is taken into account on the right instead of a safety surcharge.

Claims (7)

Device for determining the driving hose in adaptive speed controllers ( 18 ) for motor vehicles, characterized by an interface ( 38 ) to a navigation system ( 30 ), which provides information about the road geometry. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the navigation system ( 30 ) Provides information about lane attributes such as lane width, number of lanes or one-way regulations. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the navigation system ( 30 ) a communication system ( 32 ) for receiving information about lane attributes from a traffic control system. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a driving hose module ( 28 ), which is designed to extend the driving hose ( 46 ) based on the information provided by the navigation system ( 30 ) adapt the information provided to the course of the lane. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a driving hose module ( 38 ), which is designed to determine the width of the travel tube based on that of the navigation system ( 30 ) adapt the information provided to the actual width of the lane. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the driving hose module ( 38 ) the width of the travel tube ( 46 ) varies depending on whether minor traces ( 52 ) exist in the same direction of travel. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the driving hose module ( 38 ) Information it receives on multi-lane roads ( 48 ) allows you to decide which of the multiple lanes ( 50 . 52 ) from your own vehicle ( 44 ) is driven on.