WO2016177469A1 - Method for automatic driving - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for automatic driving. According to said method for the automatic driving of a vehicle (1) along a planned route (2), the parameters of the surroundings of the vehicle are detected by sensors and the driving parameters of the vehicle are controlled based on the detected surrounding parameters. Said claimed method is characterized is that the current information relating to the parameters of the planned route are extracted and/or captured and the driving parameters are continued to be controlled in accordance with the parameters of the route.

Description

 Method for automated driving The present invention relates to a method for automated driving. For a long time there have been efforts to relieve drivers in the management of motor vehicles and offer assistance systems that take on subtasks of the driver. For example, the driver can be assisted in maintaining speeds by known speed control systems (cruise control, Cruise Control), some of which also offer limiter functions, so that a preselected speed can not be exceeded.

Another well-known assistance system is the anti-lock braking system (ABS), which helps the driver to take advantage of the optimal friction between the tire and the road during hard braking.

A further development of the cruise control is the Abstandhaltetempomat that measures by suitable sensors the free path in front of the vehicle and, if necessary, the speed is reduced or the vehicle slowed down by braking intervention to maintain the required minimum distance to a preceding vehicle.

All assistance systems known today have in common that they are systems for partially automated driving. In semi-automated driving, the driver is still completely responsible for the vehicle. The automation only undertakes interventions in longitudinal and lateral acceleration that can be overridden by the driver in case of danger by steering or braking.

CONFIRMATION COPY However, it is expected that the driver can follow every driving situation closely and intervene in good time to avoid property damage and personal injury.

The partial automation is therefore so far only in those driving situations active in which the driver either anyway permanently has a partial responsibility for the vehicle, such as. the steering is limited in the case of cruising, or the extent of possible damage is limited, e.g. when parking, or when driving in traffic. Experiments show, however, that the driver of the driving route traveled less attention, the more functions are taken from him by the automatic transmission.

Fully automated driving can be achieved by means of suitable sensors that control the environment of a vehicle, such as a car. Detect lanes, distances to other road users, etc., in principle reach under laboratory conditions. Under real conditions, however, there are always situations in which the automatic can not handle and the driver must intervene and take responsibility. However, if a driver is relieved of responsibility for the vehicle for a period of time, it will take some time for him to return full attention to the traffic. Since the vehicle can cover a considerable distance during this time, automated driving is still possible only at very low speeds and for a short time, for example when parking.

The invention has for its object to provide a method for automated driving available.

The object is achieved by a method for automated driving with a vehicle along a planned route, which are detected by sensors, the parameters of the environment of the vehicle and the driving parameters of the vehicle are controlled on the basis of the detected environmental parameters. The method according to the invention is characterized in that current information about parameters of the planned route is retrieved and / or received and the control of the driving parameters continues to take place as a function of the route parameters.

As a parameter of the environment of the vehicle are here all parameters to be understood, which can be detected by suitable sensors on the vehicle. These include, in particular, information about the roadway, such as a lane detection, and information about the immediate surroundings of the vehicle, such as Distances to other road users. It can also be provided a traffic sign recognition, which can detect, for example, the maximum speed. Furthermore, the temperature of the road or wet can be detected by suitable sensors. The driving parameters of the vehicle, ie in particular the longitudinal and lateral acceleration, are controlled on the basis of these parameters detected by the vehicle, in particular by intervention in engine control, brake intervention and steering intervention. However, this only partial automation can be achieved because the driver continues to have the responsibility for the vehicle and must be able to intervene at any time, for example in the case of worsening weather conditions or unforeseen events on the route, such as construction sites or other traffic disruptions.

To achieve automated driving, the method according to the invention is therefore characterized in that current information about parameters of the route is called up and / or received and the control of the driving parameters also takes place as a function of the route parameters.

Such information may be stored, for example, in databases located outside the vehicle and accessible to the vehicle by conventional data communication means. This can be done, for example, via the Internet, cloud services, and in any other suitable known manner. However, up-to-date information about parameters of the route can also be obtained from any other external source, such as directly from accident reports from automatic emergency call systems (eg eCall in the European Union). Information sent by such systems may be received and evaluated by the vehicle.

The parameters of the route can be, for example, information about weather conditions, traffic disruptions such as construction sites, traffic jams, messages about objects on the road, traffic density, etc.

This information can then be incorporated into the control of the driving parameters. For example, the speed of rain on a stretch of track may be adjusted to be reduced in time before reaching that stretch. In semi-automated driving, the sensors in the vehicle would first have to recognize the changed conditions, react to them and subsequently adjust the driving parameters, which would mean that the driving parameters would temporarily be insecure if the conditions changed. A proactive control would not be possible. The driver would have to intervene, for which he would have to remain alert in the field of semi-automated driving.

The databases with up-to-date information about parameters of the route can be updated regularly, in particular at short intervals.

The current information about parameters of the route can also be used to determine whether an automated driving in a section is even meaningfully possible. If, for example, a safe automated operation can not be guaranteed in the event of snowfall, it is necessary for the driver to assume responsibility for the vehicle. For example, the route parameters received by the vehicle may include the information that snowfall is likely to occur on a particular link. Under these circumstances, automated driving may either be completely impossible or necessary for safety reasons Driving parameters take place, which might no longer make sense, especially at drastically reduced speed.

It can also be provided that the driver is asked to take responsibility for the vehicle if current information on parameters of the route can not be retrieved for a given time interval. If, for example, there are communication problems between the vehicle and the database in which the current route information is stored, a proactive control of the vehicle is no longer possible. The driver should then take over responsibility for the vehicle again.

Assuming that the driver needs the time T to take responsibility for the automated operation from the vehicle, the vehicle may prompt the driver in time to take responsibility for the vehicle. This can be done, for example, by acoustically, optically and / or sensory perceptible signals, such as warning lights, warning sounds, text announcements, vibrations of the driver's seat or in any other suitable manner. The assumption of responsibility for the vehicle by the driver can determine the vehicle, for example, by the forces exerted by the driver on the steering wheel or on the pedals or by pressing a button. Preferably, at least two acknowledgments are required, for example, by steering movement and key confirmation to preclude unintentional confirmation.

If the driver does not signal to the vehicle that he or she assumes responsibility for the vehicle, the driving parameters may be changed to achieve a safe driving condition, including the safe stopping of the vehicle. The time interval that the driver must be alerted to before reaching a stretch of road in which automated driving is not possible is his reaction time T plus the time, if necessary, for the transition to a safe driving mode or stopping the vehicle before reaching the affected section of the route is required. In particular, the time of the request to assume responsibility can be selected depending on the circumstances of the route to be traveled, for example, so that before reaching the section in which automated driving is no longer possible, a parking space can be controlled.

Two embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The illustrations show the following:

FIG. 1 shows a method for the proactive control of a vehicle for automated driving on a driving route;

FIG. 2 shows a method for automated driving in which the driver is requested to assume responsibility under given circumstances.

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 intended to automatically cover the planned route 2, here a motorway section. The route 2 is planned, for example, in a conventional manner with the navigation system of the vehicle.

Various services, such as the weather service 3, the traffic control center 4 and the Autobahnmeisterei 5 raise route parameters, such as the weather service the current weather conditions, the traffic control center 4 the traffic density and the Autobahnmeisterei 5 information on construction sites. All services place this information in a database 6 accessible in a cloud.

The vehicle has communication means 11 for communicating with the database 6 and can retrieve the data contained therein at regular intervals.

In the database 6, the information from the Autobahnmeisterei 5 is included in the illustrated embodiment, that at a certain distance kilometer X is a construction site. The traffic control center 4 has therefore found a greater traffic density in the section 7 and set the corresponding information in the database 6. The weather service 3 has detected rain in the section 8 and set the corresponding information in the database 6.

The control of the driving parameters is done proactively depending on the retrieved from the database 6 information. The knowledge of the construction site leads to a timely classification in the right lane. The greater traffic density in the section 7 leads to a timely reduced speed before reaching the affected section.

Before reaching the section 8 with predicted rain, the speed can also be reduced in time. If this information were not previously known, the vehicle could only react to already changed road conditions which would be detected by the sensors integrated in the vehicle. But this would not be possible in the transition area safe operation. However, the information retrieved from the database 6 allows the driving parameters to be adapted proactively, thus ensuring safe driving at all times.

However, since the weather conditions can change quickly and the predicted rainfall may temporarily be less severe than expected, the driver may also be asked to take responsibility for the vehicle. This can be done for example by acoustic signals, such as an announcement. The driver can then, for example by steering intervention, take over the responsibility of the vehicle and adjust the speed of the actual weather conditions. If he does not do this up to the distance kilometer Y, then the vehicle automatically goes into a safe driving mode by reducing the speed.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the weather service has predicted snowfall for the route section 9. An automated driving is not possible here. By route information, for example, from the navigation system of the vehicle, the external database or from other sources, such as information deposited in the lane markings, it is known where the last parking lot 10 before reaching the affected by snowfall section 9 is. For this reason, the driver is already requested to take over the responsibility for the route kilometer Z. The driver usually requires a time T for accepting responsibility via the vehicle. The time of the request is therefore chosen so that the vehicle at the current speed within the time T, the route from kilometer Z to the entrance to the parking lot 10 passes. If the driver does not confirm acceptance of responsibility within the usual time T, the vehicle drives to the parking lot 10 and stops there.

Claims

1. A method for automated driving with a vehicle (1) along a planned route (2), wherein sensors of the parameters of the environment of the vehicle are detected and the driving parameters of the vehicle based on the detected  Environment parameters are controlled, characterized in that current information about parameters of the route (2) are called up and / or received and the control of the driving parameters in dependence on the  Route parameters takes place. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the current information about parameters of the route in a database (6) are stored. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the parameters of the route include weather information, information about construction sites, traffic obstruction and / or the traffic density. 4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the  Vehicle (1) communicates with the database (6) by data communication (11), in particular via the Internet, cloud services and / or mobile communications. 5. A method for automated driving according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the driver in the presence predetermined Parameter on a section of the line is asked to take responsibility for the vehicle (1). 6. A method for automated driving according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the driver is requested, the  Taking responsibility over the vehicle when current  Information about parameters of the route for a given  Time interval can not be retrieved. 7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the  Request by acoustically, optically and / or sensory perceptible signals takes place. 8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the confirmation of the assumption of responsibility by applying force to the steering wheel, the pedals and / or by pressing a button, in particular by a combination of at least two confirmations. 9. A method for automated driving according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the vehicle (1) in a safe  Driving mode is over if the driver does not confirm the assumption of responsibility over the vehicle. 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the safe driving mode in a reduced speed, stopping the  Vehicle or driving a holding option exists. 11. A method for automated driving according to one of claims 5 to 10, characterized in that the request to take over responsibility to the driver a time interval before reaching the Section (9) is in which the predetermined parameters are present, which takes into account the time required for the assumption of responsibility by the driver and, if necessary, the transition to a safe driving mode. Method according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that the time for the request to take over the responsibility to the driver is selected so that in the absence of confirmation before reaching the stretch of a holding option (10) can be visited.