WO2022268289A1

WO2022268289A1 - Method for controlling a longitudinal motion of a motor vehicle in a process of changing lanes, computer program product, computer-readable storage medium, control module, and motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2022268289A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/066842
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Friedrich; Johannes Blümel; Gilbert Rohde
Original assignee: Cariad Se
Priority date: 2021-06-21
Filing date: 2021-06-21
Publication date: 2022-12-29
Also published as: EP4291455A1

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a method for controlling a longitudinal motion of a first motor vehicle (10) during a change of lanes (26, 28, 30) process. A control module (14) determines that a turn signal of a direction indicator system (12) is activated (S1), predefines a lane change area (44), (S2), and receives at least one surrounding data signal describing at least one object within the predefined lane change area (44, S3). The control module (14) provides a traffic situation model (S4), and predicts a gap (52) for the first motor vehicle's (10) lane change (S5), a time period of when the predicted gap (52) is sideways the first motor vehicle (10, S6), and a point of time for accelerating the motor vehicle (10, S7) preceding the lane change. The control module (14) then initiates the acceleration of motor vehicle (10) preceding the lateral lane change.

Description

Method for controlling a longitudinal motion of a motor vehicle in a process of changing lanes, computer program product, computer-readable storage me dium, control module, and motor vehicle DESCRIPTION:

The invention relates to a method for controlling a longitudinal motion of a mo tor vehicle in a process of changing lanes on a road. In other words, the inven tion relates to a method for controlling the vehicle in said process. The process or maneuver of changing lanes may, for example, be a process or maneuver to overtake another vehicle that is on the road.

Motor vehicles with assisted driving functions (for example, adaptive cruise control (“ACC”), and advanced collision avoidance system support a driver during a process or maneuver of overtaking another vehicle. In the surround ings or environment of their vehicle, i.e. the ego-vehicle, other road users, in particular motorists, are taken into account, as well as information on an infra structure of an environment. Is the ego-vehicle located behind an object on the same lane in a corrected or adjusted condition (in other words with a constant distance to a motor vehicle in front), a driver activates the direction indicator (in right-hand traffic) to the left and to the infrastructure (for example, a dashed line).

If other road users allow a maneuver to overtake another motor vehicle (if, for example, there is no or a slow motor vehicle on the adjacent lane, i.e. the overtaking lane or passing lane), an acceleration of the ego-vehicle may be performed by, for example, a longitudinal guiding function. Such longitudinal guiding function may be a lane change assistant supporting the driver during the process of overtaking, in other words during the overtaking maneuver. In case there is an object sideways to the ego-vehicle when the driver activates the direction indicator, said function is not offered to the driver and may thus not be activated. Alternatively, such feature cannot be activated or used unless the object is located in a predefined distance in front of the ego-vehicle.

In particular on highways, many drivers activate direction indicators cautiously in order to signal that they intend to perform an overtaking maneuver or a change of lane as soon as the object on the adjacent lane permits. The adja cent lane, however, does not allow a change of lanes while the direction indi cator (in right-hand traffic) is activated to the left. In such situations the driver is either not supported during the overtaking maneuver or the late activation of the lane change assistant or blind spot detection supports the driver only after the other vehicle on the adjacent lane has passed. The delayed activation and the non-activation, and thus the accompanying delay setup of the acceleration in many cases lead to a situation, in which the gap on the adjacent lane is too small and/or missed and the driver takes over the longitudinal guiding for the overtaking maneuver.

DE 102007042 870 A1 describes a driver assistance system with at least one control unit and at least one sensor unit.

DE 10 2004 029 369 A1 describes blind spot monitors or motor vehicles with speed regulation systems and a surrounding sensor system for detecting the traffic environment including the traffic on an adjacent lane.

Still, the above mentioned disadvantages occur. If there is an object, in partic ular another motor vehicle, on the adjacent lane when the driver activates the direction indicator system, the process of overtaking is performed to a later point of time with a sufficient safety distance. Also, an overtaking is in the end not possible, because there is already another object or motor vehicle behind the ego-vehicle on the adjacent lane. In other words, the ego-vehicle (which is the vehicle that is steered or controlled to perform the overtaking maneuver) cannot be ready for the overtaking process in time as a suitable gap is already closed by a further vehicle when the vehicle could be ready to overtake. Very often a driver intervenes into the change of lanes process, in particular by accelerating the vehicle, if there is busy traffic rearward of the motor vehicle. In such cases, prior art assistance systems are automatically deactivated, and the driver needs to perform the change of lane process on his own.

It is an object of the invention to improve a support for a driver for changing a lane, in particular for overtaking another vehicle, i.e. for passing another vehi cle.

The objective is accomplished by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous developments with convenient and non-trivial further embodi ments of the invention are specified in the following description, the dependent claims and the figures.

The invention also comprises embodiments that provide features which afford additional technical advantages.

The invention is based on the idea to predict a process of changing lanes, in particular a process or maneuver of overtaking another motor vehicle, whereby the trigger for said prediction is the driver’s activation of a turn signal of the direction indicator system. According to the invention, a point of time is pre dicted based on a traffic situation model that may also be named “traffic simu lation model” or, e.g. “lane model”. The traffic situation model is a dynamic model using input data that describe the driver’s vehicle (i.e. the first motor vehicle) and other objects on the road, as well as their movements and/or pre dicted movements in predefined lane change area. The movements of the other objects, in particular of the other motor vehicles, is simulated or modelled and takes into account the infrastructure, in particular road markings, in other words the distinct lanes. This model is used to predict a gap for the process of change of lanes, and a time range, in particular a point of time, is predicted for accelerating the motor vehicle in order to initiate the process of changing lanes before the motor vehicle actually may change the lane. In other words, the motor vehicle is accelerated before a gap is found right next to the motor ve hicle so that the motor vehicle has a predetermined velocity at the point of time when the motor vehicle may actually be steered laterally onto the other lane.

In contrast to existing assistance systems, also smaller gaps are sufficient for the change of lanes or the overtaking process. Even in the case of a busy traffic rearward of the motor vehicle, the change of lanes is possible as the motor vehicle has already accelerated whenever the gap opens sideways to the motor vehicle.

In other words, the invention is based on a traffic prediction or traffic prognosis. To that effect, the other object or other objects trajectories are predicted. The acceleration of the motor vehicle, i.e. its increase of speed in a longitudinal way, is preponed to the actual action of steering the vehicle from one lane to the other. A gap is predicted and/or surveyed. Whereas according to prior art methods the vehicle’s acceleration is initiated only when the gap is already next to the motor vehicle, the inventive method and the inventive subject-mat ters prepone the acceleration such that the process of changing lanes has already been initiated by acceleration on the initial lane when the gap appears next to the motor vehicle.

In other words, the object or objects- in particular another motor vehicle or a plurality of motor vehicles - and their trajectories are predicted, in particular of those on the adjacent lane. Preferably, the time until the object has passed the ego-vehicle with a safety distance is estimated. If this time range is within a respective time window, a predefined acceleration can be initiated, although the object is still on the same level as the ego-vehicle, in other words next or sideways of the ego-vehicle.

The method for controlling a longitudinal motion of a first motor vehicle in the process of changing lanes on a road may also be considered a method for controlling said first motor vehicle. Thereby, the first motor vehicle is the motor vehicle which is controlled for the process of changing lanes. While the first motor vehicle is driving on an initial lane, the control module of the first motor vehicle performs the method describes in the following. The “initial lane” or “current lane” is the lane on which the first motor vehicle drives before the change of lane process, and which it intends to leave.

A control module or control unit is a system unit, device or group of devices that is designed or configured to control one or more electrical systems or sub systems of the motor vehicle. Preferably, the control module may be designed as an electronic control unit (ECU) or as an integrated circuit. Preferably, the control module or control module may comprise a process unit, i.e. a compo nent for data processing, e.g. a CPU. The optional processing unit may com prise at least one microprocessor and/or at least one microchip. The control unit or control module may optionally comprise a data storage, whereby the data storage may have stored a program code for performing the inventive method. Thereby, the program code is designed to cause the control module to perform any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the inventive method when executed by the processing unit.

The control module determines that a user of the first motor vehicle, in partic ular a driver, activates a direction indicator system of said first motor vehicle for changing from the initial lane to a predetermined lane adjacent to the initial lane. In other words, the “initial lane” is the lane the first vehicle is currently driving, i.e. said lane on which the motor vehicle is driving before changing lanes. The adjacent lane is the overtaking lane, i.e. the passing lane.

In other words, the control module detects or observes that the user activates a turn signal of the direction indicator system. Preferably, the control module may define the adjacent lane depending on if the activated direction indicator indicates a change of lanes to the left or to the right. In other words, the adja cent lane may be the lane indicated by the turn signal.

The control module predefines or determines a lane change area, optionally depending on the indicated direction of lane change. The predefined lane change area is an area that comprises a predetermined part of the adjacent lane sideward of the first motor vehicle, a predetermined part of the road in front of the first motor vehicle, and a predetermined part of the road behind the first motor vehicle. For example, pre-settings may predetermine the size or the dimensions or extent of the various parts of the lane change area, thus prede termine the size or the dimensions or extent of the predefined lane change area.

The control module receives at least one surrounding data signal. This sur rounding data signal describes at least one object on the road other than the first motor vehicle which is located within the predefined lane change area. The received surrounding data signal may preferably also describe at least one property of said at least one object. Preferably, the control module may receive a plurality of surrounding data signals, thus may receive data on a plurality of objects within the predefined lane change area. Most preferably, said object is another motor vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the received surrounding data signal or a plurality of received surrounding data signals may describe several motor vehicles and/or at least one infrastructure element such as a dashed line between two lanes. Most preferably, information is collected on all objects and infrastructure elements within the predefined lane change area.

The respective property of said object may, e.g., be a location of said object, a speed of said object, a direction in which said object is moving, or on which of the lanes the object is located. Most preferably, the at least one surrounding data signal describes more than one of these properties for each object.

Thus, the predefined lane change area is surveyed, and it is possible to simu late the traffic situation in said predefined lane change area and to simulate the change of lane process. In particular, the control module provides a traffic situation model or traffic simulation model that describes the predefined lane change area, the first motor vehicle’s location, each object and the respective property or properties. The traffic situation model or traffic simulation model is based on the information of the at least one received surrounding data signal, preferably also the properties of the first motor vehicle. Based on the provided traffic situation model, the control module predicts a gap that has a predefined size for the first motor vehicle’s lane change. Said lane change is the first motor vehicle’s intended change from the initial lane to the adjacent lane. The predefined size of the gap may preferably depend on the first motor vehicle’s size. In other words, the predefined gap may be deter mined by analyzing the first vehicle’s speed and/or other objects’ speed and/or positions.

The control module also predicts a time period, in particular a point of time, of when said gap occurs or forms sideways the first motor vehicle, i.e. next to the first motor vehicle on the adjacent lane. Said predicted gap is the gap into which the first motor vehicle may steer laterally for performing the lane change. This may preferably be performed by predicting and simulating the movement and/or locations of the objects described by the traffic situation model.

Preferably, the control module may estimate the time difference until the object has passed first motor vehicle, or a time range when the object has passed first motor vehicle, or a point of time when the object has passed first motor vehicle.

Preferably, the control module may also estimate a point of time for the first motor vehicle’s lateral movement onto the adjacent lane, thus estimate a point of time to step out of the initial lane and shear into the adjacent lane. In other words, the control module may predict a point of time for the lateral control of the first motor vehicle. The time period for the lateral control and the occur rence of the predicted gap may thereby coincide.

The control module determines a point of time for accelerating the first motor vehicle, in other words determines a point of time for activating the longitudinal control. Said accelerating the first motor vehicle is thereby the preparation of the upcoming lane change. Said determined point of time for accelerating the first motor vehicle precedes the predicted time period in which the gap occurs. In other words, the acceleration process is preponed to the lateral control. The control module generates a control signal that describes said acceleration process of the motor vehicle at the determined point of time for acceleration, and transmits said generated control signal to a speed system or longitudinal control system of the motor vehicle. This may preferably be performed only in case the direction indicator system is active, thus only if the turn signal is on.

The above-mentioned advantages are reached.

In one embodiment of the inventive method, the lane change maneuver or lane change process includes a maneuver process to overtake a second motor ve hicle, whereby the second motor vehicle is a motor vehicle driving ahead of the first motor vehicle. Thereby, the control module may predict the gap and/or may estimate the point of time for activating the lateral control for overtaking the second motor vehicle on the basis of the provided traffic situation model.

Preferably, the at least one object that is described by the received surround ing data signal is another motor vehicle within the predefined lane change area. In particular, the control module receives information of the plurality of motor vehicles in the predefined area, preferably including rearward traffic. This provides a more detailed traffic situation model, thus a more precise de termination of the lane changing process.

Preferably, the at least one received surrounding data signal describes data from a radar, traffic supervision data, GPS data, and/or camera data. Prefera bly, the control module may receive the at least one surrounding data signal from a sensor system of the first motor vehicle. These data, in particular a combination of at least two kinds of these data, provide a much more precise traffic situation model.

The above-mentioned object is also solved by a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method according to any of the embodiments of the inventive method. The computer program product may, for example, be a software or app, or other computer program products. The object is also solved by a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of any embodiment of the inventive method as described above. The computer-readable storage medium may, for example, be a USB stick, a hard drive or SD card, or a server.

The object is also solved by a control module configured to perform an em bodiment of the inventive method. The control module has already been de scribed above. Preferably, the control module may be designed as a control apparatus, a data processing apparatus or control device.

Alternatively or additionally, the control module may be constructed as a data processing apparatus, a data processing device or a data processing system comprising means for carrying out an embodiment of the inventive method. Said data processing apparatus, data processing device or data processing system may preferably comprise a processor adapted to or configured to per form any of the above-described embodiments of the inventive method.

The object is solved by a motor vehicle, comprising a turn-signal indicator sys tem, an embodiment of the inventive control module (and/or an embodiment of the computer program product and/or the computer-readable storage me dium); and a sensor system or a sensor arrangement, whereby said sensor arrangement or sensor system comprises at least one sensor that is designed or constructed to detect the surroundings of the vehicle. Preferably, the sensor system may comprise at least one of the following sensors: a radar, a camera, and/or a GPS signal receiver.

The inventive vehicle is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger vehicle or a truck, or as a bus or a motorcycle.

The invention also comprises embodiments of the inventive subject-matters that comprise features that correspond to features as they have already been described in connection with the embodiments of the inventive method. For this reason, the corresponding features of the embodiments of the inventive subject-matters are not described here again.

The invention also comprises the combinations of the features of the different embodiments.

In the following an exemplary implementation of the invention is described. The figures show:

Fig. 1 a schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, and the devices of the invention; and

Fig. 2 a schematic illustration of a further preferred embodiment of the method of the invention.

The embodiment explained in the following is a preferred embodiment of the invention. Flowever, in the embodiment, the described components of the em bodiment each represent individual features of the invention which are to be considered independently of each other and which each develop the invention also independently of each other and thereby are also to be regarded as a component of the invention in individual manner or in another than the shown combination. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supple mented by further features of the invention already described.

In the figures identical reference signs indicate elements that provide the same function.

Fig. 1 exemplifies the principal of the inventive method, and the inventive con trol module, as well as the inventive motor vehicle.

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary motor vehicle 10, e.g., a car. Said exemplary car has a direction indicator system 12, in other words a device or system com prising direction indicator lamps or turn signals that may be activated by the driver on one side of the vehicle at a time to advertise intent to turn or change lanes towards that side. Said turn signals are commonly controlled by operat ing a drop-arm switch or steering column switch. In order to determine that a user of the first motor vehicle 10 has operated a steering column and thus switched on a turn signal by activating said direction indicator system 12 (S1 ), control module 14 may, for example, receive a signal from the drop-arm switch whereby said signal from the drop-arm switch may describe both the activation of the direction indicator, as well as the desired direction, in other words, if the right turn signal or the left turn signal is activated.

The control module 14 may optionally comprise a processing unit 16 and/or a storage unit 18. Suitable storage units are known to the skilled person. Storage unit 18 can also be understood as computer-readable storage medium. A data communication link 20 couples the control module 14 and the direction indica tor system 12 to enable data communication. The data communication link 20 may, for example, be a wire-bound data communication link 20, for example, a data bus of the motor vehicle 10. Alternatively, a data communication link 20 may be wireless data communication link, for example, a Wi-Fi connection or a Bluetooth connection.

Motor vehicle 10 of Fig. 1 also comprises a sensor system or sensor mod ule 22, said sensor module 22 exemplarily comprising different kinds of sen sors to sense and detect the surroundings of motor vehicle 10. For example, sensor module 22 may comprise a camera that may be directed to the traffic in front of the motor vehicle 10, and/or backwards to film the rearward traffic, and/or sideways. For example, a camera may be a roof top camera on top of the roof of motor vehicle 10, said camera being constructed to film the sur rounding in a 360° angle. Sensor module 22 may also comprise a different sensor or additional sensors suitable for monitoring the surroundings, e.g., a radar, and/or means to receive GPS signals. Such a receiver or GPS signals may alternatively or additionally be constructed to receive traffic supervision data, for example, traffic supervision data from an infrastructure being located external from motor vehicle 10. The data provided by sensor module 22 pref- erably describes other objects on the road, such as other vehicles. Most pref erably, these data may also describe a type of these vehicles, for example, if it is a truck or a car, and/or information on the velocity.

Fig. 1 also shows a longitudinal control system 24 comprising a driving control for longitudinal steering. In other words, the longitudinal control system 24 comprises components for longitudinal control, such as braking and acceler ating.

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary traffic situation in which the first motor vehicle 10 drives on a road with three lanes 26, 28, 30. Said lanes may be marked with road markings 32, 34, 36, 38, of which, preferably, dashed lines 36, 38 may be detected by sensor module 22 as an infrastructure element of the surround ings of the first motor vehicle 10. In the example of Fig. 2, first motor vehicle 10, as well as further vehicles 40, 42, drive in the same direction. . In Fig. 2, motor vehicles 40, 42 are shown in a rectangular box, said rectangular box representing the car as an “object” that is detected by sensor module 22.

In the example of Fig. 2, vehicles 10, 40, 42 may exemplary drive in a right- hand traffic, and motor vehicle’s 10 intended maneuver can, for example, be to overtake second motor vehicle 40.

With respect to predetermined part 48, control module 14 may preferably con trol or regulate motor vehicle 10 to turn around motor vehicle 40 by field ori ented controlling.

In one example, the default settings for the lane change area 44 may predefine the extent of lane change area 44, preferably defining its extent in front of mo tor vehicle 10 and behind motor vehicle 10. The dimensions of lane change area 44 may optionally vary depending on a type of road motor vehicle 10 is driving on. For example, if motor vehicle 10 is on a highway, the dimensions may be different to those for a lane change area when motor vehicle 10 is on a street in a city. In the example of Fig. 2, the predefined lane change area 44 comprises a pre determined part 46, which comprises the shaded box for gap 52 next to motor vehicle 10 on adjacent lane 26, i.e. the part of adjacent lane 26 next to motor vehicle. The predefined lane change area 44 also comprises a predetermined part 48 of the road in front of the first motor vehicle 10, as well as predeter mined part 50 which is located behind first motor vehicle 10. Optionally, the predetermined part 46 may only cover the part of adjacent lane 26 which is next to motor vehicle 10 or may optionally cover all lanes 26, 28, 30 level with motor vehicle 10 in order to also consider possible traffic overtaking on right lane 30. In order to predefine said lane change area 44 (S2, see Fig. 1 ) control module 14 may retrieve the default settings, for example, from storage unit 18.

Control module 14 receives at least one surrounding data signal from sensor module 22 in S3. Preferably, control module 14 receives a plurality of sur rounding data signals describing the other motor vehicles 40, 42 as objects, their locations or geographical positions, and, optionally, their respective ve locity. Alternatively to a surrounding data signal describing the object’s veloc ity, the respective velocity may be calculated by control module 14.

As an example, control module 14 may perform a time-to-collision surveillance of predetermined part 50, in other words the area rearward of motor vehicle 10. Thereby, a criticality may be determined. Suitable methods for a time-to- collision calculation are known to the skilled person.

For predetermined part 46, control module 14 may determine, calculate or de viate a time period in which a predicted gap occurs sideways to first motor vehicle 10, in other words a time period until motor vehicle 42 has passed first motor vehicle 10, in other words has left predetermined part 46 (S6).

In order to do so, control module 14 provides a traffic situation model in step S4, whereby the traffic simulation model is a digital model, preferably a digital simulation model of the traffic situation in the predefined lane change area 44 (S4). Said traffic situation model may also describe the properties of vehicles 10, 40, 42, such as their locations and/or their velocities and/or their move ments or predicted movements. Alternatively, these properties or a selection of these properties like the velocity and trajectories of vehicles 10, 40, 42 may be estimated or deviated from said traffic situation model. The model is then used by control module 14 for predicting a gap 52 adjacent to motor vehicle 10, which is located on adjacent lane 26 (S5).

In the example of Fig. 2, shaded gap 52 may exemplarily be predicted (S5) to form in, for example, 30 seconds, which may be the time frame or time that is needed by motor vehicle 42 to pass motor vehicle 10. Control module 14 may then determine a point of time for accelerating first motor vehicle 10 (S7), for example, in 25 seconds, thus five seconds before gap 52 forms. Preferably, control module 14 may likewise determine an acceleration rate for the time period of 5 seconds when motor vehicle 10 accelerates on lane 28, while motor vehicle 42 is still sideways on lane 26. During this time a lateral control is de layed until gap 52 actually opens up or appears next to motor vehicle 10 so that motor vehicle 10 may easily switch to adjacent lane 26.

Control module 14 generates a control signal (S8), and transmits the same to the longitudinal control system 24 (S9). Control module 14 may optionally check once again if the turn signal is still on, thus if the direction indicator sys tem 12 is still active before generating (S8) or transmitting (S9) said control signal.

Overall, the example shows how an anticipated overtaking assistance for the active longitudinal guidance can be provided.

In another example, as soon as the turn signal (indicator) to the left (in right- hand traffic) is activated and an adjacent lane 26 is occupied, but it is recog nized that the object in the adjacent lane 26 will soon have passed the area next to the ego vehicle 10 and the rear traffic allows for a change of lane, an adapted acceleration is requested already in advance. A defined area (Fig. 2, area 46) may be spanned, in which on the basis of the motion data of the object the time until this object will have left the defined area completely is calculated. Said motion data may, for example, be derivable from the traffic situation model, or be described by the received surrounding data signal. If a time below an applicable value has been calculated for the object, the speed of the object is faster by at least a defined speed than that of the ego vehicle 10, and also the remaining general conditions (infrastructure, rear traffic) allow for an overtaking operation, the function is activated with an adapted acceleration.

The driver is assisted in clearly more situations in overtaking, since more “gaps” 52 in the adjacent lane 26 can be used. Moreover, the function is deac tivated less frequently, since an acceleration is already being built up and thus the difference in speed from the rear traffic has already been reduced.

In other words, the object is predicted on the adjacent lane 26 and thereby a time until the object of the ego vehicle 10 will have passed with a safety dis tance is estimated. If this time lies in a corresponding time window, a defined acceleration is already being executed, even though the object is still level with the ego vehicle 10.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Method for controlling a longitudinal motion of a first motor vehicle (10) in a process of changing lanes (26, 28, 30) on a road, whereby, while the first motor vehicle is driving on an initial lane (28), a control module (14) of the first motor vehicle (10):

- determines that a user of the first motor vehicle (10) activates a turn signal of a direction indicator system (12) of the first motor vehicle (10) for changing from the initial lane (28) to a predetermined adjacent lane (26, S1),

- predefines a lane change area (44), said lane change area (44) com prising a predetermined part (46) of the adjacent lane (26) which is sideward of the first motor vehicle (10), a predetermined part (48) of the road in front of the first motor vehicle (10), and a predetermined part (50) of the road behind the first motor vehicle (10, S2),

- receives at least one surrounding data signal that describes at least one object on the road within the predefined lane change area (44, S3),

- on the basis of the information of the at least one received surround ing data signal: provides a traffic situation model that describes the predefined lane change area (44), the first motor vehicle’s (10) loca tion, each object and a at least one respective property (S4),

- on the basis of the provided traffic situation model: predicts a gap (52) that has predefined size for the first motor vehicle’s (10) lane change (S5), and a time period of the occurrence of the predicted gap (52) sideways the first motor vehicle (10) for initiating the lateral change into the adjacent lane (26, S6),

- determines a point of time for accelerating the first motor vehicle (10, S7) for the upcoming lane change, said determined point of time pre ceding the predicted time period in which the gap (52) occurs,

- generates a control signal that describes said acceleration of the first motor vehicle (10) at the determined point of time (S8), and

- transmits said generated control signal to a speed system of the first motor vehicle (10, S9).

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the lane change maneuver in cludes a maneuver to overtake a second motor vehicle (40) driving ahead of the first motor vehicle (10); wherein the control module (14), on the basis of the provided traffic situation model, predicts the gap (52) that has predefined size for overtaking the second motor vehicle (40, S5).

3. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one object is another motor vehicle (40, 42) in the predefined lane change area (44); in particular wherein the control module (14) receives infor mation on a plurality of motor vehicles (40, 42) in the predefined lane change area (44), preferably including rearward traffic (S3).

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one received surrounding data signal describes data from a radar, traffic supervision data, GPS data, and/or camera data.

5. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method according to any of the preceding claims.

6. A computer-readable storage medium (18) comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method according to any of claims 1 to 4

7. Control module (14) configured to perform a method according to any of claims 1 to 4.

8. Motor vehicle (10), comprising - a turn-signal indicator system (12),

- a control module (14) according to claim 7, and

- a sensor system (22), whereby said sensor system (22) comprises at least one sensor that is designed to detect the surroundings of the motor vehicle (10).

9. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 8, wherein the sensor system (22) comprises at least one of the following: a radar, a camera, and/or a GPS signal receiver.