DE102007006757B4 - Motor vehicle safety system for the support and / or protection of drivers in critical driving situations and motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Motor vehicle safety system (1) for assisting and / or protecting drivers in critical driving situations, comprising at least one central unit (6) and a plurality of assistance units (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8), the central unit ( 6) comprises a time-slice-controlled operating system for cyclically acquiring data from the wizard units (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8) and utilizing it by means of a data-processing algorithm, the time-slice-controlled operating system being at least a) a software module for the algorithm (Algo 1, Algo 2), b) a software module for system administration (system management), c) a software module for the acquisition of accelerometer data (BA data), originating from sensors, which are part of the central unit (6), d) a software module for the acquisition of the data and / or information (data 1, data 2) coming from the connected assistance units (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8), has, and w obei per time slice cycle in each case only a specific selection of the central unit (6) connected Assistenzeinheiten (2, 3, 4, ...

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle safety system (short motor vehicle safety system) for the support and / or protection of drivers in critical driving situations, according to the preamble of claim 1.

To improve comfort and safety on the road, assistance systems and / or occupant protection safety systems are increasingly being used in vehicles in order to ensure the most comfortable and safe traveling / driving for the vehicle user.

An improvement in the protective effect is in this case achieved in particular by the already known occupant protection systems, such as airbags and Gurtstrammereinrichtungen for protection against crash events, reinforced with so-called rollover systems or rollover protection functions, to protect against accidents with rollover events, are added. Likewise, the so-called ESP assistants, in order to prevent spin processes, are now significantly increasing their market share. With regard to the comfort range, the driver-assisting assistance systems are used to ensure the most balanced ride possible by, for example, road bumps are already compensated by means of the chassis, so that the generated by the road bumps rolling and Nickbewegungsvorgänge, largely can not be perceived by the driver in the passenger compartment ,

For these reasons, the number of required sensors in the vehicle increases more and more, which is associated with cost as well as space or installation space requirements. In addition to the conventional sensors, such as pressure and acceleration sensors, optical sensors or optical systems for various assistance systems are increasingly on the rise here.

From the DE 101 46 808 A1 is an optical system for a motor vehicle known by means of this in a simple manner and at low cost, based on the evaluation of objects located in the observation area, a variety of applications can be realized. Examples include applications such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Stop & Go function, early pre-crash warning, parking assistance, parking space measurement and blind spot monitoring.

From the DE 100 25 258 A1 an optical system is also known, by means of which a determination of the distance between a reference point and at least one located in the observation area target object with high accuracy is possible in a simple manner and at low cost in order to realize corresponding driver assistance systems. Examples of application examples are an early impact warning (precrash warning), blind spot detection, lateral guidance (lateral control support), a stop & go function, a parking space measurement by the optical system arranged in the side region of the vehicle System, a tilt angle measurement, as well as a detection of the road condition or road condition.

In addition to the plurality of supporting assistance sensors, as well as resulting from the optical assistance systems advantages, such as a high information and data availability, in practice, however, there are also certain challenges, as to be processed (central) systems or central units Due to the high availability of information and data, the microprocessors in them must have very high computing power in order to be able to process the available information and data in a meaningful way in real-time operation.

From the Scriptures DE 199 45 614 C1 is a generic motor vehicle security system for supporting and / or protection of drivers in critical driving situations known, consisting of a central unit and a plurality of assistance units, which is characterized in that a temporally flexible access from the central unit / controller to the measurement data of individual sensors / Assistenzeinheiten allows by the central device / control unit by means of a specially trained request message, the sensors / Assistenzeinheiten addressed, responds, the individual sensors / Assistenzeinheiten derive by comparing the request telegram, if and in which time slot data to be transmitted to the central unit / control unit ,

When looking at the font DE 199 45 614 C1 the person skilled in the art recognizes a teaching as to how temporally flexible access from the central device / control unit to the measured data of individual sensors / assistance units is made possible, but the person skilled in the art does not keep in the dark, or if no further teaching can be taken to act according to which rules the selection of the individual Measurements of the sensors / Assistenzeinheiten has to be done, as the skilled person rather a solution is shown, which aims to avoid voluminous wiring harnesses (page 2, line 18), with the performance of the microprocessor in the central unit / control unit is no closer attention.

From the Scriptures DE 101 18 300 A1 a method for a further generic motor vehicle safety system is known in which the different control devices available signal information (in particular sensor readings of vehicle-related physical variables) with each other.

When looking at the font DE 101 18 300 A1 the person skilled in the art recognizes a doctrine as to how temporally flexible exchange of data / information between different control devices is made possible, but the person skilled in the art, in turn, remains in the dark, or if no further teaching can be taken to act, according to which rules the exchange of the individual measured data of the different ones Control devices has to be done.

The object of the present invention is therefore, with reasonable means and methods, the (central) systems or the central unit / s to realize / design in such a way that this in principle all available information from the connected assistance systems or Assuming units can capture, without the need for this over conventional standard systems much larger or more powerful microprocessor is needed.

This object is achieved by a motor vehicle safety system (motor vehicle safety system) having the features according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, wherein combinations and developments of individual features are conceivable with each other.

An essential idea of the invention is that the operating system software of the motor vehicle security system only records and / or evaluates, per data cycle, a specific selection of the assistance units connected to the central unit, the selection preferably being event-oriented and / or situation-dependent, or according to a predetermined order or according to a predetermined pattern sequence, or directly controlled by the algorithm, takes place.

• a) mit zunehmender Fahrzeuggeschwindigkeit, die Assistenzeinheit zur Überwachung des nach hinten gerichteten Bereichs immer seltener in der Auswahl von der Zentraleinheit berücksichtigt wird, und/oder
• b) bei Betätigung einer Fahrtrichtungsanzeige in Richtung links, die links am Kraftfahrzeug angebrachte umgebungserfassende Assistenzeinheit gegenüber der rechts am Kraftfahrzeug angebrachte umgebungserfassende Assistenzeinheit öfter in der Auswahl von der Zentraleinheit berücksichtigt wird, und/oder
• c) bei erkanntem Seiten-Crash von der rechten Fahrzeugseite, nach dem Seiten-Crash-Beginn, die Assistenzeinheiten der rechten Fahrzeughälfte, gegenüber den Assistenzeinheit der linken Fahrzeugseite, öfter in der Auswahl von der Zentraleinheit berücksichtigt wird, und/oder
• d) bei Erkennung eines Hindernisses an der rechten Seite des Fahrzeugs durch die rechts am Kraftfahrzeug angebrachte umgebungserfassende Assistenzeinheit, die nach rechts gerichtete Assistenzeinheit, gegenüber der links am Kraftfahrzeug angebrachte umgebungserfassende nach links gerichteten Assistenzeinheiten, eine höhere Priorität erlangt und in der Auswahl von der Zentraleinheit öfter berücksichtigt wird.

According to the motor vehicle safety system according to the invention

• a) with increasing vehicle speed, the assistive unit for monitoring the rearward area is taken into account less and less frequently in the selection by the central unit, and / or
• b) upon actuation of a direction indicator in the left direction, the environmental detection assistive unit mounted on the left side of the motor vehicle is considered more often in the selection by the central unit than the ambient detection assistance unit mounted on the right of the motor vehicle, and / or
• c) is taken into account in the selection of the central unit when the side crash from the right side of the vehicle, after the side crash start, the assist units of the right half of the vehicle, opposite the left side of the vehicle assistance unit, and / or
• d) upon detection of an obstacle on the right side of the vehicle by the on the right mounted on the motor vehicle ambient detection assistance unit, the right-facing assistance unit, opposite the left on the motor vehicle mounted surrounding sensing left-facing assistance units, a higher priority and in the selection of the central unit is considered more often.

The selection of specific information or data per time slice cycle, originating from the individual unit units connected to the central unit, is particularly useful when several optical assistance units are connected to a central unit, and in the central unit, or in the algorithm of the central unit, a data fusion the or each of each available data or information is sought. Furthermore, it is very expedient for the realization of the proposed selection concept according to the invention if the individual groups (eg all optical assistance units as a group, or all acceleration-detecting assistance units as a group), among which a particular selection is to be made, have a uniform one have physical interface architecture or a uniform interface protocol, so that in the central unit, the data acquisition and data processing, using system-internal standardized algorithm routines. can. The physical interface architecture, for coupling or for connecting the individual assistance units to the central unit, is designed for this purpose preferably as a point-to-point interface connection or as a vehicle bus interface connection.

The assistance units shown in the following individual figures are preferably functional units which are based on an optical (laser) or electromagnetic (radar), on an acceleration-sensitive or pressure-sensitive, or on a magnetic or ferromagnetic action principle.

As can be further seen from the following individual figures, the different units of assistance shown as pre-crash sensors, parking assistance systems, automatic Distance-control system, lane change assistance systems, pressure or acceleration-sensitive or structure-borne sound outsourced assistance sensors executed, with other not shown, more detailed applications or embodiments such. B. as a system or Assistancezeinheit with so-called Hall sensors, magnetic field sensors or wheel speed sensors are possible.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a motor vehicle, provided with a motor vehicle safety system having one or more of the features according to claims 1 to 9.

Further advantages or applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the in the drawings / 1 to 4 illustrated embodiments and an associated method.

In the description, in the claims, in the abstract and in the appended drawings, the terms and associated reference numerals used in the list of reference numerals recited below are used.

The drawings show in

1 : A representation of a motor vehicle with a central unit ( 6 ) and two optical units operating on an optical working principle ( 2 . 3 ).

2 : Another illustration of a car safety system ( 1 ), for a motor vehicle consisting of a central unit ( 6 ) and two optical units operating on an optical working principle ( 4 . 5 ).

3 : A schematic diagram of a time-disk-controlled operating system of a motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) for a motor vehicle.

4 : A representation of a motor vehicle with a central unit ( 6 ) and a plurality of assistive units operating on an acceleration-sensitive operative principle ( 7 . 8th ).

For the sake of clarity, the actual retaining means, or the exporting actuators for the vehicle safety system of the vehicle are not shown here in detail in the following figures.

Explanation should be noted to the completeness that for the purposes of the invention under "car safety system", systems such as occupant protection systems (airbags, belt tensioners & rollover protection), ABS systems or ESP systems, or systems for automatically avoiding obstacles, or systems for autonomous Driving are to be understood, as well as the term of a "critical driving situations", for example, a crash scenario or an exploding / skidding vehicle is to understand, in which the controllability of the vehicle by the driver, without assistance assistance, is no longer guaranteed to the full extent ,

1 shows a representation of a motor vehicle with a central processing unit ( 6 ) and two optical units operating on an optical working principle ( 2 . 3 In this illustration, the detection range of the forward-looking environment detection system (FIG. 2 ) with its scanning beams ( 2.1 ) as well as the detection range of the rear-facing environment detection system ( 3 ) with its scanning beams ( 3.1 ), especially in terms of range are shown only symbolically. The units of assistance formed by the environment detection systems ( 2 . 3 ) information or data, the central processing unit ( 6 ) by means of suitable connection interfaces ( 6.1 ) / Data Interfaces ( 6.1 ), in which the information is evaluated / analyzed by means of an evaluation unit. The example shown is a system for assisting the driver in a parking operation or an obstacle detection system to initiate the driver to assist / warn, or to initiate an automatic braking or an automatic evasive maneuver.

2 shows a further illustration of a motor vehicle safety system ( 1 ), for a motor vehicle consisting of a central unit ( 6 ) and two optical units operating on an optical working principle ( 4 . 5 ). Like from the 2 can be seen, on each side of the vehicle, an environment-aware assistance unit ( 4 . 5 ) arranged. The monitored area of the environment-aware assistance unit ( 4 . 5 ) with its scanning beams ( 4.1 . 5.1 ), this is mainly directed to the rear, but also other range characteristics, in particular a 180 degree all-around characteristic is possible. Likewise, the installation location shown is not mandatory. In this case, the installation site is preferably directed to the task of the application which processes the environment-aware assistance units (FIG. 4 . 5 ) primary, such as a pre-crash sensing to the side or a lane change assistance system has to meet. The units of assistance formed by the environment detection systems ( 4 . 5 ) information or data, the central processing unit ( 6 ) by means of suitable connection interfaces ( 6.1 ) / Data Interfaces ( 6.1 ), in which the information is evaluated / analyzed by means of an evaluation unit.

3 shows a schematic diagram of a time-disk-controlled operating system of a motor vehicle safety system ( 1 ) for a motor vehicle. As can be seen from the figure, the software operating system of the motor vehicle security system is shown as a software time slice, which is processed cyclically according to a predetermined order. Starting at t = 0, an algorithm (Algo 1) is the first software module to be processed by the operating system software. This is followed by the processing of a further software module, which contains a further algorithm (Algo 2), which can be designed as an independent algorithm, or as a subalgorithm as an addition to the preceding algorithm (Algo 1). The data or information that is processed here in the algorithms come in the simplest way, of the software modules which are responsible for the data acquisition of one or more of the previous timeslice cycles. This is followed by the processing of the software module of the system administration. Thereafter, the acquisition of the accelerometer data (BA data) takes place, whereby this is symbolically represented by the central unit (as shown in FIG. 6 ) are not supplied externally, but it is assumed that the accelerometer data (BA data) come from sensors that are part of the central system ( 6 ), so that no externally directed interfaces are required.

Subsequently, the two software modules follow, by means of which the data or information (data 1, data 2) from the connected support units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ). As here from the 3 In the case of "Data 1", a certain (limited) selection of the available assistance units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 ) are taken, so that not every data / information is recorded by each time slice cycle from the vehicle security system, but only a specific selection. Alternatively, as shown in the illustration in "Data 2", the software operating system of the car security system can be used per time slice cycle for all data / information from the central processing unit ( 6 ) associated assistance units ( 7 . 8th ), in which case the selection takes place in such a way that only a limited number of the available data / information are evaluated in the motor vehicle security system per cycle time, or taken into account in the evaluation by the algorithm or the algorithms.

4 shows analog 1 and 2 Another illustration of a motor vehicle with a central unit ( 6 ) and a plurality of assistive units functioning on an acceleration-sensitive principle ( 7 . 8th For example, such a system is typical of an occupant protection system. Like from the 4 can be seen, the central unit is located centrally in the vehicle ( 6 ), to which the data / information from the outsourced assistance units ( 7 . 8th ) by means of suitable connection interfaces ( 6.1 ) / Data Interfaces ( 6.1 ). The arrows on the outsourced support units ( 7 . 8th ) show the direction of action ( 7.1 . 8.1 ) of the acceleration sensors located in the outsourced units of assistance, where two arrows are present, the outsourced units of assistance ( 7 . 8th ) have two acceleration sensors.

The respective selection of the assistance units connected to the central unit, which are recorded and / or evaluated in terms of data, takes place in an event-oriented and / or situation-dependent manner. As a classic example of an event-oriented and / or situation-dependent selection, for example, the influencing parameters of the vehicle's own speed or the direction of travel, or the lane change indication, or a detected crash direction are listed. The following parameters influence the event-oriented and / or situation-dependent selection:
As the vehicle's own speed increases, the monitoring of the rearward area is detected by the assistance unit 3 , always less important, so that this area with increasing vehicle speed, increasingly rare in the selection of the central unit, needs to be taken into account by its time slice cycles.

Upon actuation of the direction indicator (turn signal) in the left direction, the left area of the vehicle is more important than the right area of the vehicle, so that in this case it seems appropriate that the assistance unit 5 , opposite the Assistance unit 4 , more often in the selection of the central unit, is taken into account by its time slice cycles.

In the event of a side crash from the right side of the vehicle being detected and recognized, it is appropriate that immediately after the side crash start, the assistance units 8th the right half of the vehicle, opposite the assistance units 8th the left-hand side of the vehicle, more often in the selection of the central unit, whose timing cycles are taken into account.

If an obstacle on the right side of the vehicle is detected by the assistance unit 4 , the monitoring of the area directed to the left side of the vehicle becomes secondary, so that in this case the right-facing assistance unit 4 , opposite to the left-facing assistance unit 5 , obtained a higher priority and in the selection of the central unit, is taken into account by the time slice cycles accordingly more often.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Automotive Safety System

2

Optical assistance unit

2.1

Scanning beams of the optical assistance unit ( 2 )

3

Optical assistance unit

3.1

Scanning beams of the optical assistance unit ( 3 )

4

Optical assistance unit

4.1

Scanning beams of the optical assistance unit ( 4 )

5

Optical assistance unit

5.1

Scanning beams of the optical assistance unit ( 5 )

6

central processing unit

6.1

Link interface / data interface

7

Acceleration sensor unit

7.1

Direction of action of the acceleration-sensitive assistance unit ( 7 )

8th

Acceleration sensor unit

8.1

Direction of action of the acceleration-sensitive assistance unit ( 8th )

Claims (10)

Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ), for the support and / or protection of drivers in critical driving situations, consisting of at least one central unit ( 6 ) and a plurality of assistance units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ), the central unit ( 6 ) has a time-sliced operating system for retrieving data from the support units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ), and the time-sliced operating system at least a) a software module for the algorithm (Algo 1, Algo 2), b) a software module for the system administration (System-Verw. ), c) a software module for the acquisition of accelerometer data (BA data) originating from sensors that form part of the central unit ( 6 ), d) a software module for the collection of the data and / or information (data 1, data 2) from the connected support units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ), and wherein in each time slice cycle only a specific selection of the at the central unit ( 6 ) associated assistance units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ) are evaluated in terms of data, whereby the selection of the evaluation performed at the central unit ( 6 ) associated assistance units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ), is carried out in an event-oriented and / or situation-dependent manner per time slice cycle, characterized in that, as the vehicle speed increases, the assistence unit ( 3 ) to monitor the rearward area increasingly rare in the selection of the central unit ( 6 ) is taken into account, and / or when operating a direction indicator in the left direction, the on the left of the motor vehicle mounted environment-aware Assistszeinheit ( 5 ) relative to the environment-detecting assistance unit ( 4 ) more often in the selection of the central unit ( 6 ) is taken into account, and / or in the case of a detected side crash from the right side of the vehicle after the side crash start, the assistance units ( 8th ) of the right-hand half of the vehicle relative to the Assistance Units ( 8th ) of the left side of the vehicle more often in the selection of the central unit ( 6 ) and / or upon detection of an obstacle on the right side of the vehicle by the ambient detection assistance unit ( 4 ), the right-hand unit of assistance ( 4 ) relative to the left on the motor vehicle mounted on the environment-aware left-facing Assistszeinheit ( 5 ) has a higher priority and is selected by the central unit ( 6 ) is taken into consideration more often. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that a first group is a unit of assistance ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 ), which are based on an optical and / or electromagnetic action principle. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to claim 2, characterized in that it is in the Assistenzeinheiten ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 ) are pre-crash sensors and / or parking assistance systems and / or automatic distance control system and / or lane change assistance systems and / or autonomous driving systems. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that a second group is a unit of assistance ( 7 . 8th ), which are based on an acceleration-sensitive and / or pressure-sensitive and / or structure-borne sound effect principle. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to claim 4, characterized in that it is in the Assistenzeinheiten ( 7 . 8th ) are systems with acceleration sensors and / or pressure sensors and / or structure-borne sound sensors. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that a third group is a unit of assistance based on a magnetic and / or ferromagnetic principle of action. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to claim 6, characterized in that it is in the Assistance units to systems with so-called Hall sensors and / or magnetic field sensors and / or wheel speed sensors. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the assistance units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ) by means of a point-to-point interface connection and / or by means of a vehicle bus interface connection with the central unit ( 6 ) are connected. Motor vehicle security system ( 1 ) according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the assistance units ( 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 7 . 8th ) of the individual groups have a uniform physical interface architecture and / or a uniform interface protocol. Motor vehicle provided with a motor vehicle safety system ( 1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 9.

Images