WO2024056399A1

WO2024056399A1 - Driving assistance system and driving assistance method for lateral guidance of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2024056399A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/073974
Authority: WO
Inventors: Boris ISRAEL
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2022-09-16
Filing date: 2023-08-31
Publication date: 2024-03-21
Also published as: DE102022123774A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance system for the lateral guidance of a vehicle, more particularly of a motor vehicle. The driving assistance system comprises an actuation element for a direction indicator, wherein the actuation element is configured to initiate an automatic lateral guidance process in the event of an active lateral guidance assistant when activated or triggered by a driver; and at least one audio output module that is configured, in the event of an active lateral guidance assistant, to output a first sound signal if the automatic lateral driving process can be carried out and to output a second sound signal, which differs from the first sound signal, if the automatic lateral driving process cannot be carried out.

Description

Driving assistance system and driving assistance method for lateral guidance of a vehicle

The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance system for lateral guidance of a vehicle, a vehicle with such a driving assistance method, a driving assistance method for lateral guidance of a vehicle and a storage medium for executing the driving assistance method. The present disclosure relates in particular to an acoustic display for an activated lateral guidance assistant, such as a lane keeping assistant.

State of the art

Driving assistance systems for automated driving are becoming increasingly important. Automated driving can occur with different levels of automation. Examples of levels of automation include assisted, partially automated, conditionally automated, highly automated or fully automated driving. The above five levels of automation correspond to SAE levels 1 to 5 of the SAE J3016 standard (SAE - Society of Automotive Engineering) as of April 30, 2021. In fully automated driving (SAE level 5), the system can handle all aspects of dynamic Driving task can be carried out under any road and environmental conditions that can also be controlled by a human driver.

An example of a driving assistance system is the lane change assistant, which can carry out an automatic lane change. The lane change assistant can be activated by the driver and triggered if necessary. However, lane changes with stents are subject to certain functional restrictions that not every driver is immediately aware of. For example, if there is no structural separation between an ego lane and an oncoming lane, automatic lane changes often cannot be carried out for safety reasons. Further functional restrictions may exist in certain speed ranges and/or when there is reduced free space in the lanes.

It can therefore happen that the lane change assistant is active and, for example, is shown on an instrument cluster as basically available, but cannot be triggered due to the functional restrictions. The driver does not immediately know whether the automatic lane change was successfully triggered and has to look at the instrument cluster, for example, to correctly assess the situation. This creates inconvenience for the driver, which can lead to reduced acceptance of such driving assistance systems. In addition, the driver has to look away from the road in order to correctly assess the situation, so that traffic safety is impaired.

Disclosure of the invention

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a driving assistance system for lateral guidance of a vehicle, a vehicle with such a driving assistance method, a driving assistance method for lateral guidance of a vehicle and a storage medium for executing the driving assistance method, which can clearly indicate a functional state of a driving assistance system. In addition, it is an object of the present disclosure to improve the acceptance of driver assistance systems for lateral guidance and/or safety in road traffic. This task is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous refinements are specified in the subclaims.

According to an independent aspect of the present disclosure, a driving assistance system for lateral guidance of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is specified. The driving assistance system comprises an actuating element for a direction indicator, wherein the actuating element is set up to initiate an automatic lateral guidance process in an active lateral guidance assistant when actuated or triggered by a driver; and at least one audio output module, which is set up to output a first audio signal when the lateral guidance assistant is active if the automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, and to output a second audio signal that is different from the first audio signal if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out.

According to the invention, a sound signal is emitted based on whether the lateral guidance assistant was triggered successfully or not. For example, different tones or tone sequences can be output. This means the driver hears immediately and without being distracted from the vehicle guidance whether the lateral guidance assistant has been successfully triggered. As a result, the functional state of the driving assistance system can be clearly displayed, which can improve acceptance of driving assistance systems for lateral guidance and safety in road traffic.

Preferably, the at least one audio output module comprises one or more loudspeakers for outputting the first audio signal and the second audio signal.

The term “active lateral guidance assistant” refers to a general or basic activation or availability of the lateral guidance assistant, for example due to user input by the driver, such as pressing a button or operating a lever. In other words, the active lateral guidance assistant can correspond to an switched-on state of the lateral guidance assistant. In such an active state of the lateral guidance assistant, the driver can actuate the actuating element, whereupon, ideally, the automatic lateral guidance process is started. Accordingly, the term “inactive lateral guidance assistant” refers to a switched off state of the Lateral guidance assistants, for example based on user input from the driver, such as pressing a button or operating a lever. In such an inactive state of the lateral guidance assistant, the driver can actuate the actuating element, whereupon the automatic lateral guidance process is not started, but rather the direction indicator is activated.

The lateral control assistant can therefore be activated by the driver and triggered if necessary. However, the automatic lateral guidance process may not be feasible in certain situations. In particular, lateral guidance assistants may be subject to functional restrictions which mean that it is not possible to carry out an automatic lateral guidance process even when the lateral guidance assistant is active. For example, if there is no structural separation between an ego lane and an oncoming lane, automatic lane changes often cannot be carried out for safety reasons. Further functional restrictions may exist in certain speed ranges and/or when there is reduced clearance in the lanes.

Preferably, when the lateral guidance assistant is active, the direction indicator is triggered and the second sound signal is emitted if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out. In other words, if the automatic lateral guidance process is unsuccessfully triggered by the driver, the direction indicator can be activated instead of the automatic lateral guidance process.

Preferably, the at least one audio output module is set up to output the second sound signal to indicate activation of the direction indicator when the actuating element is actuated by the driver if the lateral guidance assistant is inactive. In other words, the same sound signal is emitted both when the lateral guidance assistant is inactive and the direction indicator is activated and when the lateral guidance assistant is active and the automatic lateral guidance process has failed to trigger. This means that the driver can hear, without distraction from the vehicle guidance, whether the automatic lateral guidance process or just the direction indicator has been activated when the lateral guidance assistant is active. Preferably, the second sound signal is a flasher sound, in particular a standard flasher sound. In this case, the driver receives an acoustic message in the form of the turn signal tone (i.e. the second tone signal) if only the direction indicator has been triggered when the lateral guidance assistant is active or inactive, and a modified indicator tone (ie the first tone signal) if the automatic lateral guidance process is activated when the lateral guidance assistant is active and the direction indicator was triggered.

The actuating element, such as a turn signal lever, has a multiple function, namely activating the direction indicator and triggering the automatic lateral guidance process. In particular, the automatic lateral guidance process can be triggered via a turn signal lever that is not intended exclusively for the lateral guidance assistant. Which of the functions is executed upon actuation of the actuating element is determined based on whether the lateral guidance assistant is active or inactive, and whether an automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out when the lateral guidance assistant is active.

Preferably, the first audio signal comprises a first audio signal part and a second audio signal part that is different from the first audio signal part. The at least one audio output module can be set up to output the first audio signal part during a preparation phase of the automatic lateral guidance process and the second audio signal part during an actual implementation of the automatic lateral guidance process or the automatic lateral guidance.

The preparation phase can, for example, be a search phase for a gap when changing lanes automatically. Carrying out the automatic lateral guidance process can correspond to actually carrying out the lane change. This allows the driver to easily see which phase the automatic lateral guidance process is currently in.

Preferably, the at least one audio output module is set up to output the first audio signal until the automatic lateral guidance process has ended. The driver can therefore hear how long the automatic lateral guidance process is active and when it ends or starts. Preferably, the first audio signal is longer or shorter than the second audio signal.

Additionally or alternatively, the first sound signal can be louder or quieter than the second sound signal.

Additionally or alternatively, the first tone signal and the second tone signal can have at least partially different tone sequences.

Additionally or alternatively, the first tone signal can be an undertone sequence of the second tone signal. Alternatively, the first tone signal can correspond to the second tone signal with one or more additional tones.

Additionally or alternatively, the first sound signal can be directed in a first spatial direction and the second sound signal can be directed in a second spatial direction that is different from the first spatial direction. For example, the first sound signal may come from the front of the vehicle and the second sound signal may come from the rear of the vehicle, so that the driver can distinguish the first sound signal from the second sound signal.

Preferably, the automatic lateral guidance process is selected from the group that includes, or consists of, an automatic lane change and an automatic turning process.

According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is specified. The vehicle includes the driving assistance system according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

The term vehicle includes cars, trucks, buses, mobile homes, motorcycles, etc. that are used to transport people, goods, etc. In particular, the term includes motor vehicles for passenger transport. The driving assistance system is set up for automated driving, comprising or consisting of automatic lateral guidance.

In the context of the document, the term “automated driving” means driving with automated longitudinal and/or lateral guidance. Automated driving can, for example, involve driving on the highway for a longer period of time or driving for a limited time when parking. The term “automated driving” includes automated driving with any level of automation. Examples of levels of automation include assisted, partially automated, conditionally automated, highly automated and fully automated driving (each with an increasing level of automation). The above five levels of automation correspond to SAE levels 1 to 5 of the SAE J3016 standard (SAE - Society of Automotive Engineering) as of April 30, 2021.

During assisted driving (SAE Level 1), the system carries out longitudinal or lateral guidance in certain driving situations. In partially automated driving (SAE level 2), the system takes over longitudinal and lateral guidance in certain driving situations, whereby the driver must constantly monitor the system, as with assisted driving. In conditionally automated driving (SAE level 3), the system takes over longitudinal and lateral guidance in certain driving situations without the driver having to permanently monitor the system; However, the driver must be able to take over control of the vehicle within a certain period of time when requested by the system. In highly automated driving (SAE level 4), the system takes over vehicle control in certain driving situations, even if the driver does not respond to a request to intervene, so that the driver is no longer a fallback level. In fully automated driving (SAE Level 5), the system can carry out all aspects of the dynamic driving task under any road and environmental conditions, which can also be controlled by a human driver.

In addition, the term “at least partially automated driving or maneuvering” in the context of the document also means partially automated, conditionally automated, highly automated, fully automated driving. In other words, so will The term “at least partially automated driving” means a level of automation from and including SAE Level 2.

The driving assistance system of the present disclosure corresponds to a level of automation at which automatic lateral guidance is possible in response to user input by the driver. Such a level of automation can be SAE level 2, for example.

According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, a driving assistance method for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is specified. The driving assistance method includes detecting an actuation of an actuation element for a direction indicator by a driver; if a lateral guidance assistant is active and in response to the actuation of the actuating element, an output of a first sound signal if an automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, or an output of a second sound signal different from the first sound signal if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out; and if the lateral guidance assistant is inactive and in response to the actuation of the actuating element, emitting the second sound signal to indicate activation of the direction indicator.

The driving assistance method can implement the aspects of the driving assistance system described in this document for a vehicle.

According to another independent aspect of the present disclosure, a software (SW) program is provided. The SW program can be set up to run on one or more processors and thereby carry out the driving assistance method for a vehicle described in this document.

According to another independent aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided. The storage medium may comprise a SW program which is set up to be executed on one or more processors and thereby to carry out the driving assistance method for a vehicle described in this document. According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, software with program code is provided. The software is set up to carry out the driving assistance process for a vehicle if the software runs on one or more software-controlled devices.

According to another independent aspect of the present disclosure, a driver monitoring system is provided. The system includes one or more processors; and at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors and containing instructions executable by the one or more processors to execute the vehicle driver assistance method described herein.

A processor or a processor module is a programmable arithmetic unit, i.e. a machine or an electronic circuit that controls other elements according to instructions given and thereby drives an algorithm (process).

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the disclosure are shown in the figures and are described in more detail below. Show it:

1 shows schematically a vehicle with a driving assistance system according to embodiments of the present disclosure,

2A shows a schematic detailed view of the driving assistance system according to embodiments of the present disclosure,

2B shows schematically different sound signals according to embodiments of the present disclosure, 3 shows schematically a feasible lane change according to embodiments of the present disclosure,

Figure 4 schematically shows a lane change that cannot be carried out according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and

Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a driving assistance method according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the disclosure

In the following, unless otherwise noted, the same reference numerals are used for elements that are the same and have the same effect.

Figure 1 shows schematically a vehicle 10 with a driving assistance system 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

The driving assistance system 100 is set up for automated driving. During automated driving according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the lateral guidance (and optionally the longitudinal guidance) of the vehicle 10 takes place automatically. The driving assistance system 100 therefore takes over driving the vehicle. For this purpose, the driving assistance system 100 controls the steering 26 and optionally the drive 20, the transmission 22 and the hydraulic service brake 24 via intermediate units, not shown.

To plan and carry out automated driving, environmental information from an environmental sensor system that monitors the vehicle's surroundings is received by the driver assistance system 100. In particular, the vehicle can include at least one environmental sensor 12, which is set up to record environmental data that indicates the vehicle surroundings. The at least one environmental sensor 12 can include, for example, one or more LiD AR systems, one or more radar systems, one or more laser scanners, one or more ultrasonic sensors and / or one or more cameras. Figure 2A shows schematically a detailed view of the driving assistance system 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2B shows schematically different tone signals TI, T2 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

The driving assistance system 100 of the present disclosure includes (or is a) lateral guidance assistant 16 or may implement the functionalities of a lateral guidance assistant 16 by performing automated driving.

The driving assistance system 100 includes an actuating element 110 for a direction indicator 14, the actuating element 110 being set up to initiate an automatic lateral guidance process in an active lateral guidance assistant 16 when actuated or triggered by a driver; and at least one audio output module 120, which is set up to output a first audio signal TI when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is active if the automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, and to output a second audio signal T2 that is different from the first audio signal TI if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out.

The actuating element 110 may be a turn signal lever and have a multiple function, namely activating the direction indicator 14 and triggering the automatic lateral guidance process.

The at least one audio output module 120 may include one or more speakers 122 for outputting the first audio signal TI and the second audio signal T2. The at least one audio output module 120 may further comprise a control module 124, which is set up to control the audio output of the at least one audio output module 120, in particular the output of the first audio signal TI and the second audio signal T2.

The lateral guidance assistant 16 can be activated by the driver and, if necessary, triggered by actuating the confirmation element 110. If the driver triggers the confirmation element 110 when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is active and the automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, the at least one audio output module 120 outputs the first audio signal TI. If the driver triggers the confirmation element 110 when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is active and the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out, the at least one audio output module 120 outputs the second audio signal T2. If the driver activates the confirmation element 110 when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is inactive, the at least one audio output module 120 outputs the second sound signal T2 to indicate activation of the direction indicator 14.

This means that the same sound signal T2 can be output both when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is inactive and the direction indicator 14 is actuated and when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is active and the automatic lateral guidance process has failed to be triggered. In this way, the driver hears, without distraction from the vehicle guidance, whether the automatic lateral guidance process or only the direction indicator 14 has been activated when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is active.

The automatic lateral guidance process can be, for example, an automatic lane change or an automatic turning process.

The second sound signal T2 can be a standard turn signal sound. In this case, the driver receives an acoustic message in the form of the turn signal tone (i.e. the second tone signal T2) if only the direction indicator 14 has been triggered when the lateral guidance assistant 16 is active or inactive, and a modified indicator tone (i.e. the first tone signal TI) when the side guidance assistant 16 is active Lateral guidance assistant 16, the automatic lateral guidance process and the direction indicator 14 were triggered.

In some embodiments, the first audio signal TI comprises a first audio signal part and a second audio signal part that is different from the first audio signal part. The at least one audio output module 120 can be set up to output the first audio signal part during a preparation phase of the automatic lateral guidance process and the second audio signal part during implementation of the automatic lateral guidance process or the automatic lateral guidance.

The preparation phase can, for example, be a search phase for a gap when changing lanes automatically. The implementation of the automatic lateral guidance process can correspond to an actual implementation of the lane change. This allows the driver to easily see which phase the automatic lateral guidance process is currently in.

The first audio signal TI and the second audio signal T2 are configured differently in such a way that the driver is able to distinguish the two audio signals from one another. For example, the first audio signal TI can be longer or shorter than the second audio signal T2. Additionally or alternatively, the first sound signal TI can be louder or quieter than the second sound signal T2. Additionally or alternatively, the first tone signal TI and the second tone signal T2 can have at least partially different tone sequences. Additionally or alternatively, the first tone signal TI can be an undertone sequence of the second tone signal T2. Alternatively, the first tone signal TI can correspond to the second tone signal T2 with one or more additional tones. Additionally or alternatively, the first sound signal TI can be directed in a first spatial direction and the second sound signal T2 can be directed in a second spatial direction that is different from the first spatial direction. For example, the first sound signal TI can come from the front of the vehicle and the second sound signal T2 can come from the rear of the vehicle, so that the driver can distinguish the first sound signal TI from the second sound signal T2.

Figure 3 shows schematically a feasible lane change according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 shows schematically a lane change that cannot be carried out according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

The lateral control assistant can be activated by the driver and triggered if necessary. However, the automatic lateral guidance process may not be feasible in certain situations. In particular, lateral guidance assistants may be subject to functional restrictions which mean that it is not possible to carry out an automatic lateral guidance process even when the lateral guidance assistant is active. For example, if there is no structural separation between an ego lane A and an oncoming lane C, automatic lane changes from an ego lane A to an adjacent lane B often cannot be carried out for safety reasons. In the example of Figure 3, there is a structural separation 300 between the ego lane A and the oncoming lane C, so that a lane change is possible. In the example of FIG. 4, however, there is no structural separation 300 between the ego lane A and the oncoming lane C, so that no lane change is possible.

Further functional restrictions that do not allow an automatic lane change to be carried out even when the lane change assistant is active may be present in certain speed ranges and/or when there is reduced clearance in the lanes.

Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a driving assistance method 500 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The driving assistance method 500 can be implemented by appropriate software that can be executed by one or more processors (e.g. a CPU).

The driving assistance method 500 includes, in block 510, detecting an actuation of an actuation element for a direction indicator by a driver. If it is determined in block 520 that a lateral guidance assistant is active, and in response to the actuation of the actuating element in block 510, the driving assistance method 500 includes in block 530 an output of a first sound signal if an automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, or an output of a first sound signal different second sound signal if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out. If it is determined in block 520 that the lateral guidance assistant is inactive and in response to the actuation of the actuator in block 510, the driving assistance method 500 includes in block 540 outputting the second sound signal to indicate activation of the direction indicator.

According to the invention, a sound signal is emitted based on whether the lateral guidance assistant was triggered successfully or not. For example, different tones or tone sequences can be output. This means the driver hears immediately and without being distracted from the vehicle guidance whether the lateral guidance assistant has been successfully triggered. As a result, the functional status of the driving assistance system can be clearly displayed which can improve the acceptance of driver assistance systems for lateral guidance and safety in road traffic.

Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a large number of possible variations exist. It is also to be understood that exemplary embodiments are truly examples only and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope, application, or configuration of the invention.

Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to concretely implement the exemplary embodiments, whereby the person skilled in the art can make a variety of changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, without To leave the scope of protection, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Driving assistance system (100) for lateral guidance of a vehicle (10), comprising: an actuating element (110) for a direction indicator (14), the actuating element (110) being set up to actuate an active lateral guidance assistant (16) when actuated by one driver to initiate an automatic lateral guidance process; and at least one audio output module (120), which is set up to output a first audio signal (TI) when the lateral guidance assistant (16) is active if the automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, and to output a second audio signal (T2) that is different from the first audio signal (TI). , if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out.

2. The driving assistance system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one audio output module (120) is set up to output the second audio signal (T2) to indicate activation of the direction indicator (14) when the actuating element (110) is actuated by the driver if the lateral guidance assistant (16) is inactive.

3. The driving assistance system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the second sound signal (T2) is a standard turn signal sound; and/or the confirmation element (110) is a turn signal lever with multiple functions.

4. The driving assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first audio signal (TI) comprises a first audio signal part and a second audio signal part that is different from the first audio signal part, and wherein the at least one audio output module (120) is set up to provide the first To output the audio signal part during a preparation phase of the automatic lateral guidance process and the second audio signal part during an implementation of the automatic lateral guidance process.

5. The driving assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one audio output module (120) is set up to output the first audio signal (TI) until the automatic lateral guidance process has ended.

6. The driving assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the first tone signal (TI) is longer or shorter than the second tone signal (T2); and/or the first sound signal (TI) is louder or quieter than the second sound signal (T2); and/or the first tone signal (TI) and the second tone signal (T2) have at least partially different tone sequences; and/or the first tone signal (TI) is an undertone sequence of the second tone signal (T2) or corresponds to the second tone signal (T2) with one or more additional tones; and/or the first sound signal (TI) is directed in a first spatial direction and the second sound signal (T2) is directed in a second spatial direction that is different from the first spatial direction.

7. The driving assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the automatic lateral guidance process is selected from the group consisting of an automatic lane change and an automatic turning process.

8. Vehicle (10), in particular motor vehicle, comprising the driving assistance system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Driving assistance method (500) for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting (510) an actuation of an actuator for a direction indicator by a driver; if a lateral guidance assistant is active and in response to the actuation of the actuating element:

Outputting (530) a first sound signal if an automatic lateral guidance process can be carried out, or

Outputting (530) a second audio signal different from the first audio signal if the automatic lateral guidance process cannot be carried out; and if the lateral guidance assistant is inactive and in response to the actuation of the actuating element:

Outputting (540) the second sound signal to indicate activation of the

direction indicator.

10. Storage medium comprising a software program configured to be executed on one or more processors and thereby to carry out the driving assistance method (500) according to claim 9.