DE102021200567A1 - Method for collision avoidance of a vehicle, driver assistance system and computer program product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for avoiding a collision in a vehicle (1), with an obstacle (5), in particular another vehicle, being detected by means of a surroundings detection device (12), and with intervention in the engine control if a collision with the obstacle (5) is imminent (24) for drive control of the vehicle (1).

Description

technical field

The invention relates to a method for avoiding a collision of a vehicle with another, moving obstacle or vehicle crossing the trajectory of the vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a driver assistance system that is designed to carry out a method according to the invention and a computer program product for carrying out the method or as a component of the driver assistance system.

State of the art

A method for collision avoidance of a vehicle with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is from DE 196 07 788 B4 known to the applicant during a parking maneuver of a vehicle. The known method is characterized in that the distance to a stationary obstacle is detected during a semi-autonomous parking maneuver, with a reduction in the distance to the obstacle initially affecting the engine control of the vehicle such that the engine power is limited or the speed is set to a maximum amount. If the distance from the obstacle continues to decrease, an intervention in the braking device of the vehicle then takes place in order to ensure that the vehicle does not collide with the obstacle or comes to a standstill at a distance in front of the obstacle.

Furthermore, it is from the DE 10 2010 061 829 A1 known to control both a vehicle braking system and a vehicle steering system to avoid a collision of a vehicle due to a too small lateral distance to an obstacle.

Disclosure of Invention

The inventive method for collision avoidance of a vehicle with the features of claim 1 has the advantage that it prevents collisions with another obstacle or a vehicle in situations where intervention in the braking system or steering intervention in the vehicle causes a collision cannot be avoided.

The invention is based on the idea of removing the vehicle from the route of another obstacle or vehicle that is moving, crossing or tangent to the trajectory of the vehicle and thus from the potential collision area by means of a needs-based, i.e. additional acceleration of the vehicle if necessary, in order to to avoid a collision with the other obstacle or vehicle.

Against the background of the above explanations, the method according to the invention for collision avoidance therefore proposes that the obstacle is an obstacle or a vehicle that moves in such a way that it crosses or touches the trajectory of the vehicle, and that the Intervention in the engine control of the vehicle takes place in such a way that the vehicle is accelerated to avoid a collision.

Advantageous developments of the method according to the invention for avoiding a collision in a vehicle are listed in the dependent claims.

It is particularly preferred if the driver assistance system has a lane keeping assistance device that guides the vehicle along the trajectory during the driving maneuver. This is particularly advantageous given that the vehicle may be moved along a curved trajectory during the driving maneuver, which during (strong) acceleration, particularly in slippery or slippery road conditions, can result in the vehicle leaving its originally intended trajectory , which can lead to a dangerous situation.

In order to ensure that the vehicle is transferred back to a normal, originally intended safe driving state as quickly as possible after accelerating, it is provided that the vehicle is automatically decelerated after accelerating and avoiding the collision with the moving obstacle or vehicle. This is also against the background of signaling to a driver in the vehicle that the initially performed, possibly unexpected acceleration of the vehicle was carried out deliberately (automatically) and the subsequent deceleration signals that there is no longer a risk of collision exists and the driver does not have to intervene.

A further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the vehicle is accelerated in such a way that, taking into account a minimum distance from the moving obstacle or vehicle, no collision occurs. This results in particular from two aspects: On the one hand, an abrupt or strong acceleration of the vehicle should be avoided, which the occupants in the vehicle at least perceive as a loss of comfort, but in the worst-case scenario also lead to injury to the occupants because the occupants did not expect (automatic) acceleration. On the other hand, the speed at the end of the evasive maneuver should be as low as possible in order to enable the greatest possible driving stability and to avoid further dangerous situations due to a potentially relatively high speed.

In particular, in the last-described method, it can be provided that the acceleration profile is based on a non-linear function. This is particularly relevant in electric vehicles where, due to the potential for relatively high torque to be immediately applied to the vehicle's driven wheels, abrupt acceleration may occur which an occupant may at least find uncomfortable. Such a non-linear acceleration profile therefore provides in particular that initially a relatively gentle acceleration takes place, followed by a disproportionately strong increase in acceleration and a subsequent flattened acceleration profile towards the end of the evasive or driving maneuver.

A further safety aspect for avoiding a potential collision with the approaching obstacle or vehicle provides that an additional steering intervention takes place to increase the distance between the moving obstacle or vehicle. The steering intervention can, in particular, enable an additional distance between the two vehicles and possibly prevent the routes of the two vehicles from crossing one another.

In order to signal to the occupant(s) in the vehicle that the vehicle was accelerated deliberately and is not due to a malfunction of the vehicle or of the driver assistance system of the vehicle, it is also preferably provided that during the detection of the risk of collision and/or or performing the driving maneuver, an optical and/or acoustic warning signal and/or an automated voice announcement about the impending risk of a collision is generated. Such a procedure can also be used, among other things, to inform the occupants of the direction of the approaching obstacle or vehicle.

The method according to the invention is preferably used in semi-autonomously or autonomously operated vehicles.

Furthermore, the invention also includes a driver assistance system with an environment detection device for detecting obstacles or other vehicles and a control device that is designed to intervene in an engine control of the vehicle. The driver assistance system according to the invention is characterized in that the control device has an algorithm which is designed to carry out a method according to the invention.

With regard to the environment recognition device, it is mentioned that this can be designed, for example, based on ultrasound, radar, lidar, as a camera-based device or as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) localization system. It is essential for the use of one or more suitable environment detection devices that a suitable environment detection system is available with regard to the distances between the vehicles and the measurement accuracy.

Finally, the invention includes a computer program product, in particular a data program or a data carrier, which is designed to carry out at least one program step of a method according to the invention or which serves as a component of a control device of a driver assistance system.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention result from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the drawings.

character list

• 1 shows in a schematic top view a turning process of a vehicle with a risk of collision by an approaching other vehicle and
• 2 a flow chart for explaining the method for collision avoidance.

Embodiments of the invention

In the 1 a turning situation of a (first) vehicle 1 in the area of an intersection 2 is shown in a simplified top view as an example, the vehicle 1 turning off a side street into a main street. The vehicle 1 is, in particular, a semi-autonomous or a fully autonomous vehicle 1. In particular, the vehicle 1 can also be an electric vehicle.

Vehicle 1 has a driver assistance system 10 for carrying out the turning process. The driver assistance system 10 includes an environment detection device 12, shown only symbolically, which is designed to capture the environment of the vehicle 1, preferably in a 360-degree view. For this, the environment detection tion device 12 equipped with an ultrasonic sensor system and/or radar device and/or lidar device and/or a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) localization system and/or a corresponding camera system (not shown) provided for this purpose and known from the prior art.

Surroundings detection device 12 is connected in terms of data to a control device 14 of vehicle 1 , which has an algorithm 16 . The algorithm 16 is in the form of a computer program product, such as a data program or a data carrier. The control device 14 and the algorithm 16 are designed to carry out an intervention in a braking device 20 of the vehicle 1 , in a steering device 22 of the vehicle 1 and in an engine control 24 for drive control of the vehicle 1 .

Furthermore, the vehicle 1 has a lane departure warning system 25, which is operatively connected to the steering device 22 and the braking device 20 as well as the engine controller 24 in order to move the vehicle 1 along a desired route even when the road surface is slippery, for example.

In the illustrated turning process of the vehicle 1, the latter is moved by the control device 14 along a curved trajectory 3 as the intended route. In order to avoid a collision, the control device 14, as explained in more detail below, intervenes both in the engine control 24 and, if necessary, in the steering device 22 and, if necessary, in the braking device 20 and, if necessary, an influence by the lane departure warning device 25.

In the illustrated embodiment is also in the 1 another vehicle 5 is shown, which is driving along the main road and whose trajectory 6 touches or meets the trajectory 3 of the vehicle 1 by way of example. Using driver assistance system 10 or environment detection device 12, vehicle 1 turning off the side street detects trajectory 6 of other vehicle 5. In addition, control unit 14 of vehicle 1 calculates the chronological progression of the vehicle based on the data transmitted by driver assistance system 10 or environment detection device 12 Route of the other vehicle 5 or its speed.

The algorithm 16 in the control device 14 is also able to detect a risk of collision between the vehicles 1 and 5 based on the time profile of the two routes or trajectories 3 and 6 of the two vehicles 1 and 5 if the two vehicles 1 and 5 move based on the currently available data.

Such a risk of collision between the two vehicles 1 and 5 can occur during a semi-autonomous or fully autonomous turning maneuver of vehicle 1, for example, because the other vehicle 5 initially moves at a (constant) speed at the beginning of the turning maneuver of vehicle 1 and only during the Turning process is accelerated. Because initially a sufficiently low (constant) speed of the other vehicle 5 was detected, the control device 12 of the vehicle 1 started the turning process. If the risk of collision had already been detected earlier, the turning process would not have started before the other vehicle 5 had passed the planned path of the vehicle 1 .

Other circumstances that lead to a risk of collision when the vehicle 1 has already started to turn can be, for example, that the other vehicle 5 has turned into the main street from a side street that cannot be seen after the start of the turning of the vehicle 1, that when a detection of the other vehicle 5 by means of a camera-based environment detection device 12, reduced visibility caused, for example, by rain or fog, or similar circumstances.

In order to avoid a collision between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 5, at least the engine control 24 is influenced by the control device 14 for (temporarily additional) acceleration of the vehicle 1. This makes it possible to increase the distance between the vehicles 1 and 5 compared to a unaccelerated driving of the vehicle 1 to increase. For this purpose, the flow chart according to the 2 referenced:

According to the 2 In a first step 101, the turning process of the vehicle 1 starts, it being assumed that at this point in time the surroundings of the vehicle 1 have already been monitored by the surroundings detection device 12 and no risk of collision has been detected. The first step 101 includes, for example, the actuation of the engine control 24 for driving the drive wheels of the vehicle 1 and the steering device 22 for realizing the route or the planned trajectory 3.

In a second step 102 it is (further) checked whether a vehicle or obstacle (for example also in the form of a cross the roadway the pedestrian) approaches the turning vehicle 1 or whose trajectory 3 intersects or touches. If this is not the case, the second step 102 is repeated.

If, on the other hand, an obstacle or the other vehicle 5 is detected in the second step 102, its movement is analyzed in a third step 103 with a view to calculating its (instantaneous) speed and its speed profile as well as its direction of travel to generate the temporal/spatial profile the trajectory 6 of the other vehicle 5.

In a subsequent fourth step 104, a comparison is made between the (original) trajectory 3 of the vehicle 1 and the calculated trajectory 6 of the other vehicle 5 with regard to a possible risk of collision. If no risk of collision is calculated, the second step 102 is repeated.

If, on the other hand, a risk of collision between the two vehicles 1 and 5 is detected, in a fifth step 105 a check is first carried out as to whether a collision with the other vehicle 5 can be avoided by stopping the vehicle 1 using the braking device 20 . This is the case, for example, when vehicle 1 has just started turning and is therefore still traveling at a relatively low speed, so that it can be stopped before crossing trajectory 6 of vehicle 5 . If it is possible to stop vehicle 1 to avoid a collision, vehicle 1 is braked in a sixth step 106, in particular until it comes to a standstill. If, on the other hand, this is not possible, in a seventh step 107 vehicle 1 is accelerated (possibly in addition to an originally planned acceleration). The aim is to use the acceleration to avoid a collision with the other vehicle 5 by causing vehicle 1 gains or has an additional or greater distance from the further vehicle 5 .

In addition, it is mentioned that the seventh step 107 can also include an intervention in the steering device 22 of the vehicle 1, through which the original trajectory 3 is changed. However, this only occurs if, for example, no risk of collision with another obstacle, for example an oncoming vehicle, is generated by the steering intervention. It is also mentioned that the lane departure warning device 25 ensures that the (new) trajectory 3 is maintained by the vehicle 1 .

The acceleration process of the vehicle 1 preferably takes place using a function such that a non-linear speed profile of the vehicle 1 is achieved. For this purpose, the vehicle 1 is initially accelerated relatively gently (possibly in addition to the original acceleration), whereupon the engine controller 24 then generates a disproportionate increase in speed per unit of time.

Then, in an eighth step 108, a check is made as to whether there is still a risk of collision with the other vehicle 5. If this is the case, there is a return to the seventh step 107. If, on the other hand, there is no longer any risk of collision, the vehicle 1 is braked in a ninth step 109, for example to a speed originally planned for the corresponding location of the trajectory 3. Algorithm 16 then leads back to first step 101 .

During the aforementioned driving maneuvers, provision is preferably made for an acoustic and/or visual signal and/or a voice announcement to be generated in the vehicle 1 in order to inform an occupant or driver of an impending collision with the other vehicle 5 .

The method described so far can be altered or modified in many ways without deviating from the spirit of the invention. In particular, the method should not be limited to the described turning process of vehicle 1, but rather to any driving maneuver in which there is a risk of collision between vehicle 1 and another moving obstacle or vehicle 5.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 19607788 B4 [0002]
• DE 102010061829 A1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Method for avoiding a collision of a vehicle (1), in which an obstacle (5), in particular another vehicle, is detected by means of an environment detection device (12), and in the event of an impending collision with the obstacle (5), an intervention in the engine control (24) for Drive control of the vehicle (1) takes place, characterized in that the obstacle (5) moves in such a way that it crosses or touches the trajectory (3) of the vehicle (1) and that the intervention in the engine control (24) takes place in such a way that that the vehicle (1) is accelerated to avoid a collision. procedure after claim 1 , characterized in that the vehicle (1) is guided along the trajectory (3) by a lane keeping assistance device (25). procedure after claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the vehicle (1) is automatically decelerated after accelerating and avoiding the collision with the obstacle (5). Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the acceleration of the vehicle (1) is carried out in such a way that, taking into account a minimum distance from the obstacle (5), no collision occurs. procedure after claim 4 , characterized in that the acceleration is based on a non-linear function. Procedure according to one of claims 3 until 5 , characterized in that in order to increase the distance between the obstacle (5) and the vehicle (1) there is an additional steering intervention. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that an optical and / or acoustic warning signal is generated during the detection of the risk of collision. Procedure according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , characterized in that the vehicle (1) is moved at least partially autonomously. Driver assistance system (10), with an environment recognition device (12) for detecting obstacles (5) and a control device (14), which is designed to intervene in an engine control (24) of the vehicle (1), characterized in that the Control device (14) has an algorithm (16) which is designed to use a method according to one of Claims 1 until 8th to execute. Computer program product, in particular data program or data carrier, designed to generate at least one program step for carrying out a method according to one of Claims 1 until 8th or as part of a control device (14) of a driver assistance system (10). claim 9 .

Images