Automatic control of a direction of travel indicator of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207634-B2
Application number	US-201515105207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2015
Priority date	Mar 3, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A method for automatically controlling a direction of travel indicator of a vehicle having the following steps: receiving a signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator, chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator after reception of the signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator, starting a timer for a measurement interval after reception of the signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator, checking a steering angle measurement signal during the measurement interval, and deactivation of the direction of travel indicator as a function of the checking of the steering angle measurement signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for automatically controlling a direction of travel indicator of a vehicle activated for signaling a lane change for a limited time, the method comprising:
receiving a signal for a chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator,
performing chronologically limited activating of the direction of travel indicator after reception of the signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator,
starting a timer for a measurement interval after reception of the signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator,
checking a steering angle measurement signal indicating a steering movement during the measurement interval, and
generating a deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response to the steering angle measurement signal indicating that the steering movement is opposite to the direction indicated by the direction of travel indicator,
generating the deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response to the steering angle measurement signal indicating that a lane change of the vehicle is aborted, and
generating the deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response the steering angle measurement signal indicating no corresponding steering movement during the measurement interval.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
checking during the measurement interval whether after starting the timer for the measurement interval the steering angle measurement signal indicates a steering movement opposite to the direction indicated by the signal received for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator, and
producing a deactivation signal, if it is established that an opposite steering movement is signaled.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
checking during the measurement interval whether the steering angle measurement signal indicates a steering movement corresponding to the signal received for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator within a specified period of time after starting the timer for the measurement interval, and producing a deactivation signal if it is established within the specified period of time that no corresponding steering movement is signaled.

4. A device for automatically controlling a direction of travel indicator activated for signaling a lane change for a limited time, of a vehicle, the device comprising:
a first timer for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator after reception of a signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator,
a second timer for starting a measurement interval after reception of the signal for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator, and
means for checking a steering angle measurement signal indicating a steering movement during the measurement interval and for:
generating a deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response to the steering angle measurement signal indicating that the steering movement is opposite to the direction indicated by the direction of travel indicator, and
generating the deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response to the steering angle measurement signal indicating that a lane change of the vehicle is aborted, and
generating the deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response the steering angle measurement signal indicating no corresponding steering movement during the measurement interval.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the means for checking are configured to check, during the measurement interval, whether the steering angle measurement signal signals a steering movement opposite to the direction indicated by the signal received for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator after starting the second timer, and to produce the deactivation signal, if it is established that an opposite steering movement is signaled.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the means for checking are configured to check, during the measurement interval, whether the steering angle measurement signal signals a steering movement corresponding to the signal received for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator within a specified period of time after starting the second timer, and to produce the deactivation signal, if it is established within the specified period of time that no corresponding steering movement is signaled.

7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
checking during the measurement interval whether the steering angle measurement signal indicates a steering movement corresponding to the signal received for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator within a specified period of time after starting the timer for the measurement interval, and producing a deactivation signal if it is established within the specified period of time that no corresponding steering movement is signaled.

8. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the means for checking are configured to check, during the measurement interval, whether the steering angle measurement signal signals a steering movement corresponding to the signal received for the chronologically limited activation of the direction of travel indicator within a specified period of time after starting the second timer, and to produce the deactivation signal, if it is established within the specified period of time that no corresponding steering movement is signaled.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the deactivation signal and deactivating the direction of travel indicator as a function of the deactivation signal in response to the steering movement steering the vehicle in a straight direction.

Assignees

• Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Inventors

• Fendt Günter Anton

Classifications

• B60Q1/346

  with automatic actuation · CPC title

• B60Q1/40 Primary

  having {mechanical, electric or electronic} automatic return to inoperative position · CPC title

• B60Q1/42

  having mechanical automatic return to inoperative position} due to steering-wheel position {, e.g. with roller wheel control · CPC title