Method for assisting a driver of a motor vehicle with respect to an imminent overtaking maneuver, and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10643470-B2
Application number	US-201616060706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A method for assisting a driver of a motor vehicle regarding an imminent overtaking maneuver by a driver assistance system, wherein the suitability of an overtaking process, which is ascertained from overtaking information, is output to a driver To determine the overtaking information, route data which relates to route sections and which influences the evaluation of the suitability of an overtaking process on a route section is ascertained by a plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles during a driving process along a route and is received by a vehicle-external central computing device. The route data assigned to a route section by each different motor vehicle is statistically evaluated to determine the overtaking information relating to the route section. The overtaking information is provided to all of the motor vehicles which have a driver assistance system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, using a driver assistance system, for determining a suitability of an overtaking maneuver, wherein the suitability of the overtaking maneuver is output to a driver of a motor vehicle, comprising:
receiving, by a motor vehicle-external central computing device, route data which at least in part relates to a plurality of route sections along a route and which influences the determination of the suitability of the overtaking maneuver on a route section of the plurality of the route sections, the route data being determined by a plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles during a driving process along the route;
statistically evaluating the route data assigned to the route section by the plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles to thereby determine the overtaking suitability information of the route section;
determining an overtaking suitability value based on an absolute number of successful overtaking attempts and an absolute number of interrupted overtaking attempts, wherein the overtaking suitability value is associated with the route section; and
providing the overtaking suitability information to a plurality of motor vehicles which have the driver assistance system for assisting the driver with respect to the overtaking maneuver,
wherein the overtaking suitability information comprises the overtaking suitability value associated with the route section,
wherein the overtaking suitability information associated with the route section is stored in digital map data of a navigation system of a respective motor vehicle from the plurality of motor vehicles, and
wherein the route data are determined as operating data of the plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles determined during the overtaking maneuver of the plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles and/or maneuver data derived therefrom.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the route data includes receiving visual range information describing a visual range of environmental sensors of the plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles directed towards a forward region along the route.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the visual range information includes taking into account an environmental model merging sensor data of a plurality of environmental sensors and/or depending on a farthest visible object and/or depending on a maximum distance, at which an itinerary may be derived from the sensor data.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein providing the overtaking suitability information includes displaying a higher determined visual range as more suitable for the overtaking maneuver.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the route data includes receiving data for concluded overtaking maneuvers and for interrupted overtaking maneuvers.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying at least one classifier on operating data describing a last trajectory traveled, the operating data comprising speed and acceleration data, so as to recognize the overtaking maneuver.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the overtaking suitability value comprises:
determining the overtaking suitability value based on the absolute number of successful overtaking attempts with a first weight and the absolute number of interrupted overtaking attempts with a second weight.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the route data includes receiving the route data including a current position and/or a driving direction of a data acquisition motor vehicle from the plurality of data acquisition motor vehicles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the overtaking suitability information includes determining the overtaking suitability information with reference to a driving direction.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the overtaking suitability information includes determining the overtaking suitability information with reference to a driving direction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the overtaking suitability information includes outputting the overtaking suitability information in a map representation.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining an overtaking probability from a current operating data of the motor vehicle; and
outputting an overtaking recommendation for a determined route section depending on the overtaking probability.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
recognizing an overtaking intention on an unsuitable route section preceding a more suitable route section; and
outputting an overtaking warning depending on the recognized overtaking intention.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
recognizing an overtaking intention on an unsuitable route section preceding a more suitable route section; and
outputting an overtaking warning depending on the recognized overtaking intention.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an overtaking probability from a current operating data of the motor vehicle; and
outputting an overtaking recommendation for a determined route section depending on the overtaking probability.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
recognizing an overtaking intention on an unsuitable route section preceding a more suitable route section; and
outputting an overtaking warning depending on the recognized overtaking intention.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recognizing an overtaking intention on an unsuitable route section preceding a more suitable route section; and
outputting an overtaking warning depending on the recognized overtaking intention.

18. A motor vehicle comprising:
a communication device configured to communicate with a motor vehicle-external central computing device;
a driver assistance system configured to assist a driver of the motor vehicle with respect to an imminent overtaking maneuver; and
a control apparatus configured to:
determine, while driving along a route, route data, which are at least partially referred to route sections, and which influence an evaluation of a potential overtaking suitability on a route section,
transmit the route data to the computing device, wherein the route data are determined as operating data of the motor vehicle determined during an overtaking maneuver of the motor vehicle and/or maneuver data derived therefrom, and
provide the driver with an overtaking recommendation regarding the imminent overtaking maneuver, wherein the overtaking recommendation is based on an overtaking suitability information received at the communication device from the motor vehicle-external central computing device, and
wherein the overtaking suitability information comprises an overtaking suitability value associated with the route section,
wherein the overtaking suitability value is determined based on an absolute number of successful overtaking attempts and an absolute number of interrupted overtaking attempts,
wherein the overtaking suitability value is associated with the route section, and
wherein the overtaking suitability information is determined from statistically evaluating the route data assigned to the route section by a plurality of data acquiring motor vehicles.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Profendiner Daniel
• Schön Torsten

Classifications

• G08G1/0129

  for creating historical data or processing based on historical data · CPC title

• G08G1/0112

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title

• G08G1/0141

  for traffic information dissemination · CPC title

• G08G1/096716

  where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title

• G08G1/09626

  where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map · CPC title