Method and device for operating a vehicle which is capable of autonomous driving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016339880-A1
Application number	US-201615160892-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle which is capable of driving either under the control of a human driver who is located on board the motor vehicle or autonomously, at least over certain sections of a route, and which is able to avoid collisions, detect adverse effects on the driver and bring about emergency stops. Accordingly, the motor vehicle has an emergency braking assistant, and if an adverse effect on the driver is detected in the autonomous driving mode, a characteristic curve which is preset for emergency braking operations is changed in such a way that an emergency braking operation is initiated at an earlier point and the braking force is built up more slowly than in the non-autonomous driving mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for operating a motor vehicle which is capable of driving either under the control of a human driver who is located on board the motor vehicle or autonomously, at least over certain sections of a route, and which is able to avoid collisions, detect adverse effects on the driver and bring about emergency stops,
wherein the motor vehicle has an emergency braking assistant, and wherein, if an adverse effect on the driver is detected in the autonomous driving mode, a characteristic curve which is preset for emergency braking operations is changed in such a way that an emergency braking operation is initiated at an earlier point and the braking force is built up more slowly than in the non-autonomous driving mode.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an emergency braking operation is initiated in the autonomous driving mode at such an early point that a collision is avoided as reliably as in the non-autonomous driving mode.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the characteristic curves according to which emergency braking operations are carried out are a first characteristic curve for normal emergency braking operations, and a second characteristic curve for emergency braking operations in the autonomous driving mode when the driver is adversely affected.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein an emergency braking operation has in each case a partial braking phase and a full braking phase, wherein the partial braking phase of the second characteristic curve is longer than that of the first characteristic curve.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the characteristic curves are ramp functions.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an adverse effect on the driver is detected on the basis of indices which are acquired by means of sensors which sense movements or forces acting on the steering wheel, accelerator pedal or brake pedal of the motor vehicle.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein an index is for an adverse effect on the driver if a torque which is applied to the steering wheel by the driver or the duration of said torque reach or exceed preset absolute or time-based steering wheel-torque threshold values.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein an index is for an adverse effect on the driver if the rate of change or duration of activation operations on an accelerator pedal or on the brake pedal reach or exceed absolute or time-based preset threshold values for the rate of change of actuation and duration of pedal activation operations.

9 . A device for operating a motor vehicle which is capable of driving either under the control of a human driver located on board the motor vehicle or autonomously, at least over certain sections of a route, and which is capable of avoiding collisions, detecting adverse effects on the driver and bringing about emergency stops,
wherein the device is configured to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Svensson Thomas
• Jurkiw Timothy

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title

• B60T2201/022

  Collision avoidance systems · CPC title

• B60W2510/202

  Steering torque · CPC title

• B60W2040/0818

  Inactivity or incapacity of driver · CPC title