Method and device for automatically stopping a motor vehicle that is at least intermittently automatically guided on a route

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950665-B2
Application number	US-201715606228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A method and device, for a vehicle that at times is automatically guided by an autonomous guidance in which an intervention by the driver is not required, includes a continual checking of whether the automatic vehicle guidance is able to be maintained in the future or whether it must be terminated. In the event that the automatic vehicle guidance must be terminated, the vehicle is transitioned into a stopping procedure. A standstill position of the vehicle in the stopping process is pre-calculated and a warning triangle mounted on the vehicle is launched, so that the warning triangle is positioned at a predefined minimum distance from the standstill position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for a vehicle that is at least intermittently automatically guided on a route with an autonomous vehicle guidance in which a driver intervention is not required, the method comprising:
during the automatic guidance, continuously checking, by processing circuitry, whether the automatic guidance is able to be maintained in the future; and
responsive to a result of the checking being that the automatic guidance is not able to be maintained and must instead be terminated:
the processing circuitry automatically transitioning the vehicle into a stopping state in which the vehicle is stopped at a standstill position;
prior to the vehicle reaching the standstill position of the stopping state, calculating, by the processing circuitry, the standstill position at which the vehicle will be positioned in the stopping state; and
the processing circuitry triggering a launch of a warning triangle mounted on the vehicle so that the warning triangle is positioned at a sufficient distance from the calculated standstill position of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transitioning into the stopping state includes a deceleration of the vehicle and a stopping of the vehicle at an edge of a lane or road or in an emergency lane.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, prior to the launching, the warning triangle is accommodated in a holder on a bottom or rear of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the launching of the warning triangle is performed by releasing the triangle from the holder.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the launching of the warning triangle takes place by expelling the warning triangle from a sleeve.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sufficient distance is determined depending on a type of road traveled by the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the type of road traveled is determined by a supply of information of a navigation system or by evaluation of data of a camera installed in the vehicle and pointed in a travel direction of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warning triangle is in a folded-up state when being launched.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the folded-up warning triangle unfolds automatically after being launched.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the warning triangle is designed in such a way that it is automatically brought into a correct set-up position while unfolding.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warning triangle is designed in such a way that a warning surface of the warning triangle orients itself counter to the driving direction while unfolding.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warning triangle is shaped as a tetrahedron with three identical warning sides that each has at least one of warning symbols and reflectors.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warning triangle includes a radio transmitter that is activated during the launch and that emits a radio signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the radio transmitter establishes a vehicle-to-vehicle connection or a vehicle-to-infrastructure connection, and transmits a position to receiving vehicles or to a receiving data server.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warning triangle includes a radio transmitter that is activated during the launch and that establishes a radio connection to the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle receives a radio signal of the radio transmitter of the warning triangle, establishes a vehicle-to-vehicle connection or a vehicle-to-infrastructure connection via an additional transmit and receive device, and transmits a current position of the warning triangle to the vehicles that receive the signals of the vehicle-to-vehicle connection or to a server that receives signals of the vehicle-to-infrastructure connection.

17. A device for a vehicle that is at least intermittently automatically guided on a route with an autonomous vehicle guidance in which a driver intervention is not required, the device comprising:
processing circuitry that interfaces with a drive mechanism of the vehicle and a trigger of the vehicle, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
during the automatic guidance, continuously check whether the automatic guidance is able to be maintained in the future; and
responsive to a result of the checking being that the automatic guidance is not able to be maintained and must instead be terminated:
control the drive mechanism to automatically transition the vehicle into a stopping state in which the vehicle is stopped at a standstill position;
prior to the vehicle reaching the standstill position of the stopping state, calculate the standstill position at which the vehicle will be positioned in the stopping state; and
control the trigger to launch a warning triangle mounted on the vehicle so that the warning triangle is positioned at a sufficient distance from the calculated standstill position of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Hauler Florian

Classifications

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• B60Q1/52

  for indicating emergencies · CPC title

• B60W30/08 Primary

  Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences · CPC title

• B60Q7/005 Primary

  Devices without lamps · CPC title

• G09F13/16

  Signs formed of or incorporating reflecting elements or surfaces, e.g. warning signs having triangular or other geometrical shape · CPC title