DE102013219890B4 - Avoiding collisions with wrong-way drivers - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for automatically driving a motor vehicle, comprising:
Determination means for determining the future travel trajectory of the motor vehicle;
Output means for issuing control instructions to the motor vehicle depending on the future driving trajectory;
Receiving means for receiving a message regarding a wrong-way driver;
Wherein the determination means are arranged to determine the travel trajectory depending on the received message,
further comprising: detection means for detecting the surroundings of the motor vehicle;
The detection means are further designed to recognise surrounding road users;
The determination means are further configured to determine the travel trajectory in such a way that the motor vehicle follows another road user,
the recording means are further adapted to:
to classify road users as to whether they are lorries, i.e. road users whose size and/or weight exceeds a threshold and/or whose identification received via a data exchange indicates a lorry;
The other road user selected is a road user who has been classified as a truck.

Description

The invention relates to a device for automatically driving a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising such a device.

Nowadays, semi-automatic driver assistance functions, such as Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) or traffic jam assistants, are well known for motor vehicles such as cars or trucks. These support the driver in a limited area of application with the longitudinal or lateral guidance of the vehicle and in some cases still require periodic or continuous monitoring.

The first prototypes of motor vehicles that enable highly automated driving currently exist. With highly automated driving, the driver can completely withdraw from the driving task (out-of-the-loop) and carry out secondary activities. The existing prototypes currently only provide this support for driving on motorways. However, highly automated driving is in principle possible in all areas or on all types of roads.

Highly automated driving is currently made possible by measuring sensors such as radar, lidar or stereo cameras that are carried by the motor vehicle. These sensors are used to record the surroundings of the motor vehicle and to detect and classify obstacles. A computing unit then calculates a future driving trajectory based on the detected surroundings and the detected obstacles and issues corresponding control commands for the longitudinal and lateral guidance of the vehicle in order to follow the driving trajectory. A driving trajectory indicates at least one future position of the vehicle and typically also includes the speed or acceleration and the steering angle of the vehicle at one or more future positions. The tracked driving trajectory can be updated continuously (e.g. every 0.1s or 0.5s). This system makes it possible to take most obstacles into account when determining the driving trajectory; evasive maneuvers can usually be planned and carried out.

However, such state-of-the-art systems cannot react to typical wrong-way drivers, i.e. vehicles that are moving in the opposite direction to the intended direction on the road or lane. This is because wrong-way drivers approach at such a high relative speed in relation to the ego vehicle that the sensors and computing units do not have enough time to detect the wrong-way drivers and calculate an evasive trajectory. The sensors and computing units have too much latency for obstacles that are approaching so quickly. The result is a risk of accidents with wrong-way drivers in highly automated driving according to the state of the art.

From the DE 10 2008 036 131 A1 A method and a device are known for detecting the traffic situation in a vehicle environment, in which the driving dynamics data of the vehicle are determined using sensors in the vehicle itself and vehicle-to-vehicle communication is established with other vehicles to be included in the determination. In order to obtain information about the other vehicles in a simple manner without complex environmental sensors, it is intended that the driving dynamics data of the other vehicles are received by vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

From the DE 10 2013 007 866 A1 A method is known for driver assistance in the case of wrong-way drivers, in which: a driving state of a vehicle driving incorrectly in a traffic route network is transmitted to a server of a traffic service provider, wherein the driving state comprises at least a current position of the wrong-way vehicle, a current traffic state for a route section of the traffic route network is transmitted to the server, wherein the route section comprises the current position of the wrong-way vehicle, the server determines traffic instructions specifically for the first vehicles that come towards the wrong-way vehicle on the route section on the basis of the driving state and the traffic state, the server specifically transmits the traffic instructions only to the first vehicles, and the transmitted traffic instructions are output in the first vehicles.

The task underlying the invention is therefore to enable highly automated driving even in the event of a possible collision with a wrong-way driver.

The object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

In one aspect, a device for automatically guiding a motor vehicle comprises: determining means for determining the future travel trajectory of the motor vehicle; outputting means for outputting control instructions to the motor vehicle depending on the future travel trajectory; receiving means for receiving a message regarding a wrong-way driver from a remote transmitter; wherein the determining means are designed to determine the travel trajectory depending on the message received.

It is therefore proposed that, when determining the future driving trajectory, information (contained in the message) about a wrong-way driver received from a remote transmitter, in particular a stationary transmitter, should be taken into account. The trajectory determination is therefore not only carried out based on sensor measurements of the vehicle itself, but also uses information about wrong-way drivers that has been detected in other ways outside the vehicle.

This message containing information about a wrong-way driver and, if applicable, the location or the affected section of road is received by a remote transmitter, for example by a radio station as a traffic report, or by another road user via car-to-car communication or by an infrastructure facility via car-to-infrastructure communication. The determination means can be set up to only take into account those of all the messages received regarding wrong-way drivers that are relevant to the motor vehicle in question (here also referred to as the ego vehicle). These are, for example, those messages that indicate wrong-way drivers on the section of motorway on which the ego vehicle is located.

The functionality is therefore not dependent on the sensory detection of an approaching wrong-way driver, although this can of course be attempted in addition. Rather, existing information about wrong-way drivers, for example on the relevant section of motorway, is to be used.

If information about a wrong-way driver is available, the following possible measures can be taken, among others: warning the driver (visually/acoustically) via a display/control device in the vehicle; making an emergency stop of the vehicle on the motorway (current lane or roadside/hard shoulder) or reducing the speed.

The device further comprises: detection means for detecting the surroundings of the motor vehicle; Wherein the detection means are further configured to recognize surrounding road users; Wherein the determination means are further configured to determine the travel trajectory such that the motor vehicle follows another road user.

The detection means can be used to enable the highly automated driving known from the state of the art. The detection means can be the sensors known from the state of the art for detecting the environment, such as radar, lidar, ultrasound, cameras or stereo cameras including the associated data processing in order to detect and classify objects, i.e. obstacles.

The detection means are also designed to: classify road users according to whether they are trucks, i.e. a road user whose size and/or weight exceeds a threshold and/or whose identification received via a data exchange indicates a truck; whereby a road user who has been classified as a truck is selected as the other road user. The detection means represent the vehicle's sensors, with the help of which the vehicle detects its surroundings. A bus, tanker truck or heavy goods transporter is also understood to be a truck in this context.

It is therefore suggested that, in the event of a risk of collision with a wrong-way driver, a driving strategy should be adopted that protects the driver as best as possible while allowing him to continue driving: The ego vehicle follows another vehicle, in particular a truck. The following vehicle must be followed and not left as long as the wrong-way driver warning is active. The legally required minimum distance from the vehicle in front is maintained. Trucks are particularly suitable as lead vehicles, as they shield the ego vehicle most effectively.

1. 1. weiter fahren kann, wenn auch mit reduzierter Geschwindigkeit;
2. 2. beim Folgen eines anderen Fahrzeuges, insbes. LKW, das Ego-Fahrzeug abgeschirmt ist und dabei relativ sicher ist, da eine mögliche Kollision des Geisterfahrers nicht mehr mit dem Ego-Fahrzeug sondern nur mit dem Vorderfahrzeug passieren kann.

The follow-through has advantages because the driver:

1. 1. can continue driving, albeit at reduced speed;
2. 2. When following another vehicle, especially a truck, the ego vehicle is shielded and is relatively safe, since a possible collision of the wrong-way driver can no longer happen with the ego vehicle but only with the vehicle in front.

This strategy does not increase the risk of collision for either the wrong-way driver or the vehicle in front, so there is no additional danger to other road users.

Overall, the safety of the driver and the ego vehicle is increased. Through various measures, which can also be combined, the driver is well protected when a wrong-way driver warning is present. If the driver hears the warning in good time via the Radio and awareness of the danger cannot be ensured while communication of the message about the wrong-way driver is continuously active.

A following journey means that the ego vehicle (motor vehicle) follows the other road user (i.e. the vehicle in front) at a specified distance (in other words: follows). The determination means are therefore set up to determine the driving trajectory in such a way that the motor vehicle maintains a specified minimum distance from the other road user, in particular the truck. The minimum distance can correspond to a legal minimum distance or a larger pre-programmed distance, which can depend on the speed.

In one implementation, the determination means are further configured to determine the driving trajectory such that the motor vehicle changes to a hard shoulder of the roadway on which the motor vehicle is located, if such a shoulder exists, or to the outermost lane of the roadway (left or right in the direction of travel). This driving strategy can be selected, for example, if no truck was detected in the vicinity of the vehicle, or if following is not possible because this would first require the ego vehicle to perform a driving maneuver that cannot be carried out.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

• 1 shows a schematic overview of a system for avoiding collisions with wrong-way drivers according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

1 shows a schematic overview of a system for avoiding collisions with wrong-way drivers according to an embodiment. The system comprises a device 5 according to the invention for automatically guiding the motor vehicle 1, wherein the device 5 is comprised by the motor vehicle 1. The device 5 comprises sensors for detecting and classifying the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and determination means for determining a future travel trajectory. In addition, the device 5 comprises receiving means designed to receive data transmissions from the permanently installed transmitting unit 3. The device 5 further comprises means for controlling the vehicle 5, which output instructions for longitudinal and transverse guidance of the vehicle, so that the vehicle 5 can carry out a highly automated journey.

Motor vehicle 1 is on a motorway 4 with two lanes, for which the same direction of travel, namely 1 vertically upwards. In the 1 In the situation shown, a truck 2 is also in the right lane of the A4 motorway.

When the device 5 is in operation, it receives a message from the transmitting unit 3 about a wrong-way driver on the section of the motorway on which the vehicle 1 is located. Motorway sections can, for example, include the part of the motorway that lies between two exits. The information that there is a wrong-way driver on this section of the motorway was generated by other road users and received by a central processing unit and forwarded to the transmitting device 3.

In the context of highly automated driving, the environment detection means of the device 5 detect the truck 2 in the part of the highway 4 ahead of the vehicle 1 and classify it as truck 2. The classification can be done based on the size of the truck 2. The classification of obstacles or the targeted search for detected obstacles that can be classified as truck 2 can also only be carried out in response to the receipt of the message.

In response to receiving the message, the device 5 initiates a follow-through journey that follows the truck 2. To do this, the determination means 5 calculate a travel trajectory as indicated by the arrow starting on the vehicle 1. The follow-through journey provides for the vehicle 1 to follow the truck 2 at a predetermined distance. In this way, the vehicle 1 including the occupants is protected from a collision with the wrong-way driver without increasing the risk of collision with other road users. As is usual with trajectory planning in highly automated driving, the surrounding traffic and obstacles are also taken into account when adopting the follow-through strategy.

The device 5 can also be set up to execute a further driving strategy. This can be executed if no truck is detected or known in the vicinity of the vehicle 1. In this case, the device 5 can guide the vehicle in such a way that it is on a hard shoulder (in 1 not shown) of the highway is brought to a standstill.

Claims (4)

Device for automatically guiding a motor vehicle, comprising: determining means for determining the future travel trajectory of the motor vehicle; Output means for outputting control instructions to the motor vehicle depending on the future travel trajectory; Receiving means for receiving a message regarding a wrong-way driver; Wherein the determination means are set up to determine the travel trajectory depending on the received message, further comprising: detection means for detecting the surroundings of the motor vehicle; Wherein the detection means are further set up to recognize surrounding road users; Wherein the determination means are further set up to determine the travel trajectory in such a way that the motor vehicle follows another road user, where the detection means are further set up to: classify road users as to whether they are a truck, i.e. a road user whose size and/or weight exceeds a threshold value and/or whose identification received via a data exchange indicates a truck; Wherein a road user who has been classified as a truck is selected as the other road user. device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means are further configured to determine the travel trajectory such that the motor vehicle maintains a predetermined minimum distance from the other road user. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the determining means are further configured to determine the travel trajectory such that the motor vehicle changes to an emergency lane of the roadway on which the motor vehicle is located, if such a lane exists, or to the outermost lane of the roadway. Motor vehicle comprising a device according to one of the preceding claims.

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