Control system and method for determining a lane occupancy by vehicles

A control system, which is adapted for application in a vehicle and intended to detect following vehicles on the basis of environmental data which are obtained from one or several environmental sensors disposed on the vehicle, wherein the environmental sensors are adapted to provide an electronic controller of the control system with the environmental data which reflect the area in front of, laterally next to and/or behind the vehicle, and wherein the control system is at least adapted and intended

• to detect one or several other vehicles (alter) participating in traffic behind the own vehicle (ego) by means of the environmental sensors,
• to detect a lane (L, M, R) associated with each other vehicle (alter), in which the other vehicle(s) (alter) drive(s),
• to determine an occupancy of the own lane (L) and/or of at least one adjacent lane (M, R) by the other vehicle(s) (alter),
• to determine a traffic density with reference to the occupancy, to compare the traffic density with a threshold value, to rate a lane change as safe if the traffic density exceeds the threshold value, and to rate a lane change as unsafe if the traffic density is lower than the threshold value, wherein the traffic density is calculated by dividing a number of the detected vehicles by a redefined area of the own lane (L) and/or at least one adjacent lane (M, R), and/or by a number of the detected lanes (L, M, R), and
• (i) to output an indication on a safe or unsafe lane change to a specific of the at least one adjacent lane (M, R) and/or (ii) to perform an autonomous lane change to the specific of the at least one adjacent lane (M, R) by the own vehicle (ego) if the determined occupancy allows a safe change of lane.