# US 9,428,219 B2 · Method and device for assisting a driver of a vehicle in a bottleneck

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- Number: US 9,428,219 B2
- Document ID: US9428219B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/323,230
- Filed: 2014-07-03
- Published: 2015-01-08
- Granted: 2016-08-30
- Earliest claimed: 2013-07-05
- Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Applicants: Folko Flehmig; Yuefeng Ma
- Inventors: Folko Flehmig; Yuefeng Ma
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9428219B2

## CPC

- B62D 6/002: {computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels (B62D7/159 takes precedence)}
- B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)}
- B62D 15/0265: {Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering}
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- B62D 7/159: {characterised by computing methods or stabilisation processes or systems, e.g. responding to yaw rate, lateral wind, load, road condition}
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A method for assisting a vehicle driver in a bottleneck, including the tasks of reading in, evaluating, and providing. In the reading in, a piece of information about a negotiable corridor in the bottleneck, a piece of information about an instantaneous trajectory of the vehicle in the bottleneck, and a piece of information about a steering torque which is presently applied by the driver to a steering of the vehicle are read in. In the evaluating, the pieces of information about the corridor, the trajectory, and the steering torque are evaluated by using known dimensions of the vehicle to recognize an anticipated violation of the corridor by at least one part of the vehicle. In the providing, a control signal is provided for a counter torque which acts against the steering torque when the violation is recognized to assist the driver with avoiding the violation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle in a bottleneck, the method comprising:
reading in, via an interface, a piece of information, from a surroundings detection/monitoring device of the vehicle, about a negotiable corridor in the bottleneck, an instantaneous trajectory, from the surroundings detection/monitoring device or a navigation system of vehicle, of the vehicle in the bottleneck, and a steering torque which is presently applied by the driver to a steering of the vehicle;
evaluating, via a processor device of an assisting control system, the piece of information about the corridor, the trajectory, and the steering torque by using known dimensions of the vehicle to recognize an anticipated violation of the corridor by at least one part of the vehicle; and
providing, via the processor device of the assisting control system, a control signal for a counter torque which acts against the steering torque when the violation is recognized to assist the driver with avoiding the violation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in the evaluating, a future trajectory of the vehicle is determined by using the instantaneous trajectory, the steering torque, and the dimensions of the vehicle, and the future trajectory is compared to the corridor to recognize the violation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
ascertaining at least one of a variable and a direction of the counter torque by using the corridor and the future trajectory, wherein in the providing, the control signal is provided by using the at least one of the variable and the direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
detecting the piece of information about the corridor by using sensor data of at least one sensor of the vehicle, at least one minimum width of the bottleneck and/or a course of the bottleneck being detected in the sensor data to obtain the piece of information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein in the detecting, it is differentiated between static objects and dynamic objects in the area of the bottleneck, a smaller safety distance being maintained from the static objects than from the dynamic objects for defining the corridor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in the providing, the counter torque is gradually reduced via the control signal if a correction torque of the driver is read in which is sufficient for avoiding the violation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in the providing, the counter torque is limited to a predefined maximum value via the control signal.

### Claim 8

A device for assisting a driver of a vehicle in a bottleneck, comprising:
an assisting control system, including:
an interface to read in a piece of information from a surroundings detection/monitoring device of the vehicle about a negotiable corridor in the bottleneck, an instantaneous trajectory, from the surroundings detection/monitoring device or a navigation system of vehicle, of the vehicle in the bottleneck, and a steering torque which is presently applied by the driver to a steering of the vehicle;
an evaluating device to evaluate the piece of information, from the surroundings monitoring device of the vehicle, about the corridor, the trajectory, and the steering torque by using known dimensions of the vehicle to recognize an anticipated violation of the corridor by at least one part of the vehicle; and
a device for providing a control signal for a counter torque which acts against the steering torque when the violation is recognized to assist the driver with avoiding the violation.

### Claim 9

A computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:
a program code arrangement having program code for assisting a driver of a vehicle in a bottleneck, by performing the following:
reading in, via an interface, a piece of information, from a surroundings detection/monitoring device of the vehicle, about a negotiable corridor in the bottleneck, an instantaneous trajectory, from the surroundings detection/monitoring device or a navigation system of vehicle, of the vehicle in the bottleneck, and a steering torque which is presently applied by the driver to a steering of the vehicle;
evaluating, via a processor device of an assisting control system, the piece of information about the corridor, the trajectory, and the steering torque by using known dimensions of the vehicle to recognize an anticipated violation of the corridor by at least one part of the vehicle; and
providing, via the processor device of the assisting control system, a control signal for a counter torque which acts against the steering torque when the violation is recognized to assist the driver with avoiding the violation.