Method and device for automatic direction indication
AssigneesContinental Teves AG & Co. oHG, Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
InventorsStefan Lueke, Matthias Happ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for automatic direction indication for a vehicle includes the following steps: detecting a driver activity and/or a vehicle position by a Lane Keeping System and/or a Lane Departure Warning System; and automatically activating or deactivating a direction indicator of the vehicle dependent on the detected driver activity or vehicle position.
Claims21
A method for automatic direction indication for a vehicle, comprising the following steps:
- measuring a torque magnitude of a driver's manual torque acting upon a steering wheel of the vehicle,
- comparing the measured torque magnitude with a predetermined torque value,
- detecting a vehicle position of the vehicle by a Lane Keeping System and/or a Lane Departure Warning System of the vehicle, and
- only when the comparing determines that the measured torque magnitude exceeds the predetermined torque value, then automatically activating or deactivating a direction indicator of the vehicle in response to and dependent on the detected vehicle position.
A device for automatic direction indication for a vehicle having a controller configured to control a direction indicator of the vehicle, which controller is configured and adapted to receive a measured driver's manual torque magnitude signal indicating a measured torque magnitude of a driver's manual torque acting upon a steering wheel of the vehicle, and a vehicle position signal generated and outputted by a Lane Keeping System and/or a Lane Departure Warning System of the vehicle, to compare the measured torque magnitude with a predetermined torque value, and to automatically activate or deactivate the direction indicator in response to and dependent on said vehicle position signal only when the measured torque magnitude exceeds the predetermined torque value.
A method of operating a driver assistance system to provide automatic direction indication for a vehicle, comprising the steps:
- a) with the driver assistance system, detecting a vehicle position of the vehicle relative to a traffic lane on a road on which the vehicle is driving;
- b) with at least one sensor, measuring a torque magnitude of a driver's manual torque acting on a steering wheel of the vehicle;
- c) with a processor or controller circuit, comparing the torque magnitude with a predetermined torque value;
- d) with the processor or controller circuit, automatically activating an exterior direction indicator of the vehicle, only if step a) determines that the vehicle position is deviating from the traffic lane and step c) determines that the torque magnitude exceeds the predetermined torque value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.