Method and device for assisting in returning a vehicle after leaving a roadway

摘要

A method for assisting a driver in returning a vehicle to a roadway from a periphery or shoulder of the roadway includes the following steps. Data is received from a sensor that monitors a region ahead of the vehicle. The data is analyzed to detect a transition between the roadway and the periphery, and to detect a free space ahead of the vehicle on the roadway. It is assessed whether the transition at a transition point is suitable for returning the vehicle to the roadway, and a corresponding first signal is issued. It is assessed whether the free space is sufficient for returning the vehicle and/or whether obstacles are present, and a corresponding second signal is issued. An output signal is generated based on the first and second signals, and alerts the driver or autonomously or semi-autonomously controls the vehicle to return the vehicle onto the roadway.

主权项

1. A method of operating a driver assistance system of a vehicle for assisting in returning the vehicle (10) to a roadway after the vehicle has at least partially left the roadway (12) and is driving at least partially on a roadway periphery (18) laterally adjacent to the roadway, wherein the driver assistance system comprises an analyzation unit, and wherein the method comprises the following steps performed by the driver assistance system:
receiving data from one or more driving environment sensors (14) of the vehicle that monitor a region ahead of the vehicle (S10), in the analyzation unit, analyzing the data to detect a transition (16) between the roadway and the roadway periphery (18; S12), analyzing the data to detect a free space (20) ahead of the vehicle (S14), checking whether the transition is suitable for returning the vehicle to the roadway, which includes checking whether a detected height difference or a detected width of the transition is smaller than a respective pre-defined threshold value, and issuing a corresponding first signal (22; S16), checking whether the free space is sufficient for returning the vehicle to the roadway, and checking whether obstacles (28b) are present on the roadway periphery (18) or on the transition (16), and issuing a corresponding second signal (24; S18), and generating a feedback signal (26) if the first signal indicates that the transition is suitable and the second signal indicates that the free space is sufficient, or if the second signal indicates that obstacles (28b) are present on the roadway periphery (18) or on the transition (S20).