Motor vehicles – With means for promoting safety of vehicle – its occupant or... – Responsive to absence or inattention of operator – or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2001-09-25
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Motor vehicles
With means for promoting safety of vehicle, its occupant or...
Responsive to absence or inattention of operator, or...
C180S268000, C701S045000, C701S048000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293361
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the priority of German Patent Document, filed Jan. 14, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a process and system for braking a vehicle.
Processes and systems have been known for some time which sense changes of the bodily reaction of a human being, particularly of the driver of a motor vehicle, which point to emergency/stress situations. DE 38 35 726 A1 discloses, for example, a steering wheel contact sensor ring switch for controlling audio-visual warning systems, engine stop and emergency braking devices on motor vehicles. A warning signal is emitted and a braking operation is initiated when the driver's hands grip not only around the steering wheel.
DE 296 21 896 U1 discloses a switch-off device for a vehicle cruise control. The gas supply is interrupted and the cruise control is switched off when the driver's hands no longer have a grip around the vehicle steering wheel.
DE 197 02 748 A1 discloses a process for monitoring the condition of a human being, particularly of the driver of a motor vehicle. The head position and/or the cerebral flows and/or the muscular system and/or the breathing of the human being or the pressure at which the steering wheel is gripped are monitored or sensed continuously and/or at intervals. In the event of a threatening change of a bodily reaction, which points to an emergency/stress situation, a warning signal is emitted. Particularly the alertness of the driver of a motor vehicle is to be determined in this manner.
DE 44 22 664 A1 an EP 0 706 466 B1 describe a system and a process in which an automatic braking operation of a vehicle is triggered in the event of a reflex-type change of the position of the foot on the accelerator pedal from a first position to a second position. Such a reflex-type change of the position of the driver's right foot points to an emergency/stress situation.
Furthermore, so-called “brake assistant systems” are known. The operating speed of the brake pedal is sensed and, on the basis thereof a conclusion is drawn on an emergency/stress situation. If such a situation exists, an automatic emergency braking is initiated.
As the result of these processes and systems for initiating an automatic emergency braking, the braking distance of the vehicle is considerably reduced. However, these processes and systems have the disadvantage that, when an emergency situation arises, it always takes some time for the driver to react. This time comprises a reflex and reaction time period. That is, the time period is the time which passes until the driver understands the situation and reacts in that the driver's right foot is removed from the accelerator pedal and moved in the brake pedal direction in order to operate the brake pedal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a process such that the time which passes from an emergency situation arising to the initiation of the automatic braking operation is shortened. Sensors are provided for detecting the driver's bodily reaction pointing to an emergency/stress situation, and the output signals of these sensors are supplied to the sensing and operating device.
The invention is also based on the object of providing a system for braking a vehicle such that the vehicle comes to a stop not only in emergency/stress situations of the driver within a very short time but that, in particular, unintentional emergency braking operations are also largely avoided.
In a system of the above-mentioned type for braking a vehicle, this object has been achieved according to the present invention in that additional sensors are provided which, in addition, detect an operation of the vehicle which Points to a braking operation, preferably a change of position of the accelerator and/or brake pedal and/or a change of position of a driver's foot operating the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. The output signals of these sensors are fed to the sensing and operating device.
Because sensors are provided for sensing the driver's bodily reaction which points to an emergency/stress situation and simultaneously sensors are provided which sense the accelerator pedal and/or brake pedal position and/or a change of position of a driver's foot operating the accelerator pedal and/or the brake pedal whose output signals are fed to a sensing and operating device, the danger of an unintentional triggering and maintenance of an emergency braking situation can be largely avoided.
As far as the sensing of bodily reactions pointing to an emergency/stress situation is concerned, a great variety of sensors and sensing possibilities are conceivable purely in principle. Preferably, a change is sensed in the blood pressure, the pulse, the pupil, facial expression, eyelid reflex, the muscle contraction, preferably the hand muscles, skin resistance and/or sweat secretion. In emergency/stress situations, all these bodily reactions will exhibit significant changes.
It is also understood that the arrangement, sensitivity and the like of the sensors must be adapted to the driver of the vehicle, which advantageously occurs automatically by routines which are known per se and take place before starting of the vehicle.
The present invention also relates to a system for braking a vehicle which comprises a sensing and operating device so that a change of the operation of the vehicle by a driver can be sensed. Therefore an automatic braking operation can be initiated so that the danger of unintentionally triggered automatic braking operations is minimized.
In a process for braking a vehicle, this object has been achieved according to the invention in that the automatically initiated braking operation is maintained only if additionally a change of the operation of the vehicle pointing to a braking operation, preferably a change of position of the accelerator pedal and/or the brake pedal, and/or a change of position of the driver's foot operating the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal is sensed by a sensing and operating device and as long as this change or these changes are sensed.
The process of the present invention avoids an unintentional triggering of an automatic braking operation in a very advantageous manner. Furthermore, termination of the automatic braking operation is ensured when the braking operation is terminated by the driver.
For sensing the driver's bodily reactions pointing to an emergency/stress situation, the sensors may purely in principle be configured and arranged in a variety of fashions. For example, an advantageous embodiment provides that at least one sensor is arranged on the vehicle driver's wrist for sensing a bodily reaction caused by an emergency/stress situation. In another currently contemplates advantageous embodiment, one or several sensors is/are arranged on the steering wheel rim of the vehicle. In still another advantageous embodiment, the sensors are arranged in the vehicle and are aligned with the driver.
The at least one sensor arranged on the wrist, preferably a change of the skin resistance, a change of the sweat secretion, a change of the blood pressure, a change of the pulse and/or a change of the muscle contraction is/are sensed.
The sensors arranged on the steering wheel rim preferably sense the muscle contraction of the hand muscles, a change of the skin resistance and/or a change of the sweat secretion. The sensors arranged in the vehicle and aligned with the driver preferably sense a change of the pupil, a change of the eyelid reflex and/or a change of the facial expression.
The signal transmission from the sensors to the sensing and operating device can take place in a variety of ways. In an advantageous embodiment, for example, a signal transmission takes place from the sensors to the sensing and operating device via a no-contact signal transmission, preferably radio signals.
In order to permit a very fast operation of the vehicle brake independently of the position
Crowell & Moring LLP
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Swann J. J.
Zeender T.
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