Daimler Chrysler Ag

Daimler Ag

Daimler-benz Ag

Mercedes-benz Aktiengesellschaft

Daimlerchrylser Ag

Stefan Hahn

Tobias Ehlgen

Gerhard Kurz

Fridtjof Stein

Uwe Franke

Avshalom Suissa

Siegfried Rothe

Ingo Dudeck

Walter Ziegler

Jens Desens

Stefan Uhl

Zoltan Zomotor

Uwe Regensburger

Gunter Abersfelder

Markus Hess

Joachim Gloger

Ulrich Kressel

Klaus Mezger

Friedemann Kuhn

Winfried Degen

Rudolf Lorenz

Erwin Schmid

Markus Glaser

Werner Ritter

Thomas Ruland

Manfred Spitzer

Christian Friedrich Toepfer

Jürgen Seekircher

Christian Friedrich Töpfer

Otto Löhlein

When maneuvering a vehicle, due to the seated position of the driver, the problem arises that a large portion of the space to the rear of the vehicle to be observed is hidden by the vehicle body itself. Therefore, the vehicle driver is presented with a display of a camera image of the space to the rear of the vehicle with a perspective overlay of the driving path and/or the towing path of the vehicle (). Said driver support system is configured such that it is also suitable for guiding a vehicle or vehicle combination () in which the trailer comprises a plurality of vehicle elements () that are bendable relative to one another. In order to detect the steering angle () of at least one steerable axis () of the vehicle (), and in order to determine the bending angle () between at least two vehicle elements () bendable relative to one another, sensors are provided. Using the data regarding the steering and bending angles () and taking into account at least the geometry of the vehicle (), the future driving path of the vehicle () is predicted in the processor module for the limits of the driving path and/or towing path and is superimposed on the image data captured by the camera. The image data thus processed is then displayed to the driver of the vehicle () on a display as a maneuvering aid.

Maneuvering aid and method for aiding drivers of vehicles or vehicle combinations comprising articulated vehicle elements

The invention relates to a method and a device for assisting a driver when maneuvering a vehicle or vehicle-trailer combination () which has vehicle elements () which can move with respect to one another. The method provides that the vehicle or vehicle-trailer combination is/are displayed in the straight-ahead position on a display unit (A) using a static display element () which corresponds to the straight-ahead position of the vehicle elements () and in addition respectively using a dynamic display element () which is assigned to the respective vehicle element () and is determined as a function of an instantaneous or future position of the vehicle elements () which can move with respect to one another. In this context, the dynamic display elements () are displayed enhanced multiply and highlighted in terms of color.

Method and device for assisting a driver when maneuvering a vehicle or vehicle-trailer combination

The invention relates to a system for automatically monitoring a motor vehicle, especially for automatically monitoring a vehicle (E) in a traffic jam. Said system comprises at least one sensor () for monitoring the space in front of the vehicle (E), and an electronic regulating device for regulating travel, braking and steering. According to the invention, said sensor is designed in such a way that it detects the movement of a vehicle (A) changing lanes in front of vehicle (E). The control of the vehicle is returned to the driver, or the driver is requested to regain control of the vehicle, when motor vehicle (E) shows a desire to follow the lane change of vehicle (A), and when it is determined, by means of the signals of the lateral sensor (), that during the monitoring, vehicle (E) is not at a sufficiently safe distance from a vehicle (B) detected by the lateral sensor. One such system for automatically monitoring a motor vehicle thus increases road safety in a simple manner.

System for automatically monitoring a motor vehicle

A method for characterizing a pattern present as stored information, includes the steps of generating a characterizing proposal for the pattern using a server computer system, presenting the pattern and the characterizing proposal to a client computer using a computer program via the Internet so as to enable a user to perform an evaluation of the characterizing proposal, and receiving an evaluation input from the user at the server computer system. The evaluation input is one of an acceptance input of the characterizing proposal and a rejection input of the characterizing proposal. The rejection input includes an alternative characterizing proposal.

Method for characterizing stored information

In complex vehicle maneuvers it is often difficult for the driver of the motor vehicle to estimate along which tract the vehicle will move and how much free space is necessary in order to avoid collision. A process is provided for monitoring the environment space in the direction of travel of the own vehicle, in which image data of the environment around the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle is recorded using a camera system the three-dimensional free space required for unimpeded travel is calculated in advance in a signal processing unit and the vehicle operator is informed regarding whether or not a sufficient free space is available to him for unimpeded travel.

Free space monitoring system for motor vehicles

The invention relates to a method for displaying a perspective image and to a display device for at least one passenger of a motor vehicle. The air of the vehicle is to guarantee by simple means a high road safety that is substantially independent of the knowledge and skills of the driver. To this end, a method for displaying a perspective image (B) with one image element (A toH) for at least one passenger of a motor vehicle is provided, said image (B) representing the view of the passenger. According to the inventive method, the image element (A toH) is changed in at least one size depending on the forward travel way (F), on at least one operational parameter of the motor vehicle and/or on at least one parameter of an object () identified in the range of the travel way (F).

Method for displaying a perspective image and display device for at least one passenger of a motor vehicle

The invention concerns a system for assisting an operator of a technical appliance, with a image display device (), of which the image is in the normal field of vision of the operator, for display of operationally relevant information in the form of images or symbols (). According to the invention, a respective image or symbol is displayed at least once for a brief period of time, of which the duration is below the threshold of conscious recognition and above the threshold of subconscious recognition of the operator.

System for assisting the operator of a technical appliance

For the attention control for an operator of technical equipment, a display device for displaying action-relevant information in the form of images or symbols is implemented in which the duration of the display of the specific image or symbol lies below a conscious and above an unconscious perception threshold of the operator, and in which the specific image or symbol is displayed at those locations of the field of vision of the operator at which objects are located to which his/her attention is to be drawn. The advantage of the present invention consists in that the operator does not need to turn his/her view away from the scene to be monitored and in that he/she is not unnecessarily disturbed by the representation of information.

Attention control for operators of technical equipment

A process for moving a motor vehicle into a target position includes placing the motor vehicle in a starting position near the target position; following a first driver-side activation, scanning the environment of the motor vehicle continuously at least for detection of the target position, and determining continuously the current motor vehicle position; determining control data for moving the motor vehicle into the target position with the aid of the determined environment and position information; and after a second driver-side activation, delivering control data-dependent control commands to at least one of a drive train, a brake system and a steering system of the motor vehicle, thus driving the motor vehicle driver-independently into the target position.

Process and device for moving a motor vehicle into a target position

The invention concerns a system for providing advanced warning or advanced information of other road users via a vehicle, which includes an optical signal device for detection of other road users, with a sensor for automatic recognition of situations, which may possibly require an advanced warning or advanced information for other road users. When such a situation is recognized, the signal device is activated at least once for a short duration, of which the duration is below the conscious detection threshold and above the subconscious detection threshold of the road user.

System for providing advanced warning and road user information

A motor vehicle has devices for temporary automatic vehicle driving and devices for the communication between a vehicle user and at least one electronic communication system. An operating device is provided by which the communication devices can be activated for implementing a communication operation and the vehicle driving devices can be activated for an automatic vehicle driving. When it is recognized that resumption of manual vehicle driving is becoming necessary, the activated vehicle driving devices transmit a take-over information signal to the communication devices, which display this take-over information on a display unit.

Motor vehicle with an automatic vehicle driving and electronic communication devices

A method and arrangement for controlling the longitudinal velocity of a motor vehicle is provided with a continuous determination of the vehicle position and controlling of the longitudinal velocity while defining a desired velocity defining value and/or velocity defining limit value as a function of the determined vehicle position. By using corresponding velocity defining devices, velocity data are detected by way of the actual value and/or a set desired value and/or a set limit value of the longitudinal vehicle velocity as a function of the vehicle position. The desired velocity defining value and/or velocity defining limit value is determined from the velocity data detected for the respective vehicle position during one or several preceding drives. The detected velocity data themselves and/or the desired defining value data or defining limit value data are stored in a retrievable manner.

Method and arrangement for controlling the longitudinal velocity of a motor vehicle

In a system for optical acquisition of the road and traffic in front of a road vehicle by electronic processing and evaluation of the image signals from a video camera mounted at the level of the top edge of the windshield of the vehicle, with the optical axis of the camera running at an angle to the road in a plane that is parallel to or approximately parallel to the vertical lengthwise central plane of the vehicle, the lens of the video camera is designed as a wide-angle lens and the slope angle that the optical axis of the lens forms with the plane of the road is less than half the total aperture angle of the lens, but corresponds approximately to half of its value.

System for optical acquisition of the road

Apparatus is provided for determining the distance of a vehicle from a roadway side marking. An arrangement of light sensitive sensor elements is fitted to the vehicle for optically scanning a portion of the roadway located in front of the vehicle. An evaluation unit, connected downstream of the sensor element arrangement, is also provided. Only one or a few sensor element lines are used as the sensor element arrangement. Each line scans a narrow strip of the roadway which runs in front of the vehicle, not parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis, and extends laterally as far as the roadway side marking. The evaluation unit reads each sensor element line sequentially and processes the received signals to determine the lateral distance of the vehicle from the roadway marking. The relatively small quantity of data which accumulates permits the processing of the data digitally in real time by a conventional microprocessor. The apparatus is used as sleep warning system or lane guard for motor vehicles.

Apparatus for determining the distance of a vehicle from a roadway side

A method and a device for controlling the speed of a motor vehicle and its distance from a vehicle travelling in front are provided. The speed is controlled as long as no vehicle travelling in front is located within a prescribed detection area in front of the vehicle and the distance from the vehicle travelling in front is controlled if a vehicle is located in the detection area. The desired distance for the distance control is set after an instruction for a lane change to the left has been triggered, to a value which is smaller than the value before this instruction was triggered, but is at least as large as a prescribed minimum distance. Alternatively, the actual acceleration of the vehicle is limited to a prescribed maximum value if a vehicle travelling in front moves out of the prescribed detection area in front of the vehicle during the time that an instruction for a lane change to the right is set. In this way, fast overtaking maneuvers can be performed within the control and/or lane changes to the right can be carried out without undesired acceleration effects.

Growing community of inventors

Ulm, Germany

Stefan Hahn