EP-4735314-A1 - METHOD FOR INTERRUPTING A LANE CHANGE TRAJECTORY

Abstract

Method for interrupting a lane change trajectory, computer program product, control unit for a vehicle and vehicle. A method for interrupting a lane change trajectory (TR LC ) carried out by a vehicle (100), wherein an interruption trajectory (TR Int ) is calculated for multiple time steps (t 1 , t 2 ) between a time (t Int ) when an interruption signal is received and the time (t F_Int ) when the vehicle (100) arrives at its initial lateral position (y 0 ).

Inventors

• MAROUF, Mohamed

Assignees

• Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240620

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1 . A method for interrupting a lane change trajectory (TRLC) carried out by a vehicle (100), wherein an interruption trajectory (TRmt) is calculated for multiple time steps (ti, t2> between a time (tmt) when an interruption signal is received and the time (t F _mt) when the vehicle (100) arrives at its initial lateral position (y 0 ). 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the interruption trajectory (TRmt) describes a trajectory between the current position (y, yi, y 2 ) of the vehicle (100) and a final point (FP, FP0, FP1 , FP2), which lies on a transition function (200). 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the interruption trajectory (TRmt) is calculated based on the current position (y, yi, y 2 ), current velocity and/or the current acceleration of the vehicle (100) as well as based on the lateral position of the final point (y F p, y F pi , y F p2). 4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a current state of the vehicle (100) comprises a current location, current velocity, and/or current acceleration and wherein the current state of the vehicle (100) is determined by one or more sensor units (102) included in the vehicle (100). 5. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein time (t F mt) when the vehicle (100) arrives at its initial lateral position (y 0 ) is the time that is needed to shift the lateral position of the final point (y FP ) from a final lateral position (y F ) of the vehicle (100) to the initial lateral position (y 0 ) of the vehicle (100) and is calculated based on a predetermined maximum lateral acceleration of the vehicle (100), wherein the final lateral position (y F ) of the vehicle (100) is defined as the lateral position (y) of the end of the lane change trajectory (TRLC) and the initial lateral position (y 0 ) is defined as the lateral position of the vehicle (100) at the beginning of the lane change trajectory (TRLC). 6. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition function (200) describes a dependency between the lateral position of the final point (y FP ) and a time which has elapsed (t e ) since an interruption signal, initiating the interruption of the lane change trajectory (TRLC), has been received (tint). 7. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition function (200) is an analytical function, or an empirical function based on a lookup table. 8. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transition function (200) is chosen from a number of predetermined transition functions (200) based on the time (tFjnt) when the vehicle (100) arrives at its initial lateral position (y 0 ). 9. The method according to one of claims 1 - 6, wherein the transition function is calculated based on the time (t F _mt) when the vehicle (100) arrives at the initial lateral position (y 0 ). 10. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a lateral velocity and a lateral acceleration of the vehicle (100) at the final point (FP) are set to zero. 11 . The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at a last time step a lateral position (y F p) of the final point (FP) is equal to an initial lateral position (y 0 ) of the vehicle (100). 12. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the generated interruption trajectory (TRmt) is output to a driver assistance system, wherein the driver assistance system is configured to steer the vehicle (100) according to the interruption trajectory (TRmt). 13. A computer program product, comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method of one of the claims 1 - 14. Control unit (103) for a vehicle (100) comprising: a processor unit; and a storage unit, which stores means to carry out the method of one of claims 1 - 12. 15. Vehicle (100) comprising a control unit (103) according to claim 14.

Description

METHOD FOR INTERRUPTING A LANE CHANGE TRAJECTORY The present invention relates to a method for interrupting a lane change trajectory, a computer program product, a control unit for a vehicle, and a vehicle. Driver assistance systems are becoming more common and can assist a driver of a vehicle in a variety of ways. Driver assistance systems are capable of performing driving maneuvers, such as lane changes, on their own. During such a lane-change maneuver, situations may occur that trigger the interruption of the lane-change maneuver, such as a faster car approaching from behind on the adjacent lane or simply the driver deciding not to continue with the lane-change maneuver. Such an interruption of the lane-change maneuver can occur at any time while carrying out the lane-change maneuver, i.e., right from starting the maneuver, when the car has not left its current lane, to when the car has nearly reached the final position at the center of the adjacent lane. When the lane-change maneuver is interrupted, the vehicle goes from its current position, anywhere on the trajectory that was planned for the lane-change maneuver, back to its initial lateral position. On the one hand, such a transition from the lane change trajectory to the initial lateral position should be carried out quickly to minimize the risk of a collision if another vehicle is approaching from behind at high velocity and on the other hand, the comfort of the driver and the passengers of the vehicle should be maintained. This means that such an interruption maneuver should be performed as quickly as possible, but also as comfortably as possible, which means in particular that a lateral acceleration of the vehicle should be relatively low. The document WO 2022 / 157 032 A1 describes a method for determining a trajectory for a vehicle for a lane-change maneuver, in which the vehicle travels to an adjacent lane. Further, also a method for calculating a trajectory to abandon the lane-change maneuver and to move back to the center of the original lane is disclosed. Both trajectories are planned and calculated using Bezier functions. The trajectory for abandoning the lane-change maneuver is only calculated at the time and at the position of the vehicle when an interruption signal is received. Against this background, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved method for generating an interruption trajectory when a lane-change maneuver of a vehicle is interrupted, a computer program product, a control unit for a vehicle, and a vehicle. According to a first aspect, a method for interrupting a lane change trajectory carried out by a vehicle, wherein an interruption trajectory is calculated for multiple time steps between a time when an interruption signal is received and the time when the vehicle arrives at its initial lateral position is provided. This method has the advantage that for each of a plurality of time steps during the interruption of the lane-change maneuver, i.e., until the vehicle returns to the center of its original lane, an interruption trajectory is calculated. By using this method to move the vehicle back to its initial lateral position at the center of the initial lane, a smooth interruption trajectory is provided that allows the interruption to be performed as quickly as possible but with a minimal impact on the driver and/or the one or more passengers of the vehicle, i.e., with a lateral acceleration as low and as constant as possible. A lane change trajectory is calculated, for example, by a control unit or a driver assistance system of the vehicle. A lane change trajectory defines a path from the vehicle's current position, i.e., in the center of a lane, to the center of an adjacent lane. The adjacent lane may be located on the left-hand side of the vehicle or on the right-hand side of the vehicle. One or more sensor units are installed on the vehicle and their collected sensor data is used to calculate the lane change trajectory. In particular, sensor units such as cameras, radar and lidar units and their corresponding sensor data are used for the calculation. The vehicle's control unit and/or the driver assistance system of the vehicle is configured to steer the vehicle along the lane change trajectory. While the vehicle is moving along the lane change trajectory, the sensor units of the vehicle may determine that it is no longer safe to continue along the lane change trajectory and/or the driver of the vehicle does not want to continue with the lane-change maneuver and enters an interruption signal via an interface. Therefore, a trajectory is needed along which the vehicle can move from its current position, i.e., somewhere on the lane change trajectory, back to the center of the original lane. Accordingly, an interruption trajectory is calculated for every time step until the vehicle has again reached its initial lateral position at the center of its initial lane. The interruption trajectory may be c