The prior art discloses different kinds of driver assistance systems that have the essential common feature that they serve to relieve the driver of duties pertaining to events on the road. In this case, such systems are based to some extent on environment information captured by means of ambient sensor systems, on information read from digital map material or else on information that has been received by means of vehicle-to-X communication. In order to assist the driver, all of these systems rely on the captured information being highly reliable and up-to-date and also on the density of information being as high as possible.
In this connection, DE 10 2008 060 869 A1, which is incorporated by reference, describes a method and an apparatus for assisting a user of a vehicle that is approaching a traffic signal system. The traffic signal system has two different operating states, wherein a first operating state allows the stop line to be crossed and a second operating state does not allow the stop line to be crossed. In this case, the vehicle receives a signal that describes the current operating state of the traffic signal system and also the length of time before the operating state changes. Using the received signal, the vehicle checks whether the stop line of the traffic signal system can be reached at a speed from a prescribed speed range while the traffic signal system is in the first operating state. On the basis of the result of the check, the speed of the vehicle is influenced or the driver is provided with a recommendation for appropriate influencing of the speed.
DE 10 2007 048 809 A1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a method for recognizing concealed objects in road traffic. In this case, the surroundings of a vehicle and motion variables for the vehicle are captured by sensor. This information is transmitted by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication to vehicles that are in the environment. At the same time, the vehicles that are in the environment likewise capture and send surroundings and motion information. The received information is used to expand an environment model. The environment model expanded in this way is reproduced in updated form by means of a display in the vehicle and can be made available to one or more driver assistance systems. Hence, the vehicle has information available about objects that cannot be sensed by the vehicle sensors themselves.
DE 10 2009 008 959 A1, which is incorporated by reference, describes a vehicle system for navigation and/or driver assistance. The vehicle system comprises a provider unit, at least one ambient sensor and a vehicle sensor. The provider unit for its part comprises a position module, based on a satellite signal sensor, and an ADAS Horizon provider, which can be communicatively coupled to a navigation unit, which may also be situated outside the vehicle. In this case, the navigation unit may be in the form of a powerful server, for example, that transmits map details from a digital map to the provider unit.
DE 10 2008 012 660 A1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a method for the server-based warning of vehicles about hazards and also an appropriate hazard warning unit. In this case, a measured value is captured by means of a sensor unit of a first vehicle and it is determined whether the measured value corresponds to a hazard. If the measured value does correspond to a hazard, information data about the hazard are transmitted to a control center. In the control center, the type of hazard, the location at which the measured value was captured, the time at which the measured value is captured and an identification for the transmitting vehicle are stored and appropriate warning data are produced. The warning data that are relevant to a second vehicle can be retrieved from the control center by this second vehicle.
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USPTO Backgrounds