DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM
A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle encompasses at least one foot sensor for monitoring the foot of a driver, a control unit for deciding on a safety measure based on a detection result of the foot sensor, and an environmental sensor to detect an approach toward an outside obstacle, and is set up to only implement the safety measure if a detection result of the environmental sensor indicates a danger that contact will be made with the obstacle.
1 . A driver assistance system of a motor vehicle comprising:
a foot sensor configured for monitoring a driver's foot;
a control unit configured for deciding on a safety measure based on a detection result of the foot sensor;
an environmental sensor configured to detect an approach toward an outside obstacle and to only implement the safety measure if a detection result of the environmental sensor indicates a danger that contact will be made with the outside obstacle.
2 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to quantitatively assess a risk of contact with the outside obstacle based on the detection result of the environmental sensor, and to implement the safety measure at a prescribed risk level when the detection result of the foot sensor indicates that a driver is unprepared to brake, and to forego the safety measure if the foot sensor indicates that the driver is prepared to brake.
3 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the foot sensor is configured for contactless detection of a body in an air space in front of a tread of a brake pedal of the motor vehicle.
4 . The driver assistance system according to claim 3 , wherein the foot sensor comprises a camera facing the air space in front of the tread.
5 . The driver assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the foot sensor comprises an infrared camera or a contactless sensor mounted on the brake pedal.
6 . The driver assistance system according to claim 5 , wherein the foot sensor comprises the contactless sensor mounted on the tread of the brake pedal.
7 . The driver assistance system according to claim 5 , wherein the contactless sensor is an infrared sensor, an ultrasound sensor, or a capacitive sensor.
8 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein a limiting value above which the control unit initiates the safety measure varies depending on the detection result of the foot sensor.
9 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the safety measure involves activating brakes of the motor vehicle or outputting a warning signal to a driver.
10 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to assume that a driver is more prepared to brake if the foot sensor detects a body than if it detects no body.
11 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to assume that a driver is more prepared to brake if the foot sensor begins detecting a body only after detecting the outside obstacle than if it already detected the body before beginning to detect the outside obstacle.
12 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the foot sensor is configured to estimate a speed a body is moving, and evaluate braking preparedness based on the speed.
13 . The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the foot sensor or an additional sensor is configured to detect a body in front of a clutch pedal and wherein the control unit assumes a higher braking preparedness if a body is also detected on the clutch pedal at the same time as a body is detected on a brake pedal than if a body is detected only on the brake pedal.