Granted Patent B2

US 12,319,308 · App. 18/177,948 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Inventors: Andrea Secondi (Modena, IT); Gianmarco Limonta (Modena, IT)

Assignee: FERRARI S.p.A.

B60W50/16B60W40/06B60W2510/207B60W2520/14

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. A method for the driver assistance of a road vehicle ( 1 ) and comprising the steps of:

determining an actual dynamic behaviour of the road vehicle ( 1 ) due to the driving actions carried out by a driver on a steering wheel ( 8 ), an accelerator pedal ( 10 ) and a brake pedal ( 11 );

determining an ideal dynamic behaviour of the road vehicle ( 1 ) in the same conditions in which the road vehicle ( 1 ) currently is;

determining whether, while braking, the wheels ( 2 , 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip or whether, while accelerating, the drive wheels ( 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip;

generating a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if the actual dynamic behaviour of the road vehicle ( 1 ) is different from the ideal dynamic behaviour of the road vehicle ( 1 ), i.e. if, while braking, the wheels ( 2 , 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip or if, while accelerating, the drive wheels ( 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip;

applying a mechanical vibration to the brake pedal ( 11 ) or to the accelerator pedal ( 10 ) in order to generate the tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if, while braking, the wheels ( 2 , 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip or if, while accelerating, the drive wheels ( 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip.

2. The driver assistance method according to claim 1 and comprising the further steps of:

determining whether the road vehicle ( 1 ), while driving along a bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer; and

generating a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if the road vehicle ( 1 ), while driving along the bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer.

3. The driver assistance method according to claim 2 and comprising the further step of applying a mechanical vibration to the steering wheel ( 8 ) in order to generate a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if the road vehicle ( 1 ), while driving along the bend, is understeering or is about to understeer.

4. The driver assistance method according to claim 2 and comprising the further step of applying a mechanical vibration to a driver's seat ( 9 ) in order to generate a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if the road vehicle ( 1 ), while driving along the bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer.

5. The driver assistance method according to claim 4 and comprising the further steps of:

applying the mechanical vibration only to a right portion of the driver's seat ( 9 ), if the road vehicle ( 1 ), while driving along the bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer to the right; and

applying the mechanical vibration only to a left portion of the driver's seat ( 9 ), if the road vehicle ( 1 ), while driving along the bend, is oversteering or understeering or is about to oversteer or understeer to the left.

6. The driver assistance method according to claim 2 and comprising the further steps of:

determining an actual yaw rate (V ψ ) of the road vehicle ( 1 );

determining an ideal yaw rate (V ψ ) of the road vehicle ( 1 );

establishing that the road vehicle ( 1 ) is oversteering if the actual yaw rate (V ψ ) is greater than the ideal yaw rate (V ψ ); and

establishing that the road vehicle ( 1 ) is understeering if the actual yaw rate (V ψ ) is smaller than the ideal yaw rate (V ψ ).

7. The driver assistance method according to claim 2 and comprising the further steps of:

estimating an actual yaw rate (V ψ ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) in a future instant;

determining an ideal yaw rate (V ψ ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) in the future instant;

establishing that the road vehicle ( 1 ) is about to oversteer if the actual yaw rate (V ψ ) in the future instant is greater than the ideal yaw rate (V ψ ) in the future instant; and

establishing that the road vehicle ( 1 ) is about to understeer if the actual yaw rate (V ψ ) in the future instant is smaller than the ideal yaw rate (V ψ ) in the future instant.

8. The driver assistance method according to claim 7 , wherein the future instant is separated from a current time instant by an amount of time ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 seconds.

9. The driver assistance method according to claim 1 , wherein a mechanical vibration is applied to the brake pedal ( 11 ) in order to generate a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if, while braking, the wheels ( 2 , 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip, and wherein a mechanical vibration is applied to the accelerator pedal ( 10 ) in order to generate a tactile feedback, which can be perceived by the driver, if, while accelerating, the drive wheels ( 3 ) of the road vehicle ( 1 ) are losing grip.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (10)