Patent ID: 8005616

Claim:
A method for determining relevant objects in a vicinity of a motor vehicle by using an environmental detection sensor, the method comprising: calculating a distance and relative speed to an object and a current state of movement of the vehicle; classifying objects as relevant only when despite an average driver response a collision occurs with greater probability, wherein at least two collision-relevant values are calculated using at least one of a vehicle sensor data value and an environmental sensor data value; the at least two collision-relevant values include a first collision-relevant value that describes possible future evasive action or evasive action that has already been initiated and a second collision-relevant value that describes a deceleration operation for preventing a collision; each of the collision-relevant values is limited by a threshold value, which indicates the beginning of a critical range; the related threshold values are only determined from vehicle sensor data; the first collision-relevant value indicates a distance (x) between vehicle and object and the related threshold value indicates a relevant distance (x_rel), at which it is possible to drive around an object with an average evasive action, and in case of driving straightforward the relevant distance (x_rel) is determined from the intersection of an external detection range of the environmental detection sensor and a projected vehicle trajectory with minimum radius and a deceleration size, the minimum radius being determined subject to the vehicle speed (v_car); and activating a braking device if at least one of the collision-relevant values lies in the associated critical range.