Patent ID: 8392062

Claim:
A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle to avoid a collision with an obstacle, comprising: detecting at least one obstacle by using at least one surroundings sensor, wherein physical data of the at least one obstacle is ascertained; ascertaining, on the basis of the physical data of the at least one obstacle and physical data of the vehicle, a deceleration of the vehicle for a maneuver of the vehicle which, when performed in conjunction with a potential evasive steering operation by the driver providing a transverse vehicle motion, avoids the collision; determining on the basis of the physical data of the at least one obstacle and the physical data of the vehicle whether the collision with the obstacle is avoidable by steering alone; responsive to determining that the collision with the obstacle is not avoidable by steering alone, initiating a deceleration of the vehicle in accordance with the ascertained deceleration; after initiating the deceleration, executing code: to determine whether the driver has initiated an evasive action; and that provides that: responsive to a determination that an evasive action of the driver that includes the steering operation has been initiated, performing a steering assistance in conjunction with the decelerating of the vehicle in accordance with the ascertained deceleration, wherein the steering assistance includes modifying by a steering actuator the driver's steering input so that a determined evasive trajectory of the vehicle for avoiding the collision is implemented; and responsive to a determination that no evasive action of the driver has been initiated, decelerating the vehicle to minimize negative effects of the collision without performing a steering assistance.