Adaptive braking for a vehicle control system

• US 10,137,871 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Lesher, Michael K., Kennedy, Andrew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US15/336,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20180118176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 701 14, 701 96
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/02 Active or adaptive cruise control system; Distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A controller for an adaptive braking system on a host vehicle identifies a first target in a lane of travel of the host vehicle; monitors for an active braking intervention request; monitors for other targets in adjacent lanes of travel to the host vehicle; and transmits a first braking signal at the output to control a braking action at a first braking level in response to receiving the active braking intervention request and identifying no other targets in adjacent lanes of travel to the host vehicle. If the controller identifies a second target in an adjacent lane of travel, then receives a travel signal indicative of change in the direction of travel of the host vehicle toward the second target; it will transmit a second braking signal to control the braking action at a second braking level. The second level of braking is different than the first level of braking.

Claims

1. A controller for a vehicle system on a host vehicle comprising:

an input for receiving a travel signal indicative of a direction of travel of the host vehicle;

an output for transmitting a braking signal to control a braking action of the host vehicle;

a processor having control logic, the control logic capable of;

identifying a first target in a lane of travel of the host vehicle;

monitoring for an active braking intervention request;

monitoring for an additional target in an adjacent lane of travel to the host vehicle;

transmitting a first braking signal at the output to control a braking action at a first braking level in response to receiving the active braking intervention request and identifying no other targets in adjacent lanes of travel to the host vehicle;

identifying the additional target in the adjacent lane of travel;

receiving the travel signal at the input indicative of a change in the direction of travel of the host vehicle toward the identified additional target; and

transmitting a second braking signal at the output to control the braking action at a second braking level in response to receiving the active braking intervention request, identifying the additional target and receiving the travel signal indicative of the host vehicle moving to toward the additional target, the second level being different than the first level.

2. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the second braking level is greater than the first braking level.

3. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the first target is a vehicle and the additional target is a vehicle.

4. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the first target is a vehicle and the additional target is a stationary object.

5. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the control logic is further capable of:

receiving the travel signal indicative of the host vehicle moving to a lane of travel with no targets and discontinuing transmitting the second braking signal, thereby releasing the braking action.

6. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the control logic identifies the first target vehicle using at least one of an associated radar, a camera and a LIDAR.

7. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the signal indicative of a direction of travel of the host vehicle is received from at least one of a steering angle sensor and a yaw rate sensor.

8. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the output for transmitting a signal to control a braking response communicates with a braking system controller.

9. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the second braking level is a maximum available braking level.

10. The controller as in claim 9, wherein the first braking level is between about forty percent and sixty percent of the second braking level.

11. The controller as in claim 1, further comprising an input for receiving a request for adaptive cruise control;

wherein the control logic maintains a predetermined following distance behind the first target in response to a request for adaptive cruise control until receiving the active braking intervention request.