Vehicle collision avoidance

• US 10,266,175 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Alex Maurice, Trombley, Roger Arnold, Deng, Kun, Qamar, Ahsan, Yako, Sarra Awad
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Aaron C
• Application Number:
  US15/169,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• 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 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A plurality of targets are identified. A path for each target is predicted. A threat number for each target is determined based at least in part on the predicted paths. The threat number indicates a probability of a collision between the respective target and a host vehicle. One or more vehicle subsystems in the host vehicle is actuated based on the threat numbers.

Claims

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the computer to:

identify a plurality of target objects;

predict respective paths for each target object based at least in part on a respective acceleration of each target object;

determine respective threat numbers for each target based at least in part on the predicted paths, each threat number indicating a probability of a collision between the respective target and a host vehicle;

identify a respective crossing point between each respective path and a projected path of the host vehicle;

identify a stopping point along the projected path of the host vehicle based on the threat numbers, wherein the stopping point is a point along the projected path excluding crossing points of target objects having threat numbers above a threat number threshold and including crossing points of target objects having threat numbers below the threat number threshold; and

actuate one or more vehicle subsystems in the host vehicle to move the host vehicle forward to the stopping point and to stop the host vehicle at the stopping point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each threat number is further based at least in part on at least one of a target speed, a target position, a distance between the target and the host vehicle, and a projected path of the host vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle subsystems include one or more of a brake subsystem, a steering subsystem, and a propulsion subsystem.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein instructions further include instructions to determine the targets with threat numbers that are above the threat number threshold and to actuate one or more vehicle subsystems to move the host vehicle away from the projected paths of the targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a brake subsystem to stop the host vehicle before crossing the projected paths of the targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a propulsion subsystem to move the host vehicle past the projected paths of the targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold before the targets reach the projected path of the host vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine a part of a path of the host vehicle that is farther than a predetermined distance from the paths of the targets having threat numbers above the threat number threshold and to actuate one or more vehicle subsystems to stop the host vehicle in the part of the path of the host vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate one or more vehicle subsystems to avoid the crossing points for targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to stop the host vehicle in the projected host path until the targets pass the crossing points.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to slow the host vehicle in the projected host path until the targets pass the crossing points.

11. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of targets;

predicting respective paths for each target object based at least in part on a respective acceleration of each target object;

determining respective threat numbers for each target based at least in part on the predicted paths, each threat number indicating a probability of a collision between the respective target and a host vehicle;

identifying a respective crossing point between each respective path and a projected path of the host vehicle;

identifying a stopping point along the projected path of the host vehicle based on the threat numbers, wherein the stopping point is a point along the projected path excluding crossing points of target objects having threat numbers above a threat number threshold and including crossing points of target objects having threat numbers below the threat number threshold; and

actuating one or more vehicle subsystems in the host vehicle to move the host vehicle forward to the stopping point and to stop the host vehicle at the stopping point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each threat number is further based on at least one of a target speed, a target position, a distance between the target and the host vehicle, and a projected path of the host vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle subsystems include a brake subsystem, a steering subsystem, and a propulsion subsystem.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the targets with threat numbers that are above the threat number threshold and actuating one or more vehicle subsystems to move the host vehicle away from the projected paths of the targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising actuating a brake subsystem to stop the host vehicle before crossing the projected paths of the targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising actuating a propulsion subsystem to move the host vehicle past the projected paths of the targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold before the targets reach the projected path of the host vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a part of a path of the host vehicle that is farther than a predetermined distance from the paths of the targets having threat numbers above the threat number threshold and actuating one or more vehicle subsystems to stop the host vehicle in the part of the path of the host vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising actuating one or more vehicle subsystems to avoid the crossing points for targets with threat numbers above the threat number threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising stopping the host vehicle in the projected host path until the targets pass the crossing points.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising slowing the host vehicle in the projected host path until the targets pass the crossing points.