Automatic braking system

• US 10,279,786 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Prasad, Premchand Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US15/369,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20180154871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/081 using distance control
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/083 using active brake actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/089 using optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/60 Regenerative braking
• 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: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08

Abstract

A braking-system suitable for use on an automated vehicle includes a ranging-sensor, a braking-actuator and a controller in communication with the ranging-sensor and the braking-actuator. The ranging-sensor is used to detect an object proximate to a host-vehicle when the object resides in a field-of-view of the ranging-sensor. The field-of-view defines a bottom-edge of the field-of-view and a boundary of a conflict-zone, where the boundary corresponds to a portion of the bottom-edge. The a braking-actuator used to control movement of the host-vehicle. The controller determines a height of the object, determines a distance to the object, determines a range-rate of the object when the object is in the field-of-view, and activates the braking-actuator when an estimated-distance to the object is less than a distance-threshold, the height of the object is greater than a height-threshold, and the object has crossed the boundary and thereby enters the conflict-zone.

Claims

1. A braking-system suitable for use on an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

a ranging-sensor used to detect an object proximate to a host-vehicle when the object resides in a field-of-view of the ranging-sensor, wherein the field-of-view defines an edge of the field-of-view and a boundary of a conflict-zone, whereby the object in the conflict-zone and the host-vehicle will collide as the host-vehicle moves toward the object, said boundary extending from a left-side and a right-side of the host-vehicle and terminating at the edge of the field-of-view, said boundary corresponding to a portion of the edge, said edge defining a line where a ranging-sensor-signal impinges on the ground such that the object in the conflict-zone is not detected by the ranging-sensor;

a braking-actuator used to control movement of the host-vehicle; and

a controller in communication with the ranging-sensor and the braking-actuator, wherein the controller determines a height of the object, determines a distance to the object, determines a range-rate of the object when the object is in the field-of-view, and activates the braking-actuator when an estimated-distance to the object is less than a distance-threshold, the height of the object is greater than a height-threshold, and the object has crossed the boundary and thereby enters the conflict-zone;

wherein while the host-vehicle is moving the controller determines the estimated-distance to the object based on both a last-known-distance and the range-rate determined when the object crossed the boundary into the conflict-zone and is thereby undetected by the ranging-sensor.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller determines the height of the object based on a similar-triangle property.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ranging-sensor is a two-dimensional radar-sensor.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the object is characterized by a motion-vector, said motion-vector used to determine when the object will exit a side of the conflict-zone, and the braking-actuator is not activated when the object is moving and exits the side of the conflict-zone.