METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING A COLLISION AVOIDANCE MANEUVER

• US 20080208408A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Isermann, Rolf, Arbitmann, Maxim, Schorn, Matthias, Stahlin, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0025 Transfer function weighting factor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0031 Mathematical model of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of executing a collision avoidance maneuver ahead of an object in the surroundings, with which the vehicle is on a collision course. To allow determining the avoiding path in a simplest possible fashion and, in particular, a simplest possible parameterization of the path, the avoiding path is given by a sigmoid (ƒ_ao(x); ƒ_ao/2(x); ƒ_2ao(x)), the shape of which is defined by at least one parameter (a; B; c) that is determined depending on the speed of the motor vehicle or a desired maneuver width of the collision avoidance maneuver. Also disclosed is a device which is suitable for implementing the method.

Claims

1. A method for executing a collision avoidance maneuver of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an object (104) in the surroundings of the vehicle (101) with which the motor vehicle (101) is on a collision course;

determining a path for the collision avoidance maneuver of the motor vehicle (101), wherein if the path is given by a sigmoid, the shape of which is determined by at least one parameter (B;

a;

c), with the parameter (B;

a;

c) being established dependent on at least one of a speed (v) of the motor vehicle and a desired maneuver width (D) of the collision avoidance maneuver;

determining a start point at which the collision avoidance maneuver is started depending on the path established; and

influencing a steering system of the motor vehicle (101) depending on the path established after the motor vehicle (101) has reached the start point.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a parameter (a) determining a gradient of the sigmoid is determined depending on the speed (v) of the motor vehicle (101) in such a fashion that a lateral acceleration (a_y) of the motor vehicle (101) which occurs in the collision avoidance maneuver does not exceed a predetermined maximum value (a_{y, Max}).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter of the sigmoid determining the gradient of the sigmoid is determined depending on the speed (v) of the motor vehicle (101) in such a manner that a maximum lateral jerk (β

) that occurs in the collision avoidance maneuver does not exceed a predetermined maximum value (β

_Max).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sigmoid is given by

$y$

( x ) = B 1 + exp 

( - a ·

( x - c ) )

where y(x) is a lateral offset of the motor vehicle and x is the distance to be covered in a longitudinal direction in a system of coordinates (301), the origin of which is basically identical with the start point of the collision avoidance maneuver and the positive x-direction of which points in the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal direction that prevails at the start point, in which case a is the parameter determining the gradient of the sigmoid, and B and c are additional parameters determining the shape of the sigmoid.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in an avoiding maneuver to the left in the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal direction,

$B=D$ $c=\frac{1}{a}$

ln 

( D y tol - 1 )

applies to the parameters, where D is the maneuver width of the collision avoidance maneuver and y_tol designates a predetermined tolerance.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an avoiding maneuver to the right in the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal direction,

$B=-D$ $c=\frac{1}{a}$

ln 

( D y tol - 1 )

applies to the parameters, where D designates the maneuver width of the collision avoidance maneuver and y_tol is a predetermined tolerance.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maneuver width (D) is found out depending on the width of the front of an object (F;

F′

) facing the motor vehicle (101).

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the maneuver width (D) is determined in such a manner that the motor vehicle (101) is steered from a present lane into the middle of an adjacent lane in the collision avoidance maneuver.

9. A Device for executing a collision avoidance maneuver of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an ambience detection arrangement (102) allowing detection of at least one object (104) in areas surrounding the motor vehicle (101), and an evaluation device (201) allowing determination of the relative position and speed of the object (104) with respect to the motor vehicle (101);

a decision arrangement (206) used to take a decision that an avoiding maneuver of the motor vehicle (101) is required due to a collision course with the object (104);

a path presetting arrangement (207) allowing determination of a path for the avoiding maneuver of the motor vehicle (101) ahead of the obstacle, wherein the path is given by a sigmoid, a shape of which is defined by at least one parameter, and the parameter can be established dependent on at least of a speed (v) of the motor vehicle (101) and a desired maneuver width (D);

a release arrangement (206) that is used to determine a start point depending on the preset path established, when the collision avoidance maneuver should be started to avoid the object; and

a controlling arrangement (208) by which a steering actuator is controllable depending on the preset path.