Override of Automatic Braking in a Collision Mitigation and/or Avoidance System

• US 20080234907A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Altan, Osman D., Green, Charles A., Labuhn, Pamela I., O'Leary, Patrick J., Balbale, Uzmaa H., Chundrlik, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/08 Coordination of integrated systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• 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

Abstract

A method for returning driver control in a vehicle during automatic braking includes the steps of determining a minimum value of accelerator pedal position during the automatic braking, determining a current value of accelerator pedal position, and disengaging the automatic braking, if the current value is greater than the minimum value by at least a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A method for returning driver control in a vehicle with an accelerator pedal during automatic braking, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a minimum value of accelerator pedal position during the automatic braking;

determining a current value of accelerator pedal position; and

disengaging the automatic braking, if the current value is greater than the minimum value by at least a predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

subtracting the minimum value from the current value, thereby generating a pedal position difference, wherein the automatic braking is disengaged if the pedal position difference is at least the predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is representative of an approximately twenty percent application of the accelerator pedal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

disengaging the automatic braking, if the current value is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second predetermined value is representative of an approximately sixty percent application of the accelerator pedal.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

determining an amount of braking time during which the automatic braking has been applied, wherein the automatic braking is disengaged only upon the further condition that either the amount of braking time is greater than a predetermined time or the current value is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value at a beginning of the automatic braking.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined time is approximately 500 milliseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum value is determined based on accelerator pedal position over a portion of the automatic braking starting at a predetermined time after a beginning of the automatic braking.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining an amount of release time during which the accelerator pedal has been released following the disengagement of the automatic braking; and

re-engaging the automatic braking, if the amount of release time is greater than a predetermined time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a rate of change of accelerator pedal position during the automatic braking; and

disengaging the automatic braking if the rate of change is greater than a second predetermined value.

11. A method for returning driver control in a vehicle with an accelerator pedal during automatic braking, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a minimum value of accelerator pedal position during the automatic braking;

determining a current value of accelerator pedal position;

comparing the current value and the minimum value; and

disengaging the automatic braking, if one or more of the following conditions are met;

the current value is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value;

or

the current value is greater than the minimum value by at least a second predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

determining an amount of braking time during which the automatic braking has been applied, wherein the automatic braking is disengaged only upon the further condition that either the amount of braking time is greater than a predetermined time or the current value is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value at a beginning of the automatic braking.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first predetermined value is representative of an approximately sixty percent application of the accelerator pedal;

the second predetermined value is representative of an approximately twenty percent application of the accelerator pedal; and

the predetermined time is approximately 500 milliseconds.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining an amount of release time during which the accelerator pedal has been released following the disengagement of the automatic braking; and

re-engaging the automatic braking, if the amount of release time is greater than a predetermined time.

15. A system for returning driver control in a vehicle with an accelerator pedal during automatic braking, the system comprising:

an accelerator pedal detector configured to detect accelerator pedal position during the automatic braking; and

a processor configured to;

determine a minimum value of accelerator pedal position based on the detected accelerator pedal position during the automatic braking;

determine a current value of accelerator pedal position based on the detected accelerator pedal position at a current point in time during the automatic braking;

compare the current value and the minimum value; and

disengage the automatic braking, if one or more of the following conditions are met;

the current value is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value;

or

the current value is greater than the minimum value by at least a second predetermined value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first predetermined value is representative of an approximately sixty percent application of the accelerator pedal; and

the second predetermined value is representative of an approximately twenty percent application of the accelerator pedal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine an amount of braking time during which the automatic braking has been applied; and

disengage the automatic braking only upon the further condition that either the amount of braking time is greater than a predetermined time or the current value is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value at a beginning of the automatic braking.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the predetermined time is approximately 500 milliseconds.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a memory configured to store, during the automatic braking, one or more values pertaining to accelerator pedal position and the amount of braking time.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the accelerator pedal detector is further configured to detect accelerator pedal position following the disengagement of the automatic braking; and

the processor is further configured to;

determine an amount of release time during which the accelerator pedal has been released following the disengagement of the automatic braking, based on the detected accelerator pedal position; and

re-engage the automatic braking, if the amount of release time is greater than or equal to a predetermined time.