Vehicle Path Control for Autonomous Braking System

• US 20090192687A1
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Zagorski, Chad T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• 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: B60T 8/17558 specially adapted for collision avoidance or collision mitigation road vehicle drive control systems for collision avoidance otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/09

Abstract

A motor vehicle travel path control which monitors, during an autonomous braking event initiated by a collision preparation system the actual motor vehicle travel path in relation to the driver intended motor vehicle travel path, and in the event a departure from the driver intended motor vehicle path occurs, the motor vehicle travel path control adjusts braking so as to return the motor vehicle travel path to that intended by the driver.

Claims

1. A travel path control method implemented during activation of autonomous braking, comprising the steps of:

detecting activation of autonomous braking of a motor vehicle;

detecting a driver intended travel path of the motor vehicle during the activation;

detecting an actual travel path of the motor vehicle during the activation;

comparing the driver intended travel path to the actual travel path during the activation; and

adjusting the braking of the motor vehicle if the actual travel path is substantially different from the driver intended travel path, wherein the adjusting of the braking is intended to reduce the difference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation is implemented by a collision preparation system of the motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a driver braking request; and

detecting a CPS braking request of the collision preparation system;

wherein said step of adjusting is performed if, further, the driver braking request is substantially less than the CPS braking request.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparison is performed repeatedly with a predetermined timing during the activation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of adjusting comprises decreasing braking until the difference is reduced to substantially zero.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a CPS braking request of the collision preparation system; and

increasing the braking until the braking is substantially equal to the CPS braking request, provided the difference is not increased thereby.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a driver braking request;

wherein said step of adjusting is performed if, further, the driver braking request is substantially less than the CPS braking request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the timing is substantially 20 milliseconds.

9. A travel path control method implemented during activation of autonomous braking, comprising the steps of:

detecting activation of a collision preparation system in which the collision preparation system is implementing autonomous braking of a motor vehicle;

detecting a driver intended travel path of the motor vehicle during the activation;

detecting an actual travel path of the motor vehicle during the activation;

detecting a driver braking request;

detecting a CPS braking request of the collision preparation system;

comparing the driver intended travel path to the actual travel path during the activation;

adjusting the braking of the motor vehicle if the actual travel path is substantially different from the driver intended travel path and if the driver braking request is substantially less than the CPS braking request, wherein the adjusting of the braking is intended to reduce the difference.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising increasing the braking until the braking is substantially equal to the CPS braking request, provided the difference is not increased thereby.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of adjusting comprises decreasing braking until the difference is reduced to substantially zero.

12. A travel path control system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a braking system;

a collision preparation system interfaced with said braking system, wherein said collision braking system selectively implements autonomous braking of the motor vehicle during activation thereof responsive to predetermined conditions of travel of the motor vehicle;

a collision preparation system braking adjustment controller interfaced with said braking system, wherein activation status of said collision preparation system and braking request of the collision preparation system are available to said collision preparation system braking adjuster; and

at least one source of data available to said collision preparation system braking adjustment controller, said data comprising driver braking request, actual motor vehicle travel path and driver intended motor vehicle travel path;

wherein, if said collision preparation system is actively providing autonomous braking and the braking request of the collision preparation system substantially exceeds the driver braking request, then said collision preparation braking adjuster compares the driver desired travel path to the actual travel path during the activation, and adjusts the braking of the motor vehicle if the actual travel path is substantially different from the driver desired travel path, wherein the adjusting of the braking is intended to reduce the difference.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the comparison by the collision preparation braking adjuster is performed repeatedly with a predetermined timing during the activation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the timing is substantially 20 milliseconds.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a stability controller interfaced with said braking system and said collision avoidance system, wherein said stability controller provides said data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the comparison by the collision preparation braking adjuster is performed repeatedly with a predetermined timing during the activation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the timing is substantially 20 milliseconds.