FUNCTION DECOMPOSITION AND CONTROL ARCHITECTURE FOR COMPLEX VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20110098886A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Deng, Weiwen
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A vehicle control architecture designed based on a top-down approach with abstraction and modularity. The control architecture includes a vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor that processes sensor signals, and motion planning processors that provide lane center trajectory planning and tracking command, lane change trajectory planning and tracking command, and forward and backward speed and target tracking command. The architecture also includes a driver command interpreter that interprets driver commands and a command integration processor that provides reference dynamics for vehicle lateral, roll and longitudinal dynamics. The architecture also includes a control integration and supervisory controller that provides control integration and outputs integrated longitudinal force command signals, integrated lateral force command signals, integrated yaw moment command signals and steering torque command signals that are used by a vehicle longitudinal controller and a vehicle lateral controller.

Claims

1. A vehicle control architecture comprising:

a vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor providing processed sensor signals;

a first motion planning processor responsive to the processed sensor signals from the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor, said first motion planning processor using the processed sensor signals to provide lane center trajectory planning and tracking commands and lane change trajectory planning and tracking commands, said first motion planning processor providing desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and desired steering torque signals;

a second motion planning processor responsive to the processed sensor signals from the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor, said second motion planning processor using the processed sensor signals to provide forward speed/target tracking command signals and backward speed and target tracking command signals, said sensor motion planning processor providing desired longitudinal dynamics signals;

a driver command interpreter responsive to primary driver command signals, said driver command interpreter interpreting driver'"'"'s steering, braking and/or throttle commands and generating desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and desired steering torque signals;

a command integration processor responsive to the desired longitudinal dynamics signals from the driver command interpreter, the first motion planning processor and the second motion planning processor, the desired lateral/roll dynamics signals from the driver command interpreter and the first motion planning processor, and the desired steering torque signals from the driver command interpreter and the first motion planning processor, said command integration processor providing reference vehicle dynamics for vehicle lateral, roll and longitudinal dynamic and command integration for motion and advisory commands, said command integration processor outputting integrated longitudinal vehicle dynamics signals, integrated lateral/roll vehicle dynamics signals and integrated steering torque command signals; and

a control integration and supervisory controller responsive to the integrated longitudinal dynamics signals, the integrated lateral/roll dynamics signals and the integrated steering torque command signals from the command integration processor, said control integration and supervisory controller providing control integration with vehicle integrated forces and yaw moment and supervisory control, and outputting integrated longitudinal force command signals, integrated lateral force command signals, integrated yaw moment command signals and steering torque command signals.

2. The architecture according to claim 1 further comprising a human/machine interface processor providing driver assessment signals and driver request signals to the command integration processor and receiving integrated advisory command signals from the command integration processor.

3. The architecture according to claim 1 further comprising a vehicle longitudinal controller and a vehicle lateral controller, said vehicle longitudinal controller being responsive to the integrated longitudinal force command signals and the integrated yaw moment command signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and outputting brake torque command signals and engine throttle, gear shift and regenerative braking command signals, said vehicle lateral controller being responsive to the integrated yaw moment command signals, the integrated lateral force command signals and the steering torque command signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and outputting steering angle command signals and steering torque command signals.

4. The architecture according to claim 3 further comprising a brake controller for controlling vehicle brakes, a powertrain controller for controlling a vehicle powertrain and a steering controller for controlling vehicle steering, said brake controller being responsive to the brake torque command signals from the vehicle longitudinal controller, said powertrain controller being responsive to the engine throttle, gear shift and regenerative braking command signals from the vehicle longitudinal controller and said steering controller being responsive to the steering angle command signals and the steering torque command signals from the vehicle lateral controller.

5. The architecture according to claim 3 further comprising an antilock braking system, a traction control system, a vehicle stability enhancement system, an adaptive cruise control system and a collision preparation system all receiving and providing signals to the control integration and supervisory controller and the vehicle longitudinal controller.

6. The architecture according to claim 3 further comprising a lane keeping assist system providing signals to and receiving signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and the vehicle lateral controller.

7. The architecture according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor includes an object fusion sub-system that provides moving object detection, moving object fusion, stationary object detection and stationary object fusion, a vehicle path prediction sub-system that provides vehicle forward path estimation and vehicle backward path estimation, a lane/path estimation sub-system that provides forward lane path estimation and backward lane path estimation, a vehicle state and parameters estimation sub-system that provides vehicle speed estimation and vehicle lateral velocity estimation, and a road assessment sub-system that provides surface friction and condition estimation, road shoulder lane merge/split detection and road-bank and slope estimation.

8. The architecture according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor includes a moving target prediction sub-system that provides target speed prediction and target path prediction, a target objection selection processor that provides enhanced collision avoidance for target object selection and freeway limited ability autonomous driving for target objection selection, a traffic assessment sub-system that provides traffic assessments and a threat assessment sub-system that provides enhanced collision avoidance for threat assessment and freeway limited ability autonomous driving for threat assessment.

9. The architecture according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sensors that provide sensor signals to the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor to be processed, said sensors including a right front mid-range radar, a left front mid-range radar, a right-side front mid-range radar, a left-side front mid-range radar, a right-side rear mid-range radar, a left-side rear mid-range radar, a right rear mid-range radar, a left rear mid-range radar, a front long-range radar, a rear long-range radar, a front LIDAR, a rear LIDAR, a front camera, a rear camera, a right-side camera, a left-side camera, a GPS receiver, a map database and vehicle motion sensors.

10. A vehicle control architecture comprising:

a plurality of sensors including a right front mid-range radar, a left front mid-range radar, a right-side front mid-range radar, a left-side front mid-range radar, a right-side rear mid-range radar, a left-side rear mid-range radar, a right rear mid-range radar, a left rear mid-range radar, a front long-range radar, a rear long-range radar, a front LIDAR, a rear LIDAR, a front camera, a rear camera, a right-side camera, a left-side camera, a GPS receiver, a map database and vehicle motion sensors, said sensors providing sensor signals;

a vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor being responsive to the sensor signals and providing processed sensor signals, said vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor including an object fusion sub-system that provides moving object detection, moving object fusion, stationary object detection and stationary object fusion, a vehicle path prediction sub-system that provides vehicle forward path estimation and vehicle backward path estimation, a lane/path estimation sub-system that provides forward lane path estimation and backward lane path estimation, a vehicle state and parameters estimation sub-system that provides vehicle speed estimation and vehicle lateral velocity estimation, and a road assessment sub-system that provides surface friction and condition estimation, road shoulder lane merge/split detection and road-bank and slope estimation;

a first motion planning processor responsive to the processed sensor signals from the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor, said first motion planning processor using the processed sensor signals to provide lane center trajectory planning and tracking commands and lane change trajectory planning and tracking commands, said first motion planning processor providing desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and desired steering torque signals;

a second motion planning processor responsive to the processed sensor signals from the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor, said second motion planning processor using the processed sensor signals to provide forward speed/target tracking command signals and backward speed and target tracking command signals, said sensor motion planning processor providing desired longitudinal dynamics signals;

a driver command interpreter responsive to primary driver command signals, said driver command interpreter interpreting driver'"'"'s steering, braking and/or throttle command and generating desired longitudinal and lateral/roll signals, and desired steering torque signals;

a command integration processor responsive to the desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and the desired steering torque signals from the driver command interpreter, the desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and the desired steering torque signals from the first motion planning processor and the desired longitudinal dynamics signals from the second motion planning processor, said command integration processor providing reference vehicle dynamics for vehicle lateral, roll and longitudinal dynamics, and command integration for motion and advisory commands, said command integration processor outputting integrated longitudinal vehicle dynamics, integrated lateral/roll vehicle dynamics signals and integrated steering torque command signals;

a control integration and supervisory controller responsive to the integrated longitudinal dynamics signals, the integrated lateral/roll dynamics signals and the integrated steering torque command signals from the command integration processor, said control integration and supervisory controller receiving integrated longitudinal dynamics signals, integrated lateral/roll dynamics signals and steering torque command signals from the command integration processor and outputting integrated longitudinal force command signals, integrated lateral force command signals, integrated yaw moment command signals and steering torque command signals; and

a vehicle longitudinal controller and a vehicle lateral controller, said vehicle longitudinal controller being responsive to the integrated longitudinal force command signals and the integrated yaw moment command signals from the control integration and supervisory controller, and outputting brake torque command signals and engine throttle, gear shift and regenerative braking command signals, said vehicle lateral controller being responsive to the integrated yaw moment command signals, the integrated lateral force command signals and the steering torque command signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and outputting steering angle command signals and steering torque command signals.

11. The architecture according to claim 10 further comprising a human/machine interface processor providing driver assessment signals and driver request signals to the command integration processor and receiving integrated advisory command signals from the command integration processor.

12. The architecture according to claim 10 further comprising a brake controller for controlling vehicle brakes, a powertrain controller for controlling a vehicle powertrain and a steering controller for controlling vehicle steering, said brake controller being responsive to the brake torque command signals from the vehicle longitudinal controller, said powertrain controller being responsive to the engine throttle, gear shift and regenerative braking command signals from the vehicle longitudinal controller and said steering controller being responsive to the steering angle command signals and the steering torque command signals from the vehicle lateral controller.

13. The architecture according to claim 10 further comprising an antilock braking system, a traction control system, a vehicle stability enhancement system, an adaptive cruise control system and a collision preparation system all receiving and providing signals to the control integration and supervisory controller and the vehicle longitudinal controller.

14. The architecture according to claim 10 further comprising a lane keeping assist system providing signals to and receiving signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and the vehicle lateral controller.

15. The architecture according to claim 10 wherein the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor further includes a moving target prediction sub-system that provides target speed prediction and target path prediction, a target objection selection processor that provides enhanced collision avoidance system for target object selection and freeway limited ability autonomous driving for target objection selection, a traffic assessment sub-system that provides traffic assessments and a threat assessment sub-system that provides enhanced collision avoidance for threat assessment and freeway limited ability autonomous driving for threat assessment.

16. A vehicle control architecture comprising:

a vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor for processing inputs from vehicle detectors, cameras, radar devices and sensors, said vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor providing processed sensor signals;

a motion planning processor responsive to the processed sensor signals from the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor, said motion planning processor using the processed sensor signals to provide lane center trajectory planning and tracking commands, lane change trajectory planning and tracking commands and desired steering torque signals, said motion planning processor providing desired lateral/roll dynamics signals, forward speed/target tracking command signals and backward speed and target tracking command signals;

a driver command interpreter responsive to primary driver command signals, said driver command interpreter interpreting driver'"'"'s steering, braking and throttle and outputting vehicle desired longitudinal, lateral/roll dynamics signals and desired steering torque command signals; and

a command integration processor responsive to the desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and the desired steering torque signals from the driver command interpreter and the desired longitudinal and lateral/roll dynamics signals and the desired steering torque signals from the motion planning processor, said command integration processor providing reference vehicle dynamics for vehicle lateral, roll and longitudinal dynamic, and command integration for motion and advisory information, said command integration processor outputting integrated longitudinal vehicle dynamic signals, integrated lateral/roll vehicle dynamics signals and integrated steering torque command signals.

17. The architecture according to claim 16 wherein the vehicle/environment sensing and perception processor includes an object fusion sub-system that provides moving object detection, moving object fusion, stationary object detection and stationary object fusion, a vehicle path prediction sub-system that provides vehicle forward path estimation and vehicle backward path estimation, a lane/path estimation sub-system that provides forward lane path estimation and backward lane path estimation, a vehicle state and parameters estimation sub-system that provides vehicle speed estimation and vehicle lateral velocity estimation, and a road assessment sub-system that provides surface friction and condition estimation, road shoulder lane merge/split detection and road-bank and slope estimation.

18. The architecture according to claim 17 further comprising a control integration and supervisory controller responsive to the integrated longitudinal dynamics signals, the integrated lateral/roll dynamics signals and the integrated steering torque command signals from the command integration processor, said control integration and supervisory controller providing control integration receiving integrated longitudinal dynamics signals, integrated lateral/roll dynamics signals and steering torque command signals from the command integration processor, and outputting integrated longitudinal force command signals, integrated lateral force command signals, integrated yaw moment command signals and steering torque command signals.

19. The architecture according to claim 18 further comprising a vehicle longitudinal controller and a vehicle lateral controller, said vehicle longitudinal controller being responsive to the integrated longitudinal force command signals and the integrated yaw moment command signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and outputting brake torque command signals and engine throttle, gear shift and regenerative braking command signals, said vehicle lateral controller being responsive to the integrated yaw moment command signals, the integrated lateral force command signals and the steering torque command signals from the control integration and supervisory controller and outputting steering angle command signals and steering torque command signals.

20. The architecture according to claim 19 further comprising a brake controller for controlling vehicle brakes, a powertrain controller for controlling a vehicle powertrain and a steering controller for controlling vehicle steering, said brake controller being responsive to the brake torque command signals from the vehicle longitudinal controller, said powertrain controller being responsive to the engine throttle, gear shift and regenerative braking command signals from the vehicle longitudinal controller and said steering controller being responsive to the steering angle command signals and the steering torque command signals from the vehicle lateral controller.