COMBINED LANE CHANGE ASSIST AND REAR, CROSS-TRAFFIC ALERT FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20120041632A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Garcia Bordes, Maria Eugenia
• Application Number:
  US12/855,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/802 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal

Abstract

A system and method for detecting a potential threat to a vehicle. The system generates a warning to a driver of the vehicle of the potential threat. The system includes an object detection device, a controller, and a human-machine interface (HMI). The object detection device is configured to detect objects next to the vehicle, approaching the vehicle from a side, and approaching the vehicle from behind. The controller receives an indication of a detected object from the object detection device, and determines a position, a speed, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the detected object. The controller then categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when at least one of (a) the vehicle is moving forward and the detected object is adjacent the vehicle, (b) the vehicle is moving forward at a first speed and the detected object is approaching the vehicle from behind at a second speed relative to the first speed that indicates a time to collision is less than a predetermined threshold, and (c) the vehicle is moving in reverse and the detected object is approaching the vehicle from the side, the detected object is within a first distance of the vehicle and is traveling within a speed range. The HMI is coupled to the controller and is configured to receive an indication of the potential threat from the controller and to provide the warning to the driver of the potential threat.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a potential threat to a vehicle and generating a warning to a driver of the vehicle of the potential threat, the system comprising:

an object detection device configured to detect objects next to the vehicle, approaching the vehicle from a side, and approaching the vehicle from behind;

a controller receiving an indication of a detected object from the object detection device, the controller using a position, a speed, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the detected object to categorize the detected object as a potential threat when at least one of

a) the vehicle is moving forward and the detected object is adjacent the vehicle,

b) the vehicle is moving forward at a first speed and the detected object is approaching the vehicle from behind at a second speed relative to the first speed that indicates a time to collision is less than a predetermined threshold, and

c) the vehicle is moving in reverse and the detected object is approaching the vehicle from the side, is within a first distance of the vehicle, and is traveling within a range of speeds; and

a human-machine interface (HMI) coupled to the controller and configured to receive an indication of the potential threat from the controller and to provide a warning to the driver of the potential threat.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller receives the position, the speed, the acceleration, and the direction of travel of the detected object from the object detection device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller receives the indication of the position of the detected object from the object detection device, and determines the speed, the acceleration, and the direction of travel of the detected object using the position and one or more positions of the detected object stored in a memory of the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wheel speed sensor, the controller determining the direction of travel of the vehicle based on a wheel speed indication received from the wheel speed sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when the detected object is between about 3 meters and a predetermined maximum distance behind the vehicle and the time to collision is less than a predetermined time threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the predetermined maximum distance and predetermined time are at least one of about 25 meters and about 2.5 seconds, about 45 meters and about 3.0 seconds, and about 70 meters and about 3.5 seconds.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when the first distance is less than about 20 meters, the speed range is greater than about 7 kilometers per hour (kph) and less than about 35 kph, and the detected object is approaching the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when the controller has previously categorized the detected object as a potential threat and where the vehicle is moving in reverse, the detected object is less than about 20 meters from the vehicle, the detected object is traveling at greater than about 3 kph, and at least one of the detected object is approaching the vehicle and the detected object is less than about 10 meters from the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the HMI provides a first warning when the detected object is adjacent the vehicle, and the HMI provides a second warning when the controller determines the vehicle is moving toward the detected object adjacent the vehicle.

10. A vehicle, comprising:

an object detection device configured to detect objects next to the vehicle, approaching the vehicle from a side, and approaching the vehicle from behind;

a controller receiving an indication of a detected object from the object detection device, the controller determining a position, a speed, an acceleration, and a direction of travel of the detected object and performing a blind spot detection function, a closing vehicle warning function, and a rear, cross-traffic alert function; and

a human-machine interface (HMI) coupled to the controller and configured to provide a warning to a driver when the controller determines a potential threat exists.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein

the blind spot detection function determines a potential threat exists when the vehicle is moving forward and the detected object is adjacent the vehicle;

the closing vehicle warning function determines a potential threat exists when the vehicle is moving forward at a first speed and the detected object is approaching the vehicle from behind at a second speed, relative to the first speed, that indicates a time to collision is less than a threshold, and

the rear, cross-traffic alert function determines a potential threat exists when the vehicle is moving in reverse and the detected object is approaching the vehicle from the side, the detected object within a first distance and traveling within a speed range;

12. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a wheel speed sensor, the controller determining a direction of movement of the vehicle based on a wheel speed indication received from the wheel speed sensor.

13. A method for warning a driver of a vehicle, by a single controller and an object detection device, of a potential threat, the method comprising:

detecting an object by the object detection device;

determining a position of the object relative to the vehicle;

determining a direction of travel of the object;

determining a speed of the object relative to a speed of the vehicle;

determining an acceleration of the object relative to an acceleration of the vehicle;

determining, by a controller, if the object is in a of zone of danger, the zone of danger including a first area adjacent the vehicle, a second area extending perpendicular from the rear of the vehicle, and a third area extending a distance from the back of the vehicle;

determining a time to collision for the detected object in the zone of danger;

categorizing the detected object as a potential threat when at least one of the detected object is in the zone of danger adjacent the vehicle and the time to collision is less than a threshold; and

providing an indication of the potential threat to the driver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving at the controller, from the object detection device, the position of the object relative to the vehicle, the direction of travel of the object, the acceleration of the object, and the speed of the object relative to the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a direction of movement of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when the vehicle is moving forward and the controller categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when the detected object is at least one of

between about 3 meters and about 25 meters behind the vehicle and the time to collision is less than about 2.5 seconds,

between about 3 meters and about 45 meters behind the vehicle and the time to collision is less than about 3.0 seconds, and

between about 3 meters and about 70 meters behind the vehicle and the time to collision is less than about 3.5 seconds.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein when the vehicle is moving backward and the controller categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when a first distance between the vehicle and the detected object is less than about 20 meters, a speed range of the detected object is greater than about 7 kilometers per hour (kph) and less than about 35 kph, and the detected object is approaching the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein when the vehicle is moving backward and the controller categorizes the detected object as a potential threat when the controller has previously categorized the detected object as a potential threat, and where the detected object is less than about 20 meters from the vehicle, the object is traveling at greater than about 3 kph, and at least one of the detected object is approaching the vehicle and the detected object is less than about 10 meters from the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication of the potential threat is provided to the driver via a human machine interface using at least one of a visual indication, an acoustical indication, and a haptic indication.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication of the potential threat is provided to the driver by two or more visual, acoustic, and haptic indications.