ACB FOLLOWING DISTANCE ALERT AND WARNING ADJUSTMENT AS A FUNCTION OF FORWARD VEHICLE SIZE AND HOST VEHICLE MASS

• US 20120119894A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: PANDY, Ananda
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/196 acting within the driveline, e.g. retarders
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/10 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/13 Load or weight

Abstract

When employing an adaptive cruise-with-braking (ACB) system to control host vehicle following distance, a forward vehicle is detected using one or both of a radar sensor (14) and a camera sensor (82). The radar sensor classifies the forward vehicle as a motorcycle, passenger car, or heavy vehicle by comparing a detected radar signature to reference radar signatures for different vehicles. The camera sensor classifies the forward vehicle as a motorcycle, passenger car, or heavy vehicle by comparing a captured vehicle image to reference pixel and contrast profiles (PCPs) for different vehicles. An adaptive cruise control (ACC) module (12) selects and implements a following distance alert (FDA) protocol for the classified vehicle, where the FDA protocol prescribes following distance limits that inversely proportional to the size of the forward vehicle. Following distance limits can be further adjusted as a function of host vehicle mass.

Claims

1. An adaptive cruise-with-braking (ACB) system that adjusts host vehicle following distance as a function of forward vehicle size, including:

a sensor (14, 82) on a host vehicle that detects a forward vehicle and classifies the forward vehicle as a function of the size of the forward vehicle;

an electronic stability program (ESP) module (32) that calculates a mass of the host vehicle; and

an adaptive cruise control (ACC) module (12) that selects and initiates one of a plurality of following distance alert (FDA) protocols (54, 56, 58) as a function of the size of the forward vehicle and the mass of the host vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a radar sensor (14).

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the radar sensor (14) includes:

a memory (62) that;

stores reference radar signature data (66) for a plurality of differently-sized vehicles; and

a lookup table (LUT) (68) that correlates radar signature magnitude to vehicle size; and

a processor (60) that;

receives a detected radar signature (67);

compares the detected radar signature (67) to the reference radar signatures (66);

identifies a reference radar signature (66) that matches the detected radar signature (67); and

performs a table lookup on the LUT (68) to determine the size of the forward vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor further includes a camera sensor (82) that includes:

a memory (92) that;

stores reference pixel and contrast profile (PCP) data (96) for a plurality of differently-sized vehicles; and

a lookup table (LUT) (98) that correlates PCP information to vehicle size; and

a processor (90) that;

receives a captured vehicle image (97);

compares the captured vehicle image (97) to the reference PCP data (96);

identifies a reference PCP (96) that matches the captured vehicle image (97); and

performs a table lookup on the LUT (98) to determine the size of the forward vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a camera sensor (82).

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the camera sensor (82) includes:

a memory (92) that;

stores reference pixel and contrast profile (PCP) data (96) for a plurality of differently-sized vehicles; and

a lookup table (LUT) (98) that correlates PCP information to vehicle size; and

a processor (90) that;

receives a captured vehicle image (97);

compares the captured vehicle image (97) to the reference PCP data (96);

identifies a reference PCP (96) that matches the captured vehicle image (97); and

perfornis a table lookup on the LUT (98) to determine the size of the forward vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (14, 82) classifies the forward vehicle as being one of three sizes, the three sizes corresponding to:

two-wheeled vehicles;

four-wheeled passenger vehicles; and

heavy commercial vehicles.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of FDA protocols include at least:

a first FDA protocol that is initiated when the forward vehicle is classified as a heavy commercial vehicle;

a second FDA protocol that is initiated when the forward vehicle is classified as a four-wheeled passenger vehicle; and

a third FDA protocol that is initiated when the forward vehicle is classified as a two-wheeled vehicle;

wherein following distances prescribed by the first FDA protocol are shorter than following distances prescribed by the second FDA protocol, which in turn are shorter than following distances prescribed by the third FDA protocol.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ACC (12) uses mass of the host vehicle calculation to adjust a following distance prescribed by the selected FDA protocol, where the adjustment is inversely proportional to the mass of the host vehicle.

10. The system according to claim 1, further including a driver interface that receives from the ACC (12), and presents to the driver, an alert when the forward vehicle is within one or more following distances prescribed by the FDA protocol (54, 56, 58)

11. A method for adjusting host vehicle following distance as a function of forward vehicle size, including:

detecting a forward object in front of a host vehicle;

determining whether he forward object s a low-mass vehicle, a high mass vehicle, or an unclassified object;

when the forward object is determined to be a low mass vehicle, determining whether the vehicle is an automobile or a motorcycle;

initiating an automobile following distance alert (FDA) protocol (158, 210) when the forward vehicle is determined to be an automobile;

initiating a motorcycle FDA protocol (162, 200) when the forward vehicle is determined to be an motorcycle; and

initiating a heavy vehicle FDA protocol (170, 220) when the forward vehicle is determined to be a heavy vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising detecting the forward object using a radar sensor (14).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detecting the forward object includes:

receiving a detected radar signature (67);

comparing the detected radar signature (67) to pre-stored reference radar signatures (66) for a plurality of vehicle sizes;

identifying a reference radar signature (66) that matches the detected radar signature (67); and

performing a table lookup on a lookup table (LUT) (68) that correlates radar signature magnitude to vehicle size to determine the size of the forward vehicle;

wherein larger vehicle size is correlated to larger vehicle mass.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the detecting the forward object is performed using a camera sensor (82) and further includes:

receiving a captured vehicle image (97);

comparing the captured vehicle image (97) to reference PCP data (96) for a plurality of differently-sized vehicles;

identifying a reference PCP (96) that matches the captured vehicle image (97); and

performing a table lookup on a lookup table (LUT) (98) that correlates PCP information to vehicle size to determine the size of the forward vehicle;

wherein larger vehicle size is correlated to larger vehicle mass.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising detecting the forward object using a camera sensor (82).

16. The method according to claim 15, further including:

receiving a captured vehicle image (97);

comparing the captured vehicle image (97) to reference PCP data (96) for a plurality of differently-sized vehicles;

identifying a reference PCP (96) that matches the captured vehicle image (97); and

performing a table lookup on a lookup table (LUT) (98) that correlates PCP information to vehicle size to determine the size of the forward vehicle;

wherein larger vehicle size is correlated to larger vehicle mass.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein following distances prescribed by the motorcycle FDA protocol (162, 200) are longer than following distances prescribed by the automobile FDA protocol (158, 210), which in turn are longer than following distances prescribed by the heavy vehicle FDA protocol (170, 220).

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising adjusting a following distance prescribed by the initiated FDA protocol, where the adjustment is inversely proportional to the mass of the host vehicle.

19. A processor (50, 60, 90) or computer-readable medium (52, 62, 92) programmed to perform the method of claim 11.

20. A system that facilitates adjusting following distance for a host vehicle as a function of host vehicle mass and forward vehicle size, including:

a sensor (14, 82) that detects the position of a forward vehicle relative to a host vehicle in which the sensor (14, 82) is installed; and

a processor (50, 60, 90) that;

classifies the forward vehicle as one of a motorcycle, a passenger automobile, and a heavy vehicle;

initiates a following distance alert (FDA) protocol (200, 210, 220) selected as a function of the forward vehicle classification the FDA protocol including one or more prescribed following distance limits; and

adjusts the one or more following distance limits as a function of host vehicle mass, wherein the following distance adjustment is inversely proportional to the mass of the host vehicle.