SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATED CONTROL OF VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20120203424A1
• Filed: 02/05/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: LU, JIANBO, FILEV, DIMITAR PETROV, STEVENS, GREG, PRAKAH-ASANTE, KWAKU O., KOLMANOVSKY, ILYA, SZWABOWSKI, STEVEN J., CAIRANO, STEFANO DI
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0083 Setting, resetting, calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/40 Coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/406 Traffic density
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for providing driving support system to a vehicle. The vehicle includes a set of control modules, having at least one operational setting, configured for electronically controlling the vehicle components. The system includes an integrated drive mode selection module having a set of drive modes for modifying the settings for each control module. A sensing system detects at least one condition associated with the driver, vehicle or surroundings. A controller determines an appropriate drive mode for the vehicle based on the condition and the output of a safety module that ensures that the drive mode is safe while driving.

Claims

1. A driving support system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a set of control modules configured for controlling the vehicle subsystems, each control module includes at least one operational setting;

an integrated drive mode selection module having a set of drive modes for modifying the settings for each of the control modules;

a sensing system configured for identifying at least one condition associated with the driver, vehicle, or surroundings;

a safety module configured for ensuring that a selected drive mode is safe while driving; and

a controller configured for determining an appropriate drive mode for the vehicle through an input, the controller determines the drive mode based on;

the condition; and

output of the safety module for the drive mode selected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the condition associated with the driver includes at least one of:

control capability;

intent;

behavior;

or

workload.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the input includes:

driver'"'"'s selection;

an automatic mode which when activated automatically determines the drive mode for the vehicle;

or

a proactive mode which when activated determines the drive mode and recommends this drive mode for driver'"'"'s acceptance.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modes includes:

operational mode;

automatic mode; and

proactive mode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the safety module ensures that the selected drive mode is safe for the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller activates the selected drive mode based on the output of the safety module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes an arbitration module configured for:

computing a confidence score based on drive mode identified for each condition; and

determining an overall drive mode for the vehicle based on the confidence score associated with each condition; and

selecting a setting for each control module based on the overall drive mode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the arbitration module selects a separate setting for each of the control modules.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the arbitration module selects a common setting for each of the control modules.

10. A method for providing driving support in a vehicle, the method includes:

providing a set of control modules coupled to the vehicle, each control module operational with at least one setting;

providing an integrated drive mode selection module having a set of drive modes for modifying the settings for each of the control modules;

detecting a set of conditions associated with the driver, vehicle or surroundings;

determining a drive mode for the vehicle based on the set of conditions; and

upon a determination that the drive mode determined is safe for the vehicle and driver, activating the drive mode for operating the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining set includes determining a setting for each control module based on the drive mode.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining set includes:

determining an intermediate mode for each condition;

computing a confidence score based on the intermediate mode;

identifying the drive mode for the vehicle based on the confidence score; and

selecting a setting for each control module based on the drive mode.