METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A HOST VEHICLE

• US 20130151058A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Zagorski, Chad T., Chatterjee, Aamrapali, Lee, Jin-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 9,771,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93

Abstract

A method and system that monitors the behavior of surrounding vehicles in order to predict and react to an upcoming hazard in the road, even in situations where the hazard has not been directly sensed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method monitors an area around the host vehicle and looks for the presence of one or more target vehicles. If target vehicles are detected, then the method evaluates their behavior, classifies their behavior into one of several categories, and assuming that their behavior suggests some type of upcoming hazard, develops an appropriate preemptive response for controlling the host vehicle. The preemptive response may include mimicking, copying and/or integrating with the behavior of the surrounding target vehicles according to so-called “flocking” techniques in order to avoid the otherwise unseen hazard.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving target vehicle readings from one or more target vehicle sensor(s) that monitor an area around the host vehicle;

(b) using the target vehicle readings to determine if one or more target vehicle(s) are currently located in the area around the host vehicle;

(c) if there are one or more target vehicle(s) currently located in the area around the host vehicle, then using the target vehicle readings to evaluate the behavior of the target vehicle(s) by identifying a vehicle maneuver and classifying the vehicle maneuver in one of a plurality of categories; and

(d) using the evaluated behavior of the one or more target vehicle(s) and the classified vehicle maneuver to develop a preemptive response that avoids an otherwise unseen hazard in the upcoming road segment without directly sensing the hazard with the one or more target vehicle sensor(s).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving target vehicle readings from one or more RADAR or LIDAR target vehicle sensor(s) that form an observational area around the host vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving target vehicle readings from a plurality of target vehicle sensors that form an observational area around the host vehicle, at least one of the target vehicle sensors is generally directed to an area in front of the host vehicle, at least one of the target vehicle sensors is generally directed to an area on a driver side of the host vehicle, and at least one of the target vehicle sensors is generally directed to an area on a passenger side of the host vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises evaluating the behavior of one or more leading target vehicle(s) located in front of the host vehicle by identifying a leading vehicle maneuver;

and step (d) further comprises using the leading vehicle maneuver to develop a preemptive response that avoids the hazard in the upcoming road segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying a leading vehicle maneuver in the form of a leading target vehicle swerving to avoid an object in the upcoming road segment;

and step (d) further comprises developing a preemptive response that causes the host vehicle to automatically copy, mimic or otherwise emulate the leading vehicle maneuver so that the host vehicle also avoids the object.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying a leading vehicle maneuver in the form of a leading target vehicle shifting lanes to address a traffic event in the upcoming road segment;

and step (d) further comprises developing a preemptive response that causes the host vehicle to automatically copy, mimic or otherwise emulate the leading vehicle maneuver so that the host vehicle also addresses the traffic event.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying a leading vehicle maneuver by employing a departure technique that requires the maneuver to exceed some minimum degree of suddenness or severity before concluding that a leading vehicle maneuver has taken place.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises evaluating the behavior of one or more surrounding target vehicle(s) located to the lateral sides of the host vehicle by identifying a surrounding vehicle maneuver;

and step (d) further comprises using the surrounding vehicle maneuver to develop a preemptive response that controls the lateral position of the host vehicle relative to the surrounding target vehicle(s).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying a high-level surrounding maneuver in the form of first and second surrounding target vehicles laterally encroaching on the host vehicle where the first and second surrounding target vehicles are on each side of the host vehicle and a collision is likely to occur;

and step (d) further comprises developing a preemptive response that seeks to maintain an equidistant lateral spacing between the host vehicle and the first and second surrounding target vehicles.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying a mid- level surrounding maneuver in the form of one or more surrounding target vehicle(s) laterally encroaching on the host vehicle where a collision is not likely to occur;

and step (d) further comprises developing a preemptive response that seeks to maintain the host vehicle within its current lane.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein step (d) further comprises developing a preemptive response that seeks to maintain an equidistant lateral spacing between the host vehicle and first and second surrounding target vehicles on each side of the host vehicle and seeks to maintain the host vehicle within its current lane.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying a low-level maneuver in the form of one or more target vehicle(s) performing a discourteous driving maneuver that may present a potential problem with the host vehicle in the future;

and step (d) further comprises using the discourteous driving maneuver to develop a preemptive response that seeks to address the potential problem.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein step (d) further comprises developing a preemptive response that controls the longitudinal position of the host vehicle relative to the surrounding target vehicle(s) by either accelerating or decelerating the host vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the preemptive response is weighted towards decelerating the host vehicle to a lower speed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises avoiding the hazard in the upcoming road segment by automatically controlling at least one of the following operations while the host vehicle is being operated in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode:

vehicle acceleration, vehicle deceleration or vehicle steering.

7. A method of controlling a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving target vehicle readings from one or more target vehicle sensor(s) that monitor an area in front of the host vehicle;

(b) using the target vehicle readings to determine if one or more leading target vehicle(s) are currently located in the area in front of the host vehicle;

(c) if there are one or more leading target vehicle(s) currently located in the area in front of the host vehicle, then using the target vehicle readings to evaluate the behavior of the leading target vehicle(s) by identifying a leading vehicle maneuver and employing a corroboration technique that requires multiple leading target vehicles to perform roughly the same maneuver before concluding that a leading vehicle maneuver has taken place; and

(d) using the leading vehicle maneuver to develop a preemptive response that avoids a hazard in the upcoming road segment without directly sensing the hazard with the one or more target vehicle sensor(s).

9. A method of controlling a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving target vehicle readings from one or more target vehicle sensor(s) that monitor an area in front of the host vehicle;

(b) using the target vehicle readings to determine if one or more leading target vehicle(s) are currently located in the area in front of the host vehicle;

(c) if there are one or more leading target vehicle(s) currently located in the area in front of the host vehicle, then using the target vehicle readings to evaluate the behavior of the leading target vehicle(s) by identifying a leading vehicle maneuver and employing a confirmation technique that uses navigation-related information provided by a navigation module before concluding that a leading vehicle maneuver has taken place; and

(d) using the leading vehicle maneuver to develop a preemptive response that avoids a hazard in the upcoming road segment without directly sensing the hazard with the one or more target vehicle sensor(s).

18. A method of controlling a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) using target vehicle readings from one or more target vehicle sensor(s) to establish an observational area around the host vehicle;

(b) analyzing the behavior of one or more target vehicle(s) within the observational area by identifying one or more vehicle maneuver(s);

(c) categorizing the vehicle maneuver(s) as either a leading maneuver or a surrounding maneuver, a leading maneuver pertains to a maneuver by a target vehicle located in front of the host vehicle and a surrounding maneuver pertains to a maneuver by a target vehicle located on a side of the host vehicle; and

(d) generating a preemptive response for the host vehicle based on the vehicle maneuver category, wherein the preemptive response causes an automatic acceleration, deceleration and/or steering of the host vehicle while the host vehicle is being driving in an autonomous or semi-autonomous mode.

19. A method of controlling a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) using target vehicle readings from one or more target vehicle sensor(s) to establish an observational area around the host vehicle;

(b) analyzing the behavior of a plurality of target vehicles within the observational area, at least some of the target vehicles are located on the sides of the host vehicle;

(c) using the behavior of the plurality of target vehicles to develop a preemptive response for the host vehicle, wherein the preemptive response automatically controls the lateral and/or longitudinal position of the host vehicle and is designed to integrate the host vehicle into the plurality of target vehicles; and

(d) sending command signals that are representative of the preemptive response to one or more control module(s) within the host vehicle so that the lateral and/or longitudinal position of the host vehicle can be automatically controlled.