VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20130238233A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lit Motors Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lit Motors Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Daniel Kee Young, Millett, Marshall R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/00 Arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion, e.g. hybrid propulsion systems comprising electric motors and internal combustion engines ; Control systems therefor, i.e. systems controlling two or more prime movers, or controlling one of these prime movers and any of the transmission, drive or drive units arrangement or mounting in vehicles of electrical gearing, in which an electrical machine serves only as reduction gearing and not as the prime mover and in which no electrical storing means are used B60K17/12; control and regulation of purely electrical prime movers B60L; prime-movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors in a common engine block or housing per se F02B65/00; electric motors or motor-generators used for starting the combustion engine F02N11/04; electric motors for synchronising gearing F16H3/12 Informative references: mechanical gearings with secondary electric drive F16H3/72; arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with the dynamo-electric machine H02K7/00; machines comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; dynamo-electric machines not otherwise provided for in H02K see H02K99/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/105 the accumulator being a flywheel
• 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 2720/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/085 Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude in preparation for collision, e.g. braking for nose dropping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention describe modules/logic/circuitry to receive image data identifying terrain, environment, and/or one or more objects near a vehicle, determine a projection of the one or more objects with respect to the vehicle, determine whether the one or more objects will collide with the vehicle, and in response to determining the one or more objects will collide, altering the vehicle state. In some embodiments, altering the vehicle state is based, at least in part, on a driver position with respect to the one or more objects determined to collide with the vehicle (e.g., moving the vehicle to protect the drive). In some embodiments, altering the vehicle state comprises at least one of adjusting brakes of the vehicle to alter its trajectory, adjusting a steering wheel of the vehicle to alter its trajectory and adjusting an orientation or rotational speed of a flywheel (for CMG assisted vehicles).

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions that, when executed, causes a machine to execute a method comprising:

receiving spatial data identifying at least one of terrain, environment, or one or more objects near a vehicle;

determining a projection of the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects with respect to the vehicle;

determining whether the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects are to adversely affect the vehicle based on the determined projection of the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects; and

in response to determining the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects are to adversely affect the vehicle, altering the vehicle state via control moment gyroscope (CMG) active controls to change the projection of the vehicle frame with respect to the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects, wherein the vehicle further includes a gyroscope coupled to a vehicle frame, and altering the vehicle state comprises adjusting an orientation or rotational speed of a flywheel of the gyroscope.

2. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining the objects are to adversely affect the vehicle comprises determining the one or more objects are to collide with the vehicle, and altering the vehicle state is based, at least in part, on a driver position with respect to the one or more objects determined to collide with the vehicle.

3. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises changing a portion of the vehicle frame to collide with the one or more objects.

4. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the image data comprises 3D spatial data, such as point cloud data.

5. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the 3D spatial data comprised from any depth or image sensory input such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data.

6. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises adjusting brakes of the vehicle to alter its trajectory to avoid the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects.

7. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises adjusting a steering wheel of the vehicle to alter its trajectory to avoid the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects.

8. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the image and depth data is received from one or more sensors included in the vehicle.

9-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) coupled to the frame;

a front wheel and a rear wheel coupled to the frame;

one or more image sensors coupled to the frame; and

a system controller to;

receive image data from the one or more image sensors identifying at least one of terrain, environment, or one or more objects near a vehicle;

determine a projection of the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects with respect to the vehicle;

determine whether the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects are to adversely affect the vehicle based on the determined projection of the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects; and

in response to determining the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects are adversely affect the vehicle, alter the vehicle state to change the projection of the vehicle frame via control moment gyroscope (CMG) active controls with respect to the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises adjusting an orientation or rotational speed of a flywheel of the CMG.

21. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein determining the objects are to adversely affect the vehicle comprises determining the one or more objects are to collide with the vehicle, and altering the vehicle state is based, at least in part, on a driver position with respect to the one or more objects determined to collide with the vehicle.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises changing a portion of the vehicle frame to collide with the one or more objects.

23. The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the depth or image data comprises 3D spatial data.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the 3D spatial data comprises depth and image sensory input such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data.

25. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises adjusting brakes of the vehicle to alter its trajectory to avoid the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects.

26. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein altering the vehicle state comprises adjusting a steering wheel of the vehicle to alter its trajectory to avoid the terrain, the environment, or the one or more objects.

27. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the one or more image sensors are included in a body of the vehicle.