RECONFIGURABLE VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140129129A1
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: PROKHOROV, Danil V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,282 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

A processing system for a driven vehicle comprising a detector to detect an object which is in an area surrounding the driven vehicle via one or more sensors mounted on the driven vehicle, and to generate position data and size data corresponding to the detected object. The system may include a calculator to calculate an adjustment signal based on the position data and the size data. The system may also include a controller to adjust the driven vehicle'"'"'s cabin height and/or the driven vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width, based on the calculated adjustment signal, such that the driven vehicle avoids colliding with the detected object. Collision may be avoided by the system via elevating the vehicle cabin above the road using an expandable suspension system. Further, an omni-directional telescoping shaft and wheel assembly system with in-wheel motors may be used for maneuvering the vehicle and/or altering the wheelbase width.

Claims

1. A processing system for a driven vehicle, comprising:

a detector configured to detect an object which is in an area surrounding the driven vehicle via one or more sensors mounted on the driven vehicle, and to generate one or more of position data and size data corresponding to the detected object;

a calculator configured to calculate an adjustment signal based on the one or more of the position data and the size data; and

a controller configured to adjust one or more of the driven vehicle'"'"'s cabin height and the driven vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width, based on the calculated adjustment signal, such that the driven vehicle avoids colliding with the detected object, wherein

the controller is configured to adjust the vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width by controlling, based on the calculated adjustment signal, the direction or speed of one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels.

2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the detector is further configured to update the position data and the size data at a predetermined frequency to form tracking history data, and

the calculator is further configured to;

calculate a first trajectory corresponding to the detected object, based on the tracking history data,

calculate a second trajectory corresponding to the driven vehicle based on the vehicle'"'"'s current velocity and direction of motion, and

calculate a collision time at which the first trajectory intersects the second trajectory.

3. The processing system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control a rate at which the vehicle'"'"'s height and/or wheelbase width are adjusted, based on the calculated collision time.

5. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the driven vehicle'"'"'s cabin height by controlling one or more telescoping shafts which are respectively connected at opposing ends to the driven vehicle'"'"'s cabin and a wheel assembly.

6. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the position data includes information describing a position of the detected object relative to the driven vehicle, and

the size data includes information describing the dimensional characteristics of the detected object.

8. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width by controlling a length of one or more telescoping shafts which are respectively connected at opposing ends to the driven vehicle'"'"'s cabin and a wheel assembly.

9. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width by controlling a length, in combination with the direction and/or the speed of the one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels, of one or more telescoping shafts which are respectively connected at opposing ends to the driven vehicle'"'"'s cabin and a wheel assembly.

10. The processing system according to claim 6, wherein the detector is further configured to classify the detected object based on one or more of the position data and the size data.

11. The processing system according to claim 5, wherein:

the telescoping shafts are each respectively connected to the vehicle cabin at a joint which allows the telescoping shafts to independently pivot in a direction around the vehicle cabin.

12. The processing system according to claim 11, wherein the joint includes a locking mechanism configured to prevent the telescoping shafts from pivoting around the vehicle cabin when a braking signal for the wheel assemblies is received.

4. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

13. A control method for a driven vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an object which is in an area surrounding the driven vehicle via one or more sensors mounted on the driven vehicle;

generating one or more of position data and size data corresponding to the detected object;

calculating an adjustment signal based on the one or more of the position data and the size data; and

adjusting the driven vehicle'"'"'s height and/or the driven vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width, based on the calculated adjustment signal, such that the driven vehicle avoids colliding with the detected object, wherein

the adjusting of the driven vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width includes controlling, based on the calculated adjustment signal, the direction or speed of one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of claim 13.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a detector configured to detect an object in an area surrounding the vehicle via one or more sensors mounted on the vehicle, and to generate one or more of position data and size data corresponding to the detected object;

a calculator configured to calculate an adjustment signal based on the one or more of the position data and the size data; and

a controller configured to adjust one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s cabin height and the vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width, based on the calculated adjustment signal, such that the vehicle avoids colliding with the detected object, wherein

the controller is configured to adjust the vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase width by controlling, based on the calculated adjustment signal, the direction or speed of one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s wheels.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising:

one or more telescoping shafts which are respectively connected at opposing ends to the vehicle'"'"'s cabin and a wheel assembly, wherein

the controller is configured to adjust the vehicle'"'"'s cabin height and/or wheelbase width, based on the adjustment signal, by elongating or contracting the one or more telescoping shafts.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the telescoping shafts are connected to the vehicle cabin by one or more joints, the joints being configured to permit the telescoping shafts to pivot around the vehicle.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the joints include a braking mechanism configured to prevent the telescoping shafts from pivoting around the vehicle.