ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20140136044A1
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Conrad, Kevin P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,633,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/584 adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A method for use in an active safety system installed on a host vehicle is provided. The method comprises acquiring, for each of a plurality of target objects in the path of the host vehicle, a value of a parameter that is representative of a likelihood that the host vehicle will collide with the target object. In an exemplary embodiment, the parameter that is utilized comprises a time-to-collision between the host vehicle and the target object. The method further comprises evaluating one or more of the acquired parameter values to determine if the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more of the target objects, and triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when it is determined that the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more of the target objects. An active safety system configured to perform the methodology is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for use in an active safety system installed on a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

for each of a plurality of consecutively-arranged target objects in a common path in front of the host vehicle, calculating a time to collision (TTC) between the target object and the host vehicle;

evaluating one or more of the calculated TTCs to determine if the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more of the target objects corresponding to the evaluated one or more calculated TTCs; and

when the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more of the plurality of target objects, triggering one or more collision avoidance measures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the evaluating step comprises comparing one of the one or more calculated TTCs to a TTC threshold; and

the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when the calculated TTC falls below the TTC threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the evaluating step comprises comparing each of the one or more calculated TTCs to a respective TTC threshold; and

the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when at least one of the one or more calculated TTCs falls below the TTC threshold to which it was compared.

4. The method claim 1, wherein:

the evaluating step comprises comparing one of the calculated TTCs to a plurality of TTC thresholds; and

the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when the calculated TTC falls below at least one of the plurality of thresholds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating step comprises evaluating each of the calculated TTCs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating step comprises determining which of the calculated TTCs is the lowest calculated TTC, and then evaluating the lowest calculated TTC.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more collision avoidance measures comprises providing one or more visual, audible, or haptic alerts to the occupant(s) of the host vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more collision avoidance measures comprises one or more of autonomously applying the brakes of the host vehicle and pre-filling the hydraulic brake system of the host vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more calculated TTCs evaluated in the evaluating step each correspond to a target object that is different than that corresponding to a previously evaluated calculated TTC.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first target vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle, a second target vehicle is located in front of the first target vehicle, and both the first and second target vehicles are located in the common path in front of the host vehicle, and wherein the calculating step comprises calculating a time to collision (TTC) between the second target vehicle and the host vehicle by emitting and receiving signals underneath the first target vehicle.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first target vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle, a second target vehicle is located in front of the first target vehicle, and both the first and second target vehicles are located in the common path in front of the host vehicle, and wherein the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures in response to the second target vehicle.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first target vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle, a second target vehicle is located in front of the first target vehicle, and both the first and second target vehicles are located in the common path in front of the host vehicle, and wherein the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures in response to the second target vehicle.

10. A method for use in an active safety system installed on a host vehicle, comprising the steps of:

for each of a plurality of consecutively-arranged target objects in a common path in front of the host vehicle, acquiring a value of a parameter that is representative of a likelihood that the host vehicle will collide with the target object;

evaluating one or more of the acquired parameter values to determine if the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more of the target objects corresponding to the evaluated one or more acquired parameter values; and

when the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more target objects, triggering one or more collision avoidance measures.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameter representative of the collision threat comprises the time-to-collision (TTC), and further wherein the acquiring step comprises calculating, for each of the plurality of target objects, a time-to-collision (TTC) between the target object and the host vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the evaluating step comprises comparing each of the one or more acquired parameter values to a respective threshold; and

the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when at least one of the one or more parameter values falls below the threshold to which it was compared.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the evaluating step comprises comparing one of the one or more acquired parameter values to a threshold; and

the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when the acquired parameter value falls below the threshold.

14. The method claim 10, wherein:

the comparing step comprises comparing one of the one or more parameter values to a plurality of threshold values; and

the triggering step comprises triggering one or more collision avoidance measures when the acquired parameter value falls below at least one of the plurality of thresholds.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more collision avoidance measures comprises providing one or more visual, audible, and/or haptic alerts to the occupant(s) of the host vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more collision avoidance measures comprises one or more of autonomously applying the brakes of the host vehicle and pre-filling the hydraulic brake system of the host vehicle.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein:

a first target vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle, a second target vehicle is located in front of the first target vehicle, and both the first and second target vehicles are located in the common path in front of the host vehicle, and wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring a value of a parameter that is representative of a likelihood that the host vehicle will collide with the second target vehicle by emitting and receiving signals underneath the first target vehicle.

17. An active safety system for use with a host vehicle, comprising:

a target sensor configured to generate readings relating to each of a plurality of consecutively-arranged target objects in a common path in front of the host vehicle; and

a control module configured to;

receive the readings corresponding to each of the plurality of target objects from the target sensor;

for each of the plurality of target objects, calculate a time-to-collision (TTC) between the host vehicle and the target object using the received readings corresponding thereto;

evaluate one or more of the calculated TTCs to determine if the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more of the target objects corresponding to the evaluated one or more calculated TTCs; and

trigger one or more collision avoidance measures when the host vehicle is likely to collide with one or more target objects.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control module is configured to evaluate one of the one or more calculated TTCs by comparing the calculated TTC to a TTC threshold, and to trigger one or more collision avoidance measures when the calculated TTC falls below the TTC threshold.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the control module is configured to:

compare one of the one or more calculated TTCs to a plurality of TTC thresholds; and

trigger one or more collision avoidance measure(s) when the calculated TTC falls below at least one of the plurality of TTC thresholds.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the control module is further configured to determine which of the calculated TTCs is the lowest calculated TTC, and to evaluate the lowest calculated TTC.