METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PREDICTIVE VEHICLE SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE SELECTION FOR ENHANCED MANEUVERABILITY

• US 20140288775A1
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Lu, Jianbo, Tseng, Finn, Filev, Dimitar Petrov, Szwabowski, Steven Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,230,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A predictive enhanced maneuverability system providing enhanced timely delivery of vehicle performance selection of chassis, and steering modes for potential predicted safety collisions is disclosed. The primary inputs of the disclosed invention include a determination of the proximity to a preceding vehicle, the density of the surrounding traffic, a forward collision warning alert, and the predictive enhanced maneuverability decision sub-system for vehicle mode selection. The system of the disclosed invention provides a customized vehicle dynamics chassis and steering dynamic mode output, based on a predicted decision about vehicle potential for collision, for improved driver maneuverability and safety. In addition, the disclosed invention provides an improved system and method for incorporating the time dependent headway, forward collision warning alert, and the traffic density for chassis collision-mode embedded decision-making. The predictive enhanced maneuverability decision-module allows vehicle dynamics mode selection to be tailored based on proximity to a potential collision.

Claims

1. A vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability comprising:

a suspension having different operating modes;

a steering system having different operating modes;

a suspension and steering mode selection module connected with said suspension and said chassis;

a time dependent headway input operatively associated with said module;

a traffic density input operatively associated with said module; and

a forward collision warning alert input operatively associated with said module.

2. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 1 wherein said inputs provide information to said module which identifies a potential collision scenario and which determines which of said suspension and steering system operating modes are appropriate for the identified conditions.

3. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 1 wherein said different operating modes of said suspension are selected from the group consisting of at least sport and normal.

4. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 1 wherein said different operating modes of said steering system are selected from the group consisting of at least sport and normal.

5. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 1 in which the vehicle has a front portion and in which said front portion includes a short-range sensor and a long-range sensor connected to said module.

6. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 5 in which the forward collision warning alert input is generated by said short-range sensor and said long-range sensor.

7. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 5 in which the vehicle has a first side and a second side and in which said first side includes a first side sensor and said second side includes a second side sensor.

8. A vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability comprising:

a suspension having different operating modes;

a steering system having different operating modes;

a suspension and steering mode selection module connected with said suspension and said chassis;

a plurality of sensors for determining local vehicle traffic density and position, said sensors being operatively associated with said module, said sensors providing input to said module for selecting among said modes appropriate to respond to a potential collision scenario.

9. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 8 wherein said inputs are selected from the group consisting of at least a time dependent headway input, a traffic density input, and a forward collision warning alert input.

10. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 9 in which the vehicle has a front portion and in which said front portion includes a short-range sensor and a long-range sensor connected to said module.

11. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 10 in which the forward collision warning alert input is generated by said short-range sensor and said long-range sensor.

12. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 11 in which the vehicle has a first side and a second side and in which said first side includes a first side sensor and said second side includes a second side sensor.

13. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 8 wherein said different operating modes of said suspension are selected from the group consisting of at least sport and normal.

14. The vehicle having predictive enhanced maneuverability of claim 8 wherein said different operating modes of said steering system are selected from the group consisting of at least sport and normal.

15. A method for providing predictive enhanced maneuverability in a vehicle having a suspension and steering system with different operating modes, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a system including a suspension and steering mode decision selection module and a plurality of sensors for determining local vehicle traffic density and position, said sensors being operatively associated with said decision module and providing input thereto; and

selecting the appropriate mode to respond to a potential collision scenario.

16. The method for providing predictive enhanced maneuverability in a vehicle of claim 15 wherein said inputs are selected from the group consisting of at least a time dependent headway input, a traffic density input, and a forward collision warning alert input, and operating mode selection is made in response to a combination of said inputs.

17. The method for providing predictive enhanced maneuverability in a vehicle of claim 16 in which the vehicle has a front portion and in which said front portion includes a short-range sensor and a long-range sensor connected to said module.

18. The method for providing predictive enhanced maneuverability in a vehicle of claim 17 in which the forward collision warning alert input is generated by said short-range sensor and said long-range sensor.

19. The method for providing predictive enhanced maneuverability in a vehicle of claim 18 in which the vehicle has a first side and a second side and in which said first side includes a first side sensor and said second side includes a second side sensor.

20. The method for providing predictive enhanced maneuverability in a vehicle of claim 15 wherein said different operating modes of said suspension are selected from the group consisting of at least sport and normal and said different operating modes of said steering system are selected from the group consisting of at least sport and normal.