Emergency Braking System for a Vehicle

• US 20160016560A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Parker, Dirk, Cockings, Kevin, Cund, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,682,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering

Abstract

Emergency Braking System for a Vehicle The invention relates to an Intelligent emergency braking (IEB) system and method for a vehicle. It comprises a camera (14), one or more ultrasonic transceivers (22) of a parking aid system and a computer (20). The camera is adapted to provide captured image data, and the transceivers provide transceiver data. The computer processes said data. The camera will invoke automatic braking if: i) the confidence with which the computer calculates that a detected object is a person or is an object vehicle exceeds a first predetermined level, and ii) the ultrasonic transceiver provides the computer with transceiver data consistent with the object detected through the captured image data.

Claims

1. An intelligent emergency braking (IEB) system for a vehicle, the IEB system comprising:

a) a first detector, comprising a camera;

b) a second detector, comprising an ultrasonic transceiver; and

c) a computer, wherein

d) the camera is adapted to provide the computer with captured image data and the computer is adapted to process the captured image data to detect objects in a field of view of the camera;

e) the ultrasonic transceiver is adapted to provide the computer with transceiver data and the computer is adapted to process the transceiver data to detect objects in a field of detection of the ultrasonic transceiver; and

f) the computer is adapted automatically to issue a command to invoke a vehicle braking system in the event that;

i. a confidence with which the computer calculates on a basis of the captured image data that there is an object in the field of view of the camera with which the vehicle will collide exceeds a first level of confidence; and

ii. the ultrasonic transceiver provides the computer with transceiver data consistent with the object detected through the captured image data.

2. The IEB system of claim 1, in which:

the ultrasonic transceiver is a component of a parking distance control further comprising a park aid module connected to the ultrasonic transceiver; and

/or

a camera module is connected to the camera; and

said computer is one of the park aid module, the camera module and a separate computer.

3. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein the computer automatically invokes the vehicle braking system in the event that:

i. a confidence with which the computer calculates that a detected image captured by the camera is an object exceeds a second predetermined level, higher than said first level; and

ii. the vehicle will collide with the object.

4. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein the computer automatically invokes the vehicle braking system in the event that:

i. a confidence with which the computer calculates that the transceiver data of a detected reflection is from an object exceeds a third predetermined level; and

ii. the vehicle will collide with the object.

5. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein the camera and computer are not adapted to detect alone and with requisite certainty objects to be avoided;

and/or wherein the ultrasonic transceiver and computer are not adapted to detect alone and with requisite certainty objects to be avoided.

7. The IEB system of claim 2, wherein transceiver data consistent with the object detected through the captured image data is an ultrasound reflection from an object within the same distance as the detected object and/or from the same direction as the detected object.

8. The IEB system of claim 2, wherein, when the computer determines that a detected object is a person with a level of confidence greater than said first level, the computer is adapted to prepare the vehicle for immediate braking in anticipation of confirmation of the presence of an object by the transceiver.

9. The IEB system of claim 8, wherein said preparation of the vehicle for immediate braking comprises pre-charging of a hydraulic system associated with the vehicle braking system.

10. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein said computer, being adapted to invoke said vehicle braking system, is adapted to invoke at least one of

a) pre-charging a hydraulic system associated with the vehicle braking system in readiness for driver- or computer-initiated braking;

b) issuing audible, visual and/or haptic warning signals of a detected object vehicle or person,

c) force assistance for driver-actuated brakes;

d) full brake actuation; and

e) third party warning systems, such as flashing direction indicator lights.

11. The IEB system as claimed in of claim 10, further comprising a third detector to detect a rate of deceleration of the vehicle, wherein the computer is adapted, after a driver has actuated the vehicle braking system, to:

determine if a detected rate of deceleration could be increased to reduce a speed of the vehicle at collision; and

, in that event,

implement full actuation of the vehicle braking system.

12. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein automatic operation by the computer of the vehicle braking system is adapted to be disabled as soon as a driver assumes responsibility for evasion/avoidance of a collision by one or more of appropriate steering, braking or acceleration.

13. The IEB system of claim 12, wherein force assistance is adapted to be retained by the computer where driver action is only braking.

14. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to apply at least some of the vehicle braking system when relative speeds of the vehicle and a detected object and their separation are such that a condition of an inevitable and unavoidable collision will occur within a future time period of less than five seconds.

15. The IEB system of claim 14, wherein the computer is adapted to:

a) pre-charge a brake hydraulic system in readiness for braking; and

b) issue audible, visual and/or haptic warning signals of a detected object vehicle or person.

17. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises two distinct algorithms running in separate processors, one in a camera module and one in a park aid module of the vehicle, wherein each algorithm has a tracking algorithm to determine whether an object detected by either module is an object in front of the vehicle, a signaling mechanism in the park aid module sending a signal to the camera module when it detects an object, and the camera module determining a braking decision to invoke the vehicle braking system on detection of an object by the camera when a level of confidence that a captured image is an object exceeds said first level.

18. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein a braking decision by the computer on detection of an object, wherein the level of confidence exceeds said first level, is through a single algorithm running in one of a camera module or a park aid module, with communication of respective detected object data being passed from the other of said camera and park aid modules.

19. The IEB system of claim 1, which is adapted, when the computer determines with a level of confidence greater than said first level that a captured image is of an object, the ultrasonic transceiver issues a higher power pulse than a normal pulse when the vehicle is at a point with respect to the suspected object beyond the ultrasonic transceiver'"'"'s normal range to determine if the object can be detected sooner than it would otherwise be detected when such normal power pulses are issued.

21. The IEB system of claim 1, wherein a range of the ultrasonic transceiver is between 10 and 20 m.

23. A vehicle comprising the IEB system of claim 1.

6. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

24. A method of operating an emergency braking system of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a forward-facing camera and a forward-facing ultrasonic transceiver, the method comprising:

processing captured image data from the camera to detect objects in front of the vehicle;

processing transceiver data from the ultrasonic transceiver to detect objects in front of the vehicle; and

automatically invoking a vehicle braking system when;

i. a confidence with which captured image data is calculated to be an object in front of the vehicle, and with which the vehicle will collide, exceeds a first level of confidence; and

ii. the ultrasonic transceiver provides transceiver data consistent with the object detected through the captured image data.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising invoking the vehicle braking system when:

i. the confidence with which captured image data is calculated to be an object in front of the vehicle exceeds a second predetermined level, higher than said first level; and

ii. the vehicle will collide with the object.

26. (canceled)