METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR POST-COLLISION MANOEUVRE PLANNING AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH SUCH SYSTEM

• US 20160059855A1
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: REBHAN, Sven, KASTNER, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,566,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/082 Vehicle operation after collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters

Abstract

A method predicts trajectories of traffic objects to avoid collisions. The method estimates the probability for at least two traffic objects to collide, and predicts a potential movement of the traffic objects presumably involved in the collision after the collision. This information about a potential movement of the traffic objects can be used to plan a suitable trajectory path of an evasion manoeuvre for a host-vehicle employing the method. A system detects the collision situation and applies crash situation models to predict the future dynamic properties of other traffic objects that collide or are about to collide with each other. The method and system applies specific crash models like collision models, models derived from crash simulations and tests or models of human reactions in emergency situations.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a driver of a host vehicle, the host vehicle comprising a data acquisition means and a processing means, the method comprising steps of:

acquiring data describing a traffic environment by the acquisition means; and

processing the data describing the traffic environment to generate crash determination information;

determining, based on the crash determination information, whether a crash situation involving at least one target object will occur; and

if occurrence of the crash situation is determined, predicting movement behavior after the crash of the at least one target object based on the data describing the traffic environment by applying at least one crash situation model.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising,

if occurrence of the crash situation is determined, predicting further movement behavior of at least one further target object not involved in the crash situation based on the data describing the traffic environment by applying at least one traffic situation model,

and

generating prediction information based on the predicted further movement behavior of the target object and the movement behavior further target object.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

at least one possible future movement trajectory of the host vehicle is calculated, and

wherein the at least one possible future movement trajectory is calculated based on the prediction information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one crash situation model comprises at least one physical collision model.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the crash situation model is a model derived from crash test results.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising

estimating the mass of objects involved in the crash.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the at least one future movement trajectory of the host vehicle is calculated using rapidly-exploring random tree processing or a derivative processing thereof, or dynamic programming or a derivation thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the data acquisition means is configured to determine a state of the at least one target object or to determine a state of a road.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of generating an actuation signal based on the prediction information, and a step of controlling an actuator based on the actuation signal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

the step of controlling an actuator controls the host vehicle in a lateral direction with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s driving direction, or

recommends an evasion trajectory to a driver of the host vehicle, or

prepares passive safety equipment in case own involvement in the crash is determined to be unavoidable.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein

when the step of controlling an actuator controls the host vehicle in the lateral direction, the host vehicle is controlled by controlling an electrical power steering or by accelerating or decelerating at least one wheel of the host vehicle.

24. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said program with program-code means for executing the steps according to claim 1, when the program is executed on a computer or digital signal processor.

12. A system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle, the system comprising:

data acquisition means configured to acquire data describing a traffic environment; and

a processing means is configured to process the data describing the traffic environment to generate crash determination information,

wherein the processing means comprises

a crash detection module configured to determine based on the crash determination information whether a crash situation involving at least one target object will occur; and

a crash trajectory prediction module configured to predict movement behavior of the at least one target object after a crash based on the data describing the traffic environment by applying at least one crash situation model.

13. The system for assisting a driver of host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the processing means further comprises a non-crash trajectory prediction module configured to, when the crash situation is determined, predicting further movement behavior of at least one further target object not involved in the crash situation based on the data describing the traffic environment by applying at least one traffic situation model,

and wherein

the processing means is configured to generate the prediction information based on the predicted further movement behavior of the target object and the predicted further movement behavior of the further target object.

14. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the processing means further comprises a host vehicle evasion trajectory planning module configured to calculate based on the prediction information at least one future movement trajectory of the host vehicle.

15. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the crash trajectory prediction module is configured to process the data describing the traffic environment based on at least one crash situation model applying at least one physical collision model.

16. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the crash situation model is derived from crash test results.

17. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the processing means is configured to estimate the mass of objects involved in the crash.

18. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the host vehicle evasion trajectory planning module is configured to calculate the at least one future movement trajectory of the host vehicle using rapidly-exploring random tree processing or a derivative processing thereof, or dynamic programming or a derivation thereof.

19. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the data acquisition means is configured to determine a state of the at least one target object or to determine a state of a road.

20. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 12, wherein

the system further comprises an actuation processing module configured to generate an actuation signal based on the prediction information, and to control an actuator based on the actuation signal.

21. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 20, wherein

the actuation signal controls an actuator configured to control the host vehicle in a lateral direction with respect to the vehicle'"'"'s driving direction, or

to recommend an evasion trajectory to a driver of the host vehicle, or

to prepare passive safety equipment of the vehicle in case involvement into the crash is determined to be unavoidable.

22. The system for assisting a driver of a host vehicle according to claim 21, wherein

the actuation processing module is configured to control the host vehicle in the lateral direction by controlling an electrical power steering or by accelerating or decelerating at least one wheel of the host vehicle.

23. A vehicle including a driver assistance system according to claim 12, wherein

the driver assistance system is configured to influence control of the host vehicle based on output signals of the driver assistance system.