MODIFYING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL TO MITIGATE REAR-END COLLISIONS

• US 20160200318A1
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Parikh, Sameer J., Schwindt, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling a host vehicle to mitigate rear-end collisions. One method includes automatically maintaining the host vehicle at least a predetermined following distance from a front vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle. The method also includes detecting a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle and determining when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle. In addition, the method includes automatically, by a controller, increasing a speed of the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle, and automatically reducing the predetermined following distance to decrease a distance between the host vehicle and the front vehicle and increase a distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a host vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one controller configured to;

adjust a speed of the host vehicle to maintain at least a predetermined following

distance between the host vehicle and a front vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle,

receive data from at least one rearward-facing environment sensor mounted on the host vehicle,

determine, based on the data from the at least one rearward-facing environment sensor, whether a rear vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle,

detect, based on the data from the at least one rearward-facing environment sensor, a critical rear-collision risk,

reduce the predetermined following distance to a second minimum following distance when the critical rear-collision condition is detected, and

automatically increase the speed of the host vehicle to maintain the second minimum following distance between the host vehicle and the vehicle tranveling ahead of the host vehicle when the critical rear-collision condition is detected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to automatically pre-fill brakes of the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to automatically turn on at least one external light on the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to issue a warning to a driver of the host vehicle when automatically increasing the speed of the host vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to control the speed of the host vehicle to maintain the host vehicle at a user-selected cruising, speed.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one controller is configured to automatically increase the speed of the host vehicle when the critical rear-collision condition is detected by increasing the speed of the host vehicle up to the user-selected cruising speed. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one controller is configured to automatically increase the speed of the host vehicle when the critical rear-collision condition is detected by increasing the speed of the host vehicle to exceed the user-selected cruising speed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to obtain the data from the at least one rearward-facing environment sensor mounted on the host vehicle through a blind spot detection system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to obtain the data from the at least one rearward-facing environment sensor mounted on the host vehicle through a closing vehicle warning system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect a critical rear-collision risk by determining whether the rear vehicle will likely be able to brake in time to avoid a rear end collision with the host vehicle based on a speed of the rear vehicle relative to the host vehicle and a distance between the rear vehicle and the host vehicle as indicated by the data from the at least one rearward-facing environment sensor.

11. A method of controlling a host vehicle, the method comprising:

automatically maintaining the host vehicle at least a predetermined following distance from a front vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle;

detecting a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle,

determining when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle,

automatically, by a controller, increasing, a speed of the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle, and

automatically reducing the predetermined following distance to decrease a distance between the host vehicle and the front vehicle and increase a distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle includes determining the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle and comparing the distance to a predetermined distance.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle includes determining the speed of the host vehicle, determining a speed of the rear vehicle, and comparing the speed of the host vehicle to the speed of the rear vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining when t le rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle includes determining a speed of the rear vehicle, determining the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle, and determining if the rear vehicle has sufficient distance to brake while avoiding a collision with the host vehicle based on the speed of the rear vehicle and the distance between the host vehicle and the rear vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically pre-filling brakes of the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically turning on at least one external light on the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, issuing a warning to a driver of the host vehicle when automatically increasing the speed of the host vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling the speed of the host vehicle to maintain the host vehicle at a user-selected cruising speed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein automatically increasing the speed of the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle includes increasing the speed of the host vehicle up to the user-selected cruising speed.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein automatically increasing the speed of the host vehicle when the rear vehicle poses a rear-end collision risk with the host vehicle includes increasing the speed of the host vehicle to exceed the user-selected cruising speed.