System and Method for Operating a Motor Vehicle

• US 20170334483A1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schiebahn, Michael, Zegelaar, Peter W.A., Bosch, Helmuth
• Granted Patent: US 11,214,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/202 Steering torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18163 Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres
• 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: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/10 characterised by means for sensing or determining torque
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A motor vehicle including a sensor device detecting the current vehicle surroundings and an auxiliary device producing a steering torque on a steering control of the motor vehicle. A data processing device connected to the sensor device and the auxiliary device determines a free escape lane for the motor vehicle by considering the signals of the sensor device to determine existence of an imminent impact or collision in a current driving situation. The data processing device actuates the auxiliary device if an imminent impact or collision appears likely to produce a temporary indicative steering torque on the steering control. The steering control can be temporarily displaced, moved, or turned to a defined extent in an evasive steering direction the steering control should be displaced, moved or turned to steer the motor vehicle into the free escape lane. The auxiliary device produces the indicative steering torque in a manner such that the driving direction of the motor vehicle is not or is only insignificantly changed by the indicative steering torque.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a sensor generating a signal;

a vehicle steering control having an actuator; and

a data processor connected to the sensor and actuator wherein the data processor determines a vehicle escape lane based on said sensor signal and activates said actuator to generate an indicative steering torque on the steering control in an evasive steering direction toward the vehicle escape lane, the indicative steering torque causing an insignificant change in vehicle direction.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 including a second sensor connected to the data processor wherein the actuator stops generation of the indicative steering torque when said second sensor detects a manual steering intervention or when continued displacement of said steering control in the evasive steering direction ceases after expiration of a predetermined period of time.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the actuator varies the magnitude of the indicative steering torque against time.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the data processor determines whether the escape lane is blocked by a vehicle and ceases generation of the indicative steering torque.

5. A method for operating a vehicle comprising:

detecting current vehicle surroundings and an escape lane;

determining if an impact is imminent;

generating a temporary indicative steering torque on a steering control in a direction of said escape lane if an impact is imminent wherein the indicative steering torque causes at most an insignificant change in vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 including:

detecting manual steering movements of the steering control; and

stopping said temporary indicative steering torque upon detecting a manual steering intervention torque or when continued displacement of said steering control in the evasive steering direction ceases after expiration of a predetermined period of time.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the magnitude of the indicative steering torque varies versus time.

8. The method of claim 5 including determining if the escape lane is blocked and preventing generation of the indicative steering if the escape lane is blocked.

9. A vehicle steering system comprising:

a sensor generating a signal;

an actuator applying a temporary indicative steering torque on a steering control of the vehicle based on said signal; and

applying the temporary indicative steering torque in an evasive steering direction toward a vehicle escape lane wherein the indicative steering torque does not significantly change vehicle direction.

10. The system of claim 9 including a second sensor connected to the steering control wherein the actuator stops generation of the temporary indicative steering torque when the second sensor detects a manual steering intervention.

11. The system of claim 9 including a second sensor connected to the steering control wherein the actuator stops generation of the temporary indicative steering torque when the second sensor detects that continued displacement of said steering control in the evasive steering direction ceases after expiration of a predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the actuator varies the magnitude of the temporary indicative steering torque versus time.

13. The system of claim 9 including a data processor determining based on said sensor signals that the escape lane is blocked and correspondingly stops generation of the temporary indicative steering torque.