METHOD FOR VEHICULAR CONTROL

• US 20180204397A1
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chundrlik, JR., William J., Johnson, Nathaniel, Wimmershoff, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 10,127,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• 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: B60W 2050/0049 Signal offset
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• 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 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/114 Yaw movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/024 Special manufacturing steps or sacrificial layers or layer structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/34 using capacitors, e.g. pyroelectric capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/50 for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 : Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A method for vehicular control includes providing a forward viewing camera, a yaw rate sensor, a longitudinal accelerometer, a speed sensor and a control system at the vehicle. While the vehicle is moving, an angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about a local vertical axis is determined, a yaw rate offset is determined, and a longitudinal acceleration is determined. A corrected yaw rate is determined responsive to the determined yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor and the determined longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. The control system determines a projected driving path of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined corrected yaw rate. A hazard condition ahead of the vehicle in the projected driving path is determined at least in part responsive to detecting an object and to the projected driving path. The system automatically applies the brakes of the vehicle responsive to the determined hazard condition.

Claims

1. A method for vehicular control, said method comprising:

providing a forward viewing camera at a vehicle so as to have a field of view forward of the vehicle;

providing a yaw rate sensor at the vehicle, the yaw rate sensor operable to sense angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about a local vertical axis of the vehicle;

providing a longitudinal accelerometer at the vehicle, the longitudinal accelerometer operable to sense a forward or reverse acceleration of the vehicle;

providing a speed sensor at the vehicle, the speed sensor operable to sense speed of the vehicle;

providing a control system at the vehicle, the control system comprising a processor operable to process outputs received from the yaw rate sensor, the longitudinal accelerometer and the speed sensor;

sensing, via the yaw rate sensor, angular rotational velocity while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the yaw rate sensor to the control system;

sensing, via the longitudinal accelerometer, forward or reverse acceleration while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the longitudinal accelerometer to the control system;

sensing, via the speed sensor, speed of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the speed sensor to the control system;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward, and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the yaw rate sensor, an angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about the local vertical axis of the vehicle;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and responsive at least in part to the determined angular rotational velocity, a yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the longitudinal accelerometer, a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

determining, via the control system, a corrected yaw rate responsive to the determined yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor and the determined longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

determining, via the control system, a projected driving path of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined corrected yaw rate;

detecting, at least in part via processing by the processor of image data captured by the camera, an object present in the field of view of the camera;

determining, at least in part responsive to detecting the object and to the projected driving path, a hazard condition ahead of the vehicle in the projected driving path; and

automatically applying the brakes of the vehicle responsive to the determined hazard condition.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a steering angle sensor at the vehicle, the steering angle sensor operable to sense a steering angle of the vehicle, and determining, while the vehicle is moving and via processing by the processor of an output provided by the steering angle sensor to the control system, a steering angle of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and responsive to the output provided by the speed sensor, a speed of the vehicle, wherein, if the vehicle is determined to be moving at a determined speed that is below a threshold speed and the steering angle is determined to be less than a threshold level, the determined yaw rate offset remains constant as the vehicle is moved along the projected driving path.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the vehicle steering angle is determined to be greater than a threshold level, determining the yaw rate offset is based at least in part on the determined steering angle.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, if the vehicle is determined to be moving at a determined speed that is above a threshold speed and the steering angle is determined to be greater than a threshold level, determining the yaw rate offset is based at least in part on the determined speed and the determined steering angle.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and responsive to the output provided by the speed sensor, a speed of the vehicle, wherein, if the vehicle is determined to be moving at a determined speed that is above a threshold speed, determining the yaw rate offset is based at least in part on the determined speed.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether the vehicle is moving in a straight path, wherein determining the yaw rate offset is based at least in part on whether or not the vehicle is moving in a straight path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the corrected yaw rate is based at least in part on determination of lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the corrected yaw rate is based at least in part on how many lane markers are determined on the road being traveled by the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the yaw rate offset is based at least in part on a first measured yaw rate from the yaw rate sensor, and wherein determining the corrected yaw rate is based at least in part on a second measured yaw rate from the yaw rate sensor and the determined yaw rate offset.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the corrected yaw rate comprises using a first proportion of an output of the yaw rate sensor and a second proportion of a previously determined corrected yaw rate.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising selecting the first and second proportions based at least in part on detection of lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising selecting the first proportion and the second proportion based on a set of criteria based on data determined from at least one other sensor of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor comprises said camera.

15. A method for vehicular control, said method comprising:

providing a forward viewing camera at a vehicle so as to have a field of view forward of the vehicle;

providing a yaw rate sensor at the vehicle, the yaw rate sensor operable to sense angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about a local vertical axis of the vehicle;

providing a longitudinal accelerometer at the vehicle, the longitudinal accelerometer operable to sense a forward or reverse acceleration of the vehicle;

providing a speed sensor at the vehicle, the speed sensor operable to sense speed of the vehicle;

providing a steering angle sensor at the vehicle, the steering angle sensor operable to sense a steering angle of the vehicle;

providing a control system at the vehicle, the control system comprising a processor operable to process outputs received from the yaw rate sensor, the longitudinal accelerometer and the speed sensor;

sensing, via the yaw rate sensor, angular rotational velocity while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the yaw rate sensor to the control system;

sensing, via the longitudinal accelerometer, forward or reverse acceleration while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the longitudinal accelerometer to the control system;

sensing, via the speed sensor, speed of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the speed sensor to the control system;

sensing, via the steering angle sensor, the steering angle of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the steering angle sensor to the control system;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the yaw rate sensor, an angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about the local vertical axis of the vehicle;

determining, while the vehicle is moving and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the steering angle sensor, a steering angle of the vehicle;

determining, via processing by the processor of image data captured by the camera, lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and responsive at least in part to the determined angular rotational velocity and the determined steering angle of the vehicle, a yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the longitudinal accelerometer, a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

determining, via the control system, a corrected yaw rate responsive to (i) the determined yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor, (ii) the determined longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle and (iii) the determined lane markers on the road being traveled by the vehicle;

determining, via the control system, a projected driving path of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined corrected yaw rate;

detecting, at least in part via processing by the processor of image data captured by the camera, an object present in the field of view of the camera;

determining, at least in part responsive to detecting the object and to the projected driving path, a hazard condition ahead of the vehicle in the projected driving path; and

automatically applying the brakes of the vehicle responsive to the determined hazard condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the corrected yaw rate is based at least in part on how many lane markers are determined on the road being traveled by the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, if the vehicle is determined to be moving below a threshold speed and the steering angle is determined to be less than a threshold level, the determined yaw rate offset remains constant as the vehicle moves along the road.

18. A method for vehicular control, said method comprising:

providing a forward viewing camera at a vehicle so as to have a field of view forward of the vehicle;

providing a yaw rate sensor at the vehicle, the yaw rate sensor operable to sense angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about a local vertical axis of the vehicle;

providing a longitudinal accelerometer at the vehicle, the longitudinal accelerometer operable to sense a forward or reverse acceleration of the vehicle;

providing a speed sensor at the vehicle, the speed sensor operable to sense speed of the vehicle;

providing a control system at the vehicle, the control system comprising a processor operable to process outputs received from the yaw rate sensor, the longitudinal accelerometer and the speed sensor;

sensing, via the yaw rate sensor, angular rotational velocity while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the yaw rate sensor to the control system;

sensing, via the longitudinal accelerometer, forward or reverse acceleration while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the longitudinal accelerometer to the control system;

sensing, via the speed sensor, speed of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, and providing an output of the speed sensor to the control system;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and responsive to the output provided by the speed sensor, a speed of the vehicle;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the yaw rate sensor, an angular rotational velocity of the vehicle about the local vertical axis of the vehicle;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and responsive at least in part to the determined angular rotational velocity, a yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor;

wherein, if the vehicle is determined to be moving at a determined speed that is above an upper threshold speed, the yaw rate offset is determined based at least in part on the determined speed;

wherein, if the vehicle is determined to be moving at a determined speed that is below a lower threshold speed, the yaw rate offset is not changed from a previously determined yaw rate offset as the vehicle is moved along a path of travel;

determining, while the vehicle is moving forward and via processing by the processor of the output provided by the longitudinal accelerometer, a longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

determining, via the control system, a corrected yaw rate responsive to the determined yaw rate offset of the yaw rate sensor and the determined longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle;

determining, via the control system, a projected driving path of the vehicle based at least in part on the determined corrected yaw rate;

detecting, at least in part via processing by the processor of image data captured by the camera, an object present in the field of view of the camera;

determining, at least in part responsive to detecting the object and to the projected driving path, a hazard condition ahead of the vehicle in the projected driving path; and

automatically applying the brakes of the vehicle responsive to the determined hazard condition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the corrected yaw rate is based at least in part on determination of lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the corrected yaw rate is based at least in part on how many lane markers are determined on the road being traveled by the vehicle.