Integrated collision prediction and safety systems control for improved vehicle safety

• US 6,944,543 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2002
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Rao, Manoharprasad K., Strumolo, Gary Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/076,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/300, 701/96, 701/102, 701/93, 701/70, 701/36, 701/1, 340/933, 340/903, 340/436, 340/435, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 342/107, 342/115, 342/455, 342/118, 342/128, 342/133, 342/147, 280/735, 180/271, 180/167, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/174 Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/044 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/222 during collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/226 automatically, based on stopping at a preset or target point position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/704 predicting unorthodox driving conditions for safe or optimal driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01311 monitoring the braking system, e.g. ABS
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01315 monitoring occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0022 Gains, weighting coefficients or weighting functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0024 Variable gains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• 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 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 : using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 : Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A control system for an automotive vehicle (50) has a radar or lidar system (22) used to generate a remote object signal. A vision system (26) confirms the presence of the target object in the detection zone. A controller (12) is coupled to the remote object sensor and a vehicle dynamics sensor and the brake system. The controller predicts a host vehicle trajectory in response to the host vehicle dynamic signal, determines an azimuth angle for the target object, determines an actuation value in response to the target range signal, the target relative velocity signal, the host vehicle trajectory, host vehicle brake system status and the target azimuth angle. The controller (12) activates a countermeasure in response to the actuation value.

Claims

1. An integrated collision prediction and safety systems control method for a host automotive vehicle comprising:

generating a target object range signal and a target relative velocity signal using pre-crash object sensors;

measuring host vehicle dynamic conditions;

predicting a host vehicle trajectory in response to the host vehicle dynamic conditions;

determining an azimuth for the target object;

monitoring the brake system status;

determining an actuation value as a function of the target range signal, the target relative velocity signal, the host vehicle trajectory, brake system status and the target azimuth; and

activating a countermeasure in response to said actuation value.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising measuring an occupant driving characteristic.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the occupant driving characteristic comprises a braking characteristic.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the braking characteristic comprises brake pedal position.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the braking characteristic comprises brake pressure.

6. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the occupant driving characteristic comprises longitudinal acceleration.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating an actuation value (Cpt_rel_act) is achieved according to the following equation:

$\mathrm{Cpt\_rel}<br><br>\mathrm{\_act}=K_1<br><br>\left(\frac{R}{\mathrm{R\_thres}}\right)+K_2<br><br>\left(\frac{V}{\mathrm{V\_thres}}\right)+K_3<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1-{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2\right)+K_4<br><br>\left(x_{\mathrm{pres}}-\mathrm{\beta <br><br>}\right)$

wherein K₁, K₂, K₃ and K₄ are tunable gains, R and R_thres are the range and range threshold respectively, V and V_thres are the relative velocity and relative velocity threshold respectively, θ

₁, and θ

₂ are the azimuth angles, x_pres is the brake pressure, and β

is the occupant medium braking threshold.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein generating the actuation value is a function of weighting factors which are adaptively tuned according to the vehicle driving conditions, and occupant characteristics and driving behavior.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein said vision system comprises a stereo pair of cameras.

10. A method set forth in claim 7 wherein said actuation value determines the activation of safety systems to achieve reliable and robust tailored deployment.

11. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the actuation value is derived from multiple sensor systems depending on the confidence levels of detection and availability.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said object sensor comprises a vision system.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said object sensor comprises a radar or a lidar.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said object sensor comprises a vision system, and a lidar system.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said object sensor comprises a vision system, and a radar system.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising a vehicle dynamic detector measuring the host vehicle dynamic condition.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said vehicle dynamic detector comprises a vehicle speed sensor generating a speed signal corresponding to the longitudinal speed of the vehicle.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said vehicle dynamic detector comprises a yaw rate sensor.

19. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said vehicle dynamic detector comprises a steering wheel angle sensor.

20. A pre-crash sensing system for an automotive vehicle having a brake system coupled to a countermeasure system, said pre-crash sensing system comprising:

a remote object sensor generating a target range signal and target relative velocity signal;

a vehicle dynamics sensor generating a vehicle dynamics signal; and

a controller coupled to said object sensor, vehicle dynamics sensor, and brake system, said controller predicting a host vehicle trajectory in response to the host vehicle dynamic signal, determining an azimuth angle for the target object, monitoring the brake system status, determining an actuation value in response to the target range signal, the target relative velocity signal, the host vehicle trajectory, the target azimuth angle, and brake system status and activating selected countermeasures from the countermeasure system in response to the actuation value.