Method and system for providing warnings concerning an imminent vehicular collision

• US 7,797,107 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2004
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zvi Shiller
• Original Assignee: Zvi Shiller
• Inventors: Shiller, Zvi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/571,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,200 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/301
• 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 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• 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: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• 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 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• 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

Method for transmitting a warning signal to a driver of a driven vehicle regarding an impending collision with a moving and/or stationary object in the vicinity of the driven vehicle. The method comprises the following steps of providing the driven vehicle with means for obtaining updated data regarding, position, velocity vector and predicted moving path of the objects; selecting a series of one or more time horizons having decreasing or increasing duration; for the longest of the selected time horizons: generating a linear velocity object (LVO) and/or non-linear velocity object (NLVO) of each of the objects; selecting a sampling time interval Δt, during which an LVO and/or NLVO is generated; determining a range of feasible velocity vector changes for the driven vehicle that are attainable within a performance time interval ΔT; repeatedly providing the driver, after each Δt, with information regarding feasible velocity vector changes for the performance time interval; sensing, estimating or assuming dynamic changes parameters representing the movement of the driven vehicle within the performance time interval, and whenever required, generating a warning signal with an escalating severity level that reflects the relative imminence of collision with the objects and that corresponds to the longest time horizon; repeating the steps above, while each time generating an updated LVO and/or NLVO for a subsequent sampling time interval, until reaching another selected time horizon which is shorter than a previously selected time horizon and another selected time horizon, until collision is unavoidable.

Claims

1. Method for transmitting a warning signal to a driver of a driven vehicle regarding an impending collision with a moving and/or stationary object in the vicinity of said driven vehicle, comprising:

a) providing said driven vehicle with means for obtaining updated data regarding, position, velocity vector and predicted moving path of each one of said moving and/or stationary objects in the vicinity of said driven vehicle;

b) determining a series of one or more time horizons according to the characteristics of said vehicle and driver and the neighboring traffic;

c) for a selected time horizon of said determined series of time horizons;

c.1) generating a linear velocity obstacle (LVO) and/or non-linear velocity obstacle (NLVO) of each of said moving and/or stationary objects;

c.2) selecting a sampling time interval Δ

t, during which an LVO and/or NLVO is generated;

c.3) determining a range of feasible velocity vector changes for said driven vehicle that are attainable within a performance time interval Δ

T;

c.4) providing the driver, after said sampling time interval, with information regarding the optimal feasible velocity vector changes for said performance time interval;

c.5) obtaining dynamic parameters representing the movement of said driven vehicle within said performance time interval, and calculating an updated velocity vector for said driven vehicle;

c.6) generating a warning signal with the lowest severity level that reflects the relative imminence of collision with said moving and/or stationary objects in the vicinity of said driven vehicle and that corresponds to said selected time horizon whenever the updated velocity vector parameters reach at least one LVO or NLVO;

d) repeating steps c.1) to c.6) above for a subsequent time horizon of said series of time horizons which is shorter than the previously selected time horizon and generating a warning signal of higher severity level; and

e) repeating steps d) above for the remaining time horizons, of said series of time horizons.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the time to collision when collision is unavoidable.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity changes are changes in direction and/or absolute speed of the driven vehicle.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the range of feasible velocity changes that can be reached within a performance time interval are determined according to the performance capability of the driven vehicle.

5. Method for determining an optimal collision mitigating maneuver to be executed by a driver, comprising:

a) providing a navigational system carried by a driven vehicle for sensing navigational conditions of said driven vehicle and of detected vehicles, for processing data associated with said sensed navigational conditions, and for transmitting information of interest to the driver associated with said processed data;

b) generating, based on said processed data, a velocity obstacle corresponding to each of said detected vehicles, each of said generated velocity obstacles being representative of a set of possible velocity vectors associated with motion of said driven vehicle that would result in a collision with a corresponding detected vehicle;

c) based on said velocity obstacle;

c.1) determining possible driver initiated collision avoidance maneuvers to be executed along an unobstructed path corresponding to clearance in the vicinity of one or more of said velocity obstacles;

c.2) determining that a collision between said driven vehicle and one of said detected vehicles is unavoidable once velocity obstacles completely obstruct all lanes in the vicinity of said detected vehicle, comparing, for different regions of each of said velocity obstacles, a predicted magnitude of impact for a collision between said driven vehicle and one of said detected vehicles, and determining an optimal collision mitigating maneuver whereby a selected velocity vector associated with motion of said driven vehicle is to be directed to a region of a velocity obstacle that would result in a collision between said driven vehicle and one of said detected vehicles having a lowest predicted magnitude of impact; and

d) transmitting to the driver said determined optimal collision mitigating maneuver.

6. Method according to claim 5, further comprising, after step d), initiating a pre-crash mode whereby vehicular safety accessories are activated.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein one or more airbags are inflated.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein one or more airbags are inflated within the interior of the driven vehicle.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein one or more airbags are inflated at the exterior of the driven vehicle.

10. Method according to claim 6, wherein a bumper is extended.

11. Method according to claim 5, wherein the velocity obstacle is an LVO.

12. Method according to claim 5, wherein the velocity obstacle is an NLVO.

13. Method according to claim 5, wherein step e) is performed by comparing the relative size of a velocity obstacle, a relatively large velocity obstacle indicating that the corresponding detected vehicle is substantially larger and more massive than the driven vehicle.

14. Method according to claim 5, wherein step e) is performed by comparing the relative depth of penetration of one velocity vector within the corresponding velocity obstacles.

15. Method according to claim 5, wherein step e) is performed by comparing the time to collision of the driven vehicle with each of the detected vehicles, a longer time to collision being indicative of a lower magnitude of impact.

16. Method according to claim 5, wherein an optimal collision mitigating maneuver is determined by—

a) generating a velocity obstacle, with respect to the position of the driven vehicle, for each detected vehicle at an initial time of detection;

b) generating a velocity frame delimiting the range of velocity vectors attainable by the driven vehicle in a performance time interval subsequent to the initial time;

c) generating a set of velocity obstacles for each detected vehicle at each sampling time interval subsequent to the initial time, until the end of said performance time interval;

d) superimposing said generated velocity frame on each of said sets, whereby to generate a composite representation;

e) determining which of said generated composite representations includes a region of a velocity obstacle having a lowest predicted magnitude of impact; and

f) determining an optimal collision mitigating maneuver by generating a velocity vector directed from the end of said velocity vector of the driven vehicle to said region having a lowest predicted magnitude of impact.

17. System for transmitting a warning signal to a driver of a driven vehicle regarding an impending collision with a detected vehicle in the vicinity of said driven vehicle, comprising:

a) sensors for determining the navigational conditions of driven and detected vehicles;

b) an on-board computer, programmed to perform the following operations;

i. processing data associated with said sensed navigational conditions;

ii. generating, based on said processed data, a velocity obstacle for each of said detected vehicles, each of said generated velocity obstacles being representative of a set of possible velocity vectors associated with motion of said driven vehicle that would result in a collision with a corresponding detected vehicle;

iii. determining that a collision between said driven vehicle and one of said detected vehicles is unavoidable once velocity obstacles completely obstruct all lanes in the vicinity of said detected vehicle; and

iv. transmitting a warning signal to the driver in an escalating degree of severity concerning the imminence of collision between said driven vehicle and one of said detected vehicles;

v. determining an optimal collision mitigating maneuver;

vi. transmitting said optimal collision mitigating maneuver; and

c) a receiver and/or display for receiving said warning signal and said optimal collision mitigating maneuver.

18. System according to claim 17, further comprising at least one safety accessory for mitigating the impact of collision between the driven vehicle and a detected vehicle and means for activating said at least one safety accessory following transmission of said warning signal.

19. System according to claim 18, wherein at least one safety accessory is an airbag or an extendible bumper.

20. System according to claim 17, further comprising control components for temporarily controlling the operation of the driven vehicle during a slave mode, upon consent of the driver.

21. System according to claim 20, further comprising means for overriding the slave mode.

22. System according to claim 17, further comprising an indicator for alerting the driver when the driven vehicle is set in a slave mode.

23. System according to claim 17, further comprising a screen for displaying a clearance curve generated at an instantaneous sampling time interval and delimiting the boundary of safe states of the driven vehicle from states which result in an unavoidable collision, an instantaneous state of the driven vehicle with respect to the clearance curve being displayable by means of said screen.