Method and device for automatically triggering a vehicle deceleration

• US 7,840,354 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Winner, Hermann, Knoop, Michael, Braeuchle, Goetz, Staempfle, Martin, Oechsle, Fred, Thiele, Joachim, Heinebrodt, Martin, Wilhelm, Ulf, Uhler, Werner, Weilkes, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/380,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,057 Days
• Field of Search: 701 70- 73, 701/93, 701/301, 701/38, 701/36, 701/37, 701/48, 701/41, 180/167, 180/169, 180/282, 180/275, 340/902, 340/903, 303/113.1, 303/146, 303/150, 303/154, 303/139, 188/181
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/12 Pre-actuation of braking systems without significant braking effect; Optimizing brake performance by reduction of play between brake pads and brake disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• 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 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle

Abstract

A method and a device for automatic triggering of deceleration of a vehicle for preventing a collision, which is accomplished by the fact that a variable, which represents a probability of collision with another vehicle, must exceed a predefinable threshold value, and the threshold value is variable as a function of the driver'"'"'s response, the current driving situation, or the ambient situation. To determine the change in the threshold value, signals from a steering angle sensor, a brake pedal sensor, an accelerator pedal sensor, a device for determining the speed of the vehicle, a device for determining the uphill or downhill slope of the road, a device for determining the vehicle yaw rate, a device for determining the vehicle float angle or a device for detecting stationary and moving objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, in particular in the area in front of the vehicle, are analyzed.

Claims

1. A method of automatically triggering a deceleration of a vehicle for one of preventing a collision and reducing consequences of an imminent collision, the method comprising:

providing at least one variable representing collision risk between the vehicle and another object, the another object being within a predetermined triggering range;

varying the predetermined triggering range as a function of a driver response by signals from at least one of a steering angle sensor, a brake pedal sensor, and an accelerator pedal sensor; and

lowering a first threshold value for automatically triggering the deceleration when a driver operates a brake pedal if both (a) the driver'"'"'s operation of the brake pedal is less than a braking pressure of the automatically triggered deceleration, and (b) there is a manual change in a steering angle in which a steering wheel angular velocity does not exceed an absolute value of a predetermined steering wheel angular velocity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

raising a threshold value of the predetermined triggering range for automatically triggering the deceleration when a steering wheel angular velocity exceeds a first steering wheel angular velocity threshold value, so that the triggering is activated only when there is a higher collision risk.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an automatically triggered deceleration is suppressed when a steering wheel angular velocity exceeds a second steering wheel angular velocity threshold value that is greater than a first steering wheel angular velocity threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an automatically triggered deceleration is terminated when a steering wheel angular velocity during the automatically triggered deceleration exceeds a third steering wheel angular velocity threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing an automatically triggered deceleration when a brake pressure corresponds approximately to a maximum possible brake pressure due to a driver operating a brake pedal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

raising a threshold value of the predetermined triggering range when a steering wheel angular velocity exceeds a first steering wheel angular velocity threshold value, so that the triggering is activated only when a collision risk value is higher than the threshold for the triggering prior to the raising of the threshold value;

wherein an automatically triggered deceleration is suppressed when a steering wheel angular velocity exceeds a second steering wheel angular velocity threshold value that is greater than the first steering wheel angular velocity threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

preventing an automatically triggered deceleration when a brake pressure corresponds approximately to a maximum possible brake pressure due to a driver operating a brake pedal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an automatically triggered deceleration is terminated when a steering wheel angular velocity during the automatically triggered deceleration exceeds a third steering wheel angular velocity threshold value.