Vehicle path control for autonomous braking system

• US 8,126,626 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Zagorski, Chad T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/022,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• 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: B60T 8/17558 specially adapted for collision avoidance or collision mitigation road vehicle drive control systems for collision avoidance otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/09

Abstract

A motor vehicle travel path control which monitors, during an autonomous braking event initiated by a collision preparation system the actual motor vehicle travel path in relation to the driver intended motor vehicle travel path, and in the event a departure from the driver intended motor vehicle path occurs, the motor vehicle travel path control adjusts braking so as to return the motor vehicle travel path to that intended by the driver.

Claims

1. A travel path control method implemented distinctly with respect to vehicle stability control during activation of autonomous braking, comprising the steps of:

detecting activation of a collision preparation system in which the collision preparation system is implementing autonomous braking of a motor vehicle;

detecting a driver intended travel path of the motor vehicle during the activation;

detecting an actual travel path of the motor vehicle during the activation;

detecting a driver braking request;

detecting an autonomous braking request of the collision preparation system;

comparing the driver intended travel path to the actual travel path during the activation;

detecting vehicle stability by a vehicle stability control;

adjusting braking by the vehicle stability control so as to provide vehicle stability,

adjusting the braking of the motor vehicle by a collision preparation system braking adjustment control distinctly with respect to the vehicle stability control, if the actual travel path is different from substantially the driver intended travel path and if the driver braking request is less than substantially the autonomous braking request of the collision preparation system, wherein the adjusting of the braking by the collision preparation system braking adjustment control is intended to reduce the difference;

wherein in event of conflict as regards braking adjustments by the vehicle stability control and the collision preparation system braking adjustment control, braking adjustment by the vehicle stability control prevails over braking adjustment by the collision preparation system braking adjustment control.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the braking until the braking is equal to substantially the autonomous braking request, provided the difference is not increased thereby.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of adjusting comprises decreasing braking until the difference is reduced to substantially zero.

4. A travel path control system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a braking system;

a collision preparation system interfaced with said braking system, wherein said collision preparation system selectively implements autonomous braking of the motor vehicle during activation thereof responsive to predetermined conditions of travel of the motor vehicle;

a vehicle stability controller interfaced with said braking system and said collision preparation system, said vehicle stability controller adjusting braking so as to provide vehicle stability;

a collision preparation system braking adjustment controller distinct from said stability controller and interfaced with said braking system, wherein activation status of said collision preparation system and braking request of the collision preparation system are available to said collision preparation system braking adjustment controller; and

at least one source of data available to said collision preparation system braking adjustment controller, said data comprising driver braking request, actual motor vehicle travel path and driver intended motor vehicle travel path;

wherein, if said collision preparation system is actively providing autonomous braking and the braking request of the collision preparation system exceeds substantially the driver braking request, then said collision preparation system braking adjustment controller compares the driver desired travel path to the actual travel path during the activation, and adjusts the autonomous braking of the motor vehicle by the collision preparation system distinctly from said vehicle stability controller if the actual travel path is different from substantially the driver desired travel path, wherein the adjusting of the autonomous braking by the collision preparation system braking adjustment controller is intended to reduce the difference; and

wherein in event of conflict as regards braking adjustments by said vehicle stability controller and said collision preparation system braking adjustment controller, braking adjustment by said vehicle stability controller prevails over braking adjustment by said collision preparation system braking adjustment controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the comparison by the collision preparation system braking adjustment controller is performed repeatedly with a predetermined timing during the activation.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the timing is substantially 20 milliseconds.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said vehicle stability controller provides said data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the comparison by the collision preparation system braking adjustment controller is performed repeatedly with a predetermined timing during the activation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the timing is substantially 20 milliseconds.