Curve-related accident mitigation

• US 8,296,033 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lu, Jianbo, Eisele, Daniel Domek, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Nave, Christopher, Tellis, Levasseur, Rupp, Jeffrey Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/557,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/70, 701/93, 701/208, 701/79, 701/41, 340/438, 340/426.31, 340/426.24, 340/441, 180/168
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18145 Cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes one or more driver intent detection devices to detect at least a curve-negotiating intention of a driver. The system also includes one or more curvature detection devices, to detect or otherwise determine a road curvature. The system further includes one or more overspeed control devices, to, based at least in part on data received from the one or more curvature detection devices and data received from the one or more driver intent detection devices, cause braking to one or more vehicle tires and/or reducing engine torque to keep a vehicle accurately negotiating the curved road for the current driving condition.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a driver intent detection device to detect at least a driver'"'"'s curve-negotiation intention;

a curvature detection device, to detect/determine a road curvature;

one or more overspeed control devices, to, based at least in part on data received from the curvature detection device and data received from the driver intent detection device, cause braking and/or reduce engine torque based on a yaw rate error and to reduce the yaw rate error.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data from the driver intent detection device includes a speed of travel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data from the driver intent detection device includes a degree-of-turning with respect to a steering command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the curvature detection device includes at least one GPS detection device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data received from the curvature detection device includes at least a true or estimated road curvature received from the at least one GPS detection device, and wherein the data further includes a vehicle position.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more overspeed control devices is operable to determine, based at least in part on the received road curvature and vehicle position, whether or not a projected path of the vehicle is an abnormal path.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein braking first occurs on rear wheels in proportion to a normal loading of the vehicle and then, if this braking is insufficient to satisfactorily reduce yaw rate error, brake pressure of all four wheels is increased in proportion to the normal loading of each wheel.

8. A vehicle control system comprising:

one or more driver intent detection devices to detect at least a curve-negotiation intention of a driver;

one or more condition detection devices, to detect at least a road condition;

one or more curvature detection devices, to detect or otherwise determine a road curvature;

one or more overspeed control devices, to, based at least in part on feedback received from the one or more condition detection devices, data received from the one or more curvature detection devices, and data received from the one or more driver intent detection devices, cause braking to one or more vehicle tires and/or reducing engine torque based on a yaw rate error and to reduce the yaw rate error.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data from the one or more driver intent detection devices includes a speed of travel.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more condition detection devices includes a stability control device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the feedback from the one or more condition detection devices includes at least one of spin-out, roll-instability or lateral instability.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the data from the one or more driver intent detection devices includes a degree-of-turning with respect to a steering command.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the overspeed control device is further operable to cause braking and/or reducing engine torque based on a vehicle current yaw rate.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the overspeed control device is further operable to cause braking and/or reducing engine torque based on a vehicle cornering acceleration.

15. A vehicle control system comprising:

one or more driver intent detection devices to detect at least a curve-negotiating intention of a driver;

one or more condition detection devices, to detect at least a road condition;

one or more curvature detection devices, to detect or otherwise determine a road curvature;

one or more overspeed control devices, to, based at least in part on feedback received from the one or more condition detection devices, data received from the one or more curvature detection devices, and data received from the one or more driver intent detection devices, cause braking to one or more vehicle tires and/or reducing engine torque to keep a vehicle accurately negotiating the curved road for the current driving condition, wherein a determination by the one or more overspeed control devices that braking and/or engine torque reduction needs to be applied is based at least on detected yaw rate error for the current driving condition and the braking and/or engine torque reduction is performed to reduce yaw rate error.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the yaw rate error is equal to a current yaw rate minus a target yaw rate minus a yaw rate deadband.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the yaw rate deadband varies with respect to driving conditions.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the target yaw rate is determined at least in part based on road curvature, vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, current yaw rate and cornering acceleration.