Method and device for avoiding and/or reducing the consequences of collisions

• US 9,008,957 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Borchers, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): GEORGALAS, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/305,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,861 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/300, 701/70
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering

Abstract

A device for avoiding or reducing the consequences of collisions, an obstacle being recognized by a surroundings sensor and data of the obstacle are ascertained. The brakes are automatically actuated. Furthermore, an intervention in the steering system to evade the obstacle is performed only if the risk potential for the vehicle and that of other traffic participants is less than without an evasion maneuver.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for at least one of avoiding and reducing consequences of a collision of a vehicle, comprising:

recognizing, by a processor, at least one obstacle in a path of the vehicle based on a signal from at least one surroundings sensor;

determining, by the processor, an impact velocity of the vehicle on the at least one obstacle; and

executing, by the processor, an algorithm according to which;

if, and conditional upon that, the impact velocity exceeds a predefined threshold value, the processor;

detects objects not in the path of the vehicle;

determines, based on the detection, whether a risk to the vehicle and other traffic participants would be lowered with an intervention in a lateral guidance system to perform an evasion maneuver; and

initiates the intervention conditional upon that the intervention has been determined to lower the risk; and

if the impact velocity does not exceed the predefined threshold value, the processor initiates automatic braking of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein respective risk potentials of a plurality of available evasion trajectories are determined and compared, and a trajectory of the plurality of available evasion trajectories whose risk potential is determined to be a smallest of the respective risk potentials is selected for the intervention.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the intervention in the lateral guidance system takes place via steering intervention.

4. A device for at least one of avoiding and reducing consequences of a collision of a vehicle, comprising:

a control unit, which receives signals from at least one surroundings sensor and is configured to;

recognize an obstacle on the basis of the signals;

determine an impact velocity of the vehicle on the obstacle; and

execute an algorithm according to which;

if, and conditional upon that, the impact velocity exceeds a predefined threshold value, the control unit;

detects objects not in a path of the vehicle;

determines, based on the objects, whether a risk to the vehicle and other traffic participants would be lowered with an intervention in a lateral guidance system of the vehicle to perform an evasion maneuver; and

initiates the intervention conditional upon that the intervention has been determined to lower the risk; and

if the impact velocity does not exceed the predefined threshold value, the control unit initiates automatic braking of the vehicle.