Method and system for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device

• US 9,099,001 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Stahlin, Ulrich, Menzel, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US13/825,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/70, 701300-302, 701/96, 701/45, 701/93, 340/438, 340/437, 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 340/465, 180/168, 180/170, 180/268, 180/271, 180/282, 342/70, 342/71
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0006 Digital architecture hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/06 Improving the dynamic response of the control system, e.g. improving the speed of regulation or avoiding hunting or overshoot
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Method for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device which makes interventions into the control of the vehicle as a result of a surrounding situation in which there is a risk of collision, wherein the vehicle safety control device makes a first intervention into the control of the vehicle before the surrounding situation in which there is a risk of collision is validated.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device which performs interventions in a vehicle control due to an environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision, the vehicle safety control device capable of performing a first intervention and a second intervention in the vehicle control to reduce the risk of collision, the second intervention having a higher magnitude than the first intervention, the method comprising:

detecting, via the vehicle safety control device, an environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision,

beginning a validation of the environmental situation and performing, via the vehicle safety control device, the first intervention in the vehicle control before completing the validation of the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision;

wherein the vehicle control comprises a braking device and a steering device, and the first intervention in the vehicle control is a slight braking intervention in the braking device or a slight steering intervention in the steering device which is not intended to be sufficient alone for preventing an impending collision.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising, ending the first intervention in the vehicle control if the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision is not validated.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

determining a period of time available for avoiding the collision; and

detecting that the period of time available for avoiding the collision is not sufficient for performing a validation of the environmental situation before initiating the second intervention and, in response thereto, performing the first intervention in the vehicle control.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising performing the second intervention in the vehicle control when the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision has been validated via an environmental detection device or a vehicle-to-X communication device of the vehicle safety control device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the vehicle safety control device outputting a warning to the driver in addition to performing the first intervention in the vehicle control.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the steering intervention is an addition of torque to a steering torque or an increase of angle to a steering angle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising indicating to the driver whether a first intervention has been performed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising detecting the environmental situation on the basis of receiving a signal from a vehicle-to-X communication device or an environment detection device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising detecting the environmental situation on the basis of receiving a signal from at least one of a radar, a camera, a lidar, and a laser.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising in that the vehicle-to-X communication device communicating on the basis of receiving a signal via at least one of the following types of connection:

a WLAN connection,

an ISM connection,

an infrared connection, and

a mobile radio connection.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising performing the validation of the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision via the environment detection device first detecting the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision in that the environment detection device detects the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision over a period of time which is sufficiently long for validation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising performing validation of the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision via receiving a signal from an environment detection device or a vehicle-to-X communication device.

13. A system for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device comprising:

a vehicle control in the form of at least one of a braking intervention device and a steering intervention device,

an environment detection device,

a vehicle-to-X communication device,

a vehicle safety control device, the vehicle safety control device, the vehicle safety control device capable of performing a first intervention and a second intervention in the vehicle control to reduce the risk of collision, the second intervention having a higher magnitude than the first intervention, the vehicle safety device configured to detect an environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision and to begin a validation of the environmental situation and to perform a first intervention in the vehicle control before validation of the environmental situation exhibiting a risk of collision is completed, wherein the first intervention is a slight braking intervention in the braking intervention device or a slight steering intervention in the steering intervention device which is not intended to be sufficient alone for preventing an impending collision.