False warning suppression in a collision avoidance system

• US 9,626,867 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Trombley, Roger Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/551,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4004 of parts of a radar system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

A system and method for suppressing collision warning in a host vehicle is provided. The system receives position data from a remote vehicle. The host vehicle suppresses a collision warning when a detected stationary object is in a safe-zone based on the remote vehicle position data, thereby preventing false collision warnings.

Claims

1. A warning suppression method comprising:

by a host-vehicle controller;

receiving position data from a remote vehicle;

creating a safe-zone based on the position data, indicative of a location the remote vehicle has driven through;

detecting a stationary object; and

suppressing an audio or visual alert in a host vehicle when the stationary object is in the safe-zone by comparing a position of the stationary object to the safe-zone preventing false alerts and reducing driver distraction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting the stationary object with a host vehicle sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining a host vehicle position when the stationary object is detected.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the audio or visual alert based on a collision system sensor signal.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the the audio or visual alert when the stationary object is not within the safe-zone.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the position data comprises a plurality of position data of the remote vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the position data comprises a transmitted coordinate position of the remote vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the position data comprises an absolute position data, a heading data, a vehicle length data and a vehicle width data of the remote vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring collision threat information of the host vehicle; and

comparing the collision threat information to the safe-zone.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote vehicle position data comprises coordinate data.

11. A host vehicle collision warning system comprising:

a vehicle controller for a host vehicle, the controller being configured to;

receive a collision threat;

receive path data from a remote vehicle;

create a safe-zone, based on the path data, indicative of locations the remote vehicle has been; and

suppress an audio or visual alert in the host vehicle when the collision threat is in the safe-zone by comparing a position of the collision threat to the safe-zone to prevent false alerts and reduce driver distraction.

12. The collision warning system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to determine a host vehicle position when the collision threat is received.

13. The collision warning system of claim 11 wherein the path data comprises a plurality of transmitted coordinate positions of the remote vehicle.

14. The collision warning system of claim 11 wherein the path data comprises an plurality of remote vehicle position data including at least one of an absolute position data, a heading data, a vehicle length data and a vehicle width data of the remote vehicle.

15. The collision warning system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to allow the audio or visual alert when the collision threat is not within the safe-zone.

16. The collision warning system of claim 11 wherein the collision threat is based on a collision system sensor disposed on the host vehicle.

17. A host vehicle collision warning system comprising:

a collision detection sensor;

a receiver for receiving vehicle-to-vehicle communications; and

a controller in communication with the collision detection sensor and the receiver, the controller being configured to;

receive a collision threat via the collision detection sensor;

receive path data from a remote vehicle via the receiver;

create a safe-zone, based on the path data, indicative of locations the remote vehicle has been; and

suppress an audio or visual alert in a host vehicle when the collision threat is in the safe-zone by comparing a position of the collision threat to the safe-zone to prevent false alerts and reduce driver distraction.

18. The collision warning system of claim 17 wherein the collision detection sensor comprises a forward-looking device including at least one of a camera, radar, and lidar.

19. The collision warning system of claim 17 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS), wherein the controller is further configured to determine a position of the host vehicle based on data from the GPS device.