Automated vehicle steering control system with lane position bias

• US 9,836,977 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cashler, Robert J., Prasad, Premchand Krishna, Samiei, Ehsan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US15/175,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20170352278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A steering-control system for an automated vehicle includes an object-detector and a controller. The object-detector is suitable for use on a host-vehicle. The object-detector is used to detect an other-vehicle approaching the host-vehicle, and to detect a stationary-object that defines a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the object-detector and adapted to operate the host-vehicle. The controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a centered-position of a travel-lane of the roadway when a projected-path of the other-vehicle approaches the host-vehicle to a minimum-distance between the other-vehicle and the host-vehicle greater than a distance-threshold. The controller is also configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a biased-position of the travel-lane to increase the minimum-distance when the projected-path approaches the host-vehicle to less than the distance-threshold if the host-vehicle remains in the centered-position.

Claims

1. A steering-control system for an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

an object-detector suitable for use on a host-vehicle, said object-detector used to detect an other-vehicle approaching the host-vehicle, and to detect a stationary-object that defines a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle;

a controller in communication with the object-detector and adapted to operate the host-vehicle, said controller configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a centered-position of a travel-lane of the roadway when a projected-path of the other-vehicle approaches the host-vehicle to a minimum-distance between the other-vehicle and the host-vehicle greater than a distance-threshold, and steer the host-vehicle towards a biased-position of the travel-lane to increase the minimum-distance to greater than the distance-threshold when the projected-path approaches the host-vehicle to less than the distance-threshold if the host-vehicle remains in the centered-position.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the stationary-object is one of, a lane-marking, a road-sign, a guardrail, a shoulder, and a road-edge.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to change a speed of the host-vehicle when the projected-path approaches the host-vehicle to less than the distance-threshold if the host-vehicle remains in the biased-position.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to steer the host-vehicle to change the travel-lane of the host-vehicle when the projected-path approaches the host-vehicle to less than the distance-threshold if the host-vehicle remains in the biased-position.