Collision mitigation system and method for braking a vehicle

• US 9,963,127 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polestar Performance AB (Polestar Automotive Holding UK Plc)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Trombley, Roger Arnold, King, Anthony Gerald, Eidehall, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US12/687,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,035 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A collision mitigation system for a vehicle may include a forward sensing system and at least one controller in communication with the forward sensing system. The forward sensing system may be configured to detect objects in front of the vehicle. The at least one controller may be configured to determine whether the vehicle can be steered into a path along side of the vehicle to avoid a collision with detected objects in front of the vehicle and to issue a command to brake the vehicle if the vehicle cannot be steered into the path along side of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A collision mitigation system for a vehicle comprising:

a brake system;

a forward sensing system configured to detect objects in front of, and adjacent to, the vehicle; and

at least one controller in communication with the forward sensing system and configured to

periodically determine (a) whether based on a vehicle driver'"'"'s experience level or past behavior when encountering similar circumstances the vehicle would likely be, and can be, steered by the vehicle driver into a path along side of the vehicle to avoid a collision with detected objects in front of the vehicle and (b) whether a needed vehicle longitudinal deceleration to avoid a collision with the detected objects is less than a maximum vehicle longitudinal deceleration, and

issue a command to brake the vehicle based on delays of the brake system and after it is determined that (i) the vehicle would unlikely be steered by the vehicle driver into the path along side the vehicle and the ratio of the needed vehicle longitudinal deceleration compared to the maximum vehicle longitudinal deceleration reaches a set threshold value, or (ii) the vehicle cannot be steered into the path along side of the vehicle and the needed vehicle longitudinal deceleration becomes approximately equal to the maximum vehicle longitudinal deceleration.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a navigation system, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine whether the path along side of the vehicle is a lane based on information received from the navigation system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine whether the path along side of the vehicle is an on-coming lane based on information received from the navigation system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine whether there are any vehicles in the path along side of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine whether there are any objects in the path along side of the vehicle.

6. A method for braking a vehicle comprising:

detecting an object in front of the vehicle;

determining whether based on a vehicle driver'"'"'s experience level or past behavior when encountering similar circumstances the vehicle would unlikely be steered by the vehicle driver into an adjacent lane;

determining whether the vehicle cannot be steered into an adjacent lane; and

in response to a determination that the vehicle cannot be steered or would unlikely be steered by the vehicle driver into an adjacent lane, issuing a command to a brake system to brake the vehicle based on delays of the brake system when the needed vehicle longitudinal deceleration to avoid a collision with the object (i) as compared to the maximum vehicle longitudinal deceleration reaches a set threshold if it is determined that the vehicle would unlikely be steered by the vehicle driver into the path along side of the vehicle or, (ii) become approximately equal to a maximum vehicle longitudinal deceleration if it is determined that the vehicle cannot be steered into the path along side of the vehicle.