Apparatus and Method for Optimizing a Vehicle Collision Preparation Response

• US 20100094520A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Zagorski, Chad T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01259 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• 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: 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 vehicle has wheels, sensors for generating an input data set, and a controller. The controller is in communication with the sensors, including a first sensor for detecting an obstacle on a road surface in a first manner, and adapted to monitor a boundary of the road surface to determine when the wheels are crossing the boundary. A second sensor detects the obstacle in a second manner, and additional sensors determine inertial data of the vehicle. The controller compares the input data set to calibrated thresholds, and determines an appropriate control response such as autonomous braking based on the results. A method optimizes a collision preparation response in the vehicle by measuring the inertial data, detecting the obstacle using a radar or LiDAR device, and monitoring the boundary using an electro-optical device. A supplemental braking force is automatically applied when the vehicle crosses the boundary while the obstacle is detected.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a set of road wheels;

a plurality of sensors operable for generating an input data set, said plurality of sensors including;

a first sensor adapted to detect an obstacle on a road surface in a first manner, said first sensor being further adapted to continuously monitor a boundary of said road surface to determine when said set of road wheels crosses said boundary;

a second sensor adapted to detect said obstacle in a second manner; and

at least one additional sensor adapted to determine a set of inertial data of the vehicle; and

a controller in communication with said first sensor, said second sensor, and said at least one additional sensor;

wherein said controller is operable for comparing said input data set to a corresponding set of calibrated thresholds, and for determining an appropriate autonomous control based on the results of said comparison.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first sensor is an electro-optical imaging device and said second sensor is an electromagnetic (EM) wave detection and ranging device.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein said EM wave detection and ranging device is selected from the group consisting essentially of:

a radio wave detection and ranging device, an ultraviolet (UV) laser detection and ranging device, and an infrared (IR) laser detection and ranging device.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said at least one additional sensor includes at least one of:

a road wheel speed sensor, a steering angle and rate sensor, a braking input level sensor, and a throttle level sensor.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said appropriate control response includes supplemental braking of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said supplemental braking is automatically enabled when said first sensor detects each of a presence of said obstacle and said crossing of said boundary.

7. An apparatus for optimizing a collision preparation response in a vehicle having a set of road wheels, the apparatus comprising:

an electro-optical imaging sensor adapted to visually detect an obstacle on a road surface in a first manner, said electro-optical imaging sensor being further adapted to continuously monitor a boundary of said road surface to thereby determine when the set of road wheels crosses said boundary;

an electromagnetic (EM) wave detection and ranging sensor adapted to detect said obstacle in a second manner;

at least one additional sensor for determining a set of inertial data of the vehicle; and

a controller in communication with said electro-optical imaging sensor, said EM wave detection and ranging sensor, and said at least one additional sensor;

wherein said controller is operable for comparing said input data set to a corresponding set of calibrated thresholds, and for automatically supplementing a user-generated braking input level of the vehicle as a first control response based on the results of the comparison.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said EM wave detection and ranging sensory device is a radar device having a frequency range greater than approximately 1 Gigahertz (GHz).

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said frequency range is selected from the group consisting of:

X-band frequencies and K-band frequencies.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vehicle includes a steering input device and a braking input device, and

wherein said at least one additional sensor includes:

a steering angle and rate sensor adapted to measure an instantaneous steering angle and a steering angle rate of the steering input device, and a braking input sensor adapted to measure said user-generated braking input level.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said EM wave detection and ranging sensory device is a pulsed laser device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an audio/visual alarm device, wherein said audio/visual alarm device is automatically activated as a second control response when said first control response is executed.

13. A method of optimizing a collision preparation response in a vehicle, the method comprising:

measuring a set of vehicle inertial data including a user-generated braking input level;

detecting an obstacle using an electromagnetic (EM) wave detection and ranging device;

continuously monitoring a boundary of said road surface using an electro-optical device to determine when the vehicle crosses said boundary; and

automatically adding a supplemental braking force to said user-generated braking input level when the vehicle crosses said boundary while said obstacle is detected.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting said obstacle using an electro-optical device; and

automatically applying said supplemental braking force when the vehicle is traveling on said road surface and said obstacle is detected by both of said EM wave detection and ranging device and said electro-optical device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

comparing said set of vehicle inertial data to a set of calibrated thresholds; and

automatically applying a different amount of said supplemental braking force depending at least in part on said set of vehicle inertial data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said detecting an obstacle using a EM wave detection and ranging device includes detecting said obstacle using at least one of a radar and a LiDAR device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said continuously monitoring a boundary of said road surface using an electro-optical device includes continuously scanning said boundary using a digital camera to thereby generate an optical signal, and then processing said optical signal through one of an image processing algorithm and a neural network.