COLLISION MITIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BRAKING A VEHICLE

• US 20110178710A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polestar Performance AB (Polestar Automotive Holding UK Plc)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Eidehall, Andreas, King, Anthony Gerald, Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Trombley, Roger Arnold
• Granted Patent: US 9,963,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• 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 forward sensing system configured to detect objects in front of the vehicle; and

at least one controller in communication with the forward sensing system and configured (i) 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 (ii) to issue a command to brake the vehicle if the vehicle cannot be steered into the path along side of the vehicle.

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. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a ratio of a lateral acceleration needed to avoid a collision with objects in front of and in the path along side of the vehicle to a maximum lateral acceleration that can be achieved by the vehicle.

7. A method for braking a vehicle comprising:

detecting an object in front of the vehicle;

determining whether the vehicle can be steered into a lane adjacent to the vehicle to avoid a collision with the detected object; and

automatically issuing a brake command to brake the vehicle if the vehicle cannot be steered into the lane adjacent to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein determining whether the vehicle can be steered into a lane adjacent to the vehicle to avoid a collision with the detected object includes determining whether the lane adjacent to the vehicle is an on-coming lane.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein determining whether the vehicle can be steered into a lane adjacent to the vehicle to avoid a collision with the detected object includes determining whether there are any vehicles in the lane adjacent to the vehicle.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a collision mitigation system configured to detect objects in front of the vehicle, 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.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the collision mitigation system includes a forward sensing system.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the collision mitigation system includes at least one controller in communication with the forward sensing system.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the collision mitigation system includes a navigation system.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the collision mitigation system is further configured to determine whether the path along side of the vehicle is a lane.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the collision mitigation system is further configured to determine whether the path along side of the vehicle is an on-coming lane.

16. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the collision mitigation system is further configured to determine whether there are any vehicles in the path along side of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the collision mitigation system is further configured to determine whether there are any objects in the path along side of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the collision mitigation system is further configured to determine a ratio of a lateral acceleration needed to avoid a collision with objects in front of and in the path along side of the vehicle to a maximum lateral acceleration that can be achieved by the vehicle.