System and method for vehicle lateral control

• US 8,818,606 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-Woo, Litkouhi, Bakhtiar Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/447,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20130274985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• 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: G01S 19/50 whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions

Abstract

A method, system and computer readable medium to autonomously keep a vehicle in a lane. The method including, engaging a lane centering system configured to maintain the vehicle within the lane, at a specified lane position. Further engaging a lane keeping system when the lane centering system fails to keep the vehicle within the lane, the lane keeping system configured to return the vehicle to the lane, when the vehicle leaves or is leaving the lane. And, applying a cost function to determine the nature of engagement of the lane keeping system to return the vehicle to the lane.

Claims

1. A vehicular, autonomous steering system-comprising:

a lane centering system configured to apply a centering torque so as to maintain travel of a vehicle centered in a lane centering zone of a lane;

a lane keeping system operative in accordance with a cost function employing predictive lateral offset and predictive heading angle, the lane keeping system configured to apply a torque so as to restore the travel of the vehicle in the lane centering zone, the torque exceeding the centering torque; and

a processor configured to transfer steering control from the lane centering system to the lane keeping system responsively to a detected failure of the lane centering system.

2. A method to autonomously steer a vehicle comprising:

engaging a lane centering system configured to apply a centering torque so as to maintain travel of a vehicle centered in a lane centering zone of a lane; and

transferring steering control from the lane centering system to a lane keeping system responsively to a detected failure of the lane centering system, the lane keeping system operative in accordance with a cost function employing predictive lateral offset and predictive heading angle, the lane keeping system configured to apply a torque so as to restore the travel of the vehicle in the lane centering zone, the torque exceeding the centering torque.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium for an autonomous steering system comprising instructions, which when executed cause a processor to:

engage a lane centering system configured to apply a centering torque so as to maintain travel of a vehicle centered in a lane centering zone of a lane;

transfer steering control from the lane centering system to a lane keeping system responsively to a detected failure of the lane centering system, the lane keeping system operative in accordance with a cost function employing predictive lateral offset and predictive heading angle, the lane keeping system configured to apply a torque so as to restore the travel of the vehicle in the lane centering zone, the torque exceeding the centering torque.