Vehicle escape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759433-B2
Application number	US-201815978983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2018
Priority date	Oct 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A map, including potential obstacles, can be generated by a computing device in a vehicle. An estimated coefficient of friction between the vehicle wheels and a roadway surrounding a stuck vehicle can be generated based on sensor data. A path can be determined based on the map, and the stuck vehicle can be operated based on the path and a determined slip ratio based on the vehicle wheels to unstick the stuck vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
generating a map including obstacles and an estimated coefficient of friction between vehicle wheels and a roadway surrounding a stuck vehicle based on sensor data;
determining a path based on the map; and
operating the stuck vehicle based on the path and a slip control process based on the vehicle wheels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimated coefficient of friction between the vehicle wheels and the roadway is lower than a value that was empirically determined to permit operation of the stuck vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining a slip ratio based on vehicle wheel motion parallel to the roadway and vehicle wheel rotation to determine the slip control process.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining the slip control process to permit the stuck vehicle to operate based on the path and a determined slip ratio despite the estimated coefficient of friction.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising matching a slip ratio of vehicle wheels to determine the stuck vehicle is unstuck.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the map including generating a first map based on vehicle sensor data including obstacles.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising generating the map including generating a second map based on vehicle sensor data including estimating coefficients of friction for locations surrounding the stuck vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising combining the first map and the second map and determining the path based on the combined first map and second map.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein vehicle sensor data includes passive sensor data and active sensor data.

10. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, the memory including instructions to be executed by the processor to:
generate a map including obstacles and an estimated coefficient of friction between vehicle wheels and a roadway surrounding a stuck vehicle based on sensor data;
determine a path based on the map; and
operate the stuck vehicle based on the path and a slip control process based the vehicle wheels.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the estimated coefficient of friction between the vehicle wheels and the roadway is lower than a value that was empirically determined to permit operation of the stuck vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising determining a slip ratio based on vehicle wheel motion parallel to the roadway and vehicle wheel rotation to determine the slip control process.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising determining slip control process to permit the stuck vehicle to operate based on the path and a determined slip ratio despite the estimated coefficient of friction.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising matching a slip ratio of vehicle wheels to determine the stuck vehicle is unstuck.

15. The system of claim 10 , further comprising generating the map including generating a first map based on vehicle sensor data including obstacles.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising generating the map including generating a second map based on vehicle sensor data including estimating coefficients of friction for locations surrounding the stuck vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising combining the first map and the second map and determining the path based on the combined first map and second map.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein vehicle sensor data includes passive sensor data and active sensor data.

19. A system, comprising:
means for acquiring sensor data;
means for controlling stuck vehicle steering, braking and powertrain;
computer means for:
generating a map including obstacles and an estimated coefficient of friction between vehicle wheels and a roadway surrounding the stuck vehicle based on sensor data acquired by the means for acquiring sensor data;
determining a path based on the map; and
operating the stuck vehicle based on the path and a determined slip ratio based on the vehicle wheels to unstick the stuck vehicle by the means for controlling the stuck vehicle steering, braking and powertrain.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the estimated coefficient of friction between the vehicle wheels and the roadway is lower than a value that was empirically determined to permit operation of the stuck vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Falconer William
• Konchan Zachary
• Carrier Leonard Eber
• Lavoie Erick Michael

Classifications

• B60W2554/20

  Static objects · CPC title

• B60W2552/40

  Coefficient of friction · CPC title

• B60W2520/26

  Wheel slip · CPC title

• B60W40/068

  Road friction coefficient · CPC title

• B60W30/18172 Primary

  Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels · CPC title