Systems and Methods for Reducing a Severity of a Collision

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021347355-A1
Application number	US-202016869743-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	May 8, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems for collision avoidance for a vehicle. One or more inputs are used to determine an impending collision. Once determined, corrective actions are taken to reduce the severity of the collision. The corrective actions can avoid the collision and/or reduce the damage caused by the collision. The systems and methods can be performed at the vehicle based on data available to a control unit in the vehicle. The systems and methods can also be performed at a system level that controls one or more vehicles and/or objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of reducing a severity of a collision between a vehicle and an object that are both in an environment, the method comprising:
determining expected locations of where each of the vehicle and the object will be located in the environment; identifying that a collision between the vehicle and the object is impending based on the expected locations; and adjusting one or more operational controls of the vehicle and changing the expected location of the vehicle and reducing the severity of the collision.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a criticality map of each of the vehicle and the object with each of the criticality maps comprising one or more higher critical zones and lower critical zones that are spaced apart in a non-overlapping arrangement, an expected severity of the collision is greater for the collision when an impact point of the collision occurs in one of the higher critical zones than in one of the lower critical zones.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising changing a travel path of the vehicle and preventing the impact point of the collision from occurring at the higher critical zones on the vehicle and the object.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a mass of the object and adjusting the one or more operational controls of the vehicle based on the mass of the object.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operations controls of the vehicle and changing the expected location of the vehicle and reducing the severity of the collision comprises:
determining a velocity of one or both of the vehicle and the object; determining a mass of one or both of the vehicle and the object; determining criticality maps of one or both of the vehicle and the object; and determining a new travel path of the vehicle based on one or more of the velocity, the mass, and the criticality maps.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the location of a person in the object based on images of the object taken from a camera on the vehicle and determining a new travel path for the vehicle based on the location of the person.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational controls of the vehicle and changing the expected location of the vehicle and reducing the severity of the collision comprises autonomously controlling the vehicle based on one or more sensor readings taken at the vehicle.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the one or more operational controls of the vehicle and changing the expected location of the vehicle and reducing the severity of the collision comprises changing a travel path of the vehicle and avoiding the object.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a mass of the vehicle, a mass of the object, a criticality map of the vehicle, and a criticality map of the object prior to identifying that the collision between the vehicle and the object is impending.

10 . A method of reducing a severity of a collision between a vehicle and an object that are both in an environment, the method comprising:
determining a travel path of the vehicle in the environment; determining an expected location of the object in the environment; identifying that a collision between the vehicle and the object is impending based on the travel path and the expected location; and determining a new travel path for the vehicle in the environment and preventing a high criticality zone on at least one of the vehicle or the object from being impacted in the collision.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the new travel path based on a velocity of one or both of the vehicle and the object and a mass of one or both of the vehicle and the object.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
capturing images of the object; determining a location of a person in the object based on the images; and determining the new travel path based on the location of the person in the object.

13 . A computing device configured to reduce a severity of a collision between a vehicle and an object that are both in an environment, the computing device comprising:
communications circuitry configured to communicate; and processing circuitry configured to:
determine expected locations of each of the vehicle and the object in the environment at a future time;
determine that a collision between the vehicle and the object is impending based on the expected locations; and
in response to determining the impending collision, change a travel path of the vehicle and reduce a severity of the collision.

14 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the computing device is located in the vehicle.

15 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the computing device is located in a server located remotely from both of the vehicle and the object.

16 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the computing device comprises a camera to capture one or more images of the object, and the processing circuitry is configured to identify the object based on the one or more images.

17 . The computing device of claim 13 , further comprising memory circuitry that stores criticality maps of one or more of the vehicle and the object with the processing circuitry configured to change the travel path based on the one or more criticality maps.

18 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to retrieve a mass of the object and the vehicle and to change the travel path based on the masses.

19 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adjust steering and braking of the vehicle to change the travel path.

20 . The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the vehicle autonomously.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Laughlin Brian Dale
• Glatfelter John William
• Heisserman Jeff Alan

Classifications

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• B60W2554/4042

  Longitudinal speed · CPC title

• B60W30/085 Primary

  Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude in preparation for collision, e.g. braking for nose dropping · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title

• B60W2530/10

  Weight · CPC title