Method and device for autonomous braking of a vehicle following collision

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604607-B2
Application number	US-201514927733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 9, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A method of controlling a vehicle includes providing a vehicle having a brake system configured to operate according to a nominal mode in which applied braking pressure is based on a driver braking request, a first active braking mode in which applied braking pressure is based on maximum ABS braking pressure and decreased in response to a driver brake pedal release, and a second active braking mode in which applied braking pressure is based on maximum braking pressure. In response to a detected collision, the system is controlled according to the first active braking mode. In response to the first active braking mode being active and no driver braking request being anticipated, the system is controlled according to the second active braking mode. In response to the first or second active braking modes being active and a termination criterion being satisfied, the system is controlled according to the nominal mode.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising:
providing a vehicle having a brake system configured to operate according to a nominal mode, a first active braking mode, and a second active braking mode, wherein in the nominal mode an applied braking pressure is based on a driver braking request, in the first active braking mode the applied braking pressure is based on a maximum braking pressure and decreased in response to a driver release of a brake pedal, and in the second active braking mode the applied braking pressure is based on the maximum braking pressure;
in response to a detected collision, controlling the brake system according to the first active braking mode;
in response to the first active braking mode being active and no driver braking request being anticipated, controlling the brake system according to the second active braking mode; and
in response to the first active braking mode or second active braking mode being active and a termination criterion being satisfied, controlling the brake system according to the nominal mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the termination criterion includes the vehicle being stabilized, a calibratable time interval expiring, or a driver actuation of a gas pedal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle being stabilized is determined based on a motion sensor reading falling below a predefined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the first active braking mode being active, a driver braking request being received, and the driver braking request being discontinued when a motion sensor reading exceeds a threshold, controlling the brake system according to the second active braking mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collision is detected based on an airbag activation, a fuel supply shutting down, or a motion sensor reading exceeding a predefined threshold.

6. A vehicle, comprising:
a brake system; and
a controller configured to in response to a detected collision, control the brake system according to a first braking mode in which applied braking pressure is based on a maximum braking pressure and decreased in response to a driver release of a brake pedal, to in response to the first braking mode being active and no driver braking request being anticipated, control the brake system according to a second braking mode in which applied braking pressure is based on the maximum braking pressure, and to in response to the first active braking mode or second active braking mode being active and a termination criterion being satisfied, control the brake system according to a nominal mode in which applied braking pressure is based on a driver braking request.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the termination criterion includes the vehicle being stabilized, a calibratable time interval expiring, or a driver actuation of a gas pedal.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle being stabilized is determined based on a motion sensor reading falling below a predefined threshold.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to the first active braking mode being active, a driver braking request being received, and the driver braking request being discontinued when a motion sensor reading exceeds a threshold, control the brake system according to the second active braking mode.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the collision is detected based on an airbag activation, a fuel supply shutting down, or a motion sensor reading exceeding a predefined threshold.

11. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising:
automatically controlling brakes with a controller to provide braking torque based on a maximum braking pressure in response to a collision detected based on a yaw rate compared to an average gradient of yaw rate among a plurality of yaw rate samples, and further based on a longitudinal acceleration parameter compared to an average gradient of longitudinal acceleration among a plurality of acceleration measurement samples.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in response to a driver braking request being received and a motion sensor reading falling below a threshold, automatically controlling the vehicle brakes to decrease braking pressure in response to a driver release of a brake pedal.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, in response to the driver braking request received, a driver release of the brake pedal, and the motion sensor reading being above the threshold, automatically controlling the vehicle brakes to maintain the braking torque based on the maximum ABS braking pressure.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in response to a termination criterion being received, discontinuing the automatic controlling of the vehicle brakes.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the termination criterion includes a motion sensor reading falling below a threshold, a calibratable time interval expiring, or a driver actuation of a gas pedal.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hammoud Hassen
• Lu Jianbo
• Burgio Gilberto
• Clark Todd N
• Hofmann Otto
• Lakehal-Ayat Mohsen
• Farmer Shweta M
• Shomsky Jason
• Schaefer Roland

Classifications

• B60T8/1755

  Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve (road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02) · CPC title

• B60T7/12

  for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} · CPC title

• B60T7/22 Primary

  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 title

• B60T8/172

  Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title