Systems and methods of adaptive regenerative braking and collision avoidance for electrically powered vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969270-B2
Application number	US-201514965562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Electrically powered vehicles may be equipped with both mechanical braking systems and regenerative braking systems. Regenerative braking systems improve vehicle efficiency by returning a portion of the energy lost in deceleration to the battery of the electrically powered vehicle. An electrically powered vehicle controller that provides collision avoidance functionality can maximize the energy returned to the battery of the electrically powered vehicle by maximizing the use of regenerative braking for collision avoidance. A first braking mode can include only regenerative braking for objects greater than the minimum regenerative stopping distance. A second braking mode can include composite braking using both mechanical and regenerative braking. The electrically powered vehicle controller determines the maximum regenerative braking level at least based on data provided by battery charge level or battery state sensors.

First claim

We claim:

1. A collision avoidance system for use with an electrically powered vehicle, the collision avoidance system comprising:
a number of sensors, each of the number of sensors which, in operation, provide signals to a vehicle controller;
at least one controller, communicably coupled to the number of sensors, that, in operation, receives signals from each of the number of sensors;
a nontransitory storage medium that includes controller-executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one controller, cause the at least one controller to:
determine a value representative of a minimum regenerative stopping distance achievable using only a regenerative braking system;
determine a value representative of a minimum composite stopping distance achievable using a combination of a mechanical braking system and the regenerative braking system;
determine a value representative of an obstruction threshold distance that is equal to or greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance;
responsive to receipt of a signal that includes data indicative of at least one object in a travel path of the electrically powered vehicle or the imminent entry of the at least one object into the travel path of the electrically powered vehicle from one or more of the number of sensors, determine a distance to the at least one object;
responsive to a determination that the distance to the at least one object is less than the determined obstruction threshold distance and greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance, autonomously enter a first braking mode in which the electrically powered vehicle is slowed at a first rate of deceleration using only the regenerative braking system.

2. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one controller to:
prior to autonomous entry of the electrically powered vehicle into the first braking mode, generate a first human-perceptible output indicative of the first braking mode.

3. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the controller determines the minimum regenerative stopping distance and the minimum composite stopping distance based, at least hi part, on data supplied by one or more sensors or systems external to the electrically powered vehicle.

4. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one controller to:
responsive to a determination that the distance to the at least one object is less than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance, autonomously determine a level of regenerative braking to apply and autonomously determine a level of mechanical braking to apply that stops the electrically powered vehicle prior to contact with the at least one object and maximizes the level of regenerative braking; and
autonomously enter a second braking mode in which the electrically powered vehicle slows at a second rate of deceleration that is greater than the first rate of deceleration by applying the regenerative braking system at the determined level of regenerative braking and applying the mechanical braking system at the determined level of mechanical braking.

5. The collision avoidance system of claim 4 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one controller to:
prior to autonomous entry of the electrically powered vehicle into the second braking mode, provide a second human-perceptible output indicative of the second braking mode.

6. The collision avoidance system of claim 4 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one controller to:
responsive to a determination that the distance to the at least one object is less than the determined minimum composite stopping distance, autonomously adjust a vehicular horn systems.

7. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the number of sensors include an object detection sensor, an available battery charge sensor, and at least one of:
a battery state sensor; a battery temperature sensor; a battery current sensor; a mechanical braking system sensor; an ambient environmental condition sensor; a road condition sensor; a load sensor; one or more accelerometers; a steering position sensor; a load distribution sensor; or a suspension travel sensor.

8. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the number of sensors include an object detection sensor and an available battery charge sensor; and
wherein the controller determines the minimum regenerative stopping distance and the minimum composite stopping distance based, at least in part, on the battery charge level.

9. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the instructions that cause the at least one controller to determine a value representative of a minimum regenerative stopping distance achievable using only the regenerative braking system, cause the at least one controller to:
determine a value representative of a minimum regenerative stopping distance achievable using the regenerative braking system on an intermittent, periodic, or continuous basis.

10. The collision avoidance system of claim 1 wherein the instructions that cause the at least one controller to determine a value representative of an obstruction threshold distance that is equal to or greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance, cause the at least one controller to:
determine a value representative of an obstruction threshold distance that is greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance on an intermittent, periodic, or continuous basis.

11. A collision avoidance method for use with an electrically powered vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by at least one controller, a value representative of a minimum regenerative stopping distance achievable using only a regenerative braking system of the electrically powered vehicle;
determining, by the at least one controller, a value representative of a minimum composite stopping distance achievable using a combination of a mechanical braking system and the regenerative braking system of the electrically powered vehicle;
determining, by the at least one controller, a value representative of an obstruction threshold distance that is equal to or greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance;
receiving, by the at least one controller, at least one signal including data indicative of at least one object in a travel path of the electrically powered vehicle or the imminent entry of the at least one object into the travel path of the electrically powered vehicle using one or more of a number of sensors communicably coupled to the at least one controller;
determining, by the at least one controller, a value representative of a distance between the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one object;
determining, by the at least one controller, whether the distance between the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one object is less than the determined obstruction threshold distance and greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance; and
responsive to determining the distance between the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one object is less than the determined obstruction threshold distance and greater than the determined minimum regenerative stopping distance by the at least one controller, autonomously placing the electrically powered vehicle in a first braking mode in which a velocity of the electrically powered vehicle is reduced at a first rate of deceleration using only the regenerative braking system.

12. The collision avoidance method of claim 11 , further comprising:
prior to placing the electrically powered v

Assignees

• Gogoro Inc

Inventors

• Luke Hok-Sum Horace
• Taylor Matthew Whiting

Classifications

• B60W2554/00

  Input parameters relating to objects · CPC title

• B60L58/12 Primary

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• B60L2260/32

  Auto pilot mode · CPC title

• B60L15/2009

  for braking · CPC title

• B60L2240/36

  Temperature of vehicle components or parts · CPC title