Patent Application
20110215947
This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to EP 10155320.4, filed Mar. 3, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention concerns a system and method for collision warning in a host vehicle. More particularly the present invention relates to a system and method for collision warning, which system has detected a collision risk based on input from at least one sensor which detects at least one parameter related to another user of the road with respect to the host vehicle. The invention is intended for use particularly but not exclusively in a passenger car, a bus and a heavy goods vehicle but is applicable to any other vehicle such as a truck or a snow plough.
Road traffic accidents are one of the world's largest public health problems. In the EU alone, traffic accidents cause approximately 1.8 million injuries and 43.000 fatalities each year. Many, but not yet all, of today's modern vehicles are provided with active safety systems that may assist the driver in his/her driving. Active safety is defined as technologies that can detect hazardous traffic situations and actively assist road users in avoiding or mitigating accidents. These systems may include for example anti-spin systems but also more sophisticated systems that may assist the driver in controlling the vehicle and monitor the surrounding traffic, such as other vehicles or road users but also other objects or obstacles that may occur on the road. Some of these systems use proximity sensors for monitoring the state of surrounding road and/or users of the road. These active safety systems may for example provide for automatic activation of brakes and/or steering and warn the driver of a registered collision risk.
In US2007/0021915A1, a system for avoiding collisions between a vehicle and another object is described. In this system an information unit comprising a transmitter/receiver is arranged on a host vehicle. The transmitter/receiver transmits and receives radio waves from a transmitter of each other vehicle within transmission range. A position determining device and a processor is further arranged on the host vehicle. The incoming information to the system is analyzed to ascertain whether a collision between the host vehicle and any of the other vehicles is likely to occur. Actions taken by the system could be activation of a driver notification system to alert the driver of the collision risk or activation of a vehicle control system, such as braking or steering of the vehicle to avoid a collision. A drawback with the described system is that it requires that all involved vehicles are provided with transmitter/receivers.
Accidents are often caused by a combination of coincidences, rather than by one single event. Since there are several contributing factors for each accident, this also implies that there are several possibilities for preventing accidents. However, there may occur situations in which a driver of a vehicle has no or very little possibility to act despite an active safety system in the vehicle that may either warn and/or instruct the driver to take action or which automatically takes action to avoid a potential threat to the own vehicle and/or other road users. Further, today the majority of the vehicles that are out on the roads are not equipped with an active safety system. This means that even if one vehicle detects a collision risk with another vehicle, it may not have a possibility to act.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in the field of collision warning systems for motor vehicles.
An object of the present invention is to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.
A further object may be to improve the possibility of avoiding a detected collision risk between a host vehicle and another user of the road involved in the detected collision risk.
A still further object may be to provide an improved method and system for collision warning in situations where the freedom of action is limited for at least one of the users of the road.
At least one of the objects is achieved by a method for collision warning in a host vehicle, which method comprises the steps of:
detecting a collision risk between the host vehicle and an other user of the road with a detection means, based on input from at least one sensor which detects at least one parameter related to the other user of the road with respect to the host vehicle,
identifying possible options to avoid a collision between the host vehicle and the other user of the road based on input from the detection means, wherein possible options for the host vehicle to avoid a collision are identified as well as possible options for the other user of the road to avoid a collision are identified,
calculating among the identified possible options a preferred avoidance action in order to avoid a collision between the host vehicle and the other user of the road, and if the preferred avoidance action involves at least one possible option identified for the other user of the road, then
generating a warning signal from the host vehicle in a direction towards the other user of the road in order to warn the other user of the road of the collision risk.
It may be an advantage in the method that possible options for avoiding a collision are evaluated for both a host vehicle and another user of the road. The generation of a warning signal towards the other user of the road is then performed if the other user of the road may contribute in avoiding a collision. The chances to avoid a collision may thus increase if another road user that has been identified to have a possibility to avoid a collision is warned about a collision risk.
A further advantage with the method may be that when a host vehicle has only small or no possibilities to avoid a collision, the other user of the road involved in the situation may be warned about the collision risk and may thus act upon it in order to avoid a collision.
Therefore, by first performing an analysis to identify a preferred avoidance action for a detected collision risk involving the host vehicle as well as the other user of the road and then, secondly, by generating a warning to the other user of the road which has been identified to have a possibility to act and thereby avoid a collision, an improved collision warning method is provided for.
It may be realized that the method may be applied in a range of different collision risk scenarios involving a host vehicle and a cyclist, a pedestrian, an animal or an other motor vehicle. For example, in scenarios involving a host vehicle and at least one more motor vehicle, such as a passenger car, the collision scenario may be defined as a head-on collision, a side collision or a rear-end collision. Thus, a collision warning may be generated from the host vehicle in a direction defined from the front of the host vehicle. A collision warning may also be generated from the host vehicle in a direction defined from a side of the host vehicle. Further, a collision warning may be generated from the host vehicle in a direction defined from the rear end of the host vehicle. A collision warning may be also generated from the host vehicle in a direction defined from the front, a side and/or the rear end at the same time.
According to an embodiment of the method, it may comprise the step of generating a warning signal from the host vehicle in a direction defined from the front and/or a side of the host vehicle towards the other user of the road.
In this way, a generated warning signal from the host vehicle may be clearly noticed by another user of the road in the case of the collision risk being a front-to-front collision, but also in the case that the collision risk is a front-to-side collision, such as in a collision at an intersection, or in the case that the collision risk is a side-to-side collision, such as in for example a change of lane collision situation.
According to another embodiment, the method may comprise the step of
connecting a warning signal generating means arranged with the host vehicle to a calculating means performing the calculating step for providing the warning signal in the form of an audible signal and/or a visible signal.
A warning signal generated towards a vehicle in relation to for example a detected head-on collision or a rear-end collision may preferably be a visible signal, as an audible signal may be difficult to perceive other than when the host vehicle is relatively close to the other user of the road. But in for example a changing lane situation, the host and the other road user are relatively close to each other and an audible signal is to be preferred, either in combination with the visible signal or alone.
According to another embodiment, the method may comprise the step of detecting a collision risk between the host vehicle and the other user of the road in a detection means, based on input from at least one sensor which detects also at least one environmental parameter with respect to said host vehicle.
It may be an advantage that account is taken to both environmental parameters such as weather conditions and features related to infrastructure on or close to the road, such as the presence road fences and/or shoulder, the type of road edge, condition of the road surface, lane markings and tire-to-road friction etc. Still further environmental parameters may be further other users of the road that are present within the detected area but that are not parts in the detected collision risk.
According to yet another embodiment, the method may comprise the step of detecting a collision risk between the host vehicle and the other user of the road in a direction defined from the front and/or a side of the host vehicle towards the other user of the road.
According to an embodiment, the method may comprise the step of detecting a collision risk between said host vehicle and said other user of the road wherein said other user of the road is detected to be another motor vehicle, a cyclist or a pedestrian.
At least one of the above mentioned objects is achieved by a system for collision warning in a host vehicle, comprising
a detection means for detecting a collision risk between the host vehicle and an other user of the road, based on input from at least one sensor which detects at least one parameter related to the other user of the road with respect to the host vehicle,
an identifying means for identifying possible options to avoid a collision between the host vehicle and the other user of the road based on input from the detection means, wherein possible options for the host vehicle to avoid a collision are identified as well as possible options for the other user of the road to avoid a collision are identified,
a calculating means for calculating among the identified possible options a preferred avoidance action in order to avoid a collision between the host vehicle and the other user of the road, and,
a warning signal generating means for generating a warning signal from the host vehicle in a direction towards the other user of the road if the preferred avoidance action involves a possible option identified for the other user of the road.
According to an embodiment the system further comprises that the warning signal generating means is connected to the calculating means such that a warning signal can be automatically issued if the preferred avoidance action involves a possible option identified for the other user of the road.
According to another embodiment the means for generating a warning signal comprises means for providing an audible signal and/or a visible signal.
In many cases a visible warning signal may attract the attention of a driver of another vehicle such that he/she becomes aware of a detected collision risk. However, there are also scenarios in which the sight for the driver of another vehicle may be impaired or, for example in the case of a changing lane situation that the host vehicle is out of sight or when the host vehicle is positioned in a blind spot in relation to the other vehicle. In such a case it is an advantage that the warning signal is an audible signal or that the visible signal is combined with the audible signal.
According to yet another embodiment the means for generating an audible warning signal comprises the horn of the host vehicle.
According to an embodiment the means for generating a visible warning signal comprises at least one head light, tail light, stop tail light and/or indicator light of the host vehicle.
By using the horn, head lights, tail lights, stop tail lights and/or indicator lights that are provided on the host vehicle, parts that are already installed in a vehicle may be used for a second purpose.
An advantage with this may be that the described system may be installed in a vehicle and readily connected to parts and details that are already provided in the vehicle. Hence, a system as described herein requires relatively few parts.
According to an embodiment the means for generating a warning signal are positioned on the host vehicle to direct the warning signal out from the front and/or out from a side of the host vehicle.
According to another embodiment, the other user of the road is the driver of another motor vehicle, a cyclist or a pedestrian.
There is also presented a vehicle that comprises a system according to any of the above embodiments.
Further embodiments and advantages will be apparent from dependent claims and the following detailed description.
As used herein, the expression “user of the road” relates to something or someone that resides on the road, the shoulder of the road or close to the road, with or without a moving direction, such as for example a vehicle, such as a cyclist, a motorcyclist, a passenger car, a truck, a heavy goods vehicle etc or a pedestrian or even an animal.
With the expression “a parameter related to the other user of the road” as used herein is meant a physical property such as the position of, the direction of movement of, the speed of, the size of the other user of the road.
With the expression “environmental parameter” as used herein, are meant conditions or structures of the road environment in the vicinity of the other user of the road and/or host vehicle, such as conditions of the road, paved or not, road fences, shoulders of the road, tire-to-road friction, lane markings etc, as well as weather conditions, such as temperature, rainfall or snowfall, fog, degree of daylight etc.
As used herein, the expression “avoidance action” relates an action performed or taken to avoid a detected collision risk. Such an avoidance action may involve changing lane, braking, accelerating, pull over to the side of the road, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop or steering. Further, in the process of calculating a preferred avoidance action it may be advantageous that both the host vehicle and the other user of the road take an action. Therefore, the expression “a preferred avoidance action” as used herein, may involve the host vehicle only, the other vehicle only for example if the host vehicle cannot or is hindered to take any action at all, or it may optionally involve an action from both the host vehicle and the other vehicle.
The expressions “front” and “rear” relate to the motor vehicle, where front is the part coming first in the normal forward driving direction and rear is the part defining the rear end of the vehicle. Further, the expression “side” as is used herein, relates to the part of a vehicle between the front and the rear.
The present invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. However, other features of the present invention will become more apparent and the present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompany drawings in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
The invention will be described using examples of embodiments. It should however be realized that the example embodiments are included in order to explain principles of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention, defined by the appended claims.
When another user 20 of the road, e.g. another motor vehicle, appears in the left hand lane 18a of the road, the host vehicle may detect this other user of the road by means of at least one sensor (not shown). The host vehicle may also detect if there is a collision risk between the host vehicle 10 and the other user 20 of the road with a detection means which comprises or receives input from the at least one sensor from within a scanned area 13.
In the illustrated example of
As soon as a collision risk has been detected a process starts to identify different options to avoid a collision between the host vehicle 10 and another user 20 of the road or object. The possible options identified are based on input from the detection means together with predetermined boundary values in relation to the host vehicle. In the example illustrated in
In the illustrated example in
In this situation, the host vehicle has very limited possibilities to avoid a collision by itself but the other user of the road may still have a possibility. Therefore, a warning signal 14 is issued towards the other user 20 of the road. A warning generating means, such as head lights, indicator lights and/or a horn signal, is connected to the calculating means. This is further described in relation to
In
In
A potential collision risk is detected by the detection means 12 based on input from sensors 15 positioned on the host vehicle 10. It should be noted that the detection means 12 may comprise one or more sensors 15. The system further comprises an identifying means 16 and a calculating means 17. The identifying means 16 receives information from the detection means 12, which in turn has received information from one or more sensors 15, about a detected collision risk as well as other parameters of interest, such that possible options to avoid a collision may be identified. Other parameters of interest may be features of the host vehicle and/or environmental parameters. The calculating means 17 receives input from the identifying means 16 but also from the detection means 12 and/or one or more sensors 15. The calculating means uses this information together with pre-set boundary conditions, which may be what may actually be possible for the host vehicle to perform, to calculate at least one preferred avoidance action. The detection means 12 and calculating means 16 are connected to each other such that they may exchange information. It is to be noted that the identifying means 16 and the calculating means 17 may be arranged as one single unit but as well as two separate units. Further, the host vehicle 10 is provided with means 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d for generating a warning signal. Preferably, means for generating a warning signal are audible means 19c such as the horn 19c of the vehicle 10 and/or visible signal means 19a,19b, 19d, such as head lights 19a, indicator lights 19b or stop tail lights/tail lights 19d. A vehicle may also have other means for generating a warning signal that are particularly arranged on the vehicle for issuing warning signals. It may for example be extra lights in different colours arranged on the sides, in the front and/or at the rear end of the host vehicle.
101. Detecting a collision risk between a host vehicle and another user of the road
102. Identifying possible options to avoid a collision
103. Calculating a preferred avoidance action, and if it involves at least one possible option identified for the other user of the road, then
104. Generating a warning signal towards the other user of the road.
According to the method of the present invention, a warning signal 14 is generated towards another user 20, 20a of the road, such as another motor vehicle, when an identified option to avoid a collision involves the other user of the road, is calculated to be a preferred avoidance action.
In the detecting step 101 a collision is said to be detected in the detection means 12 if an estimated time to collision falls below a certain threshold. The time to collision is defined as the time to contact between two objects if the current heading angle and velocity of the vehicles remain constant. It should be realized that there are also other ways of defining a collision risk. In the detecting step 101, the sensors 15 collect parameters related to the other user of the road and/or environmental parameters. The parameters are processed in the detecting means 12 and a collision risk may be detected.
In the step of identifying 102 possible options to avoid a collision may include an evaluation in the identifying means 16 of how and/or to which extent the driver of a host vehicle and the other user of the road may be able to brake, steer away and/or accelerate to avoid a collision.
The step of calculating 103 a preferred avoidance action in the calculating means 17, may for example be that the other user of the road steer back into a lane he/she just left, or that the other user or the road brakes and that the host vehicle brakes. Thus, a preferred avoidance action may involve only the other road user or both the other road user and the host vehicle.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10155320.4 | Mar 2010 | EP | regional |
