Cornering speed control module and method and engine control unit including the module

Abstract

A curved road section speed limit module for a vehicle is provided, comprising a control unit, a curved road section information acquisition unit for acquiring curve parameter information of the curved road section, and a vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit for acquiring real-time vehicle parameter information. The control unit is configured to: obtain the curve parameter information from the curved road section information acquisition unit and obtain the real-time vehicle parameter information from the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit; and query a speed limit value from a pre-stored speed limit query table based on the curve parameter information and the real-time vehicle parameter information, and execute a predetermined speed limit process when the real-time vehicle speed of the vehicle is greater than the speed limit value obtained by the query. An engine control unit including the curved road section speed limit module is also provided. A curved road section speed limit method and a machine-readable storage medium are also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to the field of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for vehicles, and more particularly to a curve speed control module and method for the system, and an engine control unit including the curve speed control module. Background Art

[0002] Advanced driver assistance systems use various sensors (such as cameras, radars, lasers, and ultrasound) installed on the vehicle (such as the front and rear bumpers, side mirrors, inside the steering column, or windshield) to collect environmental data inside and outside the vehicle in the first place, identify and process dynamic or static objects, and enable the driver to be aware of possible dangers as early as possible and take necessary active safety measures as soon as possible, effectively increasing the comfort and safety of car driving.

[0003] This system primarily provides safety features and adaptive features. Safety features avoid collisions and accidents by alerting the driver to potential problems or by implementing protective measures and taking control of the vehicle. Adaptive features can provide automatic lighting, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, incorporate Global Positioning System (GPS) / accident warnings, connect to smartphones, warn the driver of other vehicles or hazards, help the driver stay in the correct lane, and display blind spots. Due to the aforementioned convenience and practicality, this system has been installed on an increasing number of vehicles. The system also provides a constant speed limit function.

[0004] However, different road sections have different speed limit requirements. This is especially true on curved sections of highways, where the speed limit is generally lower than on straight sections. The constant speed limit set by the advanced driver assistance system's constant speed limit function primarily applies to straight sections. This higher speed limit can be dangerous when the vehicle is negotiating a curved section.

[0005] Current advanced driver assistance systems do not offer adaptive speed limiting. Therefore, even on curved roads, the speed limit cannot be adjusted accordingly, and the speed limit cannot be increased according to the curvature of the curve. We hope to resolve this issue. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to solve at least one of the above technical problems and provide an adaptive speed limit function, especially a speed limit function that is adapted to curved road sections.

[0007] To this end, according to a first aspect of the present application, a curved road section speed limit module for a vehicle is provided, comprising a control unit, a curved road section information acquisition unit and a vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit communicatively connected to the control unit, wherein:

[0008] The curve section information acquisition unit is configured to acquire curve parameter information of the curve section from map information, wherein the curve parameter information at least includes the curvature of the curve section and a preset speed limit value for the curve section;

[0009] The vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit is configured to acquire vehicle real-time parameter information, the vehicle real-time parameter information at least including real-time vehicle speed, real-time vehicle load, real-time accelerator pedal opening and real-time braking state. Accordingly, the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit at least includes a vehicle speed measuring device for obtaining the vehicle real-time speed, a load measuring device for obtaining the real-time vehicle load, an accelerator pedal opening measuring device for obtaining the real-time accelerator pedal opening, and a braking state detecting device for obtaining the real-time braking state.

[0010] The control unit is configured to:

[0011] Obtaining the curve parameter information from the curve road section information obtaining unit and obtaining the vehicle real-time parameter information from the vehicle real-time parameter obtaining unit; and

[0012] A speed limit value is queried from a pre-stored speed limit query table based on the curve parameter information and the vehicle real-time parameter information, and a predetermined speed limit process is executed when the real-time speed of the vehicle is greater than the speed limit value obtained by the query.

[0013] The curved road section speed limit module of the present application can provide a speed limit value that changes according to the relevant parameters or settings of the curved road section and the real-time status parameters of the vehicle when the vehicle passes through the curved road section. It can provide timely reminders when the real-time speed of the vehicle is too high, and even force the speed to be reduced to the vehicle limit value when necessary, greatly improving the safety and comfort of vehicle driving.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present application, an engine control unit including the above-mentioned curved road section speed limit module is provided.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the present application, a method for limiting the speed of a vehicle on a curved road section is provided, which is executed by the above-mentioned curved road section speed limiting module, comprising:

[0016] A first step of acquiring curve information parameters of a curved road section on which the vehicle is located from pre-stored map information, wherein the curve information parameters include at least the curvature of the curved road section and a preset speed limit value of the curved road section;

[0017] A second step of acquiring real-time vehicle parameters, wherein the real-time vehicle parameters include at least real-time vehicle speed, real-time vehicle load, real-time accelerator pedal opening, and real-time braking status;

[0018] A query step of querying a speed limit value in a pre-stored speed limit query table based on the acquired curve information parameters and the acquired vehicle real-time parameters;

[0019] The speed limit value obtained by the query is compared with the real-time speed value of the vehicle and a comparison step of the speed limit process is performed when the real-time speed value of the vehicle is greater than the speed limit value.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a machine-readable storage medium is provided, on which executable instructions are stored. When the executable instructions are executed, the machine executes the above-mentioned method for limiting the speed of a vehicle on a curved road section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The foregoing and other features, advantages and benefits of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application.

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the curve speed control module according to the present application; and

[0023] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the curve speed control method according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The curve speed control module of this application is designed to automatically and adaptively adjust the vehicle speed when navigating a curved road section based on the curve's parameters (e.g., curvature) and the speed limit preset for that curved road section by traffic control authorities or any other relevant authorities. Curved roads are typically characterized by a parameter called "curvature value." As used herein, a "curved road section" refers to a road section where the curvature value exceeds the preset curvature value for a continuous period exceeding a predetermined length.

[0025] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown in the simplified block diagram of FIG, the curve vehicle speed control module 100 of the present application generally includes a control unit 10, a curve information acquisition unit 20, and a vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30. The control unit 10 is in communication with both the curve information acquisition unit 20 and the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30.

[0026] The curve information acquisition unit 20 is configured to obtain curve information parameters for the curve section on which the vehicle is located from pre-stored map information. These curve information parameters include at least the curvature at each location on the curve section and the speed limit preset by relevant authorities for the curve section. Optionally, the curve information parameters may also include the length of the curve section, the location or number of forks in the curve section, and any other parameters related to the curve section.

[0027] According to the principles of the present application, there is no limitation on the storage method of map information. For example, in one embodiment, map information may be pre-stored in the memory 40 of the curve speed control module 100. The memory 40 may be a local memory physically provided in the curve speed control module 100, for example, it may be integrated into the curve information acquisition unit 20 or the control unit 10, or provided independently of the foregoing two. Optionally, in another embodiment, the memory 40 may be a remote or network memory, such as a cloud, and accordingly, the curve information acquisition unit 20 may include a wireless or wired communication interface for remotely acquiring map information via a wired or wireless manner.

[0028] The vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30 is configured to acquire the real-time parameters of the vehicle. The real-time parameters shown include at least real-time vehicle speed, real-time vehicle load, real-time accelerator pedal opening and real-time braking status. Accordingly, the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30 includes at least a vehicle speed acquisition device 32 for obtaining vehicle speed, a load acquisition device 34 for obtaining vehicle load, an accelerator pedal position sensor 36 for obtaining the accelerator pedal position of the vehicle, and a brake status detector 38 for obtaining the real-time braking status. Of course, according to the principles of this application, this application is not limited to the real-time parameters mentioned above, and any other parameters related to the curve speed limit can be included. In addition, according to the principles of this application, each real-time parameter of the vehicle can be measured, detected or acquired by devices and methods known to those skilled in the art. This is not the focus of this application and will not be described in detail herein.

[0029] According to the present application, the curve speed control module 100 includes a pre-stored speed limit lookup table. In this lookup table, speed limits are set to specific ranges or values corresponding to each parameter in a parameter group, which includes at least: the curvature of the curve section, the preset speed limit for that curve section, the vehicle's real-time speed, the vehicle's real-time vehicle load, the vehicle's real-time accelerator pedal position, and the vehicle's real-time braking status. In other words, given a set of parameter values for each parameter in the parameter group obtained from the curve information acquisition unit 20 and the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30, the corresponding speed limit can be retrieved based on the parameter ranges corresponding to these parameter values in the speed limit lookup table.

[0030] According to the principles of the present application, the data in the speed limit lookup table can be obtained by any appropriate means, such as through multiple experiments, through experience, or through calculation using any appropriate algorithm. This speed limit lookup table is pre-stored in the curve speed control module 100 of the present application.

[0031] The speed limit lookup table is configured to be used by the control unit 10 and, therefore, may be pre-stored in the control unit 10. Alternatively, similar to the map information described above, the speed limit lookup table may be pre-stored in the memory 40 as described above. Thus, in some embodiments, the control unit 10 may be configured to be communicatively connected to the memory 40 so as to retrieve the speed limit lookup table from the memory 40, or the control unit 10 may be provided with a wired or wireless communication port so as to communicate with a remote or network or cloud-based storage.

[0032] The control unit 10 of the curve speed control module 100 is configured to communicate with both the curve information acquisition unit 20 and the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30, and obtain a set of parameter values for the parameter group including the aforementioned six parameters from each of the two units. The control unit 10 can access a speed limit lookup table, determine the parameter range corresponding to the set of parameter values in the speed limit lookup table, and then query the corresponding speed limit value accordingly.

[0033] After obtaining the speed limit value, the control unit 10 is further configured to compare the speed limit value obtained by the query with the real-time speed value of the vehicle, and when the real-time speed of the vehicle is higher than the speed limit value obtained by the query, determine that the vehicle has a safety hazard and take corresponding speed limiting procedures, and when the real-time speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the speed limit value obtained by the query, do not actively adjust or affect the real-time speed of the vehicle, or take any active measures.

[0034] The speed limiting process at least includes sending a reminder or warning to the driver, for example, in the form of a reminder display on the instrument panel, such as flashing a warning light for the function, or in the form of a voice reminder, such as issuing a warning sound such as a beep or a combination of long and short sounds, or a combination of the above display and voice reminder forms. In addition, any other reminder or warning form known in the art may be used.

[0035] According to the present application, the curve vehicle speed control module 100 can activate the automatic deceleration or braking function while reminding the driver as part of the speed limiting process.

[0036] Alternatively, the speed limit process can be configured to: after a predetermined time from the time the reminder or warning is sent to the driver, the vehicle's real-time speed is compared again with the queried speed limit. If the comparison result still indicates that the vehicle's real-time speed is still above the speed limit, the automatic speed reduction function is initiated, for example, until the real-time speed is reduced below the speed limit, or the braking function is activated. Preferably, the predetermined time can be set as needed, for example, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds. Alternatively, the predetermined time can be set in relation to the curvature of the curved road section, for example, the predetermined time can be provided as a function of the curvature of the curved road section.

[0037] The curve speed control module 100 according to the present application is described in detail above. The provision of this module realizes the functions of automatically obtaining the speed limit value when the vehicle travels on a curve section, promptly reminding the driver, and automatically reducing the speed to the speed limit value when necessary, thereby greatly improving vehicle safety.

[0038] The curve speed control module 100 of the present application can be configured as a component of, and optionally integrated into, an advanced driver assistance system for a vehicle. Thus, the advanced driver assistance system of the present application can include the curve speed control module 100, thereby enabling the system to provide both a constant speed limit function and a variable speed limit function, thereby increasing the safety level provided by the system and making its functionality more complete.

[0039] In addition to the curve speed control module 100 of the present application, the advanced driver assistance system of the present disclosure may also include one or more of the following modules: a navigation module for providing navigation functions for the vehicle, a real-time traffic sub-module TMC for providing real-time traffic and weather conditions and other information, an electronic police sub-module ISA for monitoring, taking pictures, handling traffic violations and / or providing effective detection means, a vehicle networking module for collecting information such as the position, speed and route of a large number of vehicles to form an interactive network between vehicles, an adaptive cruise control module ACC for controlling the vehicle to travel at a set speed when the distance between vehicles is safe and adaptively controlling the vehicle to brake or slow down when the distance between vehicles is less than the safe distance, a lane departure warning module LDWS for providing a warning when the vehicle deviates from the lane line in an inactive manner, and a lane departure warning system capable of controlling the lane departure warning system on the basis of the lane departure warning system. Lane keeping module for braking, collision avoidance or pre-collision module for judging potential collision risk by sensing and calculating the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front during driving, night vision module for enabling the driver to have higher foresight ability at night or in poor ambient light conditions, adaptive lighting control module for automatically adjusting the steering angle of low beam to expand the effective lighting range when the vehicle turns, pedestrian protection module for maximizing the protection of struck pedestrians by using energy-absorbing materials on the vehicle body, automatic parking module for performing automatic parking operations without human intervention, traffic sign or traffic light recognition system for helping the driver identify traffic signs or traffic lights, blind spot detection module for clearing the blind spots of rearview mirrors to avoid accidents during vehicle lane changes, downhill control system for providing automatic control of the vehicle when the vehicle is going downhill, etc.

[0040] The curve speed control module 100 of the present application may also be integrated into an engine control unit ECU of a vehicle and provided as a part thereof.

[0041] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the curve speed control module 100 of the present application can also be provided as a separate functional module selectively according to customer needs. In this case, the curve speed control module 100 of the present application can also include a selector that can selectively activate or deactivate the speed limit functional module.

[0042] Figure 2 A flow chart of a curve speed control method according to the present application is shown.

[0043] The method first includes a first acquisition step 110 of acquiring curve information parameters of the curve road section where the vehicle is located from pre-stored map information, for example, Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the curve information acquisition unit 20 is used. The information parameters of the curve section at least include the curvature of the curve section and the preset speed limit value of the curve section.

[0044] The method further includes a second acquisition step 120 for acquiring real-time vehicle parameters. As previously described, the real-time vehicle parameters include at least real-time vehicle speed, real-time vehicle load, real-time accelerator pedal opening, and real-time braking status. For example, this step can be performed by the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30.

[0045] The method further includes a query step 130 of querying a speed limit value in a pre-stored speed limit query table based on the acquired information parameters of the curved road section and the acquired real-time parameters of the vehicle.

[0046] The method further includes a control step 140 of comparing the queried speed limit value with the real-time speed value of the vehicle and executing the speed limiting process if the real-time speed value of the vehicle is greater than the speed limit value.

[0047] Optionally, the speed limiting process may include sending a reminder or warning to the driver. In one embodiment, the speed limiting process may also include initiating an automatic speed reduction or braking function simultaneously with sending the reminder or warning to the driver. In another alternative embodiment, the speed limiting process may include again comparing the vehicle's real-time speed with the queried speed limit value a predetermined time after sending the reminder or warning to the driver, and initiating the automatic speed reduction or braking function if the comparison result still indicates that the vehicle's real-time speed is still higher than the speed limit value.

[0048] According to the principles of the present application, in the method described above in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application, certain steps, such as step 110 and step 120, may be performed simultaneously or in different orders.

[0049] Optionally, the method may further include an initial step of determining whether the vehicle is on a curved road section, and, if the vehicle is determined to be on a curved road section, selectively actuating the curve speed control module 100 to execute the actuation step of the method. Obviously, the initial step and actuation step are performed before the first and second acquisition steps 110 and 120.

[0050] Optionally, the method includes repeatedly executing the first acquisition step 110, the second acquisition step 120, the query step 130, and the comparison step 140 until the end step 150, in which it is determined that the vehicle has exited the curved road section. Determining whether the vehicle is on the curved road section and whether the vehicle has exited the curved road section is performed by comparing the vehicle's real-time position with the positions of the starting and ending points of the curved road section. Accordingly, the curve information acquisition unit 20 also acquires the position parameters of the starting and ending points of the curved road section from map information, and the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30 also acquires the vehicle's real-time position parameters, for example, from the vehicle's GPS module. Optionally, determining whether the vehicle is on the curved road section is performed by acquiring the vehicle's real-time position and obtaining a curvature value of the real-time position from a map. If the curvature value is greater than a preset value for a predetermined period of time, the vehicle is determined to have entered the curved road section. If the curvature value is less than the preset value for a predetermined period of time, the vehicle is determined to have exited the curved road section.

[0051] For example, the initial step and the end step 150 can be implemented by obtaining at least two of the starting point position, the ending point position, and the degree of the curved road segment from the curve information acquisition unit 20, and obtaining the real-time position of the vehicle from the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30. Accordingly, the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit 30 includes a detection or sensor capable of obtaining the real-time position of the vehicle.

[0052] The method examples described herein may be at least partially machine or computer-implemented. Some examples may include a computer-readable medium or machine-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform the methods described in the above examples. The implementation of these methods may include code, such as microcode, assembly language code, high-level language code, etc. Such code may include computer-readable instructions for performing various methods. The code may form part of a computer program product. In addition, in an example, the code may be tangibly stored on one or more volatile, non-transitory or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media, such as during execution or at other times. Examples of these tangible computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a removable disk, a removable optical disk (such as a CD-ROM and a digital video disk), a cassette tape, a memory card or stick, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), etc.

[0053] The above describes in detail the curve vehicle speed control module and method of the present application, as well as non-limiting embodiments of their implementation. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present application is not limited to the aforementioned module and method. Rather, the configuration of the curve vehicle speed control module and certain features of the curve vehicle speed control method described above may be deleted, modified, or combined as needed, without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A curved road section speed limit module (100) for a vehicle, comprising a control unit (10), a curved road section information acquisition unit (20) and a vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit (30) communicatively connected to the control unit (10), wherein: The curve road section information acquisition unit (20) is configured to acquire curve parameter information of the curve road section from map information, wherein the curve parameter information at least includes the curvature of the curve road section and a preset speed limit value for the curve road section; The vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit (30) is configured to acquire vehicle real-time parameter information, the vehicle real-time parameter information at least including real-time vehicle speed, real-time vehicle load, real-time accelerator pedal opening, and real-time braking state. Accordingly, the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit (30) at least includes a vehicle speed measuring device (32) for acquiring the vehicle real-time speed, a load measuring device (34) for acquiring the real-time vehicle load, an accelerator pedal opening measuring device (36) for acquiring the real-time accelerator pedal opening, and a braking state detecting device (38) for acquiring the real-time braking state. The control unit (10) is configured to: Obtaining the curve parameter information from the curve road section information acquisition unit (20) and obtaining the vehicle real-time parameter information from the vehicle real-time parameter acquisition unit (30), wherein the vehicle real-time parameter information includes the real-time position of the vehicle, and the curve parameter information includes a curvature value corresponding to the real-time position of the vehicle; querying a speed limit value from a pre-stored speed limit query table based on the curve parameter information and the real-time vehicle parameter information, and executing a predetermined speed limit process when the real-time vehicle speed is greater than the speed limit value obtained by the query; as well as Repeat the above operation until the curvature value is less than the preset value for a predetermined period of time. The speed limiting process includes: Activate automatic speed reduction or braking while providing a reminder or warning to the driver, or The vehicle's real-time speed is compared with the speed limit value obtained by query again after a predetermined time from the time the above-mentioned reminder or warning is sent to the driver, and the automatic deceleration or braking function is initiated when the comparison result still shows that the vehicle's real-time speed is still higher than the speed limit value.

2. The curve road section speed limit module (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The pre-stored vehicle speed limit lookup table is obtained by experiment, or by experience, or by calculation according to a mathematical algorithm, and is pre-stored in the curved road section vehicle speed limit module (100).

3. The curve road section speed limit module (100) according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the map information, the pre-stored speed limit query table, and the predetermined speed limit process is pre-stored in the memory (40) of the curved road section speed limit module (100).

4. The curve road section speed limit module (100) according to claim 3, wherein: The memory (40) may be integrated into either the control unit (10) or the curve road section information acquisition unit (20), or provided independently of both.

5. The curve road section speed limit module (100) according to claim 3, wherein: The memory (40) is a remote or cloud storage accessed via a wired or wireless connection.

6. The curve road section speed limit module (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein: The curved road section speed limit module (100) is part of an advanced driver assistance system for a vehicle, or is part of an engine control unit, or is provided separately.

7. An engine control unit comprising a curved road section speed limiting module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for limiting the speed of a vehicle on a curved road section executed by using the curved road section speed limiting module (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: A first acquisition step (110) of acquiring curve information parameters of a curve section on which the vehicle is located from pre-stored map information, wherein the curve information parameters at least include a curvature of the curve section, a curvature value corresponding to the real-time position of the vehicle, and a preset speed limit value of the curve section; a second acquisition step (120) of acquiring vehicle real-time parameters, wherein the vehicle real-time parameters include at least real-time vehicle speed, real-time vehicle load, real-time accelerator pedal opening, and real-time braking state, and the vehicle real-time parameter information includes the real-time position of the vehicle; A query step (130) of querying a speed limit value in a pre-stored speed limit query table based on the acquired curve information parameters and the acquired vehicle real-time parameters; a comparison step (140) of comparing the queried speed limit value with the real-time speed value of the vehicle and executing a speed limiting process if the real-time speed value of the vehicle is greater than the speed limit value, wherein the speed limiting process includes: activating an automatic deceleration or braking function while sending a reminder or warning to the driver, or, comparing the real-time speed of the vehicle with the queried speed limit value again after a predetermined time from when the reminder or warning is sent to the driver, and activating the automatic deceleration or braking function if the comparison result still shows that the real-time speed of the vehicle is still greater than the speed limit value; and The first acquisition step (110), the second acquisition step (120), the query step (130) and the comparison step (140) are repeated until it is determined that the vehicle leaves the curved road section. If the curvature value is less than the preset value for a predetermined period of time, it is determined that the vehicle leaves the curved road section.

9. The method for limiting the speed of a vehicle on a curved road section according to claim 8, further comprising an initial determination step of determining whether the vehicle is on a curved road section, and a step of selectively activating the curved road section speed limiting module (100) if it is determined that the vehicle is on a curved road section.

10. The method for limiting vehicle speed on a curved road section according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein: If the curvature value is greater than a preset value for a predetermined period of time, it is determined that the vehicle has entered a curved road section.

11. A machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon; when the executable instructions are executed, the machine is enabled to perform the method according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

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