AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS

Abstract

An automated vehicle braking control method comprises detecting an initial object hazard in a vehicle's reversing path, monitoring the vehicle's distance from the initial object hazard with respect to a time-to-collision threshold, and, in response to a determination that the vehicle is exceeding the time-to-collision threshold, initiating an initial rear virtual bumper event by automatically applying the vehicle's brakes.The procedure includes storing a location of the first object hazard, defining a boundary area surrounding the location of the first object hazard, detecting a second object hazard in the reversing path, comparing a location of the second object hazard with the boundary area, and preventing the automatic application of the brakes in response to a determination that the location of the second object hazard lies within the boundary area in order to avoid a second rear virtual bumper event.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The information provided in this section serves to generally illustrate the context of the disclosure. Work by the inventors identified herein, to the extent described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that cannot otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly acknowledged as prior art to the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to automatic vehicle braking control systems having sensors for initiating a rear virtual bumper event in response to a detected object hazard.

[0003] Some vehicles include object detection sensors that determine whether an object is in a vehicle's reversing path to prevent collisions between a vehicle and other objects while reversing. The vehicle can alert a driver by automatically applying the vehicle's brakes and sounding an audible alarm when the vehicle approaches the object. SUMMARY

[0004] A method for automated vehicle braking control includes detecting a first object hazard in a reverse travel path of a vehicle by at least one vehicle sensor, monitoring a distance of the vehicle from the first object hazard with respect to a time-to-collision threshold, and in response to a determination that the vehicle exceeds the time-to-collision threshold, initiating a first rear virtual bumper event by automatically applying the brakes of the vehicle.The method includes storing a location of the first object hazard, defining a boundary area surrounding the location of the first object hazard, detecting a second object hazard in the reverse path of travel by the at least one vehicle sensor following the first rear braking event, comparing a location of the second object hazard to the boundary area, and preventing automatic application of the brakes in response to a determination that the location of the second object hazard is within the boundary area to avoid a second rear virtual bumper event.

[0005] According to further features, the method includes generating an audible alarm during the first rear virtual bumper event and preventing generation of the audible alarm in response to determining that the location of the second object hazard is within the boundary area.

[0006] According to further features, the detection of the first object hazard occurs during a first reverse vehicle movement path of the vehicle, the detection of the second object hazard occurs during a second reverse vehicle movement path of the vehicle, and a forward vehicle movement path is detected before the detection of the second object hazard.

[0007] According to further features, the method includes using dead reckoning to update a location of the boundary region with respect to a position of the vehicle at one end of the vehicle's forward trajectory.

[0008] According to further features, the boundary region is defined with a first radius at a first time, the method comprises increasing a size of the boundary region to a second radius at a second time, and the second time is a fixed time period after the first time.

[0009] According to further features, the method comprises increasing a size of the boundary region to a third radius at a third time, wherein the third time is the fixed time period after the second time.

[0010] According to further characteristics, the fixed time period is less than or equal to ten seconds, the first radius is less than or equal to twenty centimeters, the second radius is less than or equal to fifty centimeters and the third radius is less than or equal to one meter.

[0011] According to further features, the method includes eliminating the boundary area after a specified period of time to enable automatic application of the brakes in response to the detection of a third object hazard at a location formerly covered by the boundary area.

[0012] According to further features, the specified time period is less than or equal to 30 seconds. According to further features, the method includes restarting the specified time period in response to a subsequent detection of another object hazard within the boundary area before the expiration of the specified time period.

[0013] According to further features, the boundary region is a first boundary region and the method further comprises detecting a third object hazard in the reversing path of a vehicle by at least one vehicle sensor, storing a location of the third object hazard and defining a second boundary region surrounding the location of the third object hazard.

[0014] According to further features, the at least one vehicle sensor comprises a camera, a laser detector and / or a lidar detector.

[0015] An automated vehicle braking control system includes a braking control module configured to automatically apply braking of a vehicle in response to a rear virtual bumper event signal, at least one vehicle sensor configured to detect object hazards in a reverse path of the vehicle, and a vehicle control module in communication with the braking control module and the at least one vehicle sensor. The vehicle control module is configured to detect, via the at least one vehicle sensor, a first object hazard in the reverse path of a vehicle, monitor a distance of the vehicle from the first object hazard with respect to a time-to-collision threshold, and, in response to a determination that the vehicle exceeds the time-to-collision threshold, transmit a signal indicative of a first rear virtual bumper event to the braking control module.to automatically apply vehicle brakes, store a location of the first object hazard, define a boundary area surrounding the location of the first object hazard, detect a second object hazard in the reverse path of travel via the at least one vehicle sensor following the first rear virtual bumper event, compare a location of the second object hazard to the boundary area, and prevent the automatic application of the brakes in response to a determination that the location of the second object hazard is within the boundary area to avoid a second rear virtual bumper event.

[0016] According to further features, the vehicle control module is configured to generate an audible alarm during the first rear virtual bumper event and to prevent generation of the audible alarm in response to determining that the location of the second object hazard is within the boundary area.

[0017] According to further features, the vehicle control module is configured to detect the first object hazard during a first reverse vehicle trajectory of the vehicle, detect the second object hazard during a second reverse vehicle trajectory of the vehicle, and detect a forward vehicle trajectory of the vehicle prior to detecting the second object hazard.

[0018] According to further features, the vehicle control module is configured to use dead reckoning to update a location of the boundary region with respect to a position of the vehicle at an end of the vehicle's forward trajectory.

[0019] According to further features, the boundary region is defined with a first radius at a first time, the vehicle control module is configured to increase a size of the boundary region to a second radius at a second time, and the second time is a fixed amount of time after the first time.

[0020] According to further features, the vehicle control module is configured to increase a size of the boundary area to a third radius at a third time, and the third time is the fixed amount of time after the second time.

[0021] According to further characteristics, the first time period is less than or equal to ten seconds, the first radius is less than or equal to twenty centimeters, the second radius is less than or equal to fifty centimeters and the third radius is less than or equal to one meter.

[0022] According to further features, the vehicle control module is configured to eliminate the boundary area after a specified period of time to enable automatic application of the brakes in response to detection of a third object hazard at a location formerly covered by the boundary area.

[0023] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 a diagram of an example vehicle with an automatic brake control system. Fig. 2A is a diagram of a vehicle approaching a time-to-collision (TTC) threshold during a reverse travel trajectory; Fig. 2B is a diagram showing the vehicle from Fig. 2A, which exceeds the TTC threshold; Fig. 3 a diagram showing the expansion of object boundary areas over time with respect to the vehicle of Fig. 2A; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a second reversing path of the vehicle from Fig. 2A; Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for controlling automatic vehicle braking in response to rear virtual bumper events; Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for dead reckoning a position of an object hazard relative to the movement of a vehicle; and Fig. 7 a flowchart illustrating an example process for setting and reducing thresholds of detected object hazards over time.

[0025] In the drawings, reference symbols may be used multiple times to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Some vehicles include sensors to provide automatic braking when a vehicle approaches a detected object hazard while reversing. In some example embodiments, a vehicle control module is configured to inhibit or prevent multiple alert and braking events for the same object target in a noisy sensor environment to reduce complaints of false activations.

[0027] For example, the vehicle control module may use dead-reckoning logic to monitor the vehicle's movement while using existing vehicle sensors to estimate the location or area of ​​recently identified object hazards. An example algorithm maintains a dynamic boundary region with respect to the high-hazard target object and may suppress any further alert and braking actions if a subsequent high-hazard target object is identified in the boundary region. The boundary region is slowly reduced as a function of time to allow for future alert and braking events after one or more specified time periods.

[0028] In Fig. 1, a vehicle 10 comprises front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. In Fig. 1, a drive unit 14 selectively outputs torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via final drives 16, 18, respectively. The vehicle 10 may include various types of drive units. For example, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, an internal combustion engine (ICE), or another type of vehicle.

[0029] Some examples of the drive unit 14 may include any suitable electric motor, a power inverter, and a motor controller configured to control power switches within the power inverter to adjust the motor speed and torque during propulsion and / or regeneration. A battery system supplies and / or receives power to and / or from the electric motor of the drive unit 14 via the power inverter during propulsion or regeneration.

[0030] Although the vehicle is 10 in Fig. 1 includes a drive unit 14, the vehicle 10 may have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units may drive the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more individual drive units may drive individual wheels, etc. As can be appreciated, other vehicle configurations and / or drive units may be used.

[0031] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components, such as the drive unit 14 (e.g., by commanding torque settings of an electric motor of the drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 may receive inputs to control components of the vehicle, such as signals received from a steering wheel, an accelerator paddle shifter, etc. The vehicle control module 20 may monitor the vehicle's telematics for safety purposes, such as vehicle speed, vehicle location, vehicle braking, and vehicle acceleration, etc.

[0032] The vehicle control module 20 may receive signals from any suitable components for monitoring one or more aspects of the vehicle or the surrounding environment, including one or more vehicle sensors (such as cameras, lasers, lidar sensors, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, location sensors such as global positioning system (GPS) antennas, etc.). Some sensors may be configured to monitor the current motion of the vehicle, vehicle acceleration, steering torque, etc.

[0033] As in Fig. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a rear object detector 24 and an optional side object detector 28. In various implementations, the vehicle 10 may include more or fewer (or none) of any of these optional sensors (including front object detectors, etc.). Each object sensor may include any suitable camera, laser, lidar sensor, etc., used to detect objects around the vehicle 10. In some example embodiments, a vehicle object detector may be configured to detect one or more object hazards in a reverse travel path of the vehicle 10, a next vehicle in the path of travel (CIPV) (e.g., another vehicle ahead of a current travel path of the vehicle 10), a vulnerable road user (VRU) (e.g., a pedestrian or cyclist), etc.

[0034] The vehicle control module 20 may communicate with another device via a wireless communication interface, which may include one or more wireless antennas for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. The wireless communication interface may communicate, for example, via any suitable communication protocols, including, but not limited to, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface may communicate with a remote computing device via one or more wireless and / or wired networks. With regard to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, the vehicle 10 may include one or more V2X transceivers (e.g.,V2X signal transmitting and / or receiving antennas).

[0035] As in Fig. 1, the vehicle includes 10 vehicle brakes 26. Although Fig. 1 depicts vehicle brakes on only one of the wheels 12 for ease of illustration, vehicle brakes may be arranged on any wheel, on any axle, etc., and may be configured to be selectively applied to any wheel independently of other wheels, to any axle independently of one or more other axles, etc.

[0036] Each of the vehicle brakes 26 may be controlled by the vehicle control module 20, which may include one or more electronic brake control systems (which may be located in a control center of the vehicle, distributed adjacent to a brake at each wheel, etc.). For example, the vehicle control module 20 may send an electronic signal to activate the vehicle brakes 26, such as via an electronically controlled actuator.

[0037] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to automatically apply the vehicle brakes 26 in response to detecting an object hazard in a reverse travel path of the vehicle 10, such as an object detected by the rear object detector 24. The vehicle control module 20 may automatically apply the vehicle brakes 26 (and / or generate an audible alarm) to prevent the vehicle from impacting a detected object while backing up. This may be considered a rear virtual bumper (RVB) event.

[0038] As further described herein, in some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to track a location of a detected object hazard relative to the vehicle 10 (which may be updated based on the vehicle's movement using dead reckoning) and prevent subsequent RVB events. For example, once an RVB event has occurred for a detected object, the vehicle control module 20 may assume that the driver is now aware of the object, so that automatic application of the brakes for the same object hazard location may be prevented if the driver decides to continue reversing, etc. (so that the driver does not receive continuous alerts and / or automatic braking events after already being aware of the detected object hazard).

[0039] Fig. 2A is a diagram illustrating a vehicle 110 traveling along a reverse travel path 102 (e.g., the vehicle is reversing in the direction of the arrow). An object sensor of the vehicle detects a first object 106 and a second object 108 along the reverse travel path 102.

[0040] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2A, a time-to-collision (TTC) threshold 104 is determined by the vehicle control module. The TTC threshold 104 may be set, for example, as the distance from the first object 106 or second object 108 at which the driver of the vehicle 110 should be warned to slow down or change the reverse travel path 102 to avoid a rear collision with the first object 106 or second object 108.

[0041] The TTC threshold 104 may be determined based on a speed of the vehicle 110, a distance to the first object 106 or the second object 108, an average reaction time of vehicle drivers, etc. The TTC threshold 104 may be determined based on which of the first object 106 and the second object 108 is closest to the vehicle 110 along the reverse travel path 102 (e.g., the object that the vehicle 110 would likely encounter first if it continued to reverse along the reverse travel path 102).

[0042] Fig. 2B illustrates an example scenario in which the vehicle 110 has reached or exceeded the TTC threshold 104. Fig. 2A may, for example, represent a position of the vehicle at a time t0, where Fig. 2B represents a position of the vehicle at a subsequent time t1.

[0043] If the vehicle 110 exceeds the TTC threshold 104, as in Fig. 2B, the vehicle control module may determine that a rear virtual bumper (RVB) event has occurred. For example, the vehicle control module may automatically apply the brakes to stop rearward movement of the vehicle 110 and alert the driver before the vehicle 110 collides with the first object 106 or the second object 108.

[0044] The vehicle control module may apply the brakes only briefly, temporarily, etc., for a short period of time that alerts the driver of the vehicle 110. The brakes may be released after the period of time (e.g., 500 milliseconds, one second, three seconds, etc.) or may be applied until the driver provides another vehicle control input, such as pressing the accelerator pedal, pressing the brake pedal, or turning the steering wheel.

[0045] In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module may issue an alarm when the rear virtual bumper event occurs. For example, the vehicle control module may sound an audible warning alarm, generate a haptic feedback alarm through the steering wheel or driver seat, etc.

[0046] Fig. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the expansion of object boundary areas over time with respect to the vehicle of Fig. 2A. As in Fig. 3, the vehicle has moved at a time t 2.0 from a vehicle position 110A to a vehicle position 110B. The vehicle moves along a forward travel path 103. In comparison to Fig. 2B can display the diagram in Fig. 3, for example, may depict the vehicle moving forward and away from the first object 106 and the second object 108 after an alarm and an RVB event have been generated while the driver was previously reversing.

[0047] Boundary areas can be created for each object to track an expected location of the object to determine whether future RVB events and automatic braking events should be prevented. As described in Fig. 3, a first boundary region 116A is defined around the first object 106 and a second boundary region 118A is defined around the second object 108.

[0048] The sizes of the boundary regions may increase over time to account for estimated locations of objects corresponding to the boundary regions. For example, as the vehicle moves along the forward path 103, dead reckoning may be used to update coordinates of estimated locations of the first object 106 and the second object 108 with respect to the new position of the vehicle. The boundary regions may allow for variation in the estimated positions of the objects as the vehicle moves.

[0049] As in Fig. 3, the first boundary region 116A decreases to a larger first boundary region 116B at time t 2.1 and an even larger first boundary region 116C at time t 2.2 Likewise, the second boundary region 118A increases to a second larger boundary region 118B at time t 2.1 and an even larger second boundary region 118C at time t 2.2 to.

[0050] The size of the boundary regions may increase continuously over time or may increase at periodic intervals, such as every second, every five seconds, every ten seconds, etc. The boundary regions may have any suitable size at any time period, such as a circular boundary region with a radius of ten centimeters, twenty centimeters, fifty centimeters, one meter, two meters, etc.

[0051] If a subsequent object hazard is detected at a location within a boundary, the vehicle control module can prevent automatic braking and avoid a subsequent RVB event alarm. For example, the system can prevent repeated automatic braking and RVB event alarms for the detection of object hazards at the same location (or a location within the same boundary) for which a previous automatic braking and RVB event alarm were issued. This can prevent multiple automatic braking events for the same object that a driver is already aware of.

[0052] As in Fig. 3, for example, at time t 2.2a third object hazard 120 is detected. The third object hazard 120 is located within the boundary area 116C corresponding to the first object 106. Since the vehicle control module has already issued an RVB event alarm for the first object 106 at a previous time, the vehicle control module may avoid issuing another RVB event for the newly detected third object hazard 120 (e.g., since the newly detected third object hazard 120 may be the same as the first object 106 that the driver already perceives from the previous RVB event alarm).

[0053] Currently t 2.2The vehicle control module may also detect a fourth object hazard 122 and a fifth object hazard 124 located outside the boundary areas. If the vehicle exceeds a TTC threshold related to the fourth object hazard 122 or the fifth object hazard 124, the vehicle control module may automatically apply the brakes and generate another RVB event alarm (e.g., because the fourth object hazard 122 and the fifth object hazard 124 are located at locations where hazard objects were not previously reported to the driver).

[0054] The thresholds may decrease over time, so that new object hazards detected within a previous threshold may again initiate automatic vehicle braking and RVB event alarms. Currently, t 2.3For example, the boundary region 118C corresponding to the second object 108 may be dropped due to a predetermined amount of time elapsed after the initial detection of the second object 108 or an initial RVB event based on the second object 108.

[0055] For example, if a first object detection or RVB event based on the second object 108 occurs at time t0, the location can only be tracked for a fixed period of time before new alerts can be generated at the same location. If a driver is alerted to an RVB event based on the location of the second object 108, subsequent object hazard detections at the same location can be prevented for five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, etc. (e.g., because the vehicle control module assumes the driver is aware of the detected and reported object hazard for that period of time). After the period ends, new object hazards detected at that location can initiate automatic braking and RVB event alerts (if the driver has forgotten the object, if a new object may be present at a similar location, etc.).

[0056] In some example embodiments, a subsequent detection of an object hazard within a boundary may pause or reset a boundary reduction. For example, if another object hazard is detected within a boundary at a time after the initial RVB event, the amount of time before the new boundary is dropped may be extended.

[0057] In the example of Fig. 3 is at time t 2.3 the boundary area 118C corresponding to the second object 108 is dropped after a specified period of time has elapsed (e.g., five seconds, ten seconds, thirty seconds, etc.) and no additional object hazards are detected within the boundary area 118C. In contrast, the boundary area 116 corresponding to the first object 106 is at time t 2,3 due to the detection of the third object hazard 120 within the boundary area 116C at time t 2.2still present (which has extended the duration of the 116C limit zone).

[0058] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a second reverse travel path of the vehicle of Fig. 2A. As in Fig. 4, the vehicle is in a third vehicle position 110C, traveling along a second reverse travel path 105. By backing up to generate an initial RVB event and then pulling forward along the forward travel path 103, the vehicle may, for example, back up again toward the location of the first object 106 along a second reverse travel path 105 at time t3.

[0059] As in Fig. 4, the boundary area 116C corresponding to the first object 106 is still present, while the boundary area corresponding to the location of the second object 108 has expired. Therefore, if the vehicle control module detects another object hazard within the boundary area 116C, a subsequent RVB event and automatic braking may be prevented. However, if the vehicle control module detects the fourth object hazard 122 or the fifth object hazard 124 adjacent to the old location of the second object 108, another RVB event alarm or automatic braking may occur for the fourth object hazard 122 or the fifth object hazard 124. In some example embodiments, object detection may be implemented in any combination of vehicle movements, such as 1. Reverse movement → Braking → Reverse movement; 2. Reverse movement → Forward movement → Reverse movement; 3. Forward movement → braking → forward movement etc.

[0060] Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for controlling automatic vehicle braking in response to rear virtual bumper events. The process may be performed, for example, by the vehicle control module 20 of Fig. 1. At 504, a rear virtual bumper event (RVB event) occurs (e.g., due to a detected object hazard in a reverse travel path of the vehicle).

[0061] At 508, the vehicle control module is configured to determine a location of the object hazard for which the RVB event occurred. For example, the vehicle control module may use signals received from one or more vehicle object detectors to determine a location of the detected object hazard.

[0062] At 512, the controller is configured to define a boundary area around a location of the object hazard. The boundary area may have any suitable size, such as a circle with a diameter of about ten centimeters, about twenty centimeters, about fifty centimeters, about one meter, etc.

[0063] The vehicle control module is configured to track a location of a destination relative to vehicle movement using dead reckoning at 516. Further details of an example dead reckoning algorithm for tracking a destination location relative to vehicle movement are described below with reference to Fig. 6 further described.

[0064] At 520, the controller receives a new object hazard detection (such as via one or more of the vehicle's object sensors). The controller then compares a location of the new object hazard to the boundary area at 524.

[0065] If the location of the new object hazard is within the limit at 528, control proceeds to 532 to prevent automatic braking and alarm to avoid a subsequent RVB event. Control then returns to 516 to continue monitoring a location of the target relative to the vehicle's motion.

[0066] If the location of the new object hazard is not within the boundary at 528, control proceeds to 536 to automatically apply the vehicle brakes and generate a new RVB alarm. Control then determines a location of the newly detected object hazard at 540 and returns to 512 to define a new boundary for the newly detected object hazard.

[0067] Fig. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for dead reckoning a position of an object hazard relative to the movement of a vehicle. The process may be performed, for example, by the vehicle control module 20 of Fig. 1. At 604, the vehicle control module is configured to obtain a position of the detected object hazard.

[0068] At 608, the vehicle control module is configured to estimate a changed position of the vehicle using dead reckoning. An example equation for executing a dead reckoning algorithm to estimate a position of a host vehicle is provided below: Host vehicle heading angle h:h+Wz*dtHost vehicle x position hx:hx+cos(h)*dx+sin(h)*dyHost vehicle y position hy:hy+sin(h)*dx+cos(h)*dy where dx = v x *dt; dy = v y *German [hxhy]=[cos(h)sin(h)hxsin(h)cos(h)hy][vx⋅dtvy⋅dt1]

[0069] The controller then transforms the coordinates of the object hazard position with respect to an estimated new position of the vehicle at 612 (e.g., due to the dead reckoning vehicle position update). An equation for transforming coordinates of a detected object hazard location into a new coordinate system based on dead reckoning of the vehicle position is provided below: [P_Hi−ThObjx_tP_Hi−ThObjy_T]=[cos(h)sin(h)−sin(h)cos(h)][P_Hi−ThObjx−hxP_Hi−ThObjy−hy]

[0070] At 616, the vehicle control module is configured to report updated coordinates of the object hazard position with respect to the vehicle.

[0071] Fig. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for adjusting and reducing the thresholds of detected object hazards over time. The process may be performed, for example, by the vehicle control module 20 of Fig.1. An RVB event occurs at 704.

[0072] At 708, the vehicle control module is configured to determine locations for multiple detected object hazards. The controller then defines multiple boundary areas, each corresponding to a different object hazard, at 712.

[0073] At 716, the vehicle control module is configured to monitor the movement of the vehicle along a path. If the vehicle exceeds a TTC threshold for any of the plurality of detected object hazards at 720, control proceeds to 724 to pause a reduction in the boundary area corresponding to the object hazard for which the TTC threshold was exceeded.

[0074] If the vehicle does not exceed a TTC threshold at 720, control proceeds to 728 to determine whether a boundary period has been exceeded. If so, control proceeds to 732 to increase a boundary size for each of the multiple detected hazard objects. An example set of equations for adjusting the boundary size is provided below:

[0075] If control determines at 728 that the threshold time period has not been exceeded, control proceeds to 736 to determine whether a decrement time period has been exceeded for any of the detected multiple object hazards. If so, control proceeds to 740 to stop tracking the corresponding object hazard. The vehicle control module is configured to then return to 716 to continue monitoring the movement of the vehicle with respect to the detected multiple object hazards.

[0076] In some example embodiments, vehicle object detection sensors can be characterized through a sensor characterization process. For example, N tests can be performed on a standard target with a set of repetition speeds and path curvatures, with observations recorded.

[0077] A data association circle can be created by statistical analysis of sensor performance. In some example embodiments, a covariance of (x, y) pairs over N observations can be determined according to the following equation: Cov(X,Y)=E[(X−μx)(Y−μy)]=∑x∑y(x−μx)(y−μy)p(x,y) where p(x, y) is the probability function of (X, Y).

[0078] The system may be configured to select an acceptable balance between false detections and missed detections to establish calibration parameters (such as tables for production use). This may enable setting a maximum R value for a data mapping loop for a vehicle object detection sensor. In various implementations, example boundary distances, fixed time durations, etc., described herein may have calibratable thresholds.

[0079] The foregoing description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure may be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited, since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the present disclosure.Although each of the embodiments is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure may be implemented in any of the other embodiments and / or combined with features thereof, even if that combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with each other remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0080] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "beside," "on," "over," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when a relationship between a first and a second element is described in the above disclosure, this relationship may be a direct relationship, with no other intervening elements present between the first and second elements, but may also be an indirect relationship, with one or more intervening elements (either spatial or functional) present between the first and second elements.As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0081] In the figures, the direction of an arrow, as indicated by the arrowhead, generally demonstrates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the explanation. For example, if element A and element B exchange a variety of information, but information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the explanation, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. Furthermore, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send requests for the information or acknowledgments of receipt of it to element A.

[0082] Throughout this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit." The term "module" may refer to, be a part of, or include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0083] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed among multiple modules connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may enable load balancing. In another example, a server module (also known as a remote or cloud module) may perform some functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0084] The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term shared processor circuitry includes a single processor circuitry that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuitry includes processor circuitry that, in combination with additional processor circuitry, executes some or all of the code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuitry include multiple processor circuits on discrete chips, multiple processor circuits on a single chip, multiple cores of a single processor circuitry, multiple threads of a single processor circuitry, or a combination of the above.The term shared memory circuit refers to a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit refers to a memory circuit that, in combination with additional memories, stores some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0085] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium, as used herein, does not include transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); the term computer-readable medium can therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium include non-volatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray disc).

[0086] The devices and methods described in this application may be implemented partially or entirely by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in computer programs. The function blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be implemented into computer programs through the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0087] The computer programs include processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also include or be based on stored data. The computer programs may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with special-purpose devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0088] The computer programs may comprise: (i) descriptive text to be analyzed, such as: B. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language) or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler, (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, the source code may be written using a syntax of languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, O-Caml, Javascript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, 5th Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK and Python®. legend

[0089] In the drawings, N stands for No and Y stands for Yes.

Claims

[1] A method for automated vehicle braking control, the method comprising: Detecting a first object hazard in a reversing path of a vehicle by at least one vehicle sensor; Monitoring a distance of the vehicle from the first object hazard with reference to a time-to-collision threshold; in response to a determination that the vehicle exceeds the time to collision threshold, initiating a first rear virtual bumper event by automatically applying vehicle brakes; Saving a location of the first object hazard; Defining a boundary area surrounding the location of the first object hazard; following the first rear braking event, detecting a second object hazard in the reversing path by the at least one vehicle sensor; Comparing a location of the second object hazard with the boundary area; and Preventing automatic application of the brakes in response to determining that the location of the second object hazard is within the limit to avoid a second rear virtual bumper event. [2] The method of claim 1, further comprising: Generating an audible alarm during the first rear virtual bumper event; and Preventing the generation of the audible alarm in response to determining that the location of the second object hazard is within the boundary area. [3] The method of claim 1, wherein: the detection of the first object hazard takes place during a first reversing vehicle movement path of the vehicle; the detection of the second object hazard occurs during a second reversing vehicle movement path of the vehicle; and a forward trajectory of the vehicle is detected before the second object hazard is detected. [4] The method of claim 3, further comprising using dead reckoning to update a location of the boundary region with respect to a position of the vehicle at an end of the vehicle's forward trajectory. [5] The method of claim 1, wherein: the boundary area is defined with a first radius at a first point in time; the method comprises increasing a size of the boundary region to a second radius at a second time; and the second point in time is a fixed period of time after the first point in time. [6] The method of claim 5, further comprising increasing a size of the boundary region to a third radius at a third time, where the third time point is the fixed amount of time after the second time point. [7] The method of claim 6, wherein: the fixed time period is less than or equal to ten seconds; the first radius is less than or equal to twenty centimeters; the second radius is less than or equal to fifty centimeters; and the third radius is less than or equal to one meter. [8] The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the boundary area after a predetermined period of time to enable automatic application of the brakes in response to detection of a third object hazard at a location formerly covered by the boundary area. [9] The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined time period is less than or equal to thirty seconds. [10] Automated vehicle braking control system comprising: a brake control module configured to automatically apply brakes of a vehicle in response to a rear virtual bumper event signal; at least one vehicle sensor configured to detect object hazards in a reversing path of the vehicle; and a vehicle control module in communication with the brake control module and the at least one vehicle sensor, the vehicle control module being configured to: to detect a first object hazard in the reversing path of a vehicle via the at least one vehicle sensor; to monitor a distance of the vehicle from the first object hazard with reference to a time-to-collision threshold; in response to a determination that the vehicle exceeds the time to collision threshold, transmit a signal indicative of a first rear virtual bumper event to the brake control module to automatically apply brakes of the vehicle; to store a location of the first object danger; to define a boundary area surrounding the location of the first object hazard; detecting a second object hazard in the reversing path via the at least one vehicle sensor following the first rear virtual bumper event; to compare a location of the second object danger with the border area; and prevent the automatic application of brakes in response to determining that the location of the second object hazard is within the limit to avoid a second rear virtual bumper event.

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