METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF A VEHICLE SPEED

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2107811 filed on 07 / 20 / 2021. The present invention relates to adaptive cruise control systems. The present invention also relates to a method and a device for controlling a cruise control system of a vehicle, in particular an autonomous vehicle. Technological background

[0002] Road safety is one of the most important issues facing our society. With the increasing number of vehicles on the world's road networks, regardless of traffic conditions, the risk of accidents and incidents caused by traffic conditions has never been greater.

[0003] To improve road safety, some contemporary vehicles are equipped with driver assistance functions or systems, known as ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System). For example, ADAS systems implement processes based on the detection of surrounding obstacles using peripheral sensors onboard a vehicle such as cameras, radars, or even lidars (Light Detection And Ranging).

[0004] Among these systems, the adaptive cruise control system, known as ACC (from the English "Adaptive Cruise Control") has as its primary function the automatic regulation, in an adaptive manner, of the speed of the vehicles equipped with it according to their environment. Such an ACC system determines one or more acceleration instructions according to a speed instruction and information relating to the environment of the vehicle, the acceleration instruction or instructions being capable of regulating the speed of the vehicle adaptively, that is to say by taking into account the environment of the vehicle. This environmental information corresponds for example to the distance between the vehicle equipped with the ACC system and a vehicle traveling in front, to the speed (for example relative) of the vehicle traveling in front, to the acceleration of the vehicle traveling in front and / or to a regulatory speed limit.The acceleration instruction(s) are for example determined from a control law based on estimates of the torque supplied by a powertrain (for example a thermal or electric motor) to one or more wheels of the vehicle and the current acceleration of the vehicle.

[0005] A vehicle's environmental information is obtained, for example, from sensors embedded in the vehicle, such as radars. This information is particularly important for a vehicle, for example to improve the vehicle's safety by taking into account the surrounding environment, particularly other vehicles.

[0006] Passenger comfort is another important factor, particularly in the acceptance of driver assistance systems. For example, excessive acceleration or deceleration can cause discomfort for vehicle passengers, especially when acceleration is controlled by an ACC system.

[0007] When a vehicle equipped with an ACC system activates a turn signal, particularly with the aim of changing lanes, the ACC system will anticipate its acceleration, particularly in order to overtake a vehicle travelling in front. However, the use of a turn signal is not directly synonymous with an intention to overtake, and the action of the ACC system then results in the presence of untimely accelerations, particularly followed by decelerations to maintain a limit distance from the vehicle travelling in front.

[0008] DE102017112300A1 discloses adaptive cruise control based on information relating to a vehicle changing lane and information relating to activation of a direction change indicator of a second vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, on the same lane. Summary of the invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the drawbacks of the technological background.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to improve the comfort and safety of the occupants of a vehicle equipped with an ACC system.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to improve the safety of a vehicle by improving knowledge of its environment.

[0012] These objects are achieved by the invention as set forth in the independent claims.

[0013] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling an adaptive cruise control system of a first vehicle traveling on a traffic lane, the method being implemented by at least one processor, the method comprising the following steps: first reception of first information representative of an activation of a direction change indicator of a second vehicle traveling in front of the first vehicle on the traffic lane from at least one sensor integrated into the first vehicle; second reception of second information representative of an activation of a direction change indicator of the first vehicle; and control of the adaptive cruise control system according to the first and second information.

[0014] According to one variant, the control corresponds to an inhibition of an implementation of an overtaking operation of the second vehicle by the adaptive speed regulation system.

[0015] According to the invention, the first reception takes place at a first instant and the second reception takes place at a second instant, the method further comprising a step of comparing a period separating the first instant from the second instant with a threshold value, the control being carried out as a function of the first and second information and a result of the comparison.

[0016] According to a further variant, the threshold value corresponds to a duration value between 3 and 10 seconds.

[0017] According to a further variant, the at least one sensor corresponds to a camera on board the first vehicle.

[0018] According to an additional variant, the first vehicle corresponds to an autonomous vehicle traveling at an autonomy level of at least 2.

[0019] In a further variant, the second vehicle is targeted by the adaptive cruise control system.

[0020] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a device for controlling an adaptive speed regulation system, the device comprising a memory associated with at least one processor configured for implementing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle, for example of the automobile type, comprising a device as described above according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer program which comprises instructions adapted for executing the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, in particular when the computer program is executed by at least one processor.

[0023] Such a computer program may use any programming language, and may be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0025] On the one hand, the recording medium may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may include a storage medium, such as a ROM memory, a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit type ROM memory, or a magnetic recording medium or a hard disk.

[0026] Furthermore, this recording medium may also be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, such a signal being able to be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by conventional or terrestrial radio or by self-directed laser beam or by other means. The computer program according to the present invention may in particular be downloaded from a network such as the Internet.

[0027] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the computer program is incorporated, the integrated circuit being adapted to perform or to be used in performing the method in question. Brief description of the figures

[0028] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description of the particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to figures 1 to 3 annexed, on which: [ Fig. 1 ] schematically illustrates a vehicle traveling in a road environment, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [ Fig. 2 ] schematically illustrates a device configured to control an adaptive cruise control system of the vehicle of the Figure 1 , according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; [ Fig. 3] illustrates a flowchart of the different stages of a method for controlling an adaptive vehicle speed regulation system of the Figure 1 , according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Description of examples of implementation

[0029] A method and device for controlling an adaptive cruise control system of a vehicle will now be described in the following with joint reference to figures 1 to 3 . The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description which follows.

[0030] According to a particular and non-limiting example of embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling an adaptive cruise control system, or ACC system, of a first vehicle traveling on a traffic lane comprises a first reception, by an on-board processor of the first vehicle, of first information representative of an activation of a turn indicator of a second vehicle traveling in front of the first vehicle on the traffic lane. The first information comprises for example a Boolean value representative of the activation or deactivation of a turn indicator and / or information representative of a position of the second vehicle with respect to the first vehicle.The turn indicator corresponds, for example, to a flashing light of the second vehicle, in particular a left flashing light in a road environment with right-hand traffic or vice versa.

[0031] The processor also receives second information representative of an activation of a direction change indicator of the first vehicle, for example from a human-machine interface on board the first vehicle or from a computer of the first vehicle, for example a central or peripheral computer in communication in a multiplexed network of the first vehicle.

[0032] Based on the first information and the second information, the processor then controls the ACC system of the first vehicle, for example so as to keep the first vehicle traveling behind the second vehicle at a safe inter-vehicle distance when the first information and the second information indicate that the first vehicle and the second vehicle have activated the same turn signal, or so as to allow the first vehicle to overtake the second vehicle.

[0033] Such a method thus makes it possible to ensure more consistent behavior of the first vehicle equipped with an ACC system, by avoiding inappropriate acceleration when a turn indicator is activated. The comfort and safety of the occupants of the first vehicle, as well as other road users, are increased.

[0034] [ Fig. 1] schematically illustrates a first vehicle 11 and a second vehicle 12 traveling in a road environment 1, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] There Figure 1 illustrates a first vehicle 11, for example a motor vehicle, traveling on a traffic lane 1000. According to other examples, the first vehicle 11 corresponds to a coach, a bus, a truck, a utility vehicle or a motorcycle, that is to say a vehicle of the motorized land vehicle type.

[0036] In accordance with the underlying concept of the invention, the first vehicle 10 incorporates an adaptive cruise control system, called an ACC system. The ACC system is, for example, part of a set of driving assistance systems, called ADAS, allowing the first vehicle 10 to be driven autonomously or semi-autonomously.

[0037] The level of autonomy of an autonomous vehicle is, for example, between 0 and 5 (0 for a vehicle with no autonomy and whose driving is under the total supervision of the driver and 5 for a fully autonomous vehicle).

[0038] The 5 levels of autonomy of the classification of the federal agency responsible for road safety are: Level 0: No automation, the vehicle driver has full control over the vehicle's main functions (engine, accelerator, steering, brakes); Level 1: Driver assistance, automation is active for some vehicle functions, with the driver retaining overall control over the vehicle's driving; Cruise control is part of this level, as are other aids such as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) or ESP (Electro-stabilizer programmed); Level 2: Combined function automation, control of at least two main functions is combined in the automation to replace the driver in certain situations; for example, adaptive cruise control combined with lane centering allows a vehicle to be classified as Level 2, as does automatic parking assistance (Park assist);Level 3: Limited autonomous driving, the driver can transfer complete control of the vehicle to the automated system, which will then be responsible for critical safety functions; autonomous driving can, however, only take place in certain specific environmental and traffic conditions (only on motorways, for example); Level 4: Complete autonomous driving under certain conditions, the vehicle is designed to perform all critical safety functions alone over a complete journey; the driver provides a destination or navigation instructions but is not required to make themselves available to take back control of the vehicle; Level 5: Completely autonomous driving without driver assistance in all circumstances.

[0039] The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers classification is similar to that listed above, except that it has 6 levels, with level 3 in the US classification being divided into 2 levels in the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers classification.

[0040] The first vehicle 11 thus corresponds, for example, to an autonomous vehicle traveling at a level of autonomy of at least 2, enabling the driver to be assisted when the latter seeks to carry out an overtaking operation.

[0041] According to the example of the Figure 1, a second vehicle 12 is traveling on the traffic lane 1000 in front of the first vehicle. The second vehicle 12 is for example targeted by the ACC system of the first vehicle 11. When the ACC system is activated, the ACC system aims to achieve a setpoint acceleration, called A setpoint (t), which varies over time 't' and which makes it possible to maintain or reach a regulation speed and / or to maintain a determined safety distance with respect to the second vehicle 12 upstream of the first vehicle 11, that is to say a second vehicle 12 traveling in front of the first vehicle 11 in the same direction of travel on the same traffic lane 1000. The data obtained from the sensor(s) embedded in the first vehicle 11 allow the ACC system of the first vehicle 11 to establish the values ​​of the setpoint accelerations A setpoint (t) over time 't'.The ACC system or a computer of this system transmits for example the acceleration instructions A setpoint (t) that it has determined to the computer(s) supervising the operation of a powertrain of the first vehicle 11, in particular so that the latter determine(s) the torque instructions to be generated by the powertrain to comply with the acceleration instructions A setpoint (t) and regulate the speed of the first vehicle 11. The first vehicle 11 thus follows in this example the second vehicle 12 at a determined distance which can vary over time (depending on the dynamic behavior of the first vehicle 11 and the second vehicle 12).

[0042] In a first operation, at least one processor of the first vehicle 11, for example a central computer, a set of computers, or even a peripheral computer associated with the ACC system of the first vehicle 11, receives first information representative of an activation of a direction change indicator of the second vehicle 12 from at least one sensor integrated into the first vehicle 11.

[0043] The at least one processor comprises, for example, an intelligent service box or BSI (in English “Built-In Systems Interface”) or VSM (from the English “Vehicle Supervisor Module” or in French “Module de Supervision de Véhicule”) capable of forming a communication network, for example a multiplexed communication network, in which data is transmitted via a wireless or wired link, for example data received from on-board sensors. The at least one processor or BSI (hereinafter referred to as “BSI”) is thus connected to a plurality of peripheral computers, for example to the peripheral computers associated with the on-board ADAS systems of the first vehicle 11 and / or to other on-board systems computers of the first vehicle 11.

[0044] The BSI thus receives the first information by communication in the multiplexed communication network, making it possible for example to characterize the evolution of the traffic lane 1000 during the journey of the first vehicle 11. The first information is for example generated from data representative of the road environment 1, for example data obtained by one or more sensors of the object detection system(s) on board the first vehicle 11, this or these systems being for example part of an ADAS system of the first vehicle 11.

[0045] For example, the sensor(s) associated with these object detection systems correspond to one or more of the following sensors: one or more millimeter wave radars arranged on the first vehicle 11, for example at the front, at the rear, on each front / rear corner of the first vehicle 11; each radar being adapted to emit electromagnetic waves and to receive the echoes of these waves returned by one or more objects, for the purpose of detecting obstacles and their distances from the first vehicle 11; and / or one or more LIDAR(s), a LIDAR sensor corresponding to an optoelectronic system composed of a laser emitting device, a receiving device comprising a light collector (for collecting the part of the light radiation emitted by the emitter and reflected by any object located in the path of the light rays emitted by the emitter) and a photodetector which transforms the collected light into an electrical signal;a LIDAR sensor thus makes it possible to detect the presence of objects located in the emitted light beam and to measure the distance between the sensor and each detected object; and / or one or more cameras (associated or not with a depth sensor) for the acquisition of one or more images of the environment around the first vehicle 11 located in the field of vision of the camera(s).

[0046] According to a particular variant, the set of sensors comprises a multifunction camera positioned in the upper portion of a windshield of the first vehicle 11, the multifunction camera being configured to analyze the road environment 1, detect the vehicles in the road environment, in particular the second vehicle 12 and / or any vehicle targeted by the ACC system of the first vehicle 11, and their switching on of signal lights, including a turn indicator of the flashing light type.

[0047] The data obtained from this or these sensors vary depending on the type of sensor. When it is a radar or a LIDAR, the road environment data 1 corresponds for example to distance data between points of the detected object and the sensor. Each detected object is thus represented by a point cloud (each point corresponding to a point of the object receiving the radiation emitted by the sensor and reflecting at least part of this radiation), the point cloud representing the envelope (or part of the envelope) of the detected object as seen by the sensor and ultimately by the first vehicle 11 carrying the sensor.When it is a video camera, the road environment data 1 corresponds to data associated with each pixel of the acquired image(s), for example gray level values ​​coded on for example 8, 10, 12 or more bits for each color channel, for example RGB (from the English “Red, Green, Blue” or in French “Rouge, vert, bleu”). This data makes it possible for example to determine the successive positions taken by an object moving in the environment 1, for example the second vehicle 12, and to deduce therefrom one or more dynamic parameters of the moving object such as the speed and / or the acceleration and / or the presence and state of traffic lights.

[0048] In a second operation, the BSI also receives second information representative of an activation of the direction indicator of the first vehicle 11. The BSI communicates for example, within the multiplexed network, with an on-board HMI (Human-Machine Interface) system or an IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) system, the BSI communicating for example to a supervisor of the HMI system controlling one or more interfaces of the first vehicle 11 including a dashboard, also called a handset, of the first vehicle 11. The HMI system transmits in this example the second information to the BSI following an action by the driver of the first vehicle 11 allowing the activation of its direction indicator.

[0049] According to the invention, the BSI receives the first information at a first time t1, the second information at a second time t2 and compares in a third optional operation the period Δt separating the first time t1 from the second time t2 to a threshold value. This design thus makes it possible to differentiate activations of the direction change indicator which are substantially simultaneous and therefore likely to represent a similar maneuver of the first vehicle 11 and the second vehicle 12, from activations which are more spaced apart and likely to represent different behaviors of the two vehicles 11, 12 or even an error in the activation of the direction change indicator of the second vehicle 12, for example an activation not followed by an associated change of direction.The threshold value is for example defined and recorded in a memory of the BSI, and corresponds for example to a duration value between 3 and 10 seconds, preferably 5 seconds, to a value manually adjustable according to the preferences of the driver and / or the manufacturer of the first vehicle 11, or to a value adjusted according to the speed of the first vehicle 11 so as to take into account different behaviors depending on the section of road and / or the traffic conditions.

[0050] In a fourth operation, the BSI then controls the ACC system based on the first and second information, i.e. the BSI takes into account the intention of the two vehicles 11, 12 to change direction to determine the control strategy of the ACC system. According to one design, the control thus corresponds to an inhibition of an implementation of an overtaking operation of the second vehicle 12, the ACC system being configured to facilitate overtaking by anticipating the acceleration of the first vehicle 11, this function then being deactivated preemptively by maintaining, for example, a standard strategy of maintaining an inter-vehicle distance between the first vehicle 11 and the second vehicle 12.

[0051] According to the invention, the fourth operation is performed both as a function of the first information, the second information and the result of the third operation, i.e. whether or not the threshold value is exceeded by the period Δt separating the first instant t1 from the second instant t2. Thus, when the activation of the direction change indicator of the second vehicle 12 is detected, but the direction change indicator of the first vehicle 11 is activated within a sufficiently long time, the BSI ignores for example the first information and allows the ACC system to implement an operation of overtaking the second vehicle 12.

[0052] Thus, the control of the ACC system of the first vehicle 11 as a function of the information representing activation of the direction change indicator of the first vehicle 11 and of the second vehicle 12 makes it possible to confirm whether the first vehicle 11 is maintaining its tracking of the second vehicle 12 or whether it is overtaking, the discrimination of these cases making it possible to avoid unexpected accelerations of the first vehicle 11 while maintaining the same level of driving assistance.

[0053] [ Fig. 2] schematically illustrates a device 2 configured to control an adaptive cruise control system of a vehicle, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The device 2 corresponds for example to a device on board the first vehicle 11, for example a computer of the ADAS system. The device 2 is for example configured to receive data from on-board sensors of the first vehicle 11 and / or other computers, and to control an ACC system of the first vehicle 11.

[0054] Device 2 is for example configured to implement the operations described with regard to the Figure 1 and / or steps of the method described with regard to the Figure 3. Examples of such a device 2 include, but are not limited to, on-board electronic equipment such as a vehicle on-board computer, an electronic calculator such as an ECU (“Electronic Control Unit”), a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop. The elements of the device 2, individually or in combination, may be integrated into a single integrated circuit, into several integrated circuits, and / or into discrete components. The device 2 may be implemented in the form of electronic circuits or software (or computer) modules or even a combination of electronic circuits and software modules.

[0055] The device 2 comprises one (or more) processor(s) 20 configured to execute instructions for carrying out the steps of the method and / or for executing the instructions of the software(s) embedded in the device 2. The processor 20 may include integrated memory, an input / output interface, and various circuits known to those skilled in the art. The device 2 further comprises at least one memory 21 corresponding for example to a volatile and / or non-volatile memory and / or comprises a memory storage device which may comprise volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, flash, magnetic or optical disk.

[0056] The computer code of the embedded software(s) including the instructions to be loaded and executed by the processor is for example stored in the memory 21.

[0057] According to various particular and non-limiting embodiments, the device 2 is coupled in communication with other similar devices or systems and / or with communication devices, for example a TCU (from the English “Telematic Control Unit” or in French “Telematic Control Unit”), for example via a communication bus or through dedicated input / output ports.

[0058] According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 comprises a block 22 of interface elements for communicating with external devices, for example a remote server or the “cloud”, other nodes of the ad hoc network. The interface elements of the block 22 comprise one or more of the following interfaces: RF radio frequency interface, for example Wi-Fi ®< type (according to IEEE 802.11), for example in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or Bluetooth ®< type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or Sigfox type using UBN (Ultra Narrow Band) radio technology, or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE (Long-Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced; USB interface (Universal Serial Bus); HDMI interface (High Definition Multimedia Interface); LIN interface (Local Interconnect Network).

[0059] Data is for example loaded to the device 2 via the interface of the block 22 using a Wi-Fi ®< network such as according to IEEE 802.11, an ITS G5 network based on IEEE 802.11p or a mobile network such as a 4G (or 5G) network based on the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard defined by the 3GPP consortium, in particular an LTE-V2X network.

[0060] According to another particular and non-limiting embodiment, the device 2 comprises a communication interface 23 which makes it possible to establish communication with other devices (such as other computers of the on-board system) via a communication channel 24. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a transmitter configured to transmit and receive information and / or data via the communication channel 24. The communication interface 23 corresponds for example to a wired network of the CAN (Controller Area Network), CAN FD (Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate), FlexRay (standardized by the ISO 17458 standard) or Ethernet (standardized by the ISO / IEC 802-3 standard).

[0061] According to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the device 2 can provide output signals to one or more external devices, such as a display screen 25, touch-sensitive or not, one or more speakers 26 and / or other peripherals 27 (projection system) via output interfaces 28, 29 and 30 respectively. According to a variant, one or other of the external devices is integrated into the device 2.

[0062] [ Fig. 3 ] illustrates a flowchart of the different steps of a method for controlling an adaptive cruise control system of a vehicle, for example the ACC system of the first vehicle 11, according to a particular and non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The method is for example implemented by a device on board the first vehicle 11 or by the device 2 of the Figure 2 .

[0063] In a first step, 31, first information representative of an activation of a direction change indicator of a second vehicle is received, from at least one sensor integrated into the first vehicle.

[0064] In a second step 32, second information representative of an activation of a direction change indicator of the first vehicle is received.

[0065] In a third step 33, a period separating the time of the first step 31 from the time of the second step 32 is compared with a threshold value.

[0066] In a fourth step 34, the adaptive cruise control system is controlled based on the first information, the second information and the result of the third step 33.

[0067] According to a variant, the variants and examples of the operations described in relation to the Figure 1 apply to the process steps of the Figure 3 .

[0068] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above but extends to a method for controlling an adaptive speed control system in a plurality of situations and / or which would include additional steps without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention. The same would apply to a device configured for implementing such a method.

[0069] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous land-based motor vehicle, comprising the device 2 of the Figure 2 .

Claims

1. Method for controlling an adaptive cruise control system of a first vehicle (11) traveling on a traffic lane (1000), said method being implemented by at least one processor, said method comprising the following steps: - first reception (31), at a first instant, of first information representative of an activation of a turn indicator of a second vehicle (12) traveling in front of said first vehicle (11) on said traffic lane (1000) from at least one sensor integrated into said first vehicle (11); - second reception (32), at a second instant, of second information representative of an activation of a turn indicator of said first vehicle (11); - comparison (33) of a period separating said first instant from said second instant with a threshold value; and - control (34) of said adaptive cruise control system as a function of said first and second information and as a function of a result of said comparison (33).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said control (34) corresponds to an inhibition of an implementation of an overtaking operation of said second vehicle (12) by said adaptive cruise control system.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said threshold value corresponds to a duration value of between 3 and 10 seconds.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said at least one sensor corresponds to a camera on board said first vehicle (11).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said second vehicle (12) is targeted by said adaptive cruise control system.

6. Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when these instructions are executed by a processor.

7. Device (2) for controlling an adaptive speed regulation system, said device (2) comprising a memory (21) associated with at least one processor (20) configured for implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. Vehicle (11) comprising the device according to claim 7.