A braking control unit and braking control method for a vehicle

Abstract

Braking control method (300) for a vehicle comprising: acquiring (302) sensor information; identifying (304) the identity of the vehicle driver and the status of the passengers based on the sensor information; selecting (306) a comfort braking level from a plurality of comfort braking levels that matches the identified driver identity and passenger status based on preference information in a second database, wherein the second database stores preference information for each historical driver of the vehicle for each comfort braking level; selecting a set of braking parameters corresponding to the selected comfort braking level in a first database, wherein the first database stores a plurality of sets of braking parameters corresponding to the plurality of comfort braking levels; adjusting (308) one or more of the selected set of braking parameters based on the sensor information to obtain an adjusted set of braking parameters; and transmitting (310) the adjusted set of braking parameters to the vehicle's brake actuator.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] A Braking Control Unit and Braking Control Method for a Vehicle

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle braking control, and more particularly to a braking control unit and braking control method for a vehicle.

[0005] Background

[0006] Recently, research on driver assistance technology has been very active. Improving user experience is a hot topic in driver assistance research, because for autonomous vehicles, user experience directly affects users’ acceptance and trust in driver assistance systems, playing a decisive role in the widespread adoption of driver assistance technology.

[0007] Automated braking control is an important driver assistance feature. The popularity of this feature is closely related to the user experience. To this end, it has been proposed that the function include user interaction. For example, users may switch between different braking modes by operating buttons on a human-machine interface. However, such human-machine interactions may have issues with operational complexity and potential risks of misoperation.

[0008] Summary of the Invention

[0009] In this context, the present invention aims to provide a braking control solution for a vehicle that can provide a more intelligent comfort braking function in terms of user interaction.

[0010] According to examples of one aspect of the present invention, a braking control method for a vehicle is provided. The method comprises: acquiring sensor information, comprising information related to in-vehicle conditions and surrounding environmental conditions; identifying the identity of the vehicle driver and the status of the passengers in the vehicle based on the sensor information; selecting a comfort braking level from a plurality of comfort braking levels that matches the identified driver identity and passenger status based on preference information in a second database, wherein the second database stores preference information for each of one or more historical drivers with driving experience with the vehicle for each comfort braking level; selecting a set of braking parameters corresponding to the selected comfort braking level from a plurality of sets of braking parameters in a first database, wherein the first database stores a plurality of sets of braking parameters corresponding to the plurality of comfort braking levels of the vehicle's comfort braking function, each set of braking parameters comprising a plurality of braking parameters; adjusting one or more braking parameters in the selected set of braking parameters based on the sensor information to obtain an adjusted set of braking parameters; and transmitting the adjusted set of braking parameters to the vehicle’s brake actuator.

[0011] According to examples of another aspect of the present invention, a braking control unit for a vehicle is provided. The control unit comprises: a first database, the first database storing a plurality of sets of braking parameters corresponding to a plurality of comfort braking levels of the vehicle’s comfort braking function; a second database, the second database storing preference information for each of one or more historical drivers with driving experience with the vehicle for each comfort braking level; an acquisition module configured to acquire sensor information, comprising information related to in-vehicle conditions and surrounding environmental conditions; an identification module configured to identify the identity of the vehicle driver and the status of the passengers in the vehicle based on the sensor information; a selection module configured to select a comfort braking level from a plurality of comfort braking levels that matches the identified driver identity and passenger status based on preference information in the second database and to select a set of braking parameters corresponding to the selected comfort braking level from a plurality of sets of braking parameters in the first database; an adjustment module configured to adjust one or more braking parameters in the selected set of braking parameters based on the sensor information to obtain an adjusted set of braking parameters; and an output module configured to transmit the adjusted set of braking parameters to the vehicle’s brake actuator.

[0012] According to examples of yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising: a sensor unit for providing sensor information, comprising information related to in- vehicle conditions and surrounding environmental conditions; a braking control unit as described above; and a brake actuator for executing an adjusted set of braking parameters output by the braking control unit.

[0013] An example of another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program product having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the braking control method described above.

[0014] The above gives an overview of the main aspects of the present invention in order to allow for a basic understanding of these aspects. This overview is not intended to define the scope of any or all aspects of the present disclosure. The purpose of this overview is to provide some implementations of these aspects in a simplified form as a preamble to the detailed description given later.

[0015] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] The following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings will make the technical solution of the present invention clearer. It may be understood that these accompanying drawings are merely used for illustration purposes, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a comfort braking control system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a comfort braking control unit according to examples of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of comfort braking levels according to examples of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a comfort braking control method for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0021] Examples of the present invention relate to control strategies for vehicle comfort braking. According to examples of the present invention, the driver’s driving style and passenger conditions in the vehicle are taken into full consideration in the comfort braking control and the comfort braking level can be automatically selected based on these two factors. Moreover, according to examples of the present invention, based on the selection of a comfort braking level, the braking parameters at that level can be adjusted according to specific scenarios, thereby achieving more refined and intelligent comfort braking control.

[0022] According to examples of the present invention, it also has the following advantage: it enables the establishment of a closer relationship with vehicle users (especially end users), thereby allowing end users to better understand and experience the comfort braking function.

[0023] The following describes specific embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 schematically shows a comfort braking control system 100 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The comfort braking control system 100 is disposed on the vehicle. Therefore, the comfort braking control system 100 may also be referred to as an in- vehicle system. As shown in FIG. 1 , the comfort braking control system 100 comprises a sensor unit 10, a braking control unit 20, and a human-machine interface (HMI) 30, wherein the braking control unit 20 comprises: a creation module 21 , an acquisition module 22, an identification module 23, a selection module 24, an adjustment module 25, and an output module 26.

[0025] The sensor unit 10 comprises a variety of sensors. By way of the information sensed or received by these sensors, the following information can be obtained directly or indirectly.

[0026] 1) The driver’s facial image and / or voice signal. The driver’s facial image can be captured by a camera installed in a suitable location inside the vehicle. The driver's voice signal can be collected by a microphone array inside the vehicle. The microphone array, consisting of a plurality of microphones, can more accurately locate the sound source and suppress noise. It should be noted that the collected facial images and voice information of drivers will be stored locally in the vehicle (i.e., remain in the vehicle) and will not be leaked in any way, thereby ensuring the privacy and security of vehicle users.

[0027] 2) The number of passengers in the vehicle. The number of passengers in the vehicle can be determined by various types of sensors that use different technological principles to detect and count passengers. In one example, pressure changes measured by gravity sensors installed below the seats are used to determine the locations and number of passengers. In another example, the number of passengers in the vehicle is obtained by detecting images captured by cameras in the vehicle. The number may comprise the total number of passengers and the number of children and the number of adults among the passengers (if there are no children, the number of children may be represented by 0; if there are no adults, the number of adults may be represented by 0). In addition, the number of passengers in the vehicle may be obtained using a fusion result of multimodal sensors (e.g., a fusion processing result of detection results from gravity sensors and cameras).

[0028] 3) The vehicle driver’s physiological state. The driver’s physiological state can be determined by various types of sensors that use different technological principles to detect and determine the physiological states of the occupants of the vehicle. In one example, images of the driver are captured by in-vehicle cameras and analyzed using machine vision technology to monitor physiological response characteristics such as facial features, gaze direction, mouth position, and head position, thereby determining whether the driver is experiencing physical discomfort or fatigue. In another example, the vehicle is provided with various physiological signal monitoring sensors, such as heart rate monitors and respiratory rate monitors, which measure the driver’s physiological indicators through contact or non-contact methods. In yet another example, the vehicle is equipped with an onboard pulse sensor that measures pulse by sending electrical waves to the driver’s body surface and receiving the echoes from the body surface to detect the minute displacements caused by vascular pulsation, thereby determining the driver’s health status. In addition, the physiological state of the driver may be obtained by using a fusion result of multimodal sensors (e.g., a fusion processing result of detection results from the above examples).

[0029] 4) The vehicle’s motion state. The motion state of a vehicle may be characterized by a plurality of parameters from a plurality of aspects. For example, a vehicle speed sensor can be used to measure the longitudinal and lateral speeds of the vehicle; an acceleration sensor can be used to measure the longitudinal and lateral accelerations of the vehicle; a steering angle sensor can be used to measure the steering wheel angle; a wheel speed sensor can be used to measure the wheel speeds of each wheel, and so on.

[0030] 5) Traffic conditions around the vehicle. The environment around the vehicle can be sensed and measured by a variety of sensors. The output information of these sensors collectively provides static objects in the environment around the vehicle as well as dynamic changes in the environment. For example, the environment around the vehicle is sensed by in-vehicle environmental sensors (LiDAR, cameras, and millimeter- wave radar). In addition, information about the environment around the vehicle may also be received from one or more of roadside units, other vehicles, and cloud servers, thereby obtaining information about the environmental conditions around the vehicle.

[0031] 6) Weather conditions. The vehicle can obtain weather conditions through a variety of sensors. For example, various meteorological parameters, including ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, and piezoelectric rainfall, can be measured in real time using vehicle-mounted meteorological sensors. For example, the vehicle may receive weather condition information from a vehicle-to-everything weather server to obtain weather conditions.

[0032] 7) Road surface conditions. The vehicle can use a variety of sensors to sense and analyze road surface conditions, especially road surface adhesion coefficient. For example, vehiclemounted cameras can capture road images and, through image analysis, identify whether there are water traces, snow traces, ice traces, etc. on the road surface, thereby estimating the road surface adhesion coefficient. For another example, the motion state of the vehicle, such as speed, acceleration, and steering angle, can be acquired by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle, and the road adhesion coefficient can be calculated in combination with data from other sensors. In addition, the vehicle can use multi-sensor information fusion to perceive and assess road conditions, especially road adhesion coefficient.

[0033] A comfort braking control unit 20 is used to determine a set of braking parameters to be output to the brake actuator. In general, the process comprises two sub-processes: 1) a process for selecting a comfort braking level that matches the identity of the current driver and the vehicle passenger state; and 2) a process for adjusting one or more braking parameters from a set of braking parameters for the selected level based on the specific scenario.

[0034] The various modules of the braking control unit 20 are described below.

[0035] A creation module 21 is used to create a first database and a second database.

[0036] The first database, which may also be known as the parameter database, stores a plurality of sets of braking parameters corresponding to a plurality of comfort levels. Each set of braking parameters comprises a plurality of braking parameters. In general, the plurality of comfort braking levels are predetermined by defining the braking process from a plurality of aspects (i.e., a plurality of dimensions). The plurality of aspects comprises, for example, one or more of a comfort level, a driving style, and a customized need.

[0037] In examples of one aspect, the plurality of comfort braking levels may comprise a plurality of comfort braking levels corresponding to different levels of comfort during vehicle braking. For example, the plurality of comfort braking levels may comprise a high comfort braking level, a medium comfort braking level, and a low comfort braking level. The high comfort braking level indicates highest (for example, smoothest) comfort during braking; the medium comfort braking level indicates medium comfort during braking (e.g. medium smooth); and the low comfort braking level indicates relatively average comfort during braking (for example, slight shaking during braking).

[0038] In examples of another aspect, the plurality of comfort braking levels may comprise customized comfort braking levels, such as an initial level for a new driver and a standard level for a historical driver. A new driver refers to a driver who has never driven this vehicle and experienced the comfort braking function before; that is, the driver has zero experience with the comfort braking function of this vehicle. A historical driver refers to a driver who has driven this vehicle at least once with the comfort braking function enabled. For example, a historical driver may be: a driver who has driven this vehicle through at least one complete gradual comfort braking process; or a driver who has actively selected a comfort braking level in this vehicle at least once. Therefore, it will be understood that a “new” driver herein refers to the driver's experience with the comfort braking function of the vehicle, and does not refer to a novice driver.

[0039] Each comfort braking level contains a set of braking parameters that correspond to the comfort braking level. For example, the high, medium, and low comfort braking levels each contain a corresponding set of braking parameters. For example, the set of braking parameters corresponding to the initial level of a new driver makes the vehicle's braking process closest to that without the comfort braking function compared to the braking parameter sets of other levels. In this way, a new driver will not experience discomfort when first experiencing the comfort braking function.

[0040] According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more braking parameters in a set of braking parameters may be variables during braking. For example, braking deceleration may be expressed as a curve that changes with time during braking. For another example, the braking pressure has a first change range at a high comfort braking level, a second change range at a medium comfort braking level, and a third change range at a low comfort braking level.

[0041] For clarity, a plurality of comfort braking levels according to examples of the present invention are schematically shown in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 2, the vehicle has a plurality of optional comfort braking levels CST_L1 , CST_L2, and CST_L3 CST_Ln. Each comfort braking level contains a set of braking parameters corresponding to that level, i.e., the comfort braking level CST_L1 contains a corresponding set of braking parameters m11 , m12, m13 m1 m; comfort braking level CST_L2 contains a corresponding set of braking parameters m21 , m22, m23 m2m , and comfort braking level CST_Ln contains a corresponding set of braking parameters mn1 , mn2, mn3 mnm.

[0042] The second database, which may also be known as the user database, stores information about one or more historical drivers of the vehicle, matching their identification with their preference for the various comfort braking levels. Preference information may comprise: the number of times a driver has selected each comfort braking level in a past predetermined time period (e.g., the past week, month, or quarter) and the vehicle passenger state at the time of each selection. Vehicle passenger state may comprise: the number of passengers in the vehicle and whether it includes subjects requiring special care, such as pregnant women or children, pets, or precision instruments. Preference information may further comprise: historical driver driving experience records for each comfort braking level over a past predetermined time period. For example, the historical driver did not actively select a comfort braking level, but rather the system 100 (e.g., the selection module 25) selected it for the historical driver, thereby causing the driver to experience the comfort braking level.

[0043] In one example, the second database stores the driver’s unique identifier (ID) in a manner that corresponds to their preference information for each comfort braking level. For example, the second database stores the following information: statistical data on the number of times the driver has selected each comfort braking level within a predetermined time period and recorded data on the vehicle passenger state at the time of each selection. One embodiment of this example is shown below in Table 1.

[0044] Table 1

[0045] The preference information for Driver_0001 is shown in Table 1 , where 0001 represents the driver's identity identifier, used to uniquely identify the driver. In the example in Table 1 , e.g., the plurality of comfort braking levels are four comfort braking levels (see Column 1 of T able 1 : Levels 1-4); in the past predetermined time period (e.g., the past 1 month), the driver selected levels 1 and 2 0 times, level 360 times, and level 440 times (see Column 2 of Table 1). Vehicle passenger state information is shown in Column 3 of Table 1 , where the number of passengers may be 0-4 individuals. See Column 3 of Table 1. “1 :20” means that this level was selected 20 times in a scenario with 1 passenger; and “2:40” means that this level was selected 40 times in a scenario with 2 passengers. The parentheses indicate that in the scenario with 2 passengers, one passenger was a baby.

[0046] In addition, the second database also stores the identity features of each driver (referring here to historical drivers). For example, the identity features representing each driver (e.g., facial images, voiceprint features, etc.) are stored in correspondence with the unique identifier of that driver.

[0047] According to examples of the present invention, the created first and second databases are stored in the vehicle, e.g., in the braking control unit 20, so that the steps of creating the first and second databases do not need to be performed each time the comfort braking function is run. Moreover, the information stored in the second database can be continuously updated during vehicle use. For example, each time the driver actively selects a comfort braking level or experiences a comfort braking level through the selection module, this information will be recorded in the second database. For another example, if a new driver is identified, the driver’s unique identifier and identity features are updated in the second database.

[0048] The functions of the acquisition module 22, the identification module 23, the selection module 24, the adjustment module 25, and the output module 26 will be described in particular in the method section below.

[0049] It will be understood that the naming of the various modules of the braking control unit 20 is based on their functions and is not intended to limit their specific implementations or physical locations. These modules can be implemented on the same chip or on a plurality of chips. Moreover, some of these modules can be merged into a single module, or further divided into a plurality of sub-modules based on their specific functions.

[0050] These modules may be implemented by using hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. For hardware implementation, it may be realized using one or more dedicated integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), data signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic units designed to perform their functions, or combinations thereof. For software implementation, it may be realized using microcode, program code, or code segments, and they may also be stored in machine-readable storage media such as storage components.

[0051] In one example, the braking control unit 20 may be disposed in a braking system control unit (ECU), or in a vehicle control unit (VCU), or in a domain controller of the vehicle. In addition, the comfort braking control unit 40 is further implemented as being disposed in a plurality of ECUs of the vehicle, e.g., some of the modules of the plurality of modules of the braking control unit 20 are disposed in one ECU of an autonomous driving system or advanced driver assistance system, while other modules are disposed in another ECU of the autonomous driving system or advanced driver assistance system. In addition, the braking control unit 20 is further implemented as being disposed in an ECU and a VCU of the vehicle, e.g., some of the modules of the plurality of modules of the braking control unit 20 are disposed in one ECU of an autonomous driving system or advanced driver assistance system, while other modules are disposed in the VCU of the vehicle.

[0052] In one example, the braking control unit 20 is implemented to comprise a memory and a processor. The memory comprises instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the processor performs the comfort braking control method according to this embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, the memory may further comprise a first database and a second database.

[0053] A human-machine interface (HMI) 30 is in communication with the braking control unit 20 to enable information interaction between the user and the vehicle. The human-machine interface 30 may provide users with inquiry information related to comfort braking, receive user input response information, and transmit the response information to the braking control unit 20. For example, the human-machine interface 30 asks the vehicle driver if identity verification can be performed and receives a yes or no response from the user. The human-machine interface 30 then provides the user's response information to the braking control unit 20. In addition, the human-machine interface 30 may further provide the user with the following information: The comfort braking level selected by the comfort braking control unit 20 and the adjustment scheme for the braking parameters.

[0054] Additionally, relative to the interaction method through HMI mentioned above, interaction between the driver and the vehicle can be achieved through the driver’s control of the vehicle. In other words, the driver can interact with the vehicle through direct control of the vehicle. For example, the driver may express his / her driving intention by stepping on the brake pedal or the throttle pedal. For another example, the driver may press an operable button inside the vehicle to indicate whether identification is permitted.

[0055] The human-machine interface 30 may enable information interaction between the user and the vehicle by way of a variety of human-machine interactions, such as one or more of touch screen, voice control, gesture recognition, and text input.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a braking control method 300 for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. The process 300 may be performed by the braking control unit 20 described above.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 3, in block 302, the acquisition module 22 acquires sensor information. The above description of the sensor information is also applicable here, so it will not be repeated here.

[0058] In block 304, the identification module 23 identifies the identity of the driver (i.e. , the unique identifier of the current driver of the vehicle) and the vehicle passenger state (i.e., the current vehicle passenger state) based on sensor information upon receiving an identification permission signal from the HMI 30. The identification permission signal indicates that: the driver allows his / her identity to be identified. The identification permission signal is generated by the HMI 30 after it interacts with the driver of the vehicle.

[0059] Below, an example of the HMI 30 generating an identification permission signal is introduced.

[0060] In one example, after the driver enters the vehicle, the HMI 30 (e.g., via voice, or presented on a central control screen or head-up display) asks the vehicle driver whether identification may be performed. If the driver provides input to the HMI 30 indicating that identification is prohibited (e.g., by voice, or by entering text or symbols on the central control screen or head-up display), the identification module 23 receives an identification prohibition signal from the HMI 30 and does not continue the subsequent process, and the method 300 ends here. If the driver provides input to the HMI 30 indicating permission of identification (e.g., via voice, or by entering text or symbols on the central control screen or head-up display), the acquisition module 22 receives an identification permission signal from the HMI 30.

[0061] Below, an example of driver identification is introduced.

[0062] The identification module 23 extracts the driver’s identity features from the sensor information from the sensor unit 10 and matches the extracted identity features with a plurality of identity features stored in the second database to identify the driver’s identity. The identification result may be the driver’s unique identifier (in the case of a historical driver), or it may indicate that the driver is a new driver (in the case of a new driver).

[0063] In one example, the identification module 23 extracts facial features from the sensor information as driver identification features and performs facial recognition on the extracted facial features to determine the driver’s unique identifier or that the driver is a new driver. In another example, the identification module 23 extracts the driver’s voiceprint features from the sensor signals and performs voiceprint recognition on the extracted voiceprint features to determine the driver’s unique identifier or that the driver is a new driver. In addition, the identification module 23 may also identify the driver’s identity through the above-mentioned face recognition and voiceprint identification methods, which can increase the accuracy and robustness of identification.

[0064] Below, an example of identifying vehicle passenger state is described.

[0065] The identification module 23 determines the vehicle passenger state based on sensor information from the sensor unit 10. Vehicle passenger state comprises the number of passengers inside the vehicle and whether there are people who need special care, such as babies or pregnant women. The identification module 23 may determine the number of passengers in the vehicle based on the seating information from the sensor unit 10. The identification module 23 may determine whether there are passengers requiring special care among the passengers in the vehicle based on the in-vehicle images from the sensor unit 10. It will be understood that the identification module 23 may use a variety of methods to determine vehicle passenger state based on sensor information, and the present invention does not limit the specific implementation method.

[0066] In block 306, the selection module 24 selects a comfort braking level that matches the identified driver identity and vehicle passenger state from a plurality of comfort braking levels based on the preference information in the second database and selects a set of braking parameters corresponding to the selected comfort braking level from a plurality of sets of braking parameters in the first database. Below, an example of selecting a matching comfort braking level is introduced.

[0067] If the identification result indicates that the driver is a new driver, an initial level for the new driver is selected from a plurality of comfort braking levels.

[0068] If the identification result indicates that the driver is a historical driver, then the driver’s relevant preference information is extracted from the second database. Based on the extracted preference information, the comfort braking level most frequently selected by the driver within a predetermined time period is determined. The passenger state when this level was selected (e.g., the total number of passengers in the vehicle and whether any of them required special care) is checked against the current passenger state (e.g., the current total number of passengers in the vehicle and whether any of them require special care). If they match, the driver is confirmed to have selected that level; otherwise, it switches to a level that matches the current passenger state, e.g., it switches to: the level that matches the current vehicle passenger state among the plurality of comfort braking levels and was selected most frequently by the driver in the past predetermined time period.

[0069] For clarity, see Table 1 for an example of selecting a comfort braking level based on preference information.

[0070] Referring to Table 1 , if the identified driver is the historical driver with the ID 0001 , level 3, which is the driver’s most frequently selected level, is selected first. If the current vehicle passenger state is: 2 passengers including one baby, then maintain level 3; If the current vehicle passenger state is: 0 passengers, then switch to level 4.

[0071] In addition, according to examples of the present invention, if the driver actively selects a comfort braking level, the level actively selected by the driver is adopted, that is, the priority of the level actively selected by the driver is regarded as higher than the level selected by the selection module 24 based on the preference information. The driver can actively select the comfort braking level by voice or gestures or by operating the corresponding buttons on the HMI 30.

[0072] In block 308, the adjustment module 25 adjusts one or more braking parameters from a set of braking parameters for the selected level based on sensor information. In general, the adjustment module 25 adjusts one or more of the braking parameters at the current level based on one or more of traffic conditions, road conditions, the driver’s physiological condition, suspension adjustment status, and tire pressure change status indicated by the sensor information, so that the current braking control can be flexibly adjusted, rather than being completely unchangeable once the level is selected.

[0073] Below, some examples of adjusting braking parameters are introduced.

[0074] In one example, when current traffic congestion is determined based on information related to traffic conditions from sensor information, the adjustment module 25 adjusts the parameters related to braking distance in the selected set of braking parameters so that the vehicle’s braking distance reaches a state with the highest priority for driving safety. For example, within the adjustable range of braking distance, it can be adjusted in a direction that appropriately sacrifices driving comfort in order to achieve greater safety.

[0075] In another example, when the maximum allowable braking distance under current traffic conditions is determined to be less than the braking distance threshold based on the traffic condition information from the sensor information, the adjustment module 25 adjusts the parameters related to braking distance in the selected set of braking parameters so that the braking distance of the comfort braking this time is less than the maximum allowable braking distance. Here, the brake distance threshold is a parameter set in the comfort braking function. For example, the braking threshold distance is set based on the current vehicle speed and road conditions, and, while ensuring driving safety, the braking distance threshold will vary slightly for different comfort braking levels. Therefore, the braking distance threshold should be understood as a dynamically adjusted parameter in the comfort braking function. It takes into account vehicle speed, road conditions, and comfort braking level, aiming to ensure a comfortable braking experience for the vehicle user while ensuring driving safety.

[0076] In yet another example, when it is determined that the current road surface is uneven based on the suspension adjustment information and / or tire pressure information from the sensor information, the parameters related to driving stability in the selected set of braking parameters are adjusted to increase driving stability when the comfort braking function is triggered.

[0077] In yet another example, when it is determined that the current road conditions are unsuitable for triggering the comfort braking function based on road condition information from the sensor information, the adjustment module 25 adjusts the parameters related to driving safety in the selected set of braking parameters so that the vehicle’s comfort braking reaches the state with the highest safety priority; or the comfort braking function is turned off. The comfort braking function according to examples of the present invention is preset with triggering conditions that allow the function to be triggered, wherein the range of the current road surface adhesion coefficient is included. When the current road surface adhesion coefficient exceeds the preset road surface adhesion coefficient range (e.g., the current road surface adhesion coefficient is greater than the upper limit of the range or lower than the lower limit of the range), it is determined that current road surface conditions do not meet the triggering conditions of the comfort braking function.

[0078] In yet another example, when current weather conditions are determined to be severe (e.g., hail, fog, heavy rain, etc.) based on weather information from the sensor information, the adjustment module 25 adjusts the parameters related to driving safety in the selected set of braking parameters to increase driving safety.

[0079] In yet another example, when it is determined that the driver is experiencing physical discomfort based on information related to the driver’s physiological condition from the sensor information, the adjustment module 25 adjusts the parameters related to driving stability in the selected set of braking parameters so that driving stability reaches the highest level at the current comfort braking level. In addition, according to examples of the present invention, when an initial level for a new driver is selected, the adjustment module 25 makes the following adjustments as the new driver experiences the comfort braking function a predetermined number of times (e.g., 2, 3, or 5 times): adjusting the parameters related to driving stability in the set of braking parameters of the initial level to gradually transition to the standard level. In this way, the new driver can gradually adapt to the vehicle’s comfort braking function by experiencing it a predetermined number of times, thereby achieving a better break-in between the vehicle and the user.

[0080] In block 310, the output module 26 transmits an adjusted set of braking parameters to a brake actuator of the vehicle, such as the actuator of the vehicle’s braking system.

[0081] Examples of the present invention provide a machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one ora plurality of processors to perform the braking control method 300 described above.

[0082] Examples of the present invention provide a computer program product having computerexecutable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one ora plurality of processors to perform the braking control method 300 described above.

[0083] It should be noted that all operations in the above-described methods are merely exemplary, and the present disclosure is not limited to any operations or the sequence of these operations in the methods but should encompass all other equivalent transformations under the same or similar concepts.

[0084] It should be noted that the processor may use any combination of one or more of: an appropriate central processing unit, CPU, multiprocessor, single-chip microcomputer, digital signal processor, DSP, application-specific integrated circuit, etc., capable of executing software instructions of a computing program stored in memory. Accordingly, the memory may be considered as part of or form part of the computer program product. The processor may be configured to execute a computer program stored therein to cause the controller to perform the required steps.

[0085] It should be understood that software may be broadly construed as representing instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, execution threads, processes, functions, and the like. Software may reside on computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can include, for example, storage devices such as magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard drives, floppy disks, magnetic tapes), optical disks, smart cards, flash devices, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), registers, or removable disks. Although memory is depicted as being separate from the processor in several aspects provided in the present disclosure, memory may also be located within the processor (e.g., cache or registers).

[0086] The above description is provided to enable any skilled person in the art to implement various aspects described in this document. Various modifications of these aspects are apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may apply to other aspects. Accordingly, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects illustrated herein. Equivalency transforms in all structures and functions of elements described in the various aspects of the present disclosure known to, or about to become known to, those skilled in the art will be expressly included herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A braking control method for a vehicle, comprising: acquiring sensor information, comprising information related to in-vehicle conditions and surrounding environmental conditions; identifying the identity of the vehicle driver and the status of the passengers in the vehicle based on the sensor information; selecting a comfort braking level from a plurality of comfort braking levels that matches the identified driver identity and passenger status based on preference information in a second database, wherein the second database stores preference information for each of one or more historical drivers with driving experience with the vehicle for each comfort braking level; selecting a set of braking parameters corresponding to the selected comfort braking level from a plurality of sets of braking parameters in a first database, wherein the first database stores a plurality of sets of braking parameters corresponding to the plurality of comfort braking levels of the vehicle's comfort braking function, each set of braking parameters comprising a plurality of braking parameters; adjusting one or more braking parameters in the selected set of braking parameters based on the sensor information to obtain an adjusted set of braking parameters; and transmitting the adjusted set of braking parameters to the vehicle’s brake actuator.

2. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein the historical driver’s preference information for each comfort braking level comprises: the number of times the historical driver has selected each comfort braking level in a past predetermined time period and the vehicle passenger state at the time of each selection; or the historical driver’s driving experience records for each comfort braking level over a past predetermined time period.

3. The braking control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle passenger state comprises: the number of passengers in the vehicle; and whether the subjects in the vehicle include individuals requiring special care, optionally, the subjects requiring special care comprise at least one of: pregnant women, babies, pets, and precision instruments.

4. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor information comprises one or more of:- Information related to the identity of the driver, optionally comprising the driver’s facial image and / or voiceprint features;- Information related to vehicle passenger state, optionally comprising images and / or seating information of the vehicle passengers;- Real-time information related to the driver, optionally comprising: the driver's physiological condition and voice or gesture commands issued by the driver;- T raffic conditions around the vehicle;- Weather conditions;- Road surface conditions;- Suspension system adjustment information;- Tire pressure change information; and- Navigation information.

5. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein upon receiving an identification permission signal indicating that driver identification is permitted, the driver’s identity is identified.

6. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of comfort braking levels comprises at least: with respect to the initial level for new drivers and the standard level for historical drivers, a new driver is a driver who has not yet driven the vehicle with the comfort braking function activated, while a historical driver is a driver who has driven the vehicle with the comfort braking function activated at least once, and the set of braking parameters corresponding to the initial level makes the vehicle’s braking process closest to that without the comfort braking function compared to the braking parameter sets of other levels of the plurality of comfort braking levels.

7. The braking control method according to claim 6, wherein when the identification result indicates that the driver is a new driver, the initial level is selected from the plurality of comfort braking levels; and over a predetermined number of times the new driver subsequently experiences the comfort braking function, the parameters related to driving stability in the set of braking parameters of the initial level are adjusted to gradually transition to the standard level.

8. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein when the vehicle driver actively selects one of the plurality of comfort braking levels through the vehicle’s human-machine interface, the priority of the comfort braking level actively selected by the driver is set higher than the comfort braking level selected based on the driver’s identity and the passenger state.

9. The braking control method according to claim 1 , whereinwhen current traffic congestion is determined based on information related to traffic conditions from sensor information, the parameters related to braking distance in the selected set of braking parameters are adjusted so that the vehicle’s braking distance reaches a state with the highest priority for driving safety.

10. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein when the maximum allowable braking distance under current traffic conditions is determined to be less than the braking distance threshold based on the traffic condition information from the sensor information, the parameters related to braking distance in the selected set of braking parameters are adjusted so that the braking distance of the comfort braking this time is less than the maximum allowable braking distance.11 . The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the current road surface is uneven based on the suspension adjustment information and / or tire pressure information from the sensor information, or it is determined that the driver is experiencing physical discomfort based on information related to the driver’s physiological condition from the sensor information, the parameters related to driving stability in the selected set of braking parameters are adjusted to increase driving stability at the current comfort braking level.

12. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the current road conditions are unsuitable for triggering the comfort braking function based on road condition information from the sensor information, the parameters related to driving safety in the selected set of braking parameters are adjusted so that the vehicle’s comfort braking reaches the state with the highest safety priority; or the comfort braking function is turned off; wherein situations where the current road surface conditions do not meet the triggering conditions for the comfort braking function may optionally comprises situations where the current road surface adhesion coefficient exceeds the preset road surface adhesion coefficient range for the comfort braking function.

13. The braking control method according to claim 1 , wherein when current weather conditions are determined to be severe based on weather information from the sensor information, the parameters related to driving safety in the selected set of braking parameters are adjusted to increase driving safety.

14. A braking control unit for a vehicle, comprising: a first database, the first database storing a plurality of sets of braking parameterscorresponding to a plurality of comfort braking levels of the vehicle’s comfort braking function, each set of braking parameters comprising a plurality of braking parameters; a second database, the second database storing preference information for each of one or more historical drivers with driving experience with the vehicle for each comfort braking level; an acquisition module configured to acquire sensor information, comprising information related to in-vehicle conditions and surrounding environmental conditions; an identification module configured to identify the identity of the vehicle driver and the status of the passengers in the vehicle based on the sensor information; a selection module configured to select a comfort braking level from a plurality of comfort braking levels that matches the identified driver identity and passenger status based on preference information in the second database and to select a set of braking parameters corresponding to the selected comfort braking level from a plurality of sets of braking parameters in the first database; an adjustment module configured to adjust one or more braking parameters in the selected set of braking parameters based on the sensor information to obtain an adjusted set of braking parameters; and an output module configured to transmit the adjusted set of braking parameters to the vehicle’s brake actuator.

15. A vehicle, comprising: a sensor unit for providing sensor information, comprising information related to in-vehicle conditions and surrounding environmental conditions; the braking control unit according to claim 14; and a brake actuator for executing an adjusted set of braking parameters output by the braking control unit.

16. A computer program product having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one or a plurality of processors to perform the braking control method described in any one of claims 1-13.

Images