Adaptive Braking Control for Lane Change Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems with adaptive cruise control and braking fail to maintain effective braking control when the vehicle changes lanes, potentially leading to loss of controllability and increased risk of collision due to sudden brake release.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system with a processor-based controller that identifies targets in the lane and adjacent lanes, transmitting distinct braking signals based on the vehicle's direction change, ensuring continuous braking control by adjusting braking levels accordingly to maintain safety and controllability during lane changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle control system automatically applies service brakes in response to detecting a target vehicle with negative relative velocity, then collision avoidance is improved, but when the vehicle changes lanes toward another target, the braking action should not be removed to maintain safety
Solution Approach 1:
The braking control system dynamically adjusts braking levels based on real-time detection of multiple targets and vehicle direction changes. When a lane change is detected toward another target, the system transitions from releasing brakes to maintaining or adjusting braking levels, making the braking control adaptive to changing driving conditions rather than following a fixed release protocol
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors vehicle direction changes and target positions, using this feedback to determine whether to maintain or release braking action. The control logic receives feedback about steering actions and target locations, and adjusts braking commands accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to actual driving conditions
2Ease of operation
If the service brake actuation is removed upon detecting steering action to allow driver override, then driver control is improved, but the automatic braking action should not be removed in certain driving situations to maintain safety
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different brake release rules to different driving situations. When steering action is detected in normal conditions, brakes are released to allow driver override. However, when steering action indicates a lane change toward another detected target, the brakes are maintained or adjusted rather than released, creating localized variations in brake control behavior based on specific driving contexts
Solution Approach 2:
The brake release logic dynamically adapts based on the relationship between steering direction and detected targets. The system evaluates whether the steering action moves the vehicle toward or away from detected targets, and adjusts brake release decisions accordingly, making the driver override capability conditional rather than absolute
Data Source
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AI summary
A controller (24) for an adaptive braking system on a host vehicle identifies a first target (42) in a lane of travel of the host vehicle; monitors for an active braking intervention request; monitors for other targets (44) in adjacent lanes of travel to the host vehicle (40); and transmits a first braking signal at the output to control a braking action at a first braking level in response to receiving the active braking intervention request and identifying no other targets in adjacent lanes of travel to the host vehicle. If the controller identifies a second target in an adjacent lane of travel, then receives a travel signal indicative of change in the direction of travel of the host vehicle toward the second target; it will transmit a second braking signal to control the braking action at a second braking level. The second level of braking is different than the first level of braking.