Vehicle Brake-Steering Control for Emergency Obstacle Avoidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing vehicle control systems that control brake pressure wheel by wheel may reduce emergent obstacle avoidability when a driver's steering operation cannot avoid contact with an obstacle through braking alone.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control system that assesses collision risks based on relative distance and speed, autonomously applies braking force, updates the risk after braking, and applies steering force to avoid obstacles by adjusting brake pressure on individual wheels based on the updated risk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If brake pressure is controlled wheel by wheel to increase turnability during steering operation, then vehicle maneuverability is improved, but emergent obstacle avoidability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle turnabilityVSAvoidobstacle avoidability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts brake pressure distribution based on real-time collision risk assessment. When collision risk is high and steering operation is detected, the system transitions from normal differential brake pressure control (for turnability) to emergency avoidance mode where brake pressure is optimized for collision avoidance, thereby adapting the brake control strategy to changing safety requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors collision risk between the vehicle and obstacles, and uses this feedback to adjust brake pressure control strategy. When the collision risk exceeds a threshold during steering operation, the system activates emergency avoidance control that overrides normal turnability-optimized brake distribution, thus using feedback to switch between conflicting operational modes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If autonomous braking is applied to avoid collision, then collision risk is reduced, but vehicle steering control is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidsteering control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The brake control system is segmented into independent wheel-level control channels, allowing differential brake pressure application to each wheel. This enables the system to simultaneously apply braking force for collision avoidance while creating asymmetric brake pressure distribution to generate steering moment, thus separating the collision avoidance function from steering control function while maintaining both

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges autonomous braking control with autonomous steering control into a unified emergency avoidance control strategy. When collision risk is high and steering operation is detected, the system combines brake pressure application for deceleration with differential brake pressure for steering, achieving both collision avoidance and steering control through integrated control rather than separate sequential actions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4035958B1Vehicle control device and vehicle control method
Publication Date: 2024.01.17 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP4035958B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4035958B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4035958B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle control apparatus acquires a first collision risk based on a relative distance and a relative speed between an obstacle ahead of a vehicle and the vehicle, outputs a first control instruction for autonomously applying a braking force to the vehicle based on the first collision risk, acquires a second collision risk into which the first collision risk is updated after the braking force is autonomously applied to the vehicle, outputs a second control instruction for autonomously applying a force regarding steering to the vehicle based on the second collision risk, and outputs a third control instruction for controlling the braking force to be generated on a wheel portion of the vehicle based on the second collision risk after the force regarding the steering is autonomously applied to the vehicle.