Braking Assistant Acceleration Signal Direction Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle braking assistants face challenges in avoiding collisions when the direction of travel is unknown, particularly in situations involving reversing vehicles, leading to unintended braking maneuvers and potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
A method using an acceleration signal to determine the direction of travel, allowing the braking assistant to interrupt or continue a braking maneuver based on the sign of the acceleration signal, thereby avoiding collisions by differentiating between forward and backward movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the braking assistant initiates automated braking when distance to object is less than minimum distance, then collision avoidance is improved, but when the vehicle is reversing this causes harmful braking that increases collision risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor and uses this feedback to determine whether the vehicle is moving forward or backward. The braking assistant adjusts its braking intervention based on this feedback information, interrupting braking when positive acceleration (reversing) is detected and maintaining braking when negative acceleration (forward movement) is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration sensor acts as an intermediary device that provides information about the vehicle's motion state. This intermediary signal is processed by the control unit to determine the direction of travel, which then mediates the braking assistant's decision to continue or interrupt braking maneuvers.
2Device complexity
If the braking assistant operates without knowledge of direction of travel, then the system complexity is reduced, but the accuracy of collision avoidance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The acceleration sensor, which is already present in the vehicle for other purposes (such as airbag deployment), is repurposed to provide direction of travel information for the braking assistant. This self-service approach allows the braking system to gain directional awareness without adding dedicated direction-detection hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration sensor serves multiple functions: it provides data for both the braking assistant's collision avoidance operations and implicitly indicates the direction of travel. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve accurate directional awareness while maintaining low complexity, as the same sensor serves dual purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
In a braking maneuver using a braking assistant (9) in a motor vehicle (3), the braking assistant (9) initiates an automatic braking maneuver when an actual distance (a) between the motor vehicle (3) and an object (5) located ahead of the motor vehicle (3) becomes less than a specified minimum distance (amin). Then an acceleration of the decelerating vehicle (3) is ascertained during the braking maneuver, and if the acceleration is positive then the braking maneuver initiated by the braking assistant (9) is automatically interrupted.