Forward Collision Mitigation via Dynamic Path Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current forward collision avoidance systems often result in unnecessary alarms and interventions due to uncertainties in predicting the future path of oncoming vehicles, leading to superfluous actions when collisions are avoidable.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle forward collision threat evaluation system that predicts the future paths of both host and oncoming vehicles, assessing best-case scenarios for avoidance maneuvers, and controls the braking system only if a collision is deemed unavoidable, with a threshold set to ensure passive safety systems can handle the collision, and includes features like brake gain adjustment and auto-braking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If early prediction of future path is made to enable timely collision avoidance, then more time is available for unexpected maneuvers, but prediction accuracy deteriorates due to increased uncertainty over longer timespan
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the prediction time horizon based on relative velocity and distance to collision. When collision risk is high (shorter time to collision), the prediction window is extended to provide earlier warning, while when risk is lower, the prediction window is shortened to maintain accuracy. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by optimizing both response time and prediction accuracy according to real-time conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes prediction parameters (time horizon, uncertainty margins) based on the calculated collision risk level. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system can extend predictions when needed for early warning while maintaining accuracy when collision risk is lower, thus resolving the trade-off between early detection and prediction precision.
2Reliability
If braking intervention is applied earlier to prevent collision, then safety is improved, but unnecessary interventions increase when collision could have been avoided by oncoming vehicle maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of collision unavoidability by evaluating whether the oncoming vehicle has sufficient space and time to maneuver away from collision. Only when this preliminary assessment indicates the collision is truly unavoidable does the system activate braking intervention. This preliminary check prevents unnecessary interventions while ensuring timely braking when actually needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the oncoming vehicle's actual path deviations from the predicted path. If the oncoming vehicle successfully maneuvers away from collision, the feedback signal cancels or prevents the braking intervention. This feedback mechanism ensures that braking is applied only when necessary, reducing false positives while maintaining safety.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is an arrangement (1) and a method for mitigating a forward collision between a host vehicle (2a), having sensors (3) for monitoring a road ahead and wheel brakes (6, 7), and an oncoming vehicle (2b). The sensors (3) are utilized to estimate parameters of an oncoming vehicle (2b), such as the distance between the vehicles (2), lateral and longitudinal velocity and acceleration of the oncoming vehicle (2b), and relative longitudinal velocity between vehicles (2). The estimated parameters are utilized to predict a future path of the oncoming vehicle (2b), and host vehicle (2a) parameters to predict a future path thereof. The predicted future paths are assessed to determine if a forward collision is likely unavoidable assuming full freedom for performing avoidance manoeuvres for both vehicles (2). The wheel brakes (6, 7) are controlled to reduce a relative longitudinal velocity between the vehicles (2) at a predicted collision instant if determined that a forward collision is likely unavoidable at a determined relative longitudinal velocity above a first threshold.