Vehicle Brake Control Timing Adaptation for Driver Comfort

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle collision avoidance systems face challenges in actuating automatic brakes early enough to ensure safety while avoiding interference with the driver's collision avoidance operations, leading to potential discomfort and unnecessary actuations.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device that employs a dual braking system, with a first brake control applying a low braking force and a second brake control applying a higher force, with the timing of each control adjusted based on the lateral position of an object relative to the vehicle to optimize collision avoidance and minimize driver discomfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the automatic brake is actuated early to ensure sufficient speed reduction, then collision avoidance safety is improved, but the driver's collision avoidance operation and the automatic brake interfere with each other causing annoyance or discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidance safetyVSAvoiddriver comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The brake control is divided into two distinct stages: first brake control applying a first braking force, and second brake control applying a second braking force greater than the first. This segmentation allows the system to apply gradual braking force increase rather than sudden full braking, reducing driver discomfort while maintaining safety effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The brake control unit dynamically adjusts the braking force applied to the vehicle by transitioning from first brake control with lower braking force to second brake control with higher braking force. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to the driver's operations and collision risk level, improving both safety and driver comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the automatic brake is actuated early to reduce collision damage, then safety is improved, but unnecessary actuation occurs when the object is at a lateral position with low collision probability

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidunnecessary actuation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different brake control strategies based on the lateral position of the detected object. When the object is at a lateral position indicating low collision probability, the system delays or modifies brake actuation. This localized adjustment of brake control based on object position prevents unnecessary braking while maintaining safety for high-risk scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Speed

If a great braking force is applied from early on to ensure collision avoidance, then speed reduction is sufficient, but the driver's collision avoidance operation and brake control interfere with each other

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed reductionVSAvoiddriver operation interference

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies a first braking force that is sufficient for speed reduction but less than the maximum braking force. This partial action approach provides adequate speed reduction while avoiding excessive braking that would interfere with driver operations. The system reserves the capability to apply greater second braking force only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10850717B2Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Publication Date: 2020.12.01 DENSO CORP

AI summary

A driving assistance apparatus determines, based on an instantaneous indicator which is an instantaneous value of a parameter regarding steering of the own vehicle, whether a driver has started a collision avoidance operation for avoiding a collision between a target and the own vehicle. When it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started, a support start timing for starting driving assistance for avoiding the collision between the target and the own vehicle or reducing collision damage is set to be a timing later than when the collision avoidance operation has not been started. The support start timing during a collision avoidance time period which is a time period until a predetermined set time has elapsed after it is determined that the collision avoidance operation has been started is set based on a time-dependent indicator for steering indicated by the instantaneous indicator at timings during the collision avoidance time period.