FR2812413A1 - Control of trajectory of motor vehicle with automatic risk analysis, uses information on environment to provide lateral control and prevent driver making dangerous maneuvers - Google Patents

Abstract

The trajectory control for a motor vehicle has a supervisor unit (12) to control vehicle direction taking account of information from an environment module (11) providing data (Do) on presence of obstacles and adjacent vehicles. The supervisor analyzes risk and detects potentially dangerous driver maneuvers, alerting the driver and acting on the steering to block the maneuver.

Description

Vehicle path control system

  automobile with risk analyzer.

  The present invention relates to a system for controlling the trajectory of a motor vehicle, intended to lighten the task of the driver in the transverse control of his vehicle and to ensure, under certain conditions, an automatic guidance function by setting the trajectory of the vehicle on a virtual rail, taking into account the environment

of the vehicle.

  Document FR-A-2 679 357 discloses an on-board device which implements a method of locating and monitoring the position of a vehicle on the road, which in particular comprises a camera providing an image of the road, a computer having image processing means making it possible to identify the position of the vehicle, and display or alarm means. In a first embodiment, the system warns the driver of the imminence of a danger, such as a lane departure, by possibly generating visual, audio or kinesthetic alarm signals. And in another embodiment, the system provides temporary control of the direction, by means of actuators, keeping the vehicle in the middle of its track and preventing the driver from fatigue from the resistance to a side wind. The system may also include a module detecting the driver's loss of alertness,

for security purposes.

  The document control system FR-A1-

  2 773 130 is intended to lighten the task of the driver in the transverse control of his vehicle and to provide an automatic guidance function, under certain conditions, by integrating the driver into the regulation loop. In an auto-adaptive and transparent way for the driver, the electronic co-driver device stalls the vehicle on a stable trajectory without oscillations, comfortable according to criteria specific to the motorist who can take control of the steering at any time, for the purpose of overtaking a vehicle, changing lanes or repositioning the vehicle in the lane, for example. It is a power steering system that takes into account parameters such as the position of the vehicle in the lane and the driver's intentions. This system is supplemented by a module for diagnosing the actions and intentions of the driver, described in document FR-A1-2 787 081. It offers a real-time diagnosis of the action of the driver on the steering wheel of the vehicle, to deduce therefrom. the driver's intentions regarding the placement of his vehicle in the road environment. It allows you to know, for example, your intention to change lane or to change your course, without it

  must use a different interface than its steering wheel.

  Document FR-A1-2 752 960 shows a device for the automatic transverse guiding of a vehicle which can be activated by means of an activation command so that the actual value of the position in the track is taken as

  reference at the time of actuation of the command.

  The position setpoint in the track can be modified by the driver via manual control. Guidance is automatically deactivated when the driver intervenes on the steering wheel. Automatic restarting takes place only if the

  vehicle trajectory is stabilized.

  In none of these documents, the environment of the vehicle is taken into account to determine a

  trajectory guaranteeing vehicle safety.

  The device of document US-6,038,496 is proposed to take into account the immediate environment of the vehicle, in particular by detecting the presence of vehicle in the blind spots of the mirrors. In this case, the driver is alerted

by a signal of this presence.

  This device does not plan to guide the

  vehicle to avoid a collision.

  It is an object of the invention to remedy these problems. It aims to design a system for controlling the direction of a vehicle capable of automatically managing the trajectory of the vehicle in certain circumstances, taking into account the presence and the speed of obstacles or neighboring vehicles in the environment. of the vehicle. The subject of the invention is a system for controlling the trajectory of a vehicle traveling in a lane and controlled by a driver, the control system comprising a supervisor for controlling the trajectory of the vehicle by acting on a steering device, means for vehicle environment detection to detect obstacles on the track and neighboring vehicles, an environment diagnostic module which receives information from the detection means, a driver actions and intentions diagnostic module which informs the supervisor on maneuvers carried out by the driver, characterized in that the environment diagnostic module tracks obstacles and neighboring vehicles and informs the supervisor, the supervisor comprising a risk analyzer which detects a maneuver dangerous for the stability of the vehicle or creating a risk of collision with an obstacle or a neighboring vehicle to, in this case, - inform the driver and / or - act on the vehicle's steering system

  to get out of the dangerous situation.

  Thanks to the invention, the control system is able to react to the environment of the vehicle to ensure the safety of the vehicle. The environmental diagnostic module makes it possible to locate all neighboring vehicles and the obstacles around the vehicle in position and speed. From this information, the supervisor determines whether the driver's intentions are compatible with the predicted situations of the vehicle and all of the

  nearby obstacles and vehicles.

  For example, a lane change would be dangerous if a vehicle approached from the rear on the destination lane. In this case, the supervisor informs the driver of this danger, for example by vibrations transmitted by the steering wheel, or by applying a torque to the steering device opposing the lane change. If the driver does not react himself, the supervisor takes control of the direction of the vehicle to bring the vehicle back

in the original way.

  Another dangerous situation arises when the driver loses his alertness and lets the vehicle drift out of the lane or has released the steering wheel. In this case, the control system allows

avoid a road trip.

  According to a particular arrangement, the control system comprises a lane keeping mode, the lane keeping mode comprising three states: - a monitoring state in which the control system monitors the position of the vehicle in the lane and the environment, - an informative state in which the control system informs the driver of the occurrence of a dangerous situation, - a corrective state in which the control system acts to eliminate the dangerous situation, - the control system returning to the surveillance state if the dangerous situation is eliminated after an intervention by the driver, and - passing from the informative state to the corrective state if the driver does not intervene to eliminate the

dangerous situation.

  Thus, the control system leaves the master driver of his vehicle while

  guaranteeing safety in extreme cases.

  In addition, the control system comprises a deactivated state in which the driver alone drives the vehicle, and a manual control, the control system passing into the lane keeping mode by an action of the driver on the manual control. The driver therefore always has the choice of the vehicle's operating mode and the control system. According to another particular arrangement, the control system comprises a rail tracking mode, the rail tracking mode comprising two states: - an activated state in which the control system defines a virtual rail in the track and guides the vehicle on this rail - a standby state in which the driver alone drives the vehicle, - the system automatically and progressively passing from the activated state to the standby state on a maneuver of the driver, - from the standby state to the status activated when the system has diagnosed a zero shift intention, or when the control system has diagnosed

  a lane change confirmation in progress.

  In this arrangement, the control system provides automatic vehicle guidance in which the driver can intervene to shift the vehicle or make a lane change, naturally through the steering wheel by

example.

  As for the previous particular provision, the control system comprises a deactivated state in which the driver drives the vehicle, and a manual control, the control system entering the rail tracking mode by

  driver action on manual control.

  Preferably, the control system comprises the two preceding specific provisions and comprises a deactivated state in which the driver drives the vehicle, and a manual control, the control system passing into the rail tracking mode by an action on the control. manual when the vehicle is located in a central zone in the lane, and passing into the lane keeping mode by an action on the manual control when the vehicle is located in a zone of

edge outside the central area.

  In this way, the track tracking cannot keep the vehicle in a position too offset towards the edge of a track. However, even if the rail tracking is not active, the control system monitors the position of the vehicle and the maneuvers

  to avoid dangerous situations.

  In addition, the control system switches from standby to lane keeping mode when the driver places the

vehicle in the on-board area.

  Similarly, the control system automatically switches from lane keeping mode to rail tracking mode when the vehicle returns.

in the central area.

  According to another characteristic, the driver's actions and intentions diagnostic module diagnoses a release of the steering wheel from the

from the driver.

  In addition, the control system switches from lane keeping mode to rail following mode when the control system detects that the driver has released the steering wheel. In this configuration which indicates a loss of vigilance on the part of the driver, the vehicle is returned to a position in the central zone, which avoids erratic movements along an edge of

the way.

  According to an additional characteristic, when the environmental diagnostic module detects the overtaking of a heavy vehicle, the control system, in rail tracking mode, modifies the position setpoint in the track to remove the

heavy vehicle.

  As a result, the vehicle is less exposed to aerodynamic disturbances created by a heavy vehicle. In addition, in general, this position

  in the lane appears more natural to the driver.

  According to a particular improvement, the control system further comprises a longitudinal vehicle control device and, when the environmental diagnostic module detects an obstacle or a neighboring vehicle in the path, it checks whether overtaking is possible and in this case leads to overtaking, triggering a change in vehicle speed via the

  longitudinal control otherwise.

  The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will appear on reading

  of the description which follows, the description

  referring to the accompanying drawings, among which: FIG. 1 is an example of a functional architecture of a trajectory control system according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a block diagram of a trajectory control system according to the invention; - Figure 3 is a block diagram of the states of the control system; In a trajectory control system according to the invention, the vehicle trajectory is managed by an on-board electronic computer, to best meet the expectations of the

  driver and assist him in his driving.

  According to the example of functional architecture of FIG. 1, the system for controlling the direction of a motor vehicle, calculating a set point intended for actuators in order to achieve the optimal positioning of the vehicle in its lane, comprises firstly a localization device providing data relating to the environment. I0 This localization device 2 can for example be a vision device which films the road, such as a camera, associated with a processing device

of the filmed image.

  It can also be magnetometers that capture the magnetic field from magnetic sources perfectly located in the road, or a GPS positioning device (Global Positioning System) associated with digital mapping, or even the combination of these three

  technologies with data fusion.

  These data, as well as certain parameters related to the vehicle, such as the longitudinal speed, the angle of the steering wheel, the state of the indicators, delivered by sensors 14, 15, are taken into account by an on-board electronic computer 4, intended to deliver a CO setpoint to an actuator device 5 positioning the vehicle optimally in its lane. Such a device can be: - either an electric motor, coaxial with the steering column 6 connecting the steering wheel to the wheels 7 and having a setpoint of steering wheel torque or steering wheel angle; - either an electric motor used for electric power steering to which the torque setpoint of the control system would be superimposed on the initial setpoint emanating from the vehicle and driver data; - either a cylinder controlled by an electric pump group which would move the steering rack box; - or a device for controlling the force of independent braking on each wheel to generate

a moment of yaw.

  The on-board electronic computer 4 comprises, as shown in the functional diagram of an exemplary embodiment, in FIG. 2, four electronic modules 8 to 11 and a fuzzy supervisor 12, receiving as input three types of information: - data Dr relating to the road and the vehicle, such as the position of the vehicle in the lane, the instantaneous and anticipated radius of curvature of the lane, the length of development of the turn, the distance which separates the vehicle from the start of the next turn, or information symbolic for qualifying the turn, the yaw angle made by the longitudinal axis of the vehicle with the axis of the lane, these data being delivered by the locating means 2; - Dv data relating to the vehicle, such as its transverse and longitudinal speed and acceleration, the yaw speed, which are delivered by first sensors 14; data Dc relating to the driver, ie the torque which it applies to the steering wheel and its variation, the angle and the speed of rotation of the steering wheel, which are delivered by second sensors 15. information coming from the supervisor 12 on the

  torque and steering angle setpoint.

  A first module 8 diagnoses the actions and intentions of the driver, according to a

  process which is described in document FR-A1-

  2 787 081. It outputs, on the one hand, diagnostic information on the driver's action on the steering wheel, defined according to five methods: steering wheel strike to the left, action to the left, null action, action to the right, steering wheel swipe to the right, and secondly, diagnostic information on the driver's intention in relation to the environment of the vehicle, defined according to five methods: change lane of traffic to the right or left, shift to right or left in the same lane, or stay in the same direction in this lane

(zero offset).

  A second module 9 models the behavior of a prototype car driver of an identified driver class, based on fuzzy heuristic rules of driving, resulting from the verbalization of drivers, according to the approach of cognitive psychology. This model of the driver delivers at the output a setpoint for optimal positioning of the vehicle in the lane, defining at all times a desired trajectory, called the reference. For this, it receives as input three types of data; - the data Dr relating to the road, - the data Dv relating to the vehicle, - data Dd coming from the module 8 for diagnosing

  actions and intentions of the driver.

  A third module 10 is a fuzzy trajectory controller, which controls the trajectory of the vehicle on a virtual rail defined as a reference trajectory by the driver model 9, so that the real trajectory is stable and comfortable

for the driver.

  This fuzzy trajectory controller 10 delivers a setpoint, corresponding to an action to be applied on the steering member and / or on the brakes to modify the trajectory. For this, it receives as input four types of data: - the data Dr relating to the route, such as the instantaneous and anticipated radius of curvature of the route, the position in the lane and the yaw angle; - Dv data relating to the vehicle, such as the lateral speed of the vehicle; - data Dc and Dt relating to the driver, such as the desired position of the vehicle in the lane, delivered by the driver model 9; - Dd data from module 8 for diagnosing

driver actions.

  Thus, on the one hand, this fuzzy trajectory controller 10 is self-adapting to the environment, because the module 9 modeling the driver's behavior chooses its trajectory according to data from the environment De, and on the other hand to the driver himself, since his actions and his

behavior are taken into account.

  The control system comprises a fourth module 11 for diagnosing the environment of the assembly formed by the vehicle and its driver, which first detects the presence of static or mobile obstacles in the lane, in front of the vehicle, as slow moving objects, pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles, and also the presence of vehicles in adjacent lanes in both directions of traffic in front of and behind the vehicle, the relative longitudinal and transverse speed, as well as their relative distance from the vehicle . It delivers information Do relating to the environment. To output this Do information, it receives input signals from detection and measurement means 16. These detection means are for example a radio wave or ultrasonic radar to detect vehicles or obstacles distant up to 100 m. They are also video images whose analysis makes it possible to identify vehicles or obstacles, as well as their speed by analyzing successive images. It can also be infrared scanning systems, installed at the corners of the vehicle to detect neighboring vehicles in the immediate environment. It can still be wireless communications systems

  between vehicles or between vehicles and infrastructure.

This list is not exhaustive.

  The supervisor 12 receives and ensures the exchange of the information necessary for the different modules, and guarantees the safety and overall consistency of the strategy he chooses. The supervisor 12 transmits the instruction received from the trajectory control module 10, corresponding to an action to be applied on the steering member and / or on the brakes to modify the trajectory. It receives as input the data Dd of the module 8 for diagnosing the actions and intentions of the driver and the information Do coming from the module il for diagnosing the environment. It also controls a display 17 to inform the driver. The supervisor 12 comprises a risk analyzer which, according to the information Do coming from the module for diagnosing the environment, detects whether an operation initiated by the driver is dangerous, such as overtaking a vehicle, changing lanes or keeping the vehicle in its lane. In this case, the supervisor triggers the appropriate strategies which will be described later. These strategies take many forms, ranging from simple information to the driver to taking control, for example to prevent an erratic or dangerous maneuver by the driver, to avoid an obstacle or to change

  automatically according to the diagnosis.

  The control system according to the invention comprises three operating modes which are

shown in Figure 3.

  A first operating mode is manual driving mode A. In this operating mode, the control system is deactivated

  and does not interfere with driving the vehicle.

  The second operating mode is the B-rail tracking mode, in which the vehicle guidance is assisted by the control system. This operating mode has two states, an activated state Bi1 and a standby state B2, the standby state B2 leaving the driver to intervene to place the vehicle in the lane to control an offset or a lane change. The return to the activated state B1, according to arrow 29, is automatic when the module 8 for diagnosing the actions and intentions of the driver

  notes an intention of zero offset for example.

  The third operating mode is the holding mode in channel C. This operating mode has three states: a monitoring state C1, a

  informative state C2, and a correction state C3.

  In the monitoring state C1, the control system lets the driver drive the vehicle, but detects whether the vehicle is approaching the limits of the lane. He then goes according to arrow 30 to the informative mode C2 to indicate to the driver the imminence of a danger. The information is transmitted to the driver via the steering wheel in the form of vibration on the one hand, and on the other hand in the form of a torque on the steering wheel to redirect the vehicle towards the middle of the lane. These informations

  are adjusted according to the imminence of the danger.

  If the driver does not react, the control system enters the correction state C3 according to arrow 32 and controls the angle of the steering wheel to place the vehicle in the middle of the lane. It then automatically switches according to arrow 26 to track B mode, taking the middle of the track as a setpoint. Switching from manual driving mode A to the other two modes B, C is controlled by the driver

by manual control.

  According to a first option, the choice between the two modes is made by the control system according to the position of the vehicle in the lane at the time of the action on the manual control. If the position of the vehicle is in a central zone of the track, the tracking of rail B is chosen, according to arrow 20. If the vehicle is near the limits of the track, outside the central zone in an edge zone , the holding mode in lane C is activated according to arrow 22. The return to manual driving mode A according to arrows 21 or 23 is also effected by an action of the driver on the

manual command.

  In normal operation, the change from one mode to another is carried out according to the position of the vehicle in the lane, under the same conditions

  only during commissioning by manual control.

  Thus, when the control system is in track B mode and the vehicle is in position in the central area of the track, if the driver acts on the steering wheel to move the vehicle in the track, the control system switches in the standby state according to arrow 28. If the vehicle is brought out of the central zone of the lane, the control system switches to hold mode in lane C, in the monitoring state Cl, according to the arrow 25. If the vehicle remains in the central zone, the system returns to the activated state according to the conditions

indicated above.

  Similarly, when the vehicle is in the lane area and in lane keeping mode C1, if the driver drives the vehicle in the central lane area, the control system switches to

  rail tracking mode, according to arrow 24.

  In addition, in lane keeping mode C, if the control system detects a release of the steering wheel which would result in a loss of driver awareness, the control system switches from lane keeping mode to track following mode B. He then takes

  as set in the middle of the lane.

  A release of the steering wheel is detected by the supervisor 12 if, for a predetermined period, the module 8 does not diagnose any action on the steering wheel on the part of the driver. The steering wheel release can also be detected by specific sensors, such as a resistance measurement

  between the steering wheel and the driver.

  On the other hand, in track B or hold in track C mode, the risk analyzer detects a danger if the driver performs a dangerous maneuver (risk of collision with neighboring vehicles, risk for vehicle stability ), or if an obstacle arises in the

  vehicle trajectory with risk of collision.

  The supervisor 12 then determines an action to be taken to avoid the danger. If it is an obstacle in the lane of the vehicle, and there are no obstacles or neighboring vehicles in the adjacent lane, the action to be taken is a passing of the obstacle. The supervisor then determines the trajectory for overtaking and activates the rail tracking mode for

  the vehicle to follow this trajectory.

  Optionally, the driver is informed of the maneuver by an acoustic signal or by the display 17. In the event that the driver intends to change lanes and that an obstacle or a neighboring vehicle is in the destination lane, or that the obstacle is in the path of the vehicle and that it is impossible to overtake due to the presence of a neighboring vehicle, the control system switches to hold mode in track C, in the informative state C2 according to the arrows 27 or 30,

  to warn the driver of the danger.

  If the driver intervenes to eliminate the danger, the control system returns to the monitoring state Cl according to arrow 31. On the other hand, if the danger persists or if the driver does not intervene, the control system then switches to the state of correction C3 to eliminate the danger according to the action

determined by supervisor 12.

  According to a second option, either specific to the vehicle, or left to the driver's choice, only the lane keeping mode C is activated by manual control. Switching to track B mode is only carried out on detection of a loss of driver awareness or on a dangerous maneuver. According to an improved embodiment of the invention, the control system comprises a longitudinal control device, according to a technique known per se, which makes it possible to control the speed of the vehicle by acting on the accelerator or on the brakes. Thus, the control system can accelerate or slow down the vehicle, or even stop it with an emergency brake assist. The longitudinal control device may also include an ESP type stability control system which acts differently on the brakes of each of the vehicle's wheels to prevent the vehicle from

  swerve during hard braking.

  In this embodiment, the supervisor therefore also intervenes in the control

  longitudinal of the vehicle to avoid dangers.

  For example, if the environmental diagnostic module detects an obstacle in the trajectory as well as a neighboring vehicle, so that an avoidance maneuver is not possible, the supervisor will determine a slowdown of the

  vehicle, or even a stop by emergency braking.

  According to another improved embodiment, the environmental diagnostic module recognizes the different types of neighboring vehicles, for example motorcycles, light vehicles or heavy goods vehicles. In rail B tracking mode, the control system adapts the trajectory according to the recognized type of neighboring vehicle. For example, if the vehicle overtakes a heavy vehicle, the control system shifts the path in the lane of the vehicle to move it away from the heavy vehicle. This limits the consequences of aerodynamic disturbances

generated by the heavyweight.

  The invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described only by way of example. We could add, for example, a system activation condition according to cruising speed, with a minimum threshold of 50 km / h per

example and an upper limit.

Claims (12)

  1. System for controlling the trajectory of a vehicle traveling in a lane and controlled by a driver, the control system comprising a supervisor (12) for controlling the trajectory of the vehicle by acting on a steering device (6), means for detecting (16) the environment of the vehicle for detecting obstacles on the track and neighboring vehicles, an environmental diagnostic module (11) which receives the information from the detection means (16), a module (8 ) diagnostic of actions and intentions of the driver who informs the supervisor (12) of maneuvers carried out by the driver, characterized in that the environment diagnostic module (11) tracks obstacles and neighboring vehicles and informs the supervisor (12), the supervisor comprising a risk analyzer which detects an operation dangerous to the stability of the vehicle or entailing risks of collision with an obstacle or a life nearby vehicle to - in this case - inform the driver and / or - act on the vehicle's steering system   to prevent dangerous maneuvering.   2. Control system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a lane-keeping mode (C), the lane-keeping mode comprising three states: - a monitoring state (Cl) in which the control system monitors the position of the vehicle in the lane and the environment, - an informative state (C2) in which the control system informs the driver of the occurrence of a dangerous situation, - a correction state (C3) in which the control system acts to eliminate the dangerous situation, - the control system returning to the surveillance state (C1) if the dangerous situation is eliminated after an intervention by the driver, and - passing from the informative state (C2) in the correction state (C3) if the driver does not intervene   to eliminate the dangerous situation.   3. Control system according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a deactivated state (A) in which the driver alone drives the vehicle, and a manual control (3), the control system passing into the holding mode in lane (C) by an action of the driver on the manual control (3).   4. Control system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a rail tracking mode (B), the rail tracking mode (B) comprising two states: - an activated state (Bi) in which the control system defines a virtual rail in the track and guides the vehicle on this rail, - a standby state (B2) in which the driver alone drives the vehicle, - the control system automatically and progressively changing from the activated state ( Bl) in the standby state (B2) on a driver maneuver, - from the standby state (B2) to the activated state (Bi) when the system has diagnosed an intention to offset zero, or when the system control diagnosed   a lane change confirmation in progress.   5. Control system according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a deactivated state (A) in which the driver drives the vehicle, and a manual control (3), the control system passing into the tracking mode of rail (B) by action of the driver on the manual control (3). 6. Control system according to   claims 2 and 4, characterized in that it   comprises a deactivated state (A) in which the driver drives the vehicle, and a manual control (3), the control system entering the rail tracking mode (B) by an action on the manual control (3) when the vehicle is located in a central zone in the lane, and passing into the lane keeping mode (C) by an action on the manual control (3) when the vehicle is located in an edge zone outside the central zone . 7. Control system according to claim 6, characterized in that it passes from the standby state (B2) to the lane keeping mode (C) when the driver places the vehicle in the edge area.   8. Control system according to claim 6, characterized in that it automatically switches from lane keeping mode (C) to rail tracking mode (B) when the vehicle returns to the central area.   9. Control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the supervisor (12) diagnoses a slow drift of the vehicle in the lane and a release of the steering wheel from the driver. 10. Control system according to   claims 6 and 9, characterized in that it passes   from lane keeping mode (C) to track following mode (B) when the control system detects a slow drift or the driver has released the steering wheel. 11. Control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the environment diagnostic module (11) detects the overtaking of a heavy vehicle, the control system, in rail tracking mode (B), modifies the position setpoint in the lane to keep the vehicle away from heavy weights.   12. Control system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a longitudinal vehicle control device and that, when the environmental diagnostic module (11) detects an obstacle or a neighboring vehicle in the path , the control system checks whether an overtaking is possible and in this case leads to the overtaking, triggering a modification of the vehicle speed via the control device longitudinal otherwise.