# US 10,369,990 B2 · Method and device for avoiding or mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle

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- Number: US 10,369,990 B2
- Document ID: US10369990B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/403,494
- Filed: 2013-04-16
- Published: 2015-06-25
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-05-24
- Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH
- Inventors: Thomas Gussner; Thomas Schlender; Lutz Buerkle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369990B2

## CPC

- B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/184: with wheel brakes
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 30/08: {Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences}
- B60W 30/095: Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
- B60W 30/0956: {the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters}
- B62D 15/025: {Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence)}
- B62D 15/0265: {Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering}
- B60W 50/10: Interpretation of driver requests or demands
- B60W 2552/00: Input parameters relating to infrastructure
- B60W 2552/20: Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
- B60W 2552/53: Road markings, e.g. lane marker or crosswalk
- B60W 2554/00: Input parameters relating to objects
- B60W 2554/20: Static objects
- B60W 2554/4041: Position
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)

## Abstract

A method is described for avoiding or mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle in a traffic lane of the vehicle, if the obstacle is at least partially blocking a planned travel envelope of the vehicle, the method including a step of detecting and a step of adapting. In the step of detecting, a position and/or trajectory of the obstacle is detected. In the step of adapting, the travel envelope is adapted with the aid of the position and/or the trajectory, in order to avoid or mitigate the collision.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for one of avoiding and mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle in a traffic lane of the vehicle, the method comprising:
generating, by a computing device, a planned travel envelope that represents a predetermined corridor within which the vehicle is to travel, the predetermined corridor having a first side and a second side;
after generating the travel envelope:
detecting at least one of a position and a trajectory of the obstacle, and
adapting the travel envelope by shifting at least one of the sides of the predetermined corridor of the travel envelope with the aid of the at least one of the position and the trajectory in order to one of avoid and mitigate the collision, wherein the step of adapting includes adapting the travel envelope within a traffic space, the traffic space including a traffic lane and an area that is detected as drivable in the step of detecting, and which goes beyond a boundary of the traffic lane that is facing away from the obstacle; and
automatically controlling the vehicle in accordance with the adapted travel envelope.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the shifting of the least one of the sides is in a direction that is facing away from the obstacle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of adapting includes shifting a side of the corridor facing the obstacle toward an edge of the obstacle facing the vehicle within a certain tolerance range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting detects the area as drivable even if an object is detected in the area that is classified as belonging to a predefined obstacle class.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of adapting includes laterally expanding the area up to an edge of a roadway.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of adapting includes expanding the traffic space beyond an edge of a roadway.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of adapting includes laterally expanding the area up to at least one of a further obstacle and a protective device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, further including supplying a delay signal for the vehicle using the at least one of the position and the trajectory, in order to one of avoid and mitigate the collision.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the step of supplying includes supplying the delay signal until the vehicle comes to a standstill.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising detecting whether a driver of the vehicle is evading the obstacle, wherein the step of adapting the travel envelope includes suppressing completely at least one of a modification and an adaptation of the travel envelope if it is detected that the driver of the vehicle is evading the obstacle.

### Claim 11

A method for one of avoiding and mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle in a traffic lane of the vehicle, the method comprising:
generating, by a computing device, a planned travel envelope that represents a predetermined corridor within which the vehicle is to travel, the predetermined corridor having a first side and a second side; and
after generating the travel envelope:
detecting at least one of a position and a trajectory of the obstacle, and
adapting the travel envelope by shifting at least one of the sides of the predetermined corridor of the travel envelope with the aid of the at least one of the position and the trajectory in order to one of avoid and mitigate the collision, wherein the step of adapting includes reducing a width of the travel envelope to a width of the vehicle; and
automatically controlling the vehicle in accordance with the adapted travel envelope.

### Claim 12

A device for one of avoiding and mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle in a traffic lane of the vehicle comprising:
an arrangement including a computing device for generating a planned travel envelope that represents a predetermined corridor within which the vehicle is to travel, the predetermined corridor having a first side and a second side; and
an arrangement for detecting, after the travel envelope is generated, at least one of a position and a trajectory of the obstacle; and
an arrangement for adapting, after the travel envelope is generated, the travel envelope by shifting at least one of the sides of the predetermined corridor of the travel envelope with the aid of the at least one of the position and the trajectory in order to one of avoid and mitigate the collision, wherein the adapting includes adapting the travel envelope within a traffic space, the traffic space including a traffic lane and an area that is detected as drivable in the step of detecting, and which goes beyond a boundary of the traffic lane that is facing away from the obstacle; and
an arrangement for automatically controlling the vehicle in accordance with the adapted travel envelope.

### Claim 13

A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program product having program code that when executed on a device implements a method for one of avoiding and mitigating a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle in a traffic lane of the vehicle, the method comprising:
generating, by a computing device, a planned travel envelope that represents a predetermined corridor within which the vehicle is to travel, the predetermined corridor having a first side and a second side; and
after generating the travel envelope:
detecting at least one of a position and a trajectory of the obstacle, and
adapting the travel envelope by shifting at least one of the sides of the predetermined corridor of the travel envelope with the aid of the at least one of the position and the trajectory in order to one of avoid and mitigate the collision, wherein the step of adapting includes adapting the travel envelope within a traffic space, the traffic space including a traffic lane and an area that is detected as drivable in the step of detecting, and which goes beyond a boundary of the traffic lane that is facing away from the obstacle; and
automatically controlling the vehicle in accordance with the adapted travel envelope.