Model predictive adaptive cruise control for reducing rear-end collision risk with follower vehicles

A controller for a vehicle having data collection means including one or more of:

• a plurality of sensors,
• a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system, and
• a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system, the controller comprising one or more processors in electronic communication with the data collection means and memory in electronic communication with the one or more processors and storing program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
• obtain, from the data collection means, driving condition data representing at least a velocity of the vehicle, a first distance from the vehicle to a leader vehicle in front of the vehicle, and a second distance from the vehicle to a follower vehicle behind the vehicle;
• determine, based at least in part on the driving condition data, a first velocity of the leader vehicle and a second velocity of the follower vehicle;
• determine, based on the velocity of the vehicle, the first velocity of the leader vehicle, the second velocity of the follower vehicle, the second distance to the follower vehicle, and a safe-spacing policy implemented in the program instructions, a desired distance from the vehicle to the leader vehicle, the safe-spacing policy defining an adaptive cruise control that both avoids collision of the vehicle with the leader vehicle and reduces risk of collision of the vehicle with the follower vehicle;
• determine that the first distance and the desired distance are not equal;
• control the velocity of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to move to the desired distance from the leader vehicle;
• and
• select and assume one of a plurality of modes including a normal driving mode, in which the controller causes the vehicle to maintain the first distance as a reference distance that is independent of characteristics of the follower vehicle, and a tailgating follower mode, in which the controller uses the driving condition data associated with the follower vehicle to slow the velocity of the vehicle to increase the first distance from the vehicle to the leader vehicle, wherein to select and assume one of the plurality of modes, execution of the program instructions further causes the controller to:
• determine whether the follower vehicle is within a threshold safe distance of the vehicle;
• responsive to a determination that the follower vehicle is not within the threshold safe distance, switch to or remain in the normal driving mode;
• and
• responsive to a determination that follower vehicle is within the threshold safe distance, switch to or remain the tailgating follower mode.

A method of adaptive cruise control in an ego vehicle moving at a speed, the method implemented by a computer on the ego vehicle and comprising:

• sensing a speed of a leader vehicle in front of the ego vehicle and a distance of the leader vehicle from the ego vehicle;
• sensing a speed of a follower vehicle behind the ego vehicle and a distance of the follower vehicle from the ego vehicle;
• and
• based on the distance and the speed of the follower vehicle, controlling the speed of the ego vehicle to avoid collision with the leader vehicle while reducing risk of the ego vehicle being hit by the follower vehicle, the controlling the speed of the ego vehicle comprising:
• determining that the distance of the follower vehicle has decreased to within a threshold distance;
• and
• responsive to determining that the distance of the follower vehicle has decreased to within the threshold distance, slowing the speed of the ego vehicle to increase the distance from the leader vehicle to a safe distance while avoiding risk of the follower vehicle hitting the ego vehicle.