# US 12,594,935 B2 · Predictive variable velocity model-based lateral control for robust automated driving > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,935 B2 - Document ID: US12594935B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/656,977 - Filed: 2024-05-07 - Published: 2025-11-13 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2024-05-07 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Mohammadali Shahriari; Reza Zarringhalam; Mohammed Raju Hossain; Ashraf Abualfellat; Brian Porto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594935B2 ## CPC - B60W 30/12: Lane keeping - B60W 30/18145: {Cornering} - B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems - B60W 30/143: {Speed control (B60W30/16 takes precedence)} - B60W 50/0097: {Predicting future conditions} - B60W 2050/0012: {Feedforward or open loop systems} - B60W 2050/0031: {Mathematical model of the vehicle} - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2520/14: Yaw - B60W 2540/18: Steering angle - B60W 2552/30: Road curve radius - B60W 2710/207: Steering angle of wheels - 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 ## Abstract A method for vehicle lane centering includes determining a speed profile over a predetermined period of time to maintain a predetermined speed while a vehicle moves within a lane of a road. The road has a road curve. The predetermined period of time includes a current time and a future time. The method further includes determining a curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road and determining an error of a steering angle command using the speed profile and the curvature of the vehicle path along the road curve of the road. Further, the method further includes determining a variable velocity feedforward control command using the error on the steering angle command and controlling the vehicle using the variable velocity feedforward control command. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for vehicle lane centering, comprising: determining a speed profile of the vehicle over a predetermined period of time while a vehicle moves within a lane of a road, wherein the road has a road curve, and the predetermined period of time includes a current time and a future time; determining a curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road; determining an error of a steering angle command using the speed profile and the curvature of the vehicle path along the road curve of the road, wherein the error of the steering angle command is calculated as a function of a yaw rate of the vehicle at the current time to determine an understeer coefficient of the vehicle; determining a variable velocity feedforward control command using the error on the steering angle command, wherein the variable velocity feedforward control command is calculated using a following equation: δ FF , v . = Δ ⁢ v ⁢ ρ ref ( v ⁢ K us - ( l f 2 + l r 2 ) 2 ⁢ L ⁡ ( Δ ⁢ v + v ) ) δFF,{dot over (v)} is the variable velocity feedforward control command, ρref is the curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road, v is a velocity of the vehicle, Δv is a velocity difference between a first velocity of the vehicle at a first point in time and a second velocity of the vehicle at a second point in time, Kus is the understeer coefficient of the vehicle error on the steering angle command, lr is a distance from a center of gravity of the vehicle to a rear axle of the vehicle, lf is a distance from a center of gravity of the vehicle to a front axle of the vehicle, and L is a distance from a front axle to the rear axle of the vehicle; and controlling the vehicle using the variable velocity feedforward control command to maintain the vehicle traveling along a center of a lane when the vehicle is traveling along the road curve, wherein the controller compensates for impact of the variable speed at a look-ahead distance and iteratively updates a Model Predictive Control with the variable velocity feedforward control command to determine a vehicle path over the predetermined period of time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a speed of the vehicle over the predetermined period of time to maintain a predetermined headway. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a steering control command using the variable velocity feedforward control command to maintain the vehicle traveling along the center of the lane when the vehicle is traveling along the road curve. ### Claim 4 A control system for a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of sensors; a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is programmed to: determine a speed profile of the vehicle over a predetermined period of time while a vehicle moves within a lane of a road, wherein the road has a road curve, and the predetermined period of time includes a current time and a future time; determine a curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road; determine an error of a steering angle command using the speed profile and the curvature of the vehicle path along the road curve of the road, wherein the error of the steering angle command is calculated as a function of a yaw rate of the vehicle at the current time to determine an understeer coefficient of the vehicle; determine a variable velocity feedforward control command using the error on the steering angle command, wherein the variable velocity feedforward control command is calculated using a following equation: δ FF , v . = Δ ⁢ v ⁢ ρ ref ( v ⁢ K us - ( l f 2 + l r 2 ) 2 ⁢ L ⁡ ( Δ ⁢ v + v ) ) δFF,{dot over (v)} is the variable velocity feedforward control command, ρref is the curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road, v is a velocity of the vehicle, Δv is a velocity difference between a first velocity of the vehicle at a first point in time and a second velocity of the vehicle at a second point in time, Kus is the understeer coefficient of the vehicle error on the steering angle command, lr is a distance from a center of gravity of the vehicle to a rear axle of the vehicle, lf is a distance from a center of gravity of the vehicle to a front axle of the vehicle, and L is a distance from a front axle to the rear axle of the vehicle; and control the vehicle using the variable velocity feedforward control command to maintain the vehicle traveling along a center of a lane when the vehicle is traveling along the road curve, wherein the controller compensates for impact of the variable speed at a look-ahead distance and iteratively updates a Model Predictive Control with the variable velocity feedforward control command to determine a vehicle path over the predetermined period of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The control system of claim 4, wherein the controller is programmed to adjust a speed of the vehicle over the predetermined period of time to maintain a predetermined headway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The control system of claim 4, further comprising determining a steering control command using the variable velocity feedforward control command to maintain the vehicle traveling along the center of the lane when the vehicle is traveling along the road curve. ### Claim 7 A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body; a plurality of sensors coupled to the vehicle body; a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is programmed to: determine a speed profile of the vehicle over a predetermined period of time while a vehicle moves within a lane of a road, wherein the road has a road curve, and the predetermined period of time includes a current time and a future time; determine a curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road; determine an error of a steering angle command using the speed profile and the curvature of the vehicle path along the road curve of the road, wherein the error of the steering angle command is calculated as a function of a yaw rate of the vehicle at the current time to determine an understeer coefficient of the vehicle; determine a variable velocity feedforward control command using the error on the steering angle command, wherein the variable velocity feedforward control command is calculated using a following equation: δ FF , v . = Δ ⁢ v ⁢ ρ ref ( v ⁢ K us - ( l f 2 + l r 2 ) 2 ⁢ L ⁡ ( Δ ⁢ v + v ) ) δFF,{dot over (v)} is the variable velocity feedforward control command, ρref is the curvature of a vehicle path along the road curve of the road, v is a velocity of the vehicle, Δv is a velocity difference between a first velocity of the vehicle at a first point in time and a second velocity of the vehicle at a second point in time, Kus is the understeer coefficient of the vehicle error on the steering angle command, lr is a distance from a center of gravity of the vehicle to a rear axle of the vehicle, lf is a distance from a center of gravity of the vehicle to a front axle of the vehicle, and L is a distance from a front axle to the rear axle of the vehicle; and control the vehicle using the variable velocity feedforward control command to maintain the vehicle traveling along a center of a lane when the vehicle is traveling along the road curve, wherein the controller compensates for impact of the variable speed at a look-ahead distance and iteratively updates a Model Predictive Control with the variable velocity feedforward control command to determine a vehicle path over the predetermined period of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is programmed to adjust a speed of the vehicle over the predetermined period of time to maintain a predetermined headway.