Vehicle with driver assistance impact load reduction for abrupt roadway grade changes

A computing device, comprising:

• memory storing predetermined correlations between a target speed of a vehicle and an indicator of expected comfort of an occupant of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over an abrupt grade change, wherein the correlations are set by receiving a selection of one of multiple available different physical or psychological sensitivities listed on a graphical user interface (GUI) on the vehicle;
• and
• processor circuitry forming one or more processors being communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor to operate by:
• automatically monitoring a path in proximity to the vehicle to detect the abrupt grade change along the path and ahead of the vehicle, wherein the grade change is determined to be abrupt depending on a predetermined threshold of a minimum change in grade height,
• upon receiving indication that an abrupt grade change exists, determining a time or distance or both from a position of the vehicle to the abrupt grade change,
• determining a target speed the vehicle is to use to travel over the abrupt grade change using the predetermined correlations,
• determining whether a current speed of the vehicle is below the target speed, and
• automatically decelerating the vehicle so that the vehicle travels over the abrupt grade change at or below the target speed when the current speed is above the target speed.

A vehicle, comprising:

• one or more controllers, comprising:
• memory;
• and
• processor circuitry forming one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is to operate by:
• automatically monitoring a path in proximity to the vehicle to detect an abrupt grade change along the path and ahead of the vehicle, wherein the grade change is determined to be abrupt depending on a predetermined threshold of a minimum change in grade height,
• upon receiving indication that an abrupt grade change exists, determining a time or distance or both from a position of the vehicle to the abrupt grade change,
• determining a target speed the vehicle is to use to travel over the abrupt grade change using predetermined correlations between a target speed of the vehicle and an indicator of expected comfort of an occupant of the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the abrupt grade change,
• determining whether a current speed of the vehicle is below the target speed, and
• automatically decelerating the vehicle so that the vehicle travels over the abrupt grade change at or below the target speed when the current speed is above the target speed, wherein determining the target speed or decelerating the vehicle includes factoring a position of the underbody of the vehicle;
• and
• comparing a detected change in grade height to a height of an underbody of the vehicle, and
• in response to the comparison, either (a) automatically stopping the vehicle or (b) providing an alert to avoid travel over the grade change on a display on the vehicle to show to an occupant in the vehicle,
• wherein the monitoring comprises:
• monitoring ahead in a direction of motion of the vehicle using at least one camera,
• monitoring a pitch and roll of the vehicle when the vehicle contacts the grade change using at least one inertial measurement unit (IMU), and
• in response to the IMU detecting a grade change, confirming the grade change by using suspension sensors to measure a change in height of a wheel of the vehicle;
• wherein the correlations are set by receiving a selection of one of multiple available different physical or psychological sensitivities listed on a graphical user interface (GUI) on the vehicle, wherein the sensitivities include at least physical difficulties, chronic pain-sensitivity conditions, neurological causes, pregnancy, psychological conditions, anxieties, and sensory-related causes;
• and the processor is arranged to operate by:
• displaying an alert to the occupant of the vehicle when the abrupt grade change is detected or when the automatic deceleration is to be performed or both, wherein the alert includes the word curb or the phrase curb detected.