Autonomous emergency braking system

An autonomous emergency braking system for a first vehicle having an engine comprising:

• an accelerator pedal located in the first vehicle and operative to control engine speed, said accelerator pedal coupled to an accelerator position sensor being operative to generate an accelerator position signal;
• a braking system located in the first vehicle and coupled to a variable brake booster, said variable brake booster being operative to produce a variable brake booster force;
• a forward detection apparatus located in the first vehicle and having control logic operative to detect vehicle distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle, vehicle speed, and imminent contact between the first vehicle and said second vehicle and generate an imminent contact signal, a vehicle distance signal, and a vehicle speed signal, said forward detection apparatus operative to notify a driver of said imminent contact;
• an occupant seatbelt switch located in said first vehicle and being operative to generate an occupant unbuckled signal when an occupant is not wearing a seatbelt;
• and
• a controller located in said first vehicle and coupled to said variable brake booster, said controller being operative to receive said accelerator position signal, said imminent contact signal, said vehicle distance signal, said vehicle speed signal, and said occupant unbuckled signal, said controller including control logic operative to automatically apply a predetermined amount of variable brake booster force proportional to said vehicle distance signal and said vehicle speed signals in response to said imminent contact signal, automatically apply a reduced amount of variable brake booster force in response to said occupant unbuckled signal, and reduce said engine speed in response to said imminent contact signal.

A method for providing autonomous emergency braking for a first vehicle having an engine and a braking system comprising the steps of:

• monitoring a position of an accelerator pedal;
• detecting an imminent contact between the first vehicle and a second vehicle;
• determining distance and relative speed between the first vehicle and said second vehicle;
• detecting when an occupant is not wearing a seatbelt;
• reducing engine speed in response to detecting an imminent contact between the first vehicle and a second vehicle;
• applying a predetermined amount of variable brake booster force proportional to said distance and relative speed to said second vehicle;
• and
• applying a reduced amount of variable brake booster force when said occupant is not wearing said seatbelt.