Motor vehicle warning and control system and method

A system for operating and controlling a motor vehicle having a power-drive system and controls including an accelerator, a brake, and a steering system comprising:

• (a) a ranging device supported by the vehicle, directed toward the front of the vehicle, and structured to generate first signals indicating the distance to and relative motion of some objects in front of the vehicle;
• (b) a detector supported by the vehicle, directed away from the vehicle in a direction other than the front of the vehicle, and structured to generate second signals identifying whether there is an object in said other direction;
• and
• (c) a fuzzy logic-based computer having a memory containing a plurality of sets of fuzzy inference vehicle control rules, each rule defining a coordinated combination of changes to the vehicle's steering and acceleration;
• (d) wherein the computer is coupled to the ranging device and the detector and structured to use the first and second signals to select and reproduce from the memory a selected one of the plurality of sets of rules and to apply the selected set of rules to derive command signals with fuzzy logic;
• (e) wherein the computer is electrically coupled to the controls;
• (f) whereby the command signals are applied to control the accelerator, brake, and steering system of the vehicle in a coordinated way to attempt to avoid collisions between the vehicle and objects in its path of travel without taking evasive action that would cause a collision with objects detected in said other direction.