# US 7,607,741 B2 · Automatic brake system of motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,741 B2 - Document ID: US7607741B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/237,613 - Filed: 2002-09-10 - Published: 2003-04-10 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2001-10-04 - Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yoji Seto; Yoshinori Yamamura; Yosuke Kobayashi; Minoru Tamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607741B2 ## CPC - B60T 13/662: {characterised by specified functions of the control system components} - B60T 7/22: initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle {, or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle} - G08G 1/166: {for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes} - B60W 30/09: Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - 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 When it is judged that a possible collision of the own vehicle with a preceding vehicle is avoidable by operation of either one of the brake pedal and steering wheel, a first grade braking force is automatically produced. While, when it is judged that the possible collision is unavoidable by operation of either of the brake pedal and steering wheel, a second grade braking force is automatically produced, which is greater than the first grade braking force. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automatic brake system of a motor vehicle which has a brake pedal and a steering wheel installed therein, the system comprising: a first section that detects a relative connection between the vehicle and a preceding object ahead of the vehicle; a second section that, when actuated, produces a braking force applied to the vehicle, the braking force produced by the second section being isolated from a braking force produced by the brake pedal; a third section that, based on the relative connection detected by the first section, carries out a judgment as to whether or not a possible collision of the vehicle with the preceding object is avoidable by operation of at least one of the brake pedal and the steering wheel; and a fourth section that actuates and controls the second section in accordance with the judgment made by the third section, thereby to control the braking force applied to the vehicle, wherein the fourth section is configured to carry out: causing the second section to produce a first grade braking force when the third section judges that the possible collision would be avoidable by operation of the brake pedal and unavoidable by operation of the steering wheel and also when the third section judges that the possible collision would be avoidable by operation of the steering wheel and unavoidable by operation of the brake pedal; and causing the second section to produce a second grade braking force when the third section judges that the possible collision would be unavoidable by operation of the brake pedal and also by operation of the steering wheel, the second grade braking force being greater than the first grade braking force. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 1, in which the third section comprises: a steering-based judge section that carries out a judgment as to whether or not the collision would be avoidable by operation of the steering wheel; and a braking-based judge section that carious out a judgment as to whether or not the collision would be avoidable by operation of the brake pedal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 2, in which the steering-based judge section is configured to carry out: calculating, based on the relative connection detected by the first section, a lateral moved distance that is needed for avoiding the collision by operating the steering wheel; calculating, based on the calculated lateral moved distance, a first time needed by the vehicle for moving by the lateral moved distance; calculating a second time that passes until a time when the vehicle would collide against the preceding object; and judging that the collision is unavoidable when the first time is greater than the second time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 3, in which the steering-based judge section is configured to derive the lateral moved distance based on a positional relationship between the vehicle and each of lateral rear edges of the preceding object. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 4, in which the steering-based judge section is configured to carry out determining, based on the positional relationship between the vehicle and each of lateral rear edges of the preceding object, a turning direction of the steering wheel that would induce a higher possibility of avoiding the collision. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 5, in which the steering-based judge section is configured to carry out: calculating a first lateral moved distance that is provided when the steering wheel would be turned in one direction for avoiding the collision; calculating a second lateral moved distance that is provided when the steering wheel would be turned in the other direction for avoiding the collision; and determining smaller one of the first and second lateral moved distances to the needed lateral moved distance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 3, in which the second time is calculated based on dimensional and drivability features of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 3, in which the second time is calculated based on a steering behavior characteristic of a driver in an emergency. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An automatic brake system as claimed in claim 1, in which the first grade braking force produced by the second section is gradually increased with passage of time, and a gap appearing between the first grade braking force and the second grade braking force at the time when the braking force produced by the second section switches from the first grade braking force to the second grade braking force is smaller than a predetermined value. ### Claim 10 An automatic brake system of a motor vehicle which has a brake pedal and a steering wheel installed therein, the system comprising: first means that detects a relative connection between the vehicle and a preceding object ahead of the vehicle; second means that, when actuated, produces a braking force applied to the vehicle, the braking force produced by the second means being isolated from a braking force produced by the brake pedal; third means that, based on the relative connection detected by the first means, carries out a judgment as to whether or not a possible collision of the vehicle with the preceding object is avoidable by operation of at least one of the brake pedal and the steering wheel; and fourth means that actuates and controls the second means in accordance with the judgment made by the third means, thereby to control the braking force applied to the vehicle, wherein the fourth means is configured to carry out: causing the second means to produce a first grade braking force when the third means judges that the possible collision would be avoidable by operation of the brake pedal and unavoidable by operation of the steering wheel and also when the third means judges that the possible collision would be avoidable by operation of the steering wheel and unavoidable by operation of the brake pedal; and causing the second means to produce a second grade braking force when the third means judges that the possible collision would be unavoidable by operation of the brake pedal and also by operation of the steering wheel, the second grade braking force being greater than the first grade braking force. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The automatic brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fourth section is configured to cause the second section to refrain from producing a braking force when the third section judges that the possible collision can be avoided by operation of the brake pedal and can also be avoided by operation of the steering wheel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The automatic brake system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fourth means is configured to cause the second means to refrain from producing a braking force when the third means judges that the possible collision can be avoided by operation of the brake pedal and can also be avoided by operation of the steering wheel.