Patent ID: 8849515
Filing Date: 2014-09-30
Classification: B62D,G08G

Abstract:
1. A method of assisting a driver in avoiding a collision between a host vehicle and an obstacle in a lane of travel, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a collision threat with the obstacle; recursively calculating a time-to-collision; recursively generating an optimum collision avoidance path to a target lane for avoiding a collision with the obstacle, wherein recursively generating the optimum collision avoidance path is determined by a processor and is based on a position and a speed of the host vehicle relative to the obstacle and an updated calculated time-to-collision; determining whether the driver of the vehicle has initiated a steering maneuver to avoid the obstacle; enabling steering assist for maintaining the host vehicle along the optimum collision avoidance path, the steering assist applying a torque by a steering mechanism for producing steering adjustments to assist in guiding the host vehicle along the optimum collision avoidance path to the target lane; and recursively adjusting the steering assist torque by the steering mechanism based on a recent updated optimum collision avoidance path; wherein a steering assist adjustment threshold is estimated that is a function of a time required for the hose vehicle to move from a current position to the target lane utilizing the optimum collision avoidance path, and wherein a steering assist adjustment threshold is compared to an updated time-to-collision estimation, and wherein the steering assist is enabled as a function of the time-to-collision estimation being less than the steering assist adjustment threshold.