Patent Publication Number: US-2021188253-A1

Title: Vehicle cornering assistance systems and methods

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Vehicles may undergo certain cornering situations during operation. These situations include entering or exiting parking spots, and other low speed cornering situations in which the vehicle is moving and also turning. Vehicles may perform cornering in the forward or reverse directions in some examples. 
     SUMMARY 
     A method for assisting in the exit of a vehicle from a parking spot, according to an example of this disclosure, includes obtaining one or more images of an object near the parking spot, sensing a path of the vehicle as the vehicle exits the parking spot, determining whether a collision between the vehicle and the object is imminent based on the sensed path and the one or more images, and initiating a vehicle response if the collision is imminent. 
     In a further example of the foregoing, the vehicle response includes one or more of a vibration in a seat of the vehicle, an audiovisual response, a steering correction, a pulse in a steering wheel of the vehicle, and a brake activation. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the method includes determining that the vehicle is located in a parking area. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the method includes sensing a path of a trailer of the vehicle as the vehicle exits the parking spot and determining whether a collision between the trailer and the object is imminent based on the sensed trailer path and the one or more images. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the object is an adjacent vehicle. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the object is a curb. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, one or more images of an object near the vehicle are obtained. The example method includes obtaining one or more images of an object near the vehicle as the vehicle pulls into the parking spot. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the method stores one or more images obtained as the vehicle pulls into the parking spot on a memory device. 
     A system for assisting in the exit of a vehicle from a parking spot, according to an example of this disclosure, includes at least one camera on the vehicle for obtaining one or more images of an object near the parking spot. A sensor is configured to sense a path of the vehicle as the vehicle exits the parking spot. A controller is configured to determine whether a collision between the vehicle and the object is imminent based on the sensed path and the one or more images and initiating a vehicle response if the collision is imminent. 
     In a further example of the foregoing, the camera is disposed on or adjacent a side view mirror of the vehicle. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the camera includes a fish eye lens. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the system includes a memory device for storing the one or more images. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, one or more images are obtained as the vehicle pulls into the parking spot. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the controller is an electronic control unit (ECU). 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the vehicle response includes one or more of a vibration in a seat of the vehicle, an audiovisual response, a steering correction, a pulse in a steering wheel of the vehicle, and a brake activation. 
     In a further example of any of the foregoing, the controller is configured to determine that the vehicle is located in a parking area. 
     These and other features may be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates an example system for assisting in the cornering of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 2  a second example system for assisting in the cornering of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 3A  schematically illustrates the example system of  FIG. 2  in use. 
         FIG. 3B  schematically illustrates example vehicle responses for the example system shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3A . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a flow chart of an example method for assisting in the cornering of the vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In general, this disclosure pertains to systems and methods for assisting the cornering in a vehicle. In some example applications, the systems and methods pertain to assisting in parking situations. 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates an example system  10  for assisting in the cornering of the vehicle  14 , the illustrative example being the exit of a vehicle  14  from a parking spot  12 . In the examples disclosed herein, the vehicle  14  may exit the parking spot in the forward or reverse direction. In some examples, the vehicle  14  the vehicle may be any type of vehicle, some examples including cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, recreational vehicles, etc. In some examples, the parking spot  112  may be located in a parking lot, street, driveway, or garage. Although parking situations are disclosed as some examples herein, other cornering applications may benefit from this disclosure. 
     The example system  10  includes a sensor  16  for sensing an object  18  at a periphery of the vehicle parking spot  12 . A sensor  19  senses a path of the vehicle  14  as the vehicle  14  exits the parking spot  12 . A controller  20  in communication with the sensors  16 ,  19  may be programmed to determine whether a collision between the vehicle  14  and the object  18  is imminent based on the information received from the sensors  16 ,  19  and initiate a vehicle response if the collision is imminent. 
     In some examples, the sensor  16  may include one or more of a camera, radar sensor, laser, LIDAR sensor and ultrasonic sensor. In some examples, the camera is a surround view camera. Although one sensor  16  is shown in the schematic example of  FIG. 1 , more sensors may be utilized in some examples. In some examples, the sensor  16  may be located adjacent one or more of a front grill, a side mirror, and a trunk area. 
     In some examples, the sensor  19  may include one or more of a camera, radar sensor, laser, LIDAR sensor and ultrasonic sensor. Although one sensor  19  is shown in the schematic example of  FIG. 1 , more sensors may be utilized in some examples. 
     In some examples, the controller  20  may be an electronic control unit (ECU) that may include one or more individual electronic control units that control one or more electronic systems or subsystems within the vehicle  14 . The controller  20 , in some examples, may include one or more computing devices, each having one or more of a computer processor, memory, storage means, network device and input and/or output devices and/or interfaces. The controller  20  may be programmed to implement one or more of the methods or processes described herein. 
     In some examples, the controller  20  may be programmed with an algorithm used to detect corners or edges of the object  18  for determining whether a collision between the vehicle  14  and the object  18  is imminent. In some examples, knowing the host vehicle dimensions and/or those of a potentially attached trailer, and then using the current host vehicle&#39;s steering angle and velocity, a path trajectory can be calculated by the controller  20 . The controller may then utilize this data for determining whether a collision between the vehicle  14  and the object  18  is imminent. 
     In some examples, the object  18  may include one or more of a vehicle, a wall, a curb, a barrier, a pillar, a construction object, and a garage object, such as a shelving unit or snowblower. In some examples, the object  18  is stationary. 
     In some examples, the vehicle response includes one or more of a vibration in a seat of the vehicle, an audiovisual response, a steering correction, a pulse in a steering wheel of the vehicle, blind spot alert, and a brake activation. In some examples, if the vehicle path shows a collision path with the object, an audio indicator that decreases as the driver adjusts to an appropriate steering angle can be used. 
       FIG. 2  schematically illustrates an example system  110  for assisting in the exit of a vehicle  114  from a parking spot  112 . It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. The system  110  includes a camera  116  on the vehicle  114  for obtaining one or more images of an adjacent vehicle  118  at the periphery of the vehicle  114 . A sensor  119  senses a path of the vehicle  14  as the vehicle  114  exits the parking spot  112 . A controller  120  may be programmed to determine whether a collision between the vehicle  114  and the vehicle  118  is imminent based on the sensed path and the one or more images and initiating a vehicle response if the collision is imminent. 
     In some examples, the camera  116  is disposed on or adjacent a side view mirror  122  of the vehicle. In some examples, the camera  116  includes a fish eye lens facing outward from the vehicle  114 . In some examples, the camera  116  is located below the side view mirror  122  of the vehicle. In some examples, the camera  116  may be utilized with additional sensors for sensing the vehicle surroundings, including the examples disclosed herein. In some examples multiple cameras  116  may be utilized. In some examples, a camera  116  may be disposed on or adjacent each side view mirror (driver and passenger side) of the vehicle  114 . 
     The system  110  may include a memory device  124  for storing images obtained from the camera  116 . In some examples, the memory device  124  may be of any type capable of storing information, including a computing device-readable medium, or other medium that stores data that may be read with the aid of an electronic device, such as a hard-drive, memory card, ROM, RAM, DVD or other optical disks, as well as other write-capable and read-only memories. In some examples, the camera  116  obtains one or more images as the vehicle pulls into the parking spot. The images are then saved on the memory device  124  for providing information about the vehicle&#39;s surroundings when the vehicle  114  exits the parking spot  112 . In some examples, the camera  116  may obtain one or more images as the vehicle  114  pulls into a parking spot  112 , the vehicle  114  is then turned off, and, when the vehicle  114  is turned back on, the images obtained when the vehicle  114  pulled into the parking spot  112  and saved on the memory device  124  may be utilized to assist the vehicle  114  in exiting the parking spot  112 . 
     In some examples, the controller  120  is configured to determine that the vehicle  114  is located in a parking area. In some examples, this is done when the vehicle transmission is shifted to or from “park.” In some examples, this is done when the vehicle  114  is turned on. In some examples, this is done by communication with a global positioning system. In some examples, this is done by sensing vehicle speed or other parameters. In some examples, this is done by sensing the ignition has been turned on. 
     In some examples, the systems and method disclosed may be utilized outside of parking environments, such as in low-speed cornering situations. In some examples, the controller  120  may sense that the vehicle has come to a stop or a near stop and may begin cornering assistance. 
     Although one sensor  119  is shown in the example, multiple sensors  119  may be utilized in some examples. 
       FIG. 3A  schematically illustrates the vehicle  114  exiting the parking spot  112 . The sensor  119  senses that the vehicle  114  will have a path turning to the left. The camera  116  obtains one or more images of the vehicle&#39;s surroundings, including the vehicle  118 . The controller  120  determines whether a collision with the vehicle  118  is imminent. In some examples, the controller  120  may be programmed with host vehicle dimensions for determining whether a crash is imminent. In some examples, the controller  120  utilizes data related to the host vehicle  114  from the camera  116  or other sensors for determining whether a crash is imminent. In some examples, the controller also utilizes data about a trailer (not shown) attached to the host vehicle  114 . In some examples, the controller  120  may be programmed to detect an edge or corner  126  of the vehicle  118  most likely to be collided with from the images provided by the camera  116 . 
     In some examples, the controller  120  is programmed to utilize a structure from motion algorithm to estimate the three-dimensional structure of the object  118  based on a plurality of images obtained by the camera  116 . Structure from motion is a photogrammetric range imaging technique for estimating three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional image sequences that may be coupled with local motion signals. 
     In some examples, the controller  120  may be programmed to utilize a semantic segmentation algorithm to detect the object  118  and/or calculate drivable surface on each side of the vehicle  114 . Semantic segmentation utilizes image frames camera frames are to recognize various classifications in the vehicle environment, such as the driving surface, cars, pedestrians, curbs and sidewalks, at the pixel level. Semantic segmentation utilizes neural network based detection for image classification at the pixel level. In some examples, semantic segmentation utilizes every pixel of an image within an object class, which may include a specific type of object  118  or the surface between the object  118  and the vehicle  114  in some examples. 
       FIG. 3B  schematically illustrates example vehicle responses if a collision is imminent. With reference to  FIG. 3A , one or more of a steering torque overlay in the direction of steering correction, audio and/or visual indication may occur in some examples. Any of the vehicle responses disclosed herein may be utilized in some examples. In some examples, while the turning radius is not appropriate, the blind spot alert on the corresponding side rearview mirror may be illuminated. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a flow chart of an example method  200  for assisting in the cornering of a vehicle. At  202 , the method  200  includes obtaining one or more images of an object near a parking spot. At  204 , the method  200  includes sensing a path of the vehicle as the vehicle exits the parking spot. At  206 , the method  200  includes determining whether a collision between the vehicle and the object is imminent based on the sensed path and the one or more images. At  208 , the method  200  includes initiating a vehicle response if the collision is imminent. 
     In some examples, the method  200  includes determining that the vehicle is located in a parking area. In some examples, the method  200  includes sensing a path of a trailer of the vehicle as the vehicle exits the parking spot. In some examples, the method  200  includes determining whether a collision between the trailer and the object is imminent based on the sensed trailer path and the one or more images. 
     In some examples, the step  202  includes obtaining one or more images of an object near the vehicle as the vehicle pulls into the parking spot. In some examples, the method  200  includes storing the one or more images obtained as the vehicle pulls into the parking spot on a memory device. 
     In some examples disclosed herein, the systems and methods assist drivers to achieve an appropriate turning radius if a collision is predicted to be highly likely. 
     Although the different examples are illustrated as having specific components, the examples of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the examples in combination with features or components from any of the other examples. 
     The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.