Patent ID: 8706393

Claim:
A method for avoiding collision between a host vehicle and a target vehicle, wherein the host vehicle is equipped with a collision avoidance system, including one or more sensors for detecting the presence of nearby vehicles and calculating means for processing signals from the sensors, the method comprising: locating current positions of the host vehicle and the target vehicle, employing the one or more sensors; defining a potential collision zone, employing the calculating means, including assuming target and host vehicle lengths, determining whether the assumed vehicle lengths are incorrect, and if incorrect, adjusting the assumed lengths; checking whether the target vehicle currently intercepts a host vehicle's path, taking into consideration the adjusted assumed lengths of the vehicles; predicting host vehicle's position at an instant when the target vehicle is expected to reach the potential collision zone; calculating a host vehicle speed change value required by the host vehicle to avoid a collision with the target vehicle, based on the adjusted assumed lengths; and providing signals from the collision avoidance system to a controller on the host vehicle to effect the host vehicle speed change.