Patent ID: 8050836

Claim:
A method for determining whether a panic braking maneuver has been initiated in a vehicle with a brake pedal, the method comprising the steps of: receiving brake pedal travel data; receiving brake pedal force data; determining a rate of change of acceleration of the brake pedal from the brake pedal travel data via a processor; determining a rate of change of acceleration of force applied to the brake pedal from the brake pedal force data via the processor; comparing the rate of change of acceleration of the brake pedal with a first predetermined value and a third predetermined value via the processor; comparing the rate of change of acceleration of force applied to the brake pedal with a second predetermined value and a fourth predetermined value via the processor; and providing an indication that a panic braking maneuver has been initiated, if it is determined by the processor that: the rate of change of acceleration of the brake pedal is less than the first predetermined value; the rate of change of acceleration of force applied to the brake pedal is less than the second predetermined value; the rate of change of acceleration of the brake pedal was previously greater than the third predetermined value; and the rate of change of acceleration of force applied to the brake pedal was previously greater than the fourth predetermined value.