Patent ID: 7866427

Claim:
A method for multi-stage integrated brake assist for a collision preparation system of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: determining a necessary deceleration of the motor vehicle to avoid an impact; detecting driver selected braking of the motor vehicle; and setting a braking assist responsive to the detecting of driver selected braking if: the driver selected braking meets at least one predetermined braking threshold of a range of predetermined braking thresholds and the driver selected braking is less than the necessary deceleration; wherein the detecting of driver selected braking comprises: detecting at least one brake pedal position threshold; and detecting at least one brake pedal velocity threshold; wherein the at least one predetermined braking threshold comprises the driver selected braking meeting simultaneously the at least one brake pedal position threshold and the least one brake pedal velocity threshold; wherein the detecting of brake pedal position comprises detecting any of a plurality of position thresholds of respective percents of full brake pedal travel, and the detecting of brake pedal velocity comprises detecting any of a plurality of velocity thresholds of respective percents of full brake pedal travel per unit of time; wherein for each position threshold is a corresponding velocity threshold which in combination comprise a respective braking threshold, wherein each respective braking threshold corresponds to a respective brake assist level, and wherein each brake assist level comprises a respective amount by which the braking assist is set in said step of setting; wherein the range of predetermined braking thresholds comprises brake assist levels ranging from a lowest to a highest in monotonically increasing order; and wherein the brake assist levels comprise: a level 1 brake assist level comprising greater than or equal to about 30 percent of full brake pedal position and greater than or equal to about 120 percent of full brake pedal travel per second, wherein the braking assist is set to substantially 80 percent of the necessary deceleration; and a level 2 brake assist level comprising greater than or equal to about 50 percent of full brake pedal position and greater than or equal to about 150 percent of full brake pedal travel per second, wherein the braking assist is set to substantially 90 percent of the necessary deceleration.