Adaptive ABS control

1. A method for adaptively determining an anti-lock braking strategy for an anti-lock braking system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic braking system including anti-lock braking functionality and stability control functionality, the anti-lock braking functionality responsive to a wheel skid by preventing a locked wheel condition, the stability control functionality responsive to vehicle instability by providing vehicle stability control through vehicle braking;

sensing a wheel slip condition following a driver application of pressure to a vehicle brake pedal;

activating the anti-lock braking functionality in response to detection of a wheel slip condition following the driver application of pressure to a vehicle brake pedal to determine a first anti-lock braking strategy in response to the sensed wheel slip condition;

calculating a maximum distance to stop the vehicle;

calculating a minimum distance to stop the vehicle;

monitoring a distance differential of at least one target in proximity to a driven vehicle to determine an available distance to stop based on the distance differential;

determining a second anti-lock braking strategy by blending anti-lock braking functionality and a vehicle stability control functionality where the blending is based upon an applicable one of the following three criteria:

if the available distance to stop is greater than the calculated maximum distance to stop the vehicle,

if the available distance to stop is less than calculated minimum distance to stop the vehicle, and

if the available distance to stop is less than the maximum distance to stop but greater than the minimum distance to stop; and

applying the second anti-lock braking strategy to enhance the stopping of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination of the maximum distance required to stop is based on a current velocity of said driven vehicle, a velocity of said sensed target, and a distance between said driven vehicle and said target.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the determination of the minimum distance required to stop is based on a current velocity of said driven vehicle, a velocity of said sensed target, and a distance between said driven vehicle and said target.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the cooperative blending of the anti-lock braking functionality and the vehicle stability control functionality provides a selective compromise between an optimized vehicle stability control and an optimized stopping distance.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

determining a side distance from a second target to said driven vehicle;

determining whether a side distance is less than a predetermined side distance threshold; and

wherein the side distance from the second target is utilized to determine the second anti-lock braking strategy.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the determination of the side distance is a function of a distance between the driven vehicle and the second target.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of determining the side distance also is a further function of a rate at which said side distance between the second target and the driven vehicle changes.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the distance differential is based on said at least one adjacent target forward of said driven vehicle.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the distance differential is based on said at least one adjacent target rearward of said driven vehicle.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the distance differential is based on said at least one adjacent target on a side of said driven vehicle.

11. A vehicle control system comprising:

an adaptive speed control system that monitors a speed of at least one target in relation to a driven vehicle; and

a braking control system operating in an anti-lock braking control state for enhancing vehicle stability;

said braking control system being operative to determine a first anti-lock braking strategy in response to a sensed wheel slip condition and said adaptive speed control system being operative to provide speed data to said braking control system, said braking control system being further operative to determine a distance differential to the at least one target, said braking control system also operative to determine and apply a second anti-lock braking strategy in response to the distance differential by adaptively modifying said first anti-lock braking strategy by blending anti-lock braking functionality and vehicle stability control functionality as a function of the distance differential where the blending is based on an applicable one of the following three criteria:

if the available distance to stop is greater than a calculated distance to stop the vehicle at a maximum distance,

if the available distance to stop is greater than a calculated distance to stop the vehicle at a minimum distance, and

if the available distance to stop is less than the maximum distance to stop but greater than the minimum distance to stop; greater than a calculated distance to stop the vehicle at a minimum distance.

12. The vehicle control system of claim 11 includes a secondary proximity sensing system.

13. The vehicle control system of claim 12 wherein said secondary proximity sensing system includes at least one side proximity sensor.

14. The vehicle control system of claim 12 wherein said secondary proximity sensing system includes at least one rear proximity sensor.

15. The vehicle control system of claim 12 wherein said secondary proximity sensing system includes at least one front corner proximity sensor.