Forward collision risk reduction

1. A method for operating a forward collision risk reduction system of a vehicle comprising:

operating a sensor to detect a foreign object;

operating an electronic control unit to determine, based at least in part upon signals received from the sensor, a type of the foreign object and at least one of a velocity and an acceleration of the foreign object;

establishing a safety zone to be avoided by the vehicle defined relative to and extending from the foreign object and having a width measured relative to the foreign object and approximately perpendicular to a direction of movement of the vehicle, the width set to a first value based on the type of the foreign object;

determining a traffic behavior of the foreign object based on the at least one of the velocity and the acceleration;

determining if the traffic behavior corresponds to a species of a predetermined group of traffic behaviors; and

if the traffic behavior corresponds to a species of a predetermined group of traffic behaviors, modifying the width of the safety zone to a second value in accordance with a predetermined species function corresponding to the species.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

the type of the foreign object is determined to be a pedestrian, and

the first value of the safety zone is set to a predetermined pedestrian safety zone value.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined group comprises a species that the foreign object is travelling towards a vehicle path of the vehicle but is expected to diverge from the vehicle path before colliding with the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined group comprises a species that the foreign object is passing in front of the vehicle and it is estimated to avoid collision with a predetermined risk reduction margin.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined group comprises a species that the foreign object is stationary besides the vehicle path.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising modifying a dimension of the safety zone in the direction of movement of the vehicle from a first value to a second value.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second value is less than the first value if an acceleration of the foreign object indicates the foreign object to be decelerating at a rate less than a deceleration threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the deceleration threshold is in the range of 3-4 m/s 2 .

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second value is greater than the first value if an acceleration of the foreign object indicates the foreign object to be decelerating at a rate greater than a deceleration threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone by determining a braking threat number (BTN), the braking threat number (BTN) being the deceleration (decreq) required to avoid entering the safety zone divided by the maximum available deceleration (decavail) for the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone by determining a steering threat number (STN), the steering threat number (STN) being the lateral acceleration (alat,req) required to avoid entering the safety zone divided by the maximum available lateral acceleration (alat,avail) for the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone by determining that the vehicle cannot avoid entering the safety zone when each one of the braking threat number (BTN) and the steering threat number (STN) exceeds a predetermined threat number threshold value (BTNmax, STNmax).

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone in a controlled manner, and if not, issuing a warning.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone in a controlled manner by determining a warning braking threat number (WBTN), the warning braking threat number (WBTN) being the required deceleration (decreq) required to avoid entering the safety zone ( 30 ) divided by the maximum deceleration (decavail,driver) that a driver normally uses when braking hard.

15. The method according to claim 13 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone in a controlled manner by determining a warning steering threat number (WSTN), the warning steering threat number (WSTN) being the lateral acceleration (alat req) required to avoid entering the safety zone ( 30 ) divided by the maximum lateral acceleration (alat,driver) that a driver normally imparts the vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 13 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone in a controlled manner by determining that the vehicle ( 10 ) cannot avoid entering the safety zone when each one of the warning braking threat number (WBTN) and the warning steering threat number (WSTN) exceeds a predetermined warning threat number threshold value (WBTNmax, WSTNmax).

17. The method according to claim 13 further comprising determining if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone in a controlled manner by determining the reaction time (TR) of the driver, and using the reaction time when determining the warning braking threat number (WBTN) and/or the warning steering threat number (WSTN).

18. For use with a forward collision risk reduction system of a vehicle traveling a roadway, a method comprising the steps of:

operating a sensor to detect a foreign object approaching the roadway;

operating an electronic control unit to determine a type of the foreign object, and determine a deceleration of the foreign object;

establishing a safety zone to be avoided by the vehicle, the safety zone defined relative to and extending from the foreign object and having a width set to be a first value based on the type of the foreign object;

modifying the width of the safety zone from the first value to a second value based on the deceleration.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the second value is less than the first value and determined in the event the deceleration is greater than a deceleration threshold.

20. For use with a forward collision risk reduction system of a vehicle, a method comprising the steps of:

operating a sensor to detect a foreign object;

operating an electronic control unit to determine a type of the foreign object and determine at least one of a velocity and a deceleration of the foreign object;

establishing a safety zone to be avoided by the vehicle, the safety zone defined relative to and extending from the foreign object and having a width of a first value based on the type of the foreign object;

determining a behavior of the foreign object based on the at least one of the velocity and the acceleration;

determining if the traffic behavior corresponds to a plurality of a predetermined group of traffic behaviors;

if the traffic behavior corresponds to one of a plurality of a predetermined group of traffic behaviors, modifying the width of the safety zone from the first value to a second value in accordance with the corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined group of traffic behaviors; and

determining at least one of:

i. if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone by determining a braking threat number (BTN), the braking threat number (BTN) being the deceleration (decreq) required to avoid entering the safety zone divided by the maximum available deceleration (decavail) for the vehicle;

ii. if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone by determining a steering threat number (STN), the steering threat number (STN) being the lateral acceleration (alat,req) required to avoid entering the safety zone divided by the maximum available lateral acceleration (alat,avail) for the vehicle; and

iii. if the vehicle can avoid entering the safety zone by determining that the vehicle cannot avoid entering the safety zone when each one of the braking threat number (BTN) and the steering threat number (STN) exceeds a predetermined threat number threshold value (BTNmax, STNmax).