Vehicle collision avoidance and warning system

1. A method for providing collision avoidance in a host vehicle, said method comprising:

defining first, second, third and fourth thresholds that identify a time to collision with a target vehicle by the host vehicle that are based on a speed of the host vehicle, an acceleration of the host vehicle, a speed of the target vehicle, an acceleration of the target vehicle, a distance to the target vehicle from the host vehicle and a coefficient of friction of a roadway on which the host vehicle and the target vehicle are traveling, where the first threshold is greater than the second threshold, the second threshold is greater than the third threshold and the third threshold is greater than the fourth threshold;

determining, in a processor, if the time to collision is less than the first threshold, and if so, initiating a collision warning;

determining, in the processor, if the time to collision is less than the second threshold if the time to collision is less than the first threshold, and if so, providing limited automatic braking of the host vehicle;

checking a condition of whether a roadway lane adjacent to the host vehicle is clear;

determining, in the processor, if the time to collision is less than the third threshold if the time to collision is less than the second threshold;

providing full automatic collision avoidance braking if the time to collision is less than the third threshold and the lane adjacent to the host vehicle is not clear;

determining, in the processor, if the time to collision is less than the fourth threshold if the time to collision is less than the third threshold and the lane adjacent to the host vehicle is clear; and

providing both automatic host vehicle steering and host vehicle braking in the host vehicle if the time to collision is less than the fourth threshold and the roadway lane adjacent to the host vehicle is clear.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the third threshold is determined based on a bicycle model and a degree of rotation of the host vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing both automatic steering and braking includes providing optimal steering and braking where the steering is reduced as the braking is increased and the braking is reduced as the steering is increased.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the optimal braking is between 0.2 and 0.4 g.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing both automatic steering and braking includes only providing automatic steering if the speed of the host vehicle is above a predetermined minimum vehicle speed.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the predetermined minimum vehicle speed is based on the coefficient of friction of the roadway.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the minimum vehicle speed is about 11 m/sec for relatively high coefficient of friction roadways.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein initiating a collision warning includes initiating an audible warning.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing limited automatic braking of the host vehicle includes providing a level of braking that is a only warning to a driver of the host vehicle.

10. A system for providing collision avoidance in a host vehicle, said system comprising:

means for defining first, second, third and fourth thresholds that identify a time to collision with a target object by the host vehicle that are based on a speed of the host vehicle, an acceleration of the host vehicle, a speed of the target object, an acceleration of the target object, a distance to the target object from the host vehicle and a coefficient of friction of a roadway on which the host vehicle is traveling, where the first threshold is greater than the second threshold, the second threshold is greater than the third threshold and the third threshold is greater than the fourth threshold;

means for determining if the time to collision is less than the first threshold, and if so, initiating a collision warning;

means for determining if the time to collision is less than the second threshold if the time to collision is less than the first threshold, and if so, providing limited automatic braking of the host vehicle;

means for checking a condition of whether a roadway lane adjacent to the host vehicle is clear;

means for determining if the time to collision is less than a third threshold if the time to collision is less than the second threshold;

means for providing full automatic collision avoidance braking if the time to collision is less than the third threshold and the lane adjacent to the host vehicle is not clear;

means for determining if the time to collision is less than the fourth threshold if the time to collision is less than the third threshold and the lane adjacent to the host vehicle is clear; and

means for providing both automatic host vehicle steering and host vehicle braking in the host vehicle if the time to collision is less than the fourth threshold and the roadway lane adjacent to the host vehicle is clear.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the means for providing both automatic steering and braking provides optimal steering and braking where the steering is reduced as the braking is increased and the braking is reduced as the steering is increased.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the optimal braking is between 0.2 and 0.4 g.

13. The system according to claim 10 wherein the means for providing both automatic steering and braking only provides automatic steering if the speed of the host vehicle is above a predetermined minimum vehicle speed.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the predetermined minimum vehicle speed is based on the coefficient of friction of the roadway.