SAFETY STOPPAGE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SAFETY STOPPAGE OF AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE

• Main Authors: Coelingh, Erik, Kindberg, Leif
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.01.2017
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; CONTROLLING; COUNTING; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECOGNITION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; REGULATING; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

Disclosed herein is a safety stoppage device (1) and method for safety stoppage using a brake system (2) including a brake-control unit (3) and wheel brakes (4) of an autonomous vehicle (5) having control networks (6) and sensors (7) for monitoring the autonomous vehicle (5) surroundings and motion, and a signaling processing system (8) for processing sensor (7) signals enabling an autonomous drive mode thereof. It is continuously predicted where a drivable space (9) exists, based on data from the sensors (7) and sensor fusion, and calculated a safe trajectory (10) to a stop within the drivable space (9), that is sent to the brake-control unit (3) and stored therein. The brake-control unit (3) is shielded against electromagnetic compatibility problems and arranged to monitor if the control networks (6) are operational, and if determined incapacitated, control the autonomous vehicle (5) to follow the most recently calculated safe trajectory (10) to a stop within the drivable space (9) using differential braking of the wheel brakes (4) thereof in order to effectuate steering.