Safety stoppage device and method for safety stoppage of an autonomous vehicle

• Main Authors: Coelingh, Erik, Kindberg, Leif
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.10.2018
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; CONTROLLING; COUNTING; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; MEASURING; MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; NAVIGATION; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY; PHYSICS; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OFVEHICLES; 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; SURVEYING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TESTING; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

A safety stoppage device and method for safety stoppage of an autonomous vehicle including control networks and sensors for monitoring the autonomous vehicle surroundings and motion includes a brake-control unit for a brake system including wheel brakes of the autonomous vehicle, and a signaling processing system for processing sensor signals enabling an autonomous drive mode thereof. Where a drivable space exists is predicted based on data from the sensors and sensor fusion, and a safe trajectory to a stop within the drivable space is calculated and sent to the brake-control unit and stored therein. The brake-control unit is shielded against electromagnetic compatibility problems and configured to monitor if the control networks are operational and, if determined incapacitated, control the autonomous vehicle to follow the most recently calculated safe trajectory to a stop within the drivable space using differential braking of the wheel brakes thereof in order to effectuate steering.