Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present subject matter is related, in general to controlling speed of a vehicle, and more particularly, but not exclusively to a method and a system for controlling speed of the vehicle to prevent collision of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Typically, while driving a vehicle on a road, the rider may park the vehicle on a side of the roadway for a brief period of time. Further, the rider may enter the main roadway however, the rider needs to check if any other vehicle is passing by in the roadway before getting into the roadway. Once the rider sits on the vehicle and tries to check for the other vehicle, the view for the rear of the vehicle to the roadway is limited because the side view mirror gives the view of what is behind the vehicle rather than what is on the roadway because the roadway will be in the right side of the vehicle and even further the helmet worn by the rider may restrict the view of the rider.
[0003] As illustrated above, while transitioning the vehicle from a standstill position from an edge of the roadway into a running condition on the roadway requires proper environment knowledge about the vehicles coming from the rear side of the vehicle. The vehicles travelling towards the rider vehicle from the rear side may posses a threat of collision with the rider vehicle as the rider vehicle may suddenly transition in the middle of the roadway causing a fatality.
[0004] Thus, the risk of vehicle collision is very high and the safety of the rider needs to be improved. Specifically, on highways the vehicle travel at high speeds and suddenly a vehicle entering the main highway with less speed may results in a potential fatality. Further, conventionally none of the two wheeled vehicles are alerted about the approaching vehicles from the rear side of the rider vehicle.
[0005] Thus, there exists a need to provide a smart assistance system to the rider that can prevent collision of vehicle and provide enhanced safety to the rider.
[0006] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of described systems with some aspects of the present disclosure, as set forth in the remainder of the present application and with reference to the drawings.
SUMMARY
[0007] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
[0008] According to embodiments illustrated herein, there is provided a method for controlling a vehicle. The method is implemented by a vehicle control system. The method comprises determining a location of a rider of the vehicle based on inputs received from a GPS sensor installed on the vehicle. In an embodiment, the location is categorized into one of a city road or a freeway road, and wherein the vehicle is in standstill condition and is located on at least one outer edge of the city road or the freeway road. The method comprises receiving velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a RADAR. In an embodiment, the RADAR is disposed at a rear end of the vehicle. The method comprises determining a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters at least one of the city road or the freeway road based on inputs received from the RADAR, a steering position sensor and a throttle input. In an embodiment, the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road. The method comprises anticipating if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicle. The method comprises controlling speed of the vehicle based on the determined collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles.
[0009] According to embodiments illustrated herein, there is provided a vehicle control system to control the speed of a vehicle. The system comprises a GPS sensor configured to determine a location of a rider of the vehicle, wherein the GPS sensor is installed on the vehicle. The system comprisesa RADAR disposed at a rear end of the vehicle, wherein the RADAR is configured to determine velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle. The system comprises a RADAR control unit configured to determine a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters at least one of the city road or the freeway road based on inputs received from the RADAR, a steering position sensor and a throttle input, wherein the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road. The system comprises a RADAR control unit configured to anticipate if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles. The system comprises an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) configured to control a speed of the vehicle based on the anticipated collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles. The system comprises an instrument cluster configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle for indicating the anticipated collision.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00010] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein
[00011] Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a vehicle, such as a motorcyle incorporating the invention.
[00012] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle control system configured to control the vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00013] Figure 3A and figure B depicts a flowchart illustrating a method performed by the vehicle control system for controlling the vehicle and controlling the side view mirrors of the vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00014] Figure 4 illustrates a beamforming using RADAR to prevent collusion of the vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00015] The present disclosure may be best understood with reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. Various embodiments are discussed below with reference to the figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed descriptions given herein with respect to the figures are simply for explanatory purposes as the methods and systems may extend beyond the described embodiments. For example, the teachings presented and the needs of a particular application may yield multiple alternative and suitable approaches to implement the functionality of any detail described herein. Therefore, any approach may extend beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown.
[00016] References to “one embodiment,” “at least one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one example,” “an example,” “for example,” and so on indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
[00017] The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with different embodiments. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather those embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
[00018] The present invention is illustrated with a motorcycle type vehicle. However, a person skilled in the art would appreciate that the present invention is not limited to a motorcycle type vehicle and certain features, aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention can be used with other types of two wheelers such as scooter type vehicle, step thru, and the like. In an embodiment, the scooter type vehicle comprises a low floor board type vehicle and the term scooter as used herein should not be inferred to restrict the maximum speed, the displacement amount or the like of the vehicle.
[00019] The object of the present subject matter is to provide a smart assistance system to the rider that can prevent collision of vehicle and provide enhanced safety to the rider and aims at overcoming the technical problems mentioned above and the disadvantages in the existing art.. Another aspect of the present subject matter provides an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for controlling speed of the vehicle based on the determined collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles.
[00020] Yet another aspect of the present subject matter provides an instrument cluster configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle for indicating the anticipated collision. Still another aspect of the present subject matter provides RADAR control unit configured to determine a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters at least one of the city road or the freeway road based on inputs received from the RADAR, a steering position sensor and a throttle input. In an embodiment, the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road.
[00021] Another aspect of the present subject matter provides the RADAR control unit configured to anticipate if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles.
[00022] Another aspect of the present subject matter provides that the RADAR is configured to be adjustable such that if the vehicle is in the standstill condition on a left side of the city road or the highway then the RADAR is configured to change the FOV of the RADAR to encompass a rear right side view of the vehicle and vice versa. Another aspect of the present subject matter provides an ECU configured to adjust FOV of a side mirror of the vehicle based on inputs received from the RADAR, wherein the inputs comprise a list of the one or more vehicles along with the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles.
[00023] Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a motorcycle incorporating the invention.
[00024] With reference to Figure 1, 1 denotes a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, 2 denotes a front wheel, 3 denotes a rear wheel, 4 denotes a front fork, 5 denotes a seat, 6 denotes a rear fork, 7 denotes a leg shield made of resin or metal, 8 denotes a headlight, 9 denotes a tail light, 10 denotes an aesthetic covering, 11 denotes a battery fitted inside the aesthetic covering, 12 denotes a fuel tank, and 13 denotes a handle bar. Further, a main frame extends along a center of a body of the vehicle from a front portion of the vehicle and extending in a rearwardly direction. The main frame is made up of a metallic pipe.
[00025] In an embodiment, the vehicle may be a scooter type vehicle and may have main frame that extends along a center of the body of the vehicle from a front portion of the vehicle and extending in a rearwardly direction. The main frame is made up of a metallic pipe and the main frame is provided under the floor board for a scooter type vehicle. A swing type power unit is coupled to the rear end of the main frame for a scooter type vehicle. A rear wheel is supported on one side of the rear end of the swing type power unit. In an embodiment, the swing type power unit is suspended in the rear of a body frame for a scooter type vehicle.
[00026] The center of the body for a scooter type vehicle forms a low floor board for functioning as a part for putting feet and a under cowl which is located below a rider's seat and covers at least a part of the engine. In an embodiment, the under cowl is made up of metal or resin. The under cowl is hinged to the seat. Further, a utility box opens from the rear end to hinged portion. In an embodiment, the utility box is provided under the seat extending longitudinally of a vehicle body and the inside of the utility box has a large capacity so that a large article, such as a helmet can be housed. Additionally, in a scooter type vehicle, side covers both on left and right sides, cover the utility box and other parts of the vehicle, thereby providing a good appearance to the vehicle.
[00027] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle control system 100 configured to control the vehicle 1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the vehicle control system 100 may represent a vehicle 1 where all the components of the vehicle control system 100 are part of the vehicle 1.
[00028] The vehicle control system 100 comprises of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 102, a RADAR Control Unit 106, a power supply 108, an ISG machine 110, a battery 112, an engine 114, and a plurality of sensors 116. Further, the ECU 102 comprise of a memory 104. In an embodiment, the plurality of sensors 116 comprises a GPS sensor 116a, a RADAR 116b, a steering position sensor 116c, and other sensors that may be known in the art. Further, the vehicle control system 100 comprises an instrument cluster 118. The ECU 102 and the RADAR Control Unit 106 work in conjunction with each other to receive inputs from the plurality of sensors 116 for controlling the vehicle.
[00029] The ECU 102 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to receive inputs from a plurality of sensors such as a steering position sensor, the GPS sensor and the RADAR. The ECU 102 may be further configured to transmit the received inputs to the RADAR Control Unit 106 for further processing. The ECU 102 may be further configured to control speed of the vehicle based on the determined collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles. The ECU 102 may be further configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle via the instrument cluster of the vehicle or using a speaker, a horn or a haptic feedback. The ECU 102 may be further configured to adjust FOV of a side mirror of the vehicle based on inputs received from the RADAR. In an embodimentthe inputs comprise a list of the one or more vehicles along with the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles.
[00030] The memory 104 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to store the set of instructions, which may be executed by the ECU 102. In an embodiment, the memory 104 may be configured to store one or more programs, routines, or scripts that may be executed in coordination with the ISG ECU 102. The memory 104 may be implemented based on a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a storage server, and/or a Secure Digital (SD) card.
[00031] The RADAR control unit 106 comprises suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that is configured to determine a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters at least one of the city road or the freeway road based on inputs received from the RADAR, a steering position sensor and a throttle input. In an embodiment, the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road. The RADAR control unit 106 is further configured to anticipate if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles. The RADAR control unit 106 is further configured to adjust the RADAR based on inputs received from the steering angle sensor and data received from the RADAR 116b. In an embodiment, RADAR control unit 106 adjusts the RADAR such that if the vehicle is in the standstill condition on a left side of the city road or the highway then the RADAR is configured to change the FOV of the RADAR to encompass a rear right side view of the vehicle and vice versa.
[00032] The power supply 108 provides power to the ECU 102 and the RADAR control unit 106. The ISG machine 110 comprises a three-phase electrical machine with a permanent magnet rotor that functions as a BLDC motor. In an embodiment, the ISG machine 110 works as a motor and converts electrical energy of a battery 112 of the vehicle into mechanical energy to drive the engine 114 during a motoring mode. In an embodiment, the ISG machine 110 charges the battery 112 of the vehicle during generating mode.
[00033] The battery 112 provides power supply to various electrical components, such as the head light, tail light, and the like of the vehicle.
[00034] The engine 114 may correspond to an internal combustion engine for the vehicle which may be air cooled or water cooled. In an embodiment, the engine 114 may comprise a drive train for a vehicle, in particular for a motorcycle, with an automated sequential manual transmission which can be shifted manually via a shift shaft and which can be connected to an internal combustion engine via a clutch.
[00035] Further, each of the plurality of sensors 116 transmits signals to the RADAR control unit 106 and further such signals are transmitted to the ECU 102. The RADAR control unit 106 and the ECU 102 are communicatively coupled with each other via wired or wireless communication. In an embodiment, the communication between the RADAR control unit 106 and the ECU 102 is performed using CAN lines. Further, the ECU 102 communicates with the ISG machine 110 using CAN lines.
[00036] The GPS sensor 116a is configured to determine a location of a rider of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the GPS sensor may be installed on the vehicle or on a computing device that the rider may be carrying while driving the vehicle. The RADAR 116b is configured to calculate velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a RADAR. In an embodiment, the RADAR is disposed at a rear end of the vehicle. The steering position sensor 116c provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road.
[00037] The vehicle control system uses a concept called beamforming by which the FOV of the RADAR is changed. Typically, in India rider will always travel to their left-hand side, if they stop somewhere then the highway they were travelling will always be in the right side of the rider if they stop. So using beamforming the RADAR control unit modifies the FOV of the radar only to the right side of the vehicle such that we can get a long range for the radar and collision of the rider vehicle can be prevented.
[00038] In operation, the GPS sensor 116a may be configured to determine a location of a rider of the vehicle based on inputs received from the GPS sensor installed on the vehicle. In an embodiment, the location is categorized into one of a city road or a freeway road, and the vehicle is in standstill condition and is located on at least one outer edge of the city road or the freeway road. Further, the ECU or the RADAR control unit may be configured such that the RADAR is adjustable and if the vehicle is in the standstill condition on a left side of the city road or the highway then the RADAR is configured to change the FOV of the RADAR to encompass a rear right side view of the vehicle and vice versa.
[00039] In an embodiment, the ECU may be configured to adjust FOV of a side mirror of the vehicle based on inputs received from the RADAR. In an embodiment, the inputs comprise a list of the one or more vehicles along with the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles.
[00040] After the RADAR is adjusted, the RADAR 116b may be configured to calculate velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a RADAR. In an embodiment, the RADAR is disposed at a rear end of the vehicle.
[00041] After calculating the velocity and the cartesian coordinates, the RADAR control unit 106 may be configured to determine a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters at least one of the city road or the freeway road based on inputs received from the RADAR, a steering position sensor and a throttle input. Further, the RADAR control unit 106 may be configured to receive a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road from the steering position sensor.
[00042] Once the steering angle and the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles are calculated then the RADAR control unit 106 may be configured to anticipate if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles.
[00043] Based on the anticipated collision of the vehicle, the ECU 102 may be configured to control a speed of the vehicle to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles. In an embodiment, controlling speed of the vehicle comprises decreasing speed of the vehicle if the throttle input is greater than the pre-defined threshold. In an embodiment, the speed of the vehicle is decreased by performing actuating a braking system of the vehicle and the braking system is actuated when a speed of the vehicle is between 0 to 15kmph. In an embodiment, the speed of the vehicle is decreased by changing a mode of the vehicle from a hybrid power mode or a sports mode to a low power mode or economy mode to limit the power provided for driving the vehicle.
[00044] In an embodiment, the user can operate the vehicle in any one of the modes as required namely a low power mode, a economy mode, an engine mode, an electric mode, and a hybrid mode, a hybrid economy mode or a hybrid power mode. The hybrid mode further comprises of a hybrid power mode and a hybrid economy mode. In the hybrid power mode, both the IC engine, and the traction motor set up are operated jointly. In the hybrid economy mode, the IC engine, and the traction motor are operated alternatively. If the user wants more power, the vehicle can be operated in the hybrid power mode or alternatively the ECU may be configured to automatically select the drive mode to avoid collision of the vehicle while entering into the driveway of the highway.
[00045] In an embodiment, controlling speed of the vehicle comprises increasing speed of the vehicle if the throttle input is less than a pre-defined threshold. In an embodiment, the speed of the vehicle is increased providing additional torque to the vehicle using a secondary power source, and the secondary power source is one of a traction motor or ISG machine 110 or an IC engine 114.
[00046] Further, once the RADAR control unit 106 determines one or more vehicles travelling towards the vehicle when the vehicle is about the enter the highway or the city road from at least one of the edges then the ECU 102 in conjunction with the RADAR and the RADAR control unit may be configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the warning is provided using at least one of illuminating a tell tale lamp on an instrument cluster of the vehicle, providing an audio output via a speaker, activating a horn of the vehicle, and providing a haptic feedback to the rider of the vehicle, wherein the haptic feedback is provided on a gripping portion of a handle bar assembly of the vehicle.
[00047] In a working example of the aforementioned disclosure, let us consider that a two wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle is being driven by a rider on a highway and the rider decided to stop for a brief moment on the left side edge of the highway. Now once the rider stops on the left side of the highway then the vehicle in in standstill condition. After stopping for a brief moment the rider now intends to go back on the main highway. Thus, when the ignition of the vehicle is detected in ON state the GPS sensor determines the location of a rider of the vehicle and categorizes it in to one of the city road or a freeway road. In the above working example, the location of the vehicle is categorized into a freeway road.
[00048] Further, the RADAR calculates the velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a RADAR. For example, the RADAR may calculate that 4 vehicles are approaching the rider vehicle from behind and their speed and cartesian coordinates will be calculated. Further, the steering angle of the rider vehicle may be determined as 10 degrees from the steering angle sensor.
[00049] Now based on the information such as, steering angle of 10 degrees, 4 vehicles approaching from behind at a particular speed, and the throttle input (e.g. 10 degree opening), the RADAR control unit may be configured to determine a time period, such as 8 seconds within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters the highway road.
[00050] Based on the determined time period of 8 seconds, RADAR control unit may be configured to determine that out of 4 vehicles approaching from behind, 2 vehicles will lead to collision with the rider vehicle as at the 8th second the 2 vehicles path of driving on the highway will coincide with the rider vehicle’s path of driving on the highway road.
[00051] Thus, in order to avoid the collision, firstly the warning is displayed on the instrument cluster by illuminating a tell tale lamp and also by providing an audio output using a speaker. Further, the ECU is configured to reduce speed of acceleration so that 2 vehicles can go ahead and rider vehicle can then safely join the highway. In another embodiment, the acceleration of the rider vehicle is increased such that the rider vehicle will be ahead of the 2 vehicles and will have more speed than the 2 vehicles before the end of 8th second.
[00052] Thus, in summary assuming that a rider is travelling on a highway when he/she stops at the side of the road to rest. When he/she resumes traveling, he/she must check the back of the vehicle towards the highway to look for other vehicles, which is tedious because the mirror points precisely to the back of the vehicle and not the highway in the right side of the vehicle, the helmet that the rider wears restrict the Field of view of the vehicle on top of that the vehicle in the highway travels at high speed.
[00053] When the rider stops on the side of the road in this situation, the GPS sensor first use GPS and maps to determine if the vehicle is on a highway or within a city. If it is a highway, beamforming is performed by the radar to enable to use it to cover greater distances and for better visibility of the approaching vehicles. If any vehicle is detected using radar, the RADAR control unit and the ECU may calculate whether the vehicle collide with the rider vehicle if the rider moves in the current steering angle direction and a throttle input. If collision is detected then signal is passed to the ECU to stop the vehicle if the speed of the rider vehicle is under 5 kmph otherwise give warning to the rider considering the stability of the vehicle. Additionally, the horn in the vehicle is activated when a collision is detected. The waring is given in the instrument cluster even when a vehicle is detected in the rear without any collusion detection.
[00054] In an embodiment, the vehicle control systems begins when the vehicle stops on the side of the road and its speed drops to zero. Using GPS and MAPS, the system first determines whether the rider vehicle is on a highway or in a city. If the rider is on a highway, the system then examines radar data to determine whether the vehicles in the rear are only on the right side of the vehicle and not on the left, as they should be when we pull over to the side of the road. As soon as this need is met, beamforming is performed, in which the radar's field of view is modified every other cycle, so that the system can use the same radar and achieve a longer range while also getting better collision detection and avoidance. The system uses the steering angle to forecast the trajectory of the ego vehicle once beamforming has begun. Once the system knows the trajectory, the system cross-references it with the radar sensor data for the other vehicles and look for potential collisions. If collision is detected and ego rider gives throttle which will result in collision then a signal is sent to the ECU to stop the throttle input if such a way that the rider vehicle is stable and avoid collision. In an embodiment, only a warning is sent to the instrument cluster when the speed is beyond 5 km/h, taking the individual vehicle's stability into account. The instrument cluster also gives indication when the radar detects object in the rear even when no collision is detected.
[00055] A person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the term “one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle” will also encompass all the vehicles that are travelling towards a vehicle laterally from either side of the rider vehicle.
[00056] A person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the systems, modules, and sub-modules have been illustrated and explained to serve as examples and should not be considered limiting in any manner. It will be further appreciated that the variants of the above disclosed system elements, modules, and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined to create other different systems or applications.
[00057] Figure 3A and Figure 3B depicts a flowchart illustrating a method performed by the vehicle control system for controlling the vehicle and controlling a side view mirror of the vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method starts at step 302 with the ignition being in ON state and the method proceeds to step 304.
[00058] At step 304, the ECU 102 may be configured to receive the speed of the vehicle based on data received from the speed sensor of the rider vehicle. At step 306, the ECU 102 may determine if the speed is zero which indicates that the vehicle is in standstill condition. If vehicle is in standstill condition then method proceed to step 308 else to step 330. At step 308, the GPS sensor may determine the location of the rider vehicle and get the map data based on inputs received from a GPS sensor installed on the vehicle.
[00059] At step 310, the ECU 102 may determine if the location is categorized into one of a city road or a freeway road, and the vehicle is in standstill condition and is located on at least one outer edge of the city road or the freeway road. At step 312, the RADAR may determine velocity and cartesian coordinates of a list of the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a RADAR.
[00060] At step 314, the ECU in conjunction with the RADAR control unit may adjust FOV of a side mirror of the vehicle based on inputs received from the RADAR. In an embodiment, the inputs comprise a list of the one or more vehicles along with the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles.
[00061] In an embodiment, instead of controlling the vehicle, the Field of view of the mirror is electronically adjusted to the highway when radar detect object in the rear side of the vehicle. The direction where the mirror needs to point is derived from the location of detected object.The radar object list gives the position of the object in the rear of the ego vehicle. The signal is sent to the mirror to point itself toward the detected object position as the detect object will be on the highway. Also, the cluster gives indication regarding the detected object.
[00062] At step 316, the ECU may determine if vehicles are identified in both directions of the rider vehicle. If vehicles are determined at both directions then method proceeds to step 324 else method proceeds to step 318. At step 318, the ECU may be configured to perform beam forming in RADAR every alternate cycle.
[00063] At step 320, the RADAR control unit may be configured to determine a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters at least one of the city road or the freeway road based on inputs received from the RADAR, a steering position sensor and a throttle input, In an embodiment, the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road. Further, the RADAR control unit may be configured to anticipate if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles.
[00064] At step 322, the RADAR control unit may be configured to detect if collision is detected based on step 320. If collision is detected then method proceeds to step 324 else to step 326. At step 324, the ECU may be configured to check if the vehicle speed is less than 15kmph and greater than 0kmph. If yes then method proceeds to step 328 else to steep 330.
[00065] At step 326, the ECU may be configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the warning is provided using at least one of illuminating a tell tale lamp on an instrument cluster of the vehicle, providing an audio output via a speaker, activating a horn of the vehicle, and providing a haptic feedback to the rider of the vehicle, wherein the haptic feedback is provided on a gripping portion of a handle bar assembly of the vehicle.
[00066] At step 328, the ECU in conjunction with RADAR control unit may be configured to control speed of the vehicle based on the determined collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicle and then control passes to end step 330.
[00067] Figure 4 400 illustrates a beamforming using RADAR to prevent collusion of the vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in the Figure 4, the RADAR is mounted on the rear side of the vehicle and the normal range of the data captured is within the 120 degrees. However, the RADAR control unit is configured to adjust the RADAR such that if the vehicle is in the standstill condition on a left side of the city road or the highway then the RADAR is configured to change the FOV of the RADAR to encompass a rear right side view of the vehicle and vice versa. Thus, as shown in the figure the RADAR is moved towards the right side to get a better view of the vehicles approaching from behind the rider vehicle.
[00068] The beamforming process of the radar for rider assistance, which delivers a better range at that specific condition without compromising other functions at riding circumstances is disclosed. The present technology of blind spot identification is produced just considering the riding condition however, the disclosure herein provides a superior collision prevention system and can avoid collisions by halting the vehicle using the ECU since our application of radar allows us to observe a greater distance
[00069] The RADAR control unit is configured to ensure in which direction the radar beam should be directed to assist the rider and get a better performance. In Indian highway when any vehicle stop in any highway, the highway will always be in the right side of the vehicle so by pointing the radar beam towards the right as shown in diagram 4 we get a better range toward the highway and better performance when assisting the rider.
[00070] The terms “an embodiment”, “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “the embodiment”, “the embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, “some embodiments”, and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention(s)” unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “including”, “comprising”, “having” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.
Advantages
[00071] The disclosed claimed limitations and the disclosure provided herein provides a method and system for controlling a vehicle and providing improved rider assistance and collision avoidance system. The claimed limitations prevents accident when the rider is starting the vehicle and getting to the highway. The claimed invention indicates the presence of the vehicle that will collide with the rider vehicle.
[00072] Conventionally, the blind spot detection systems do not take into account the steering angle at which the vehicle will enter the road and the speed at which the vehicle will enter the road. Thus, conventional systems cannot accurately predict of a collision of the vehicle. Conventional systems merely teach about identifying objects within the vicinity of the vehicle. However, usage of RADAR for calculating the velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle is not known and then anticipating the collision based on the based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles makes the claimed vehicle control system and improved rider assistance system and collision avoidance system, Further, the feature of automatically adjusting the FOV of the side view of the mirrors using the inputs from the RADAR further adds to the improved riding experience of the rider and improved safety as well.
[00073] In light of the above mentioned advantages and the technical advancements provided by the disclosed method and system, the claimed steps as discussed above are not routine, conventional, or well understood in the art, as the claimed steps enable the following solutions to the existing problems in conventional technologies. Further, the claimed steps clearly bring an improvement in the functioning of the device itself as the claimed steps provide a technical solution to a technical problem.
[00074] A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with a other does not imply that all such components are required, On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention,
[00075] Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter, and is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
[00076] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
[00077] The present disclosure may be realized in hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. The present disclosure may be realized in a centralized fashion, in at least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion, where different elements may be spread across several interconnected computer systems, a computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein may be suited. A combination of hardware and software may be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, when loaded and executed, may control the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. The present disclosure may be realized in hardware that comprises a portion of an integrated circuit that also performs other functions.
[00078] A person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the systems, modules, and sub-modules have been illustrated and explained to serve as examples and should not be considered limiting in any manner. It will be further appreciated that the variants of the above disclosed system elements, modules, and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined to create other different systems or applications.
[00079] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the aforementioned steps and/or system modules may be suitably replaced, reordered, or removed, and additional steps and/or system modules may be inserted, depending on the needs of a particular application. In addition, the systems of the aforementioned embodiments may be implemented using a wide variety of suitable processes and system modules, and are not limited to any particular computer hardware, software, middleware, firmware, microcode, and the like. The claims can encompass embodiments for hardware and software, or a combination thereof.
[00080] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
, Claims:CLAIMS
I/We Claim:
1. A method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a vehicle control system, a location of a rider of the vehicle based on inputs received from a GPS sensor installed on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is in standstill condition and is located on at least one outer edge of a road;
calculate, by the vehicle control system, velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle using a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors is disposed at a rear end of the vehicle;
determining, by the vehicle control system, a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters the road based on inputs received from the plurality of sensors, a steering position sensor and a throttle input, wherein the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter at least one of the city road or the freeway road;
anticipating, by the vehicle control system, if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles; and
controlling, by the vehicle control system, at least of: speed of the vehicle and Field of View (FOV) of a side mirror based on the determined collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles.

2. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein controlling speed of the vehicle comprises increasing speed of the vehicle if the throttle input is less than a pre-defined threshold, wherein the location is categorized into one of a city road or a freeway road, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a RADAR.

3. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the speed of the vehicle is increased by performing one of:
providing additional torque to the vehicle using a secondary power source, wherein the secondary power source is one of a traction motor or an IC engine.
4. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein controlling speed of the vehicle comprises decreasing speed of the vehicle if the throttle input is greater than the pre-defined threshold.

5. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the speed of the vehicle is decreased by performing one of:
actuating a braking system of the vehicle, wherein the braking system is actuated when a speed of the vehicle is between 0 to 15kmph; and
changing a mode of the vehicle from a hybrid power mode or a sports mode to a low power mode or economy to limit the power provided for driving the vehicle.
6. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising providing a warning to the rider of the vehicle, wherein the warning is provided using at least one of:
illuminating a tell tale lamp on an instrument cluster of the vehicle,
providing an audio output via a speaker,
activating a horn of the vehicle, and
providing a haptic feedback to the rider of the vehicle, wherein the haptic feedback is provided on a gripping portion of a handle bar assembly of the vehicle.

7. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RADAR is configured to be adjustable such that if the vehicle is in the standstill condition on a left side of the city road or the highway then the RADAR is configured to change the FOV of the RADAR to encompass a rear right side view of the vehicle and vice versa.

8. The method for controlling the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising adjusting FOV of a side mirror of the vehicle based on inputs received from the RADAR, wherein the inputs comprise a list of the one or more vehicles along with the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles.

9. A vehicle control system, the vehicle control system comprising:
a GPS sensor configured to determine a location of a rider of the vehicle, wherein the GPS sensor is installed on the vehicle;
a plurality of sensors disposed at a rear end of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of sensors is configured to determine velocity and cartesian coordinates of one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle;
a RADAR control unit configured to:
determine a time period within which the vehicle transitions from standstill condition to a driving condition and enters a road based on inputs received from the plurality of sensors, a steering position sensor and a throttle input, wherein the steering position sensor provides a steering angle at which the vehicle will enter the road;
anticipate if the vehicle will collide with the one or more vehicles that are travelling towards the vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle based on the determined time period, the throttle input, and the one or more vehicles;
an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) configured to control at least one of: a speed of the vehicle and a Field of View (FOV) of a side mirror based on the anticipated collision to prevent actual collision of the vehicle with the one or more vehicles; and
an instrument cluster configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle for indicating the anticipated collision.

10. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein controlling speed of the vehicle by the ECU comprises increasing speed of the vehicle if the throttle input is less than a pre-defined threshold, wherein the location is categorized into one of a city road or a freeway road, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a RADAR.

11. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the speed of the vehicle is increased by the ECU by performing one of:
providing, by the ECU, an additional torque to the vehicle using a secondary power source, wherein the secondary power source is one of a traction motor or an IC engine.

12. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein controlling speed of the vehicle comprises decreasing speed of the vehicle if the throttle input is greater than the pre-defined threshold.

13. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the speed of the vehicle is decreased by performing one of:
actuate, by the ECU, a braking system of the vehicle, wherein the braking system is actuated when a speed of the vehicle is between 0 to 15kmph; and
change, by the ECU, a mode of the vehicle from a hybrid power mode or a sports mode to a low power mode or economy to limit the power provided for driving the vehicle

14. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ECU is configured to provide a warning to the rider of the vehicle, wherein the warning is provided using at least one of:
illuminating a tell tale lamp on an instrument cluster of the vehicle,
providing an audio output via a speaker,
activating a horn of the vehicle, and
providing a haptic feedback to the rider of the vehicle, wherein the haptic feedback is provided on a gripping portion of a handle bar assembly of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the RADAR is configured to be adjustable such that if the vehicle is in the standstill condition on a left side of the city road or the highway then the RADAR is configured to change the FOV of the RADAR to encompass a rear right side view of the vehicle and vice versa.

16. The vehicle control system as claimed in claim 9, comprising adjusting FOV of a side mirror of the vehicle based on inputs received from the RADAR, wherein the inputs comprise a list of the one or more vehicles along with the velocity and the cartesian coordinates of the one or more vehicles.