Systems and methods for hazard mitigation

Abstract

A system and method to avoid collisions on highways, and to minimize the fatalities, injury, and damage when a collision is unavoidable. The system includes sensor means to detect other vehicles, and computing means to evaluate when a collision is imminent and to determine whether the collision is avoidable. If the collision is avoidable by a sequence of controlled accelerations and decelerations and steering, the system implements that sequence of actions automatically. If the collision is unavoidable, a different sequence is implemented to minimize the overall harm of the unavoidable collision. The system further includes indirect mitigation steps such as flashing the brake lights automatically. An optional post-collision strategy is implemented to prevent secondary collisions, particularly if the driver is incapacitated. Adjustment means enable the driver to set the type and timing of automatic interventions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus for a vehicle with a left front wheel and a right front wheel, the vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus comprising:
 a transmission path configured to transmit drive force at least to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel;   a braking controller configured to control braking force at least of the left front wheel and the right front wheel independently of each other;   a detector configured to detect one of occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to a forward object at an occurred contact position of the vehicle and unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object at an unavoidable contact position of the vehicle, the forward object being an object present ahead of the vehicle; and   a front-wheel turning controller configured to turn one, of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, to which the drive force is transmitted, by causing the braking controller to apply the braking to a one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, based on a state of the drive force transmitted to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel and one of the occurred contact position and the unavoidable contact position, when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to the left front wheel under a condition that the drive force transmitted to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel is a forward drive force and one of the occurred contact position of the vehicle and the unavoidable contact position of the vehicle is on a right side of the vehicle, and   the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to the right front wheel under a condition that the drive force transmitted to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel is the forward drive force and one of the occurred contact position of the vehicle and the unavoidable contact position of the vehicle is on a left side of the vehicle,   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to the right front wheel under a condition that the drive force transmitted to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel is a rearward drive force and one of the occurred contact position of the vehicle and the unavoidable contact position of the vehicle is on a right side of the vehicle, and   the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to the left front wheel under a condition that the drive force transmitted to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel is the rearward drive force and one of the occurred contact position of the vehicle and the unavoidable contact position of the vehicle is on a left side of the vehicle.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and wherein the transmission path further transmits the drive force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the transmission path further transmits the drive force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, and   the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the transmission path further transmits the drive force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, and   the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the transmission path transmits no drive force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel and transmits the drive force to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to one, of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, that is on an opposite side to the one, of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, to which the braking force is applied by the braking controller.   
     
     
         8 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the transmission path transmits no drive force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel and transmits the drive force to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to one, of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, that is on an opposite side to the one, of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, to which the braking force is applied by the braking controller.   
     
     
         9 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, the transmission path transmits no drive force to each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel and transmits the drive force to each of the left front wheel and the right front wheel, and   the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to a one, of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel, that is on opposite side to the one of the left front ,wheel and the right front wheel, to which the braking force is applied by the braking controller,   
     
     
         10 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle, with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking force controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking force controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking force controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle front-wheel turning control apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the vehicle further includes a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel, and the front-wheel turning controller causes the braking force controller to apply the braking force to all of the left front wheel, the right front wheel, the left rear wheel, and the right rear wheel when the one of the occurred contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object and the unavoidable contact of the vehicle with respect to the forward object is detected by the detector before the braking force is applied to the one of the left front wheel and the right front wheel.