Driver assistance apparatus for vehicle and vehicle

• US 10,029,639 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jeongsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/183,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20160362080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 45, 701301, 340435
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558

Abstract

A driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle includes an object detection sensor that acquires data in a driving direction of the vehicle or around the vehicle. The driver assistance apparatus also includes a processor that detects, based on the acquired data, an object and determines, based on the acquired data, at least one attribute of the detected object. The processor detects that the vehicle has collided with the object and determines, based on detecting that the object has collided with the vehicle and based on the at least one attribute of the object, whether to perform a hood lift-up or pedestrian protection airbag deployment. The processor further provides a control signal for the hood lift-up or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment based on determining whether to perform the hood lift-up or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment.

Claims

1. A driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an object detection sensor configured to acquire data in a driving direction of the vehicle or around the vehicle; and

at least one processor configured to;

detect, based on the acquired data, an object;

determine, based on the acquired data, at least one attribute of the detected object;

detect that the vehicle has collided with the object;

determine, based on the detection that the object has collided with the vehicle and the at least one attribute of the object, whether to perform at least one of a hood lift-up operation or a pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation;

provide a control signal to perform at least one of the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation based on the determination of whether to perform the at least one of the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation;

provide, based on the detection that the object has collided with the vehicle, a control signal to perform indoor airbag deployment,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is an animal;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front collision;

detect a size of the animal; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is an animal and that the collision is a front collision, a control signal to perform indoor airbag deployment according to the detected size of the animal, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

based on the detected size of the animal being less than a threshold size, provide a control signal to deactivate indoor airbag deployment; and

based on the detected size of the animal being greater than the threshold size, provide a control signal to activate indoor airbag deployment.

2. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, a front-view image or an around-view image of the vehicle; and

detect, based on the front-view image or the around-view image of the vehicle, that the vehicle has collided with the object.

3. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is a person or a two-wheeled vehicle with a passenger riding thereon;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front collision; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is a person or a two-wheeled vehicle with a passenger riding thereon and that the collision is a front collision, the control signal to perform at least one of the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation.

4. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

provide, based on the determination that the object is an animal and that the collision is a front collision, a control signal to prevent the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation.

5. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is an inanimate object;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front collision; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is an inanimate object and that the collision is a front collision, at least one control signal to prevent the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation.

6. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is one of a front collision, a rear collision, a side collision, or a front offset collision.

7. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, a front-view image or an around-view image of the vehicle;

detect, based on the front-view image or the around-view image of the vehicle, that the vehicle has had a rollover accident; and

provide, based on the detection that the vehicle has had a rollover accident, a control signal to prevent the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation.

8. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, a front-view image or an around-view image of the vehicle; and

detect that the vehicle has collided with the object based on the front-view image or the around-view image of the vehicle.

9. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is a person or a two-wheeled vehicle with a passenger riding thereon;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front collision; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is a person or a two-wheeled vehicle with a passenger riding thereon and that the collision is a front collision, a control signal to disable deployment of an indoor airbag.

10. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 9, further comprising an interface configured to receive information regarding a speed of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the information regarding the speed of the vehicle, that the speed of the vehicle exceeds a reference value; and

provide, based on the determination that the speed of the vehicle exceeds the reference value, a control signal to perform indoor airbag deployment.

11. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein performing the indoor airbag deployment comprises performing a front impact airbag deployment and a side impact airbag deployment.

12. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is an inanimate object;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front collision or a rear collision; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is an inanimate object and that the collision is a front collision or a rear collision, a control signal to perform front impact airbag deployment and a control signal to disable side impact airbag deployment.

13. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 12, further comprising an internal object detection sensor configured to sense a position of a head of a passenger of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the sensed position of the head of the passenger of the vehicle, that the position of the head of the passenger has moved to the right or to the left relative to a direction of travel of the vehicle; and

provide, based on the determination that the position of the head of the passenger has moved to the right or to the left relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle, a control signal to perform side impact airbag deployment.

14. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is an inanimate object;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a side collision; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is an inanimate object and that the collision is a side collision, a control signal to disable front impact airbag deployment and a control signal to perform side impact airbag deployment.

15. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is an inanimate object;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front offset collision; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is an inanimate object and that the collision is a front offset collision, at least one control signal to perform front impact airbag deployment and to perform side impact airbag deployment.

16. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine, based on the acquired data, a front-view image or an around-view image of the vehicle;

detect, based on the front-view image or the around-view image of the vehicle, that the vehicle has had a rollover accident; and

provide, based on the detection that the vehicle has had a rollover accident, a control signal to disable front impact airbag deployment and a control signal to perform side impact airbag deployment.

17. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an interior object detection sensor configured to acquire data regarding an interior of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

detect, based on the acquired data regarding the interior of the vehicle, a passenger in the vehicle;

determine, based on the acquired data regarding the interior of the vehicle, a state of the detected passenger; and

provide, based on the determined state of the detected passenger, a first control signal to perform indoor airbag deployment or a second control signal to disable the indoor airbag deployment.

18. The driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine that all passenger seats of the vehicle are unoccupied or that the sitting height of a passenger detected in a passenger seat of the vehicle is less than a reference value; and

provide, based on the determination that all passenger seats of the vehicle are unoccupied or that the sitting height of a passenger detected in a passenger seat of the vehicle is less than a reference value, a control signal to prevent deployment of a passenger seat airbag included in the indoor airbag.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a power source configured to drive the plurality of wheels; and

a driver assistance apparatus for the vehicle, comprising;

an object detection sensor configured to acquire data in a driving direction of the vehicle or around the vehicle; and

at least one processor configured to;

detect, based on the acquired data, an object;

determine, based on the acquired data, at least one attribute of the detected object;

detect that the vehicle has collided with the object;

determine, based on the detection that the object has collided with the vehicle and the at least one attribute of the object, whether to perform at least one of a hood lift-up operation or a pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation;

provide a control signal to perform at least one of the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation based on the determination of whether to perform the at least one of the hood lift-up operation or the pedestrian protection airbag deployment operation;

provide, based on the detection that the object has collided with the vehicle, a control signal to perform indoor airbag deployment,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the object is an animal;

determine, based on the acquired data, that the collision is a front collision;

detect a size of the animal; and

provide, based on the determination that the object is an animal and that the collision is a front collision, a control signal to perform indoor airbag deployment according to the detected size of the animal, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

based on the detected size of the animal being less than a threshold size, provide a control signal to deactivate indoor airbag deployment; and

based on the detected size of the animal being greater than the threshold size, provide a control signal to activate indoor airbag deployment.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, further comprising:

a collision sensor configured to provide information regarding a collision involving the vehicle; and

a controller configured to;

determine that the driver assistance apparatus provides a first control signal to disable hood lift-up or a second control signal to disable pedestrian protection airbag deployment; and

based on the determination that the driver assistance apparatus provides the first control signal to disable hood lift-up or the second control signal to disable pedestrian protection airbag deployment, process the first control signal or the second control signal prior to receiving the information on collision from the collision sensor.