Collision avoidance system and collision avoidance method

• US 10,049,576 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakatani, Koji, Saegusa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US15/508,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 340435
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

A collision avoidance system is provided with: a rear detection device arranged in a host vehicle and capable of detecting an object directly behind the host vehicle, an object to the rear-right of the host vehicle, and an object to the rear-left of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner. A computation processing unit outputs, on the basis of a detection result from the rear detection device, the presence/absence of the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and: a first following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from directly behind, a second following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-right, and a third following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-left. A warning device generates warnings when there is the possibility of a collision with the first, second or third following vehicles.

Claims

1. A collision avoidance system comprising:

a rear detection device arranged in a host vehicle and capable of detecting an object directly behind the host vehicle, an object to rear-right of the host vehicle, and an object to rear-left of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner;

a computation processing unit that, on a basis of a detection result from the rear detection device, outputs presence/absence of a possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and a first following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from directly behind, presence/absence of a possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and a second following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-right, and presence/absence of a possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and a third following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-left;

a warning device that, on a basis of an output result from the computation processing unit, generates a first warning when there is the possibility of a collision with the first following vehicle, generates a second warning when there is the possibility of a collision with the second following vehicle, and generates a third warning when there is the possibility of a collision with the third following vehicle, wherein the warning device includes an external warning device which generates the warnings for the following vehicles;

a front detection device arranged in the host vehicle and capable of detecting an object directly in front of the host vehicle, an object to front-right of the host vehicle, and an object to front-left of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner;

a selection unit that, on the basis of detection results from the rear detection device and the front detection device, selects a space, from a space directly in front, a space to the front-right, and a space to the front-left, in which no object is present; and

a guidance unit that guides the host vehicle into the space selected by the selection unit, wherein the guidance unit includes an instruction output unit that is arranged within the host vehicle and instructs a driver of a target advancement direction of the host vehicle when there is the possibility of the collision with the following vehicles.

2. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the computation processing unit estimates

a first amount of time from a point in time when the rear detection device detects the first following vehicle to when the first following vehicle and the host vehicle collide,

a second amount of time from a point in time when the rear detection device detects the second following vehicle to when the second following vehicle and the host vehicle collide, and

a third amount of time from a point in time when the rear detection device detects the third following vehicle to when the third following vehicle and the host vehicle collide,

and on a basis of the results that is estimated, outputs

a first risk level of the host vehicle and the first following vehicle colliding,

a second risk level of the host vehicle and the second following vehicle colliding, and

a third risk level of the host vehicle and the third following vehicle colliding;

the system further comprises a comparison unit that compares the first risk level, the second risk level, and the third risk level; and

on a basis of a comparison result from the comparison unit, the warning device generates the first warning when the first risk level is highest, generates the second warning when the second risk level is highest, and generates the third warning when the third risk level is highest.

3. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the guidance unit includes

a driving control unit that controls a driving apparatus of the host vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1,

wherein a warning generated by the warning device includes sound, an image, or both.

5. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the rear detection device includes

a first detector having a first detection range and capable of detecting an object directly behind,

a second detector having a second detection range and capable of detecting an object to the rear-right, and

a third detector having a third detection range and capable of detecting an object to the rear-left;

the system further comprises;

a rear detection device control unit capable of switching each of the first detector, the second detector, and the third detector from an active state to an inactive state and vice versa, and

a direction indicator operation unit that operates a direction indicator of the host vehicle, and

the rear detection device control unit switches at least one of the second detector or the third detector in the inactive state to the active state on a basis of an operation signal outputted from the direction indicator operation unit.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a cancellation unit that outputs a cancellation signal that cancels the operation signal outputted from the direction indicator operation unit upon the host vehicle changing from a non-straight traveling state to a straight traveling state,

wherein the rear detection device control unit switches at least one of the second detector or the third detector in the active state to the inactive state on a basis of the cancellation signal outputted from the cancellation unit.

7. The system according to claim 6,

wherein the rear detection device control unit keeps the first detector in the active state both before the operation signal is outputted and after the cancellation signal has been outputted.

8. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the rear detection device includes

a first detector having a first detection range and capable of detecting an object directly behind,

a second detector having a second detection range and capable of detecting an object to the rear-right, and

a third detector having a third detection range and capable of detecting an object to the rear-left;

the system further comprises;

a rear detection device control unit capable of switching each of the first detector, the second detector, and the third detector from an active state to an inactive state and vice versa, and

a steering operation unit that operates a steering apparatus of the host vehicle, and

the rear detection device control unit switches at least one of the second detector or the third detector in the inactive state to the active state upon it being determined, on a basis of an operation amount of the steering operation unit, that the host vehicle has changed from a straight traveling state to a non-straight traveling state.

9. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the rear detection device control unit switches at least one of the second detector or the third detector in the active state to the inactive state upon it being determined, on the basis of the operation amount of the steering operation unit, that the host vehicle has changed from the non-straight traveling state to the straight traveling state.

10. The system according to claim 9,

wherein the rear detection device control unit keeps the first detector in the active state both before the host vehicle changes from the straight traveling state to the non-straight traveling state and after the host vehicle has changed from the non-straight traveling state to the straight traveling state.

11. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the rear detection device has a detection range capable of detecting an object directly behind, an object to rear-right, and an object to rear-left;

the system further comprises;

a specific region setting unit capable of switching each of a first specific region extending directly behind, a second specific region extending to the rear-right, and a third specific region extending to the rear-left from a set state to an unset state and vice versa in the detection range, on the basis of a detection result from the rear detection device; and

a direction indicator operation unit that operates a direction indicator of the host vehicle, and

wherein the specific region setting unit switches at least one of the second specific region or the third specific region in the unset state to the set state on a basis of an operation signal outputted from the direction indicator operation unit; and

the computation processing unit outputs presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with the first following vehicle present in the first specific region, presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with the second following vehicle present in the second specific region, and presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with the third following vehicle present in the third specific region, on the basis of the detection result from the rear detection device.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a cancellation unit that outputs a cancellation signal that cancels the operation signal outputted from the direction indicator operation unit upon the host vehicle changing from a non-straight traveling state to a straight traveling state,

wherein the specific region setting unit switches at least one of the second specific region or the third specific region in the set state to the unset state on a basis of the cancellation signal outputted from the cancellation unit.

13. The system according to claim 12,

wherein the specific region setting unit keeps the first specific region in the set state both before the operation signal is outputted and after the cancellation signal has been outputted.

14. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the rear detection device has a detection range capable of detecting an object directly behind, an object to the rear-right, and an object to the rear-left;

the system further comprises;

a specific region setting unit capable of switching each of a first specific region extending directly behind, a second specific region extending to the rear-right, and a third specific region extending to the rear-left from a set state to an unset state and vice versa in the detection range, on the basis of a detection result from the rear detection device; and

a steering operation unit that operates a steering apparatus of the host vehicle, and

wherein the specific region setting unit switches at least one of the second specific region or the third specific region in the unset state to the set state upon it being determined, on a basis of an operation amount of the steering operation unit, that the host vehicle has changed from a straight traveling state to a non-straight traveling state; and

the computation processing unit outputs presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with the first following vehicle present in the first specific region, presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with the second following vehicle present in the second specific region, and presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with the third following vehicle present in the third specific region, on the basis of the detection result from the rear detection device.

15. The system according to claim 14,

wherein the specific region setting unit switches at least one of the second specific region or the third specific region in the set state to the unset state upon it being determined, on the basis of the operation amount of the steering operation unit, that the host vehicle has changed from the non-straight traveling state to the straight traveling state.

16. The system according to claim 15,

wherein the specific region setting unit keeps the first specific region in the set state both before the host vehicle changes from the straight traveling state to the non-straight traveling state and after the host vehicle has changed from the non-straight traveling state to the straight traveling state.

17. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a two-wheeled vehicle determination unit that determines whether or not the third following vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle on the basis of the detection result from the rear detection device; and

a two-wheeled vehicle warning device that generates a warning for the two-wheeled vehicle when the host vehicle is to turn left upon it being determined, on a basis of a determination result from the two-wheeled vehicle determination unit, that the third following vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the warning device includes an internal warning device which generates a warning for a driver of the host vehicle when there is the possibility of the collision with the following vehicles.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the driving apparatus comprises an actuator that drives the steering apparatus, and the driving control unit guides the host vehicle into the space selected by the selection unit by controlling the actuator so as to control the steering apparatus.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the control of the driving apparatus by the actuator takes priority over the operation of the steering operation unit.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein when the steering operation unit is being operated to cause the host vehicle to move into the space selected by the selection unit, the driving control unit controls the driving apparatus to assist the movement of the host vehicle into the space selected by the selection unit.

18. A collision avoidance method comprising the steps of:

detecting an object directly behind a host vehicle, an object to rear-right of the host vehicle, and an object to rear-left of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner using a rear detection device arranged in a host vehicle;

determining, on the basis of a detection result from the rear detection device, presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with a first following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from directly behind, presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with a second following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-right, and presence/absence of a possibility of a collision with a third following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-left; and

generating a first warning when there is the possibility of a collision with the first following vehicle, generating a second warning when there is the possibility of a collision with the second following vehicle, and generating a third warning when there is the possibility of a collision with the third following vehicle, on a basis of a result of the determination, using a warning device arranged in the host vehicle, wherein the warning device includes an external warning device which generates the warnings for the following vehicles;

detecting an object directly in front of the host vehicle, an object to front-right of the host vehicle, and an object to front-left of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner using a front detection device;

selecting a space, from a space directly in front, a space to the front-right, and a space to the front-left, in which no object is present, on the basis of detection results from the rear detection device and the front detection device, using a selection unit and

guiding the host vehicle into the space selected by the selection unit using a guidance unit, wherein the guidance unit includes an instruction output unit that is arranged within the host vehicle and instructs a driver of a target advancement direction of the host vehicle when there is the possibility of the collision with the following vehicles.