Systems and methods for detecting a collision

• US 10,065,589 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Sun, Bo, Akamatsu, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Genna M
• Application Number:
  US14/936,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0016 Identification of obstacles; Selection of a target vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0023 Offset collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01013 Means for detecting collision, impending collision or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01231 control of expansion timing or sequence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/06 Direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/28 Wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters

Abstract

A method for setting activation parameters for a vehicle safety system of a subject vehicle. The method includes determining whether a collision between a subject vehicle and an object is imminent or in progress. Whether the collision will be a front small overlap collision is determined, and activation parameters of a vehicle safety system are set in a front small overlap collision mode if the collision is determined to be a front small overlap collision.

Claims

1. A method for setting activation parameters for a vehicle safety system of a subject vehicle comprising:

determining whether a collision between the subject vehicle and an object is imminent or in progress;

determining whether the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, determining whether the object is present along a predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle outside of its intended lane of travel of the subject vehicle, and determining whether a turn signal of the subject vehicle has been activated; and

setting activation parameters of the vehicle safety system of the subject vehicle in a front small overlap collision mode when the subject vehicle is detected as having departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends outside of the intended lane of travel, the object is detected within the predicted path of travel, and the turn signal of the subject vehicle has not been activated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the collision is imminent or in progress using at least one of the following:

a lane recognition system of the subject vehicle;

a vehicle path prediction system of the subject vehicle; and

an object recognition/collision detection system of the subject vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the collision will be, or is, front head-on or front small overlap using at least one of the following:

a lane recognition system of the subject vehicle;

a vehicle path prediction system of the subject vehicle; and

an object recognition/collision detection system of the subject vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein setting activation parameters of the vehicle safety system of the subject vehicle includes setting at least airbag deployment time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising setting the airbag deployment time such that the airbag deploys sooner after a collision when the vehicle safety system is in the front small overlap collision mode as compared to a front head-on collision mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting an airbag of the subject vehicle to deploy at a first time subsequent to the collision, or at a second time subsequent to the collision that is different from the first time based on whether the collision is determined to be a front head-on collision or a front small overlap collision.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the activation parameters of the vehicle safety system in a front head-on collision mode when:

the subject vehicle is within its intended lane of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, and the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel, and no object is within the predicted path of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel, an object is within the predicted path of travel, and the turn signal of the subject vehicle is active.

8. A method for setting activation parameters for a vehicle safety system of a subject vehicle comprising:

determining whether the subject vehicle has at least partially exited an intended lane of travel;

determining a predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle;

determining whether an object is present along the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle outside of the intended lane of travel;

determining whether a turn signal of the subject vehicle is activated; and

setting the activation parameters of the vehicle safety system in a front small overlap collision mode when the subject vehicle is detected as having departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends outside of the intended lane of travel, an object is detected within the predicted path of travel, and the turn signal of the subject vehicle has not been activated;

wherein in a front head-on collision mode an airbag of the subject vehicle is set to deploy at a first time after a collision, and in the front small overlap collision mode the airbag of the subject vehicle is set to deploy at a second time that is different from the first time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the subject vehicle has at least partially exited the intended lane of travel with a camera of a lane recognition system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the predicted path of travel of the vehicle based on a steering angle of the subject vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether the object is present along the predicted path of travel of the vehicle with an object recognition system of the subject vehicle including at least one of a camera, radar, and a proximity sensor.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising setting the activation parameters of the vehicle safety system in the front head-on collision mode when:

the subject vehicle is within its intended lane of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, and the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel, and no object is within the predicted path of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel, an object is within the predicted path of travel, and the turn signal of the subject vehicle is active.

13. A system for setting activation parameters for a vehicle safety system of a subject vehicle comprising:

a lane recognition system configured to determine whether the subject vehicle has at least partially exited an intended lane of travel;

a vehicle path prediction system configured to determine a predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle;

an object recognition system configured to determine whether an object is present along the predicted path of travel of the vehicle outside of the intended lane of travel;

a controller configured to determine whether a collision involving the vehicle is a front head-on collision type or a front small overlap collision type based on at least one of the following;

whether the subject vehicle has at least partially exited the intended lane of travel, whether the object is present along the predicted path of travel of the vehicle outside of the intended lane of travel, and whether the turn signal of the subject vehicle has been activated;

wherein;

the controller is configured to activate a front head-on collision mode or a front small overlap collision mode based on whether the controller determines the collision to be the front head-on collision type or the front small overlap collision type;

the controller activates the front small overlap collision mode when the subject vehicle is detected as having departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends outside of the intended lane of travel, the object is detected within the predicted path of travel, and the turn signal of the subject vehicle has not been activated; and

the controller is configured to set an airbag to deploy at a first time after a collision in the front head-on collision mode, and set the airbag to deploy at a second time after a collision in the front small overlap collision mode, the first time is different from the second time.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the lane recognition system includes at least one camera configured to identify location of vehicle lanes on a roadway.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle path prediction system includes at least one of a steering angle sensor and a yaw rate sensor.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the object recognition system includes at least one of a camera, radar, proximity sensor, and accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to activate the front head-on collision mode when:

the subject vehicle is within its intended lane of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, and the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel, and no object is within the predicted path of travel;

or

the subject vehicle has departed from its intended lane of travel, the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle extends back inside the intended lane of travel, an object is within the predicted path of travel, and the turn signal of the subject vehicle is active.

18. A method for setting activation parameters for a vehicle safety system of a subject vehicle comprising:

determining whether the subject vehicle has at least partially exited an intended lane of travel;

determining a predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle;

determining whether an object is present along the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle outside of the intended lane of travel;

determining whether a turn signal of the subject vehicle is activated; and

setting activation parameters of the vehicle safety system of the subject vehicle to a front small overlap collision mode when both of the following conditions are met;

(1) the subject vehicle has at least partially exited the intended lane of travel, and

(2) the object is present along the predicted path of travel of the subject vehicle outside of the intended lane of travel;

wherein in the front small overlap collision mode, an airbag of the subject vehicle is set to deploy at a time that is different from a non-front small overlap collision mode.