Pre-crash assessment of crash severity for road vehicles

• US 20030139867A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Altan, Osman D., Wood, Francis D., Browne, Alan Lampe
• Application Number:
  US10/355,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139867A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data

Abstract

A method of pre-crash prediction of the severity of an imminent crash of road vehicles is disclosed using a pre-crash sensor, a computer system coupled with pre-crash vehicle condition signal sources and a vehicle communication system onboard each of two vehicles involved in a crash. The method includes the steps of determining that a collision of the vehicles is imminent, exchanging vehicle crash-related information between the vehicles when an imminent collision is determined, computing crash-defining information onboard each vehicle and predicting onboard each vehicle the severity of the imminent collision whereby occupant protection devices of the vehicles may be deployed in accordance with the predicted severity.

Claims

1. A method of predicting the severity of an imminent collision of two vehicles which are closing on each other, said method comprising the steps of:

determining that a collision of the vehicles is imminent,

exchanging vehicle crash-related information between the vehicles when an imminent collision is determined, said crash-related information including vehicle crash information including vehicle crash characteristics information,

computing crash-defining information onboard each vehicle based upon the crash-related information exchanged between the vehicles, and

predicting onboard each vehicle the severity of the imminent collision based upon the computed crash-defining information whereby occupant protection devices of the vehicles may be deployed in accordance with the predicted severity.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said crash-related information includes vehicle operating condition information.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein:

said step of exchanging vehicle crash-related information is performed by obtaining selected vehicle operating condition information from a global positioning system.

4. A method as defined by claim 1 wherein:

said step of determining that a collision of the vehicles is imminent is performed by a pre-crash sensor.

5. A method as defined by claim 1 wherein:

said step of exchanging vehicle crash-related information is performed by an electromagnetic wave communication system onboard said vehicle.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said step of computing crash-defining information is performed by an onboard computer system.

7. A method of predicting the severity of an imminent collision of a vehicle with another object, said method comprising the steps of:

determining that a collision of the vehicle and the object is imminent,

determining, onboard the vehicle, crash characteristics of the object when an imminent collision is determined,

computing crash-defining information onboard the vehicle based upon the crash characteristics of the object and the vehicle, and

predicting onboard the vehicle the severity of the imminent collision based upon said crash-defining information whereby occupant protection devices of the vehicle may be deployed in accordance with the predicted severity.

8. A method of controlling the occupant protection devices in each of two road vehicles, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the two vehicles are closing on each other,

if they are closing on each other, determining whether collision of the two vehicles is imminent,

if a collision is imminent, transmitting from one vehicle its crash-related information to the other vehicle and transmitting from said other vehicle its crash-related information to said one vehicle,

processing, onboard said one vehicle, the crash-related information of both vehicles to predict the severity of the imminent collision and controlling the occupant protection devices on said one vehicle in accordance with the prediction, and

processing, onboard said other vehicle, the crash-related information for both vehicles to predict the severity of the imminent collision and controlling the occupant protection devices on said other vehicle in accordance with the prediction.

9. Apparatus for use onboard a road vehicle for controlling the deployment of occupant protection devices on the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether the vehicle is closing on another vehicle and for producing a warning signal when a collision of the two vehicles is imminent,

means responsive to the warning signal for transmitting crash-related information to the other vehicle,

means for receiving crash-related information from the other vehicle, and

computer means for processing said crash-related information from both vehicles for predicting the severity of the imminent collision and for controlling deployment of the occupant protection devices in accordance with the prediction.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein:

said means for determining comprises a pre-crash sensor.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein:

said means responsive to the warning signal for transmitting crash-related information comprises an electromagnetic-wave transmitter.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein:

said means for receiving crash-related information comprises an electromagnetic-wave receiver.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein:

said computer means comprises a pre-crash processing computer and a vehicle dynamics computer coupled together.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 comprising:

a computer readable memory device for storing information related to the crashworthiness of the vehicle,

said memory device being coupled with said computer means.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 comprising:

plural vehicle condition sensors for producing plural vehicle condition-defining signals relating to the operating condition of the vehicle,

said sensors being coupled with said computer system.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 comprising:

a global positioning system coupled with said computer system for developing position, heading and speed signals of the vehicle.

17. Apparatus for use onboard a first road vehicle for controlling the deployment of occupant protection devices on the first road vehicle, as defined in claim 9, in combination with additional apparatus onboard a second road vehicle for controlling the deployment of occupant protection devices on the second vehicle, said additional apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether the vehicle is closing on another vehicle and for producing a warning signal when a collision of the two vehicles is imminent,

means responsive to the warning signal for transmitting crash-related information to the other vehicle,

means for receiving crash-related information from the other vehicle, and

computer means for processing said crash-related information from both vehicles for predicting the severity of the imminent collision and for controlling deployment of the occupant protection devices in accordance with the prediction.