Vehicle safety control system by image processing

• US 20060104481A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schamp, Greg, Demro, James C., Davies, Owen, Igawa, Tadahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• 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 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is an image processing system adapted to image an area around a vehicle, comprising an image processor adapted to receive information indicative of an image of an area proximate to the vehicle automatically captured by an image capturing device, wherein the image processor includes logic to analyze the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle and automatically determine whether the information indicative of the image of an area proximate to the vehicle is indicative of at least one predetermined environment. In some embodiments, this image processing system is utilized for crash prevention and crash recording. In some embodiments, this image processing system is utilized to identify an increased likelihood of crash and/or the occurrence of a crash and/or to implement crash avoidance and/or crash safety devices.

Claims

1. An image processing system adapted to image an area around a vehicle, comprising:

an image processor adapted to receive information indicative of an image of an area proximate to the vehicle automatically captured by an image capturing device, wherein the image processor is configured to analyze the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle and automatically determine whether the information indicative of the image of an area proximate to the vehicle is indicative of at least one predetermined environment.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle and automatically determine whether the image of the area proximate to the vehicle is indicative of at least one predetermined environment that includes at least one of:

a movable object proximate to the vehicle; and

an immovable object proximate to the vehicle.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processor includes logic to analyze the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle and automatically determine whether the image of the area proximate to the vehicle is indicative of at least one predetermined environment that includes at least one of a second vehicle, a bicycle;

and a human.

4. The image processing system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a direction of movement of the movable object if the processor determines that the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle is indicative of a movable object proximate to the vehicle.

5. The image processing system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a location of at least one of the movable object and the immovable object relative to the vehicle if the processor determines that the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle is indicative of a movable object proximate to the vehicle or an immovable object proximate to the vehicle.

6. The image processing system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a direction of movement of the movable object if the processor determines that the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle is indicative of a movable object proximate to the vehicle, wherein the determined direction of movement is indicative of at least one predetermined direction of movement that includes at least one of:

(a) movement towards the vehicle;

(b) movement away from the vehicle; and

(c) movement along with the vehicle.

7. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle and to determine whether the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle is indicative of at least one predetermined environment that includes at least one of:

weather conditions proximate to the vehicle; and

road surface conditions proximate to the vehicle.

8. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle and automatically determine whether the information indicative of the image proximate to the vehicle is indicative of at least one predetermined environment that includes at least one of:

(a) traffic conditions proximate to the vehicle;

(b) present state of traffic control devices proximate to the vehicle; and

(c) layout of road and road intersecting structures proximate to the vehicle.

9. A vehicle safety control system, comprising:

an image processing system according to claim 1;

and

a safety control processor adapted to receive information from the image processor, wherein the safety processor includes logic to analyze the information from the image processor and determine a current state of a driving condition of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 9, wherein the determined current state of a driving condition of the vehicle includes at least one of:

(a) whether traffic is moving or stopping;

(b) speeds of other vehicles;

(c) directions of acceleration of other vehicles;

(d) vehicle travel up or down slopes;

(e) vehicle wheel skidding;

(f) vehicle slide-slipping; and

(g) vehicle rolling over.

11. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 9, further comprising a vehicle control processor adapted to receive information from the safety control processor, wherein the vehicle control processor includes logic to analyze the information from the safety control processor and change an operational characteristic of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 11, wherein an operational characteristic of the vehicle includes at least one of:

(a) speed;

(b) acceleration;

(c) engine torque;

(d) wheel torque;

(e) steering;

(f) lighting; and

(g) annunciation.

13. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 9, further comprising a safety device control processor adapted to receive information from the safety control processor, wherein the safety device control processor is configured to analyze the information from the safety control processor and automatically instruct a safety component controller to change an operational characteristic of a safety device.

14. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 13, wherein an operational characteristic of the safety device includes at least one of:

(a) seatbelt retractoion;

(b) airbag inflation;

(c) airbag preparation for inflation;

(d) inflatable seat cushion inflation;

(e) inflatable seat cushion preparation for inflation;

(f) crash warning;

(g) crash energy absorber activation; and

(h) crash energy absorber preparation for activation.

15. A vehicle safety control system, comprising:

an image processing system according to claim 1;

and

a vehicle situational assessment processor adapted to receive information from the image processor, wherein the situational assessment processor is configured to analyze the information from the image processor and determine whether the vehicle is in a situation indicative of at least one of (i) an increased likelihood of vehicle crash and (ii) an actual occurrence of vehicle crash.

16. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle situational assessment processor is further adapted to receive information from a crash detector separate from the image processing system, and wherein the vehicle situation assessment processor is configured to analyze the information from the crash detector and determine whether the vehicle is in a situation indicative of an actual occurrence of vehicle crash based on the information from the crash detector.

17. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle situational assessment processor is adapted to instruct a safety component controller to change an operational characteristic of a safety device if at least one of the analyses of the information from the image processor and the information from the crash detector results in a determination that the vehicle is in a situation indicative of an actual occurrence of vehicle crash.

18. The vehicle safety control system according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle situational assessment processor is further adapted to:

output a first set of information to a safety device control processor if the vehicle situational assessment processor determines that the vehicle is in a situation indicative of at least one of (i) an increased likelihood of vehicle crash and (ii) an actual occurrence of vehicle crash; and

only after outputting the first set of information, output a second set of information to the safety device control processor if the vehicle situational assessment processor determines that the vehicle is no longer in a situation indicative of at least one of (a) an increased likelihood of vehicle crash and (b) an actual occurrence of vehicle crash;

wherein the safety device control processor is configured to analyze the first set of information from the vehicle situational assessment processor and automatically instruct a safety component controller to change an operational characteristic of a safety device from an inactive state to at least one of an active state and a preparation for active state; and

analyze the second set of information from the vehicle situational assessment processor and automatically instruct the safety component controller to change the operational characteristic of the safety device back to the inactive state.

19. The image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising the image capturing device;

wherein the image capturing device comprises at least two cameras arrayed in a manner to capture a binocular image of an area proximate to the vehicle, wherein the image processing system is adapted to analyze the captured binocular image and determine at least one of a relative speed and a relative distance of an object in the area proximate to the vehicle based on a binocular effect.

20. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body; and

an image processing system according to claim 1.

21. A vehicle safety system, comprising:

an image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a recording system including an image recorder adapted to record images of the area proximate to the vehicle automatically captured by the image capturing device;

wherein the recording system is adapted to periodically automatically overwrite the recorded images of the area proximate to the vehicle; and

wherein the image recording system includes logic to automatically prevent at least some of the recorded images from being overwritten upon determination that at least one predefined condition has been met.

22. A vehicle safety system according to claim 21, wherein the recording system is further adapted to record information from a crash detector separate from the image processing system.

23. A vehicle safety system according to claim 21, wherein the recording system is further adapted to:

receive information from a crash detector separate from the image processing system indicative of vehicle crash; and

receive information from the image processing system indicative of vehicle crash;

wherein the recording system is configured to determine that at least one predefined condition has been met if the recording system receives at least one of (i) information from the crash detector indicative of vehicle crash and (ii) information from the image processing system indicative of a vehicle crash.

24. A vehicle safety system according to claim 21, the at least one predefined condition includes at least one of:

(a) contact of the vehicle with an immovable object;

(b) contact of the vehicle with a movable object; and

(c) crash of the vehicle.