System and Method for Detecting and Protecting Pedestrians
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a safety device deployable outside of the vehicle;
an anticipatory sensor system for assessing the probable severity of an impact involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiating deployment of the safety device in the event an impact above a threshold probable severity is assessed; and
an actuator coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said safety device for deploying said safety device when initiated by said anticipatory sensor system, said anticipatory sensor system comprising at least one receiver for receiving waves or energy and a pattern recognition system for analyzing the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy to assess the probable severity of the impact, said pattern recognition system being arranged to ascertain the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated, the assessment of the probable severity of the impact being at least partially based on the identification of the object, said pattern recognition system comprising a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm designed to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
System and method for reacting to a impact involving a motor vehicle in which an anticipatory sensor system assesses the probable severity of the impact based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiates deployment of an external safety device via an actuator in the event an impact above a threshold probable severity is assessed. The anticipatory sensor system includes receivers for receiving waves or energy and a pattern recognition system for analyzing the received waves or energy, or data representative thereof, to assess the probable severity of the impact. The pattern recognition system ascertains the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated. The pattern recognition system includes a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm designed to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
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a safety device deployable outside of the vehicle;
an anticipatory sensor system for assessing the probable severity of an impact involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiating deployment of the safety device in the event an impact above a threshold probable severity is assessed; and
an actuator coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said safety device for deploying said safety device when initiated by said anticipatory sensor system, said anticipatory sensor system comprising at least one receiver for receiving waves or energy and a pattern recognition system for analyzing the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy to assess the probable severity of the impact, said pattern recognition system being arranged to ascertain the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated, the assessment of the probable severity of the impact being at least partially based on the identification of the object, said pattern recognition system comprising a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm designed to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an impact between the vehicle and an object, comprising:
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detecting an impending impact between the vehicle and the object prior to the impact;
determining the probable severity of the impending impact prior to the impact; and
initiating deployment of a safety device outside of the vehicle between the vehicle and the object in the event the impending impact is determined to be above a threshold severity, the step of determining the probable severity of the impact comprising;
receiving waves or energy from the object, and ascertaining the identity of the object based on the received waves or energy by inputting the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy into a pattern recognition algorithm which ascertains the identity of the object based thereon, the pattern recognition algorithm being designed to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification