Vehicle Pre-Impact Sensing System Having Object Feature Detection

• US 20090299631A1
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taylor, Ronald M., Hawes, Kevin J.
• Application Number:
  US12/468,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section

Abstract

A vehicle pre-impact sensing system is provided that includes an array of energy signal transmitters mounted on a vehicle for transmitting signals within multiple transmit zones spaced from the vehicle and an array of receiver elements mounted on the vehicle for receiving signals reflected from an object located in one or more multiple receive zones indicative of the object being in certain one or more zones. A processor processes the received reflected signals and determines range, location, speed and direction of the object, determines whether the object is expected to impact the vehicle as a function of the determined range, location, speed and direction of the object, and generates an output signal indicative of a pre-impact event. The system may detect one or more features of a target object, such as a front end of a vehicle. Additionally, the system may modulate the transmit beams. Further, the system may perform a terrain normalization to remove stationary items.

Claims

1. A vehicle pre-impact sensing system comprising:

an array of energy signal transmitters mounted on a vehicle for transmitting signals within multiple transmit zones spaced from the vehicle;

an array of receiver elements mounted on the vehicle for receiving the signals reflected from an object located in one or more multiple receive zones indicative of the object being in certain one or more receive zones; and

a processor for processing the received reflected signals and determining range, location, speed and direction of the object, wherein the processor processes the received reflected signals to detect a feature of the object and determines the range at least partially based on the detected feature, and wherein the processor further determines whether the object is expected to impact the vehicle as a function of the determined range, location, speed and direction of the object, and generates an output signal indicative of a sensed pre-impact event.

2. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the array of energy signal transmitters comprises an array of light transmitters.

3. The sensing system as defined in claim 2, wherein the array of light transmitters comprises an array of infrared transmitters configured to emit infrared radiation in designated multiple transmit zones.

4. The sensing system as defined in claim 3, wherein the array of receiver elements comprises an array of photodetectors for receiving reflected infrared radiation, wherein the photodetectors receive light signals including reflected signals from designated receive zones.

5. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system senses an object on a lateral side of the vehicle.

6. The sensing system as defined in claim 5, wherein the array of receiver elements are mounted on an exterior mirror housing.

7. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor further determines size of the object, and wherein the processor generates an output signal indicative of a sensed pre-impact event further based on the determined size of the object.

8. The sensing system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a horizontally illuminated signal transmitter projecting a horizontally illuminated projected beam elevated at a height to identify a feature on the object, wherein the array of receiver elements receive signals reflected objects in the horizontal beam and multiplex the horizontal beam signal with the array of receiver signals.

9. The sensing system as defined in claim 8, wherein the processor determines a reflection coefficient of the surface of the object and determines range based at least in part on the reflection coefficient.

10. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the array of energy signal transmitters comprises an array of shaped IR transmitters each having a beam shape representative of a known feature of the object.

11. The sensing system as defined in claim 10, wherein the known feature comprises a feature found on a common vehicle front side.

12. The sensing system as defined in claim 11, wherein the beam shape has an approximate U-shape.

13. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor further detects a differential spectral return of highly reflective surfaces of an object and further determines range to the object based on the detected differential spectral return.

14. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor detects reflective vehicle surfaces comprising one or more of a signal marker, a headlamp, a fog lamp, a license plate and a chrome feature of a vehicle.

15. The sensing system as defined in claim 14, wherein background light illumination is used to measure highly reflective vehicle elements.

16. The sensing system as defined in claim 15, wherein the processor further detects a headlamp on status of an inbound vehicle and further determines range based on the detected headlamp.

17. The sensing system as defined in claim 16, wherein the processor determines a geometry of the detected object and further employs the geometry in the discrimination risk assessment.

18. A method of sensing pre-impact with a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting energy signals with an array of energy transmitters within multiple transmit zones spaced from the vehicle;

receiving energy signals including signals reflected from an object located in the one or more multiple receive zones with an array of receiver elements;

processing the received reflected signals and determining range, location, speed and direction of the object;

processing the received reflected signals to detect a feature of the object;

determining the range at least partially based on the detected feature;

determining whether the object is expected to impact the vehicle as a function of the determined range, location, speed and direction of the object; and

generating an output signal indicative of a sensed pre-impact event.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting signals comprises transmitting an infrared radiation signal via an array of infrared transmitters into the multiple transmit zones, one zone at a time, and receiving the signals comprising received reflected infrared radiation via an array of infrared receivers, one receiver at a time.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the array of transmitters and receivers are oriented generally on a lateral side direction of the vehicle to detect an object toward the lateral side of the vehicle.