Vehicle Pre-Impact Sensing System Having Terrain Normalization

• US 20090299633A1
• 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:
  US12/468,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299633A1
• 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 performs a normalization to remove stationary targets by propagating a leading signal from one zone rearward to an adjacent following zone based on vehicle speed to provide a normalized signal, wherein the processor further determines whether the object is expected to impact the vehicle as a function of the range, location, speed, direction of the object and the normalized signal, and generates an output indicative of a sensed pre-impact event.

2. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor determines a time delay for an object to pass from a leading detection zone to an adjacent rearward detection zone and subtracts the leading zone signal from the following zone signal based on the time delay.

3. The sensing system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor ignores stationary targets.

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

5. The sensing system as defined in claim 4, wherein the array of light transmitters comprises an array of infrared transmitters configured to emit infrared radiation in designated multiple transmit zones.

6. The sensing system as defined in claim 5, 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.

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

8. The sensing system as defined in claim 7, wherein the array of transmitters and receivers are mounted on exterior mirror housing.

9. A method of detecting an expected impact of an object with a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting signals within multiple transmit zones spaced from the vehicle;

receiving signals reflected from an object located in the one or more multiple receive zones indicative of the object being in certain one or more receive zones;

processing the received reflected signals;

determining location of the object;

determining speed of the object;

determining direction of the object;

performing a normalization to remove stationary targets by propagating a leading signal from a leading zone rearward to an adjacent following zone based on vehicle speed to provide a normalized signal;

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 the normalized signal; and

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

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the step of performing the normalization further comprises determining a time delay for an object to pass from the leading detection zone to the adjacent detection zone and subtracting the leading zone signal from the following zone signal based on the time delay.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the time delay is based on vehicle speed.

12. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the method senses an object on a lateral side of the vehicle.