PRE-CRASH SAFETY SYSTEM

• US 20100271256A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsunekawa, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01259 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01265 Seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Provided is a pre-crash safety system in which, even when, due to a movement of a reflection point of a radar wave on a surface of another vehicle, a radar device falsely recognizes that the other vehicle is approaching toward an own-vehicle, such a false recognition does not influence a safety measure operation that is based on a prediction of a collision. The pre-crash safety system causing, when a possibility of a collision between the own-vehicle equipped with a radar device and the other vehicle that approaches the own-vehicle exists after a prediction of a collision therebetween is made, the own-vehicle to conduct a safety measure operation, the pre-crash safety system includes: a collision prediction unit that makes the prediction of a collision between the own-vehicle and the other vehicle that has entered a monitoring area of the radar device; a control unit that causes the own-vehicle to conduct the safety measure operation based on a result of the prediction of a collision by the collision prediction unit, while the control unit does not cause the own-vehicle to conduct the safety measure operation if, after the other vehicle has entered the monitoring area, a reflection point coordinate which represents a reflection point of a radar wave on the other vehicle is positioned within a predefined direction range when viewed from the own-vehicle.

Claims

1. A pre-crash safety system causing, when a possibility of a collision between a first mobile object equipped with a radar device and a second mobile object that approaches the first mobile object exists after a prediction of a collision therebetween is made, the first mobile object to conduct a safety measure operation, the pre-crash safety system comprising:

a collision prediction unit that makes the prediction of a collision between the first mobile object and the second mobile object that has entered a monitoring area of the radar device; and

a control unit that causes the first mobile object to conduct the safety measure operation based on a result of the prediction of a collision made by the collision prediction unit, wherein

the control unit does not cause the first mobile object to conduct the safety measure operation if, after the second mobile object has entered the monitoring area, a reflection point coordinate which represents a reflection point of a radar wave on the second mobile object is positioned within a predefined direction range when viewed from the first mobile object, and

the predefined direction range is a range in which the second mobile object is possibly falsely recognized, by the radar device, to be approaching toward the first mobile object due to a movement of a reflection point of a radar wave on a surface of the second mobile object even though the second mobile object is, in fact, not approaching toward the first mobile object.

2. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 1, wherein

the monitoring area has a sector-like shape;

and

the predefined direction range includes a part of the monitoring area that is in proximity of an intersection point of an arc and a radius of the monitoring area.

3. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 2, wherein a track of the reflection point is along the radius.

4. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 1, wherein the predefined direction range changes depending on a curvature of a road on which the first mobile object and the second mobile object proceed.

5. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 1, wherein the predefined direction range is individually configured for every type of the safety pressure operator.

6. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 2, wherein the predefined direction range changes depending on a curvature of a road on which the first mobile object and the second mobile object proceed.

7. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 3, wherein the predefined direction range changes depending on a curvature of a road on which the first mobile object and the second mobile object proceed.

8. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 2, wherein the predefined direction range is individually configured for every type of the safety pressure operator.

9. The pre-crash safety system according to claim 2, wherein the predefined direction range is individually configured for every type of the safety pressure operator.