Side Impact Safety System with Blind-Spot Detection Radar Data Fusion

• US 20110137528A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Niesluchowski, Matt A., Clark, Todd, Rao, Manoharprasad K., Le, Jialiang
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• 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 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations

Abstract

A motor vehicle blind-spot detection system has a remote sensor covering a rear-quadrant blind spot sensing zone and a forward-quadrant side impact sensing zone. A control module receives signals from a side impact sensor and the blind-spot detection sensor, calculates an approach vector of an object in the side impact sensing zone and/or the blind spot sensing zone, determines that the object will impact the vehicle, initializes a side impact algorithm controlling activation of an occupant safety device, detects an impact on the side of the vehicle and determines a magnitude of the impact, compares the magnitude of the impact with a threshold value established at least in part based upon the magnitude of the approach vector, and activates the occupant safety device if the magnitude of the impact exceeds the threshold value.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a blind-spot detection system comprising a remote sensor located adjacent a rear corner of the vehicle and having a beam pattern covering a blind spot sensing zone disposed in a rear quadrant of the vehicle, the remote sensor further having a side impact sensing zone disposed in a forward quadrant of the vehicle;

a side impact sensor mounted at a side impact portion of the vehicle;

an occupant safety device operable to protect an occupant during an impact on the side impact portion of the vehicle; and

a control module receiving signals from the side impact sensor and the blind-spot detection sensor and operative to;

calculate an approach vector of an object detected in the side impact sensing zone and/or the blind spot sensing zone;

determine, based on the approach vector, that the object is likely to impact the side impact portion of the vehicle;

initialize a side impact algorithm controlling activation of the occupant safety device;

detect, based on the signals received from the impact sensor, an impact on the side impact portion of the vehicle and determining a magnitude of the impact;

compare the magnitude of the impact with a threshold value established at least in part based upon the magnitude of the approach vector; and

activate the occupant safety device if the magnitude of the impact exceeds the threshold value.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the threshold value is established by reducing a contact-only impact threshold value applied by the control module when no approach vector is available.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the side impact sensing zone terminates at a threshold line spaced a threshold distance from the side impact portion of the vehicle, and the control module calculates the vector at a time when the object crosses the threshold line.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the remote sensor is a multi-beam mono-pulse radar.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a second side impact sensor mounted at a second side impact portion of the vehicle, and the control module further operative to receive signals from the second side impact sensor, determine, based on the approach vector, that the object is likely to impact the second side impact portion of the vehicle, and activate the occupant safety device and/or a second occupant safety device associated with the second side impact portion.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein, if the object has impacted the second side impact portion of the vehicle, the control module compares the magnitude of the impact with a second threshold value associated with an impact on the second side impact portion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a second occupant safety device associated with the second side impact portion, and the control module activates the second occupant safety device if the magnitude of the impact exceeds the second threshold value.

8. A method of operating an occupant safety system of a motor vehicle in response to a side impact comprising:

operating a remote object detection sensor to detect a blind-spot threat object in a first sector rearward of the sensor and to detect a collision threat object in a second sector forward of the sensor;

calculating an approach vector of the collision threat object;

determining, based on the approach vector, that the collision threat object is likely to impact a side impact portion of the vehicle;

in response to the determination, operating a control module to initialize a side impact algorithm controlling activation of an occupant safety device;

operating a side impact sensor to detect an impact on the side impact portion of the vehicle and determine a magnitude of the impact;

comparing the magnitude of the impact with a threshold value established at least in part based upon the magnitude of the approach vector; and

activating the occupant safety device if the magnitude of the impact exceeds the threshold value.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the initialization of the side impact algorithm comprises establishing the threshold value by reducing a contact-only impact threshold value used by the control module when no approach vector is available.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the determination that the collision threat object is likely to impact the side impact portion of the vehicle is made when the object reaches a limit of coverage of the remote object detection sensor closest to the side impact portion of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

determining, based on the approach vector, that the collision threat object is likely to impact a second side impact portion of the vehicle; and

operating a second side impact sensor to detect a second impact on the second side impact portion of the vehicle and determine a magnitude of the second impact.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein, if the object is likely to impact the second side impact portion of the vehicle, comparing the magnitude of the second impact with a second threshold value associated with an impact on the second side impact area.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising activating a second occupant safety device associated with the second side impact portion if the magnitude of the second impact exceeds the second threshold value.

14. A method of operating an occupant safety system of a motor vehicle in response to a side impact comprising:

operating an impact sensor to detect a magnitude of an impact on a side impact portion of the vehicle;

activating an occupant safety device if the impact magnitude exceeds a contact-only threshold value;

operating a blind spot detection sensor to detect an object in a forward quadrant relative to the vehicle;

determining, based on information from the blind spot detection sensor, that the object is likely to impact the side impact portion of the vehicle;

initializing a side impact algorithm in response to the determination that the impact is likely;

determining a magnitude of the impact and comparing the magnitude with a predictive threshold value established at least in part based upon the information from the blind spot detection sensor; and

activating the occupant safety device if the magnitude of the impact exceeds the predictive threshold value.