System And Method For Detecting A Turning Vehicle

• US 20120109504A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yopp, Wilford Trent, Joh, Peter Gyumyeong
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

A sensor system for a host vehicle may detect whether another in-path vehicle is turning. The sensor system may include a transmitter, a receiver and a controller. Signals may be emitted by the transmitter over a detection area. The emitted signals may reflect off an object vehicle in the detection area and be received by the receiver. The receiver may include a number of channels, each corresponding to a different region of the detection area. The sensor system may determine whether the in-path vehicle is turning and in what direction based on the reflected signals received at each channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, from a sensor unit, a number of signal pulses over a detection area external to a host vehicle;

receiving, at the sensor unit, one or more of the signal pulses reflected from an object vehicle located in the detection area; and

determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the one or more reflected signal pulses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a single transmitter for transmitting the number of signal pulses over the detection area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the number of signal pulses comprises a number of infra-red (IR) light pulses distributed evenly over the detection area through a transmission lens.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a single receiver for receiving the one or more signal pulses reflected from the object vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiver comprises:

a left channel corresponding to a left region of the detection area; and

a right channel corresponding to a right region of the detection area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the left channel receives the one or more signal pulses reflected from a left rear portion of the object vehicle at least partially located in the left region of the detection area, and the right channel receives the one or more signal pulses reflected from a right rear portion of the object vehicle at least partially located in the right region of the detection area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the one or more reflected signal pulses includes:

determining a first relative traveling distance between the left rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected signal pulses received at the left channel of the receiver;

determining a second relative traveling distance between the right rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected signal pulses received at the right channel of the receiver; and

determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the first and second relative traveling distances.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the difference between the first and second relative traveling distances includes:

comparing the difference to a threshold; and

detecting that the object vehicle is turning left upon a determination that the difference exceeds the threshold and the first relative traveling distance is less than the second relative traveling distance.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the one or more reflected signal pulses includes:

determining a first relative traveling velocity between the left rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected signal pulses received at the left channel of the receiver;

determining a second relative traveling velocity between the right rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected signal pulses received at the right channel of the receiver; and

determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the first and second relative traveling velocities.

10. A system comprising:

a sensor unit located on a host vehicle including;

a transmitter that emits a signal distributed about a detection area external to the host vehicle, and

a receiver that receives one or more left reflected signals corresponding to the transmitted signal reflected from a left rear portion of an object vehicle located in a left region of the detection area and one or more right reflected signals corresponding to the transmitted signal reflected from a right rear portion of the object vehicle located in a right region of the detection area; and

a controller configured to determine whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the left and right reflected signals.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitter includes a transmission lens and the signal includes a plurality of infrared (IR) light pulses emitted through the transmission lens.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the receiver includes:

a left channel configured to receive the one or more left reflected signals; and

a right channel configured to receive the one or more right reflected signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiver further includes at least a left receiver lens that directs the one or more left reflected signals to the left channel and a right receiver lens that directs the one or more right reflected signals to the right channel.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein in determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the left and right reflected signals, the controller is configured to:

determine a first relative traveling distance between the left rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the one or more left reflected signals;

determine a second relative traveling distance between the right rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the one or more right reflected signals; and

determine whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the first and second relative traveling distances.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

compare the difference between the first and second relative traveling distances to a threshold; and

detect that the object vehicle is turning right upon a determination that the difference exceeds the threshold and the first relative traveling distance is greater than the second relative traveling distance.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein in determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the left and right reflected signals, the controller is configured to:

determine a first relative traveling velocity between the left rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the one or more left reflected signals;

determine a second relative traveling velocity between the right rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the one or more right reflected signals; and

determine whether the object vehicle is turning based upon a difference between the first and second relative traveling velocities.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor unit is mounted behind a central portion of a windshield of the host vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensor unit further includes a housing for at least partially enclosing the transmitter and the receiver with the windshield.

19. A method comprising:

transmitting a number of infrared (IR) light pulses from a transmitter disposed in a sensor unit mounted on a host vehicle, the number of light pulses distributed evenly over a detection area in front of the host vehicle;

receiving, at a receiver disposed in the sensor unit, one or more of the light pulses reflected from an object vehicle located in the detection area, the receiver including at least a left channel corresponding to a left region of the detection area and a right channel corresponding to a right region of the detection area, the left channel receiving reflected light pulses from a left rear portion of the object vehicle in the left region, the right channel receiving reflected light pulses from a right rear portion of the object vehicle in the right region;

determining a first distance between the left rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected light pulses received at the left channel of the receiver;

determining a second distance between the right rear portion of the object vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the reflected light pulses received at the right channel;

calculating a difference between the first distance and the second distance; and

determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the difference between the first distance and the second distance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining whether the object vehicle is turning based upon the difference between the first distance and the second distance includes:

comparing the difference to a threshold; and

detecting that the object vehicle is not turning upon a determination that the difference does not exceed the threshold.