GPS DATA FOR IMPROVING PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling a vehicle to increase pedestrian protection comprising:
- monitoring data from a plurality of sensors with an electronic control unit;
determining a confidence factor with electronic control unit that a detected object proximate to the vehicle is a pedestrian;
analyzing GPS data with the electronic control unit to determine if the vehicle is in one of an area of increased pedestrian presence, decreased pedestrian presence and indeterminate pedestrian presence;
selecting a value for a reaction threshold based upon the analysis of the GPS data;
comparing the confidence factor to the reaction threshold with the electronic control unit;
determining if an impact with the detected object is likely to occur when the confidence factor is greater than the reaction threshold; and
sending at least one of a safety signal and a response signal based upon the determining if an impact with the detected object is likely to occur.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pedestrian protection system from a vehicle utilizes GPS data to reduce the number of false positive detections for impacting an object determined to be a pedestrian. The GPS data is used to focus on area of increased and/or decreased pedestrian presence to alter a reaction threshold for the vehicle. Additionally, the GPS data can be used for more accurate analysis of the likelihood of an impact.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a vehicle to increase pedestrian protection comprising:
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monitoring data from a plurality of sensors with an electronic control unit; determining a confidence factor with electronic control unit that a detected object proximate to the vehicle is a pedestrian; analyzing GPS data with the electronic control unit to determine if the vehicle is in one of an area of increased pedestrian presence, decreased pedestrian presence and indeterminate pedestrian presence; selecting a value for a reaction threshold based upon the analysis of the GPS data; comparing the confidence factor to the reaction threshold with the electronic control unit; determining if an impact with the detected object is likely to occur when the confidence factor is greater than the reaction threshold; and sending at least one of a safety signal and a response signal based upon the determining if an impact with the detected object is likely to occur. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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2-3. -3. (canceled)
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8. A method of controlling a vehicle to increase pedestrian protection comprising:
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monitoring data from a plurality of sensors with an electronic control unit; determining a confidence factor that a detected object proximate to the vehicle is a pedestrian; comparing the confidence factor to a reaction threshold. determining if an impact with the detected object is likely to occur; and comparing the GPS data to the object position and the vehicle position and modifying the value of the confidence factor based upon the GPS data to alter the likelihood that an impact will occur; providing no vehicle response based upon the likelihood that an impact will not occur; providing a standard vehicle response based upon the likelihood that an impact will occur when based on the GPS data the confidence factor does not require modification; and providing a modified vehicle response based upon the likelihood that an impact will occur and the confidence factor requires modification based on the GPS data. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. (canceled)
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14. A pedestrian protection system for a vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of sensors to monitor an area proximate to the vehicle; an ECU connected to the plurality of sensors to determine if an object detected by the sensors is a pedestrian, wherein the electronic control unit is configured with instructions for; determining a confidence factor that a detected object proximate to the vehicle is a pedestrian; analyzing GPS data to determine if the vehicle is in one of an area of increased pedestrian presence, decreased pedestrian presence and indeterminate pedestrian presence; selecting a value for a reaction threshold based upon the analysis of the GPS data; and comparing the confidence factor to the reaction threshold. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification