COLLISION DETECTION APPARATUS

• US 20150224956A1
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKENAKA, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,457,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/38 using means for lifting bonnets
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0052 measuring forces due to impact G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00

Abstract

A collision detection apparatus includes: an impact force detector configured to detect an impact force generated on a vehicle; a collision detector configured to detect collision with an obstacle outside of the vehicle at the time the impact force detector detects the impact force exceeding a threshold value; a collision predictor configured to predict that a bicycle being operated by a bicycle rider will collide with the vehicle before the collision with the obstacle outside of the vehicle is detected by the collision detector; and a colliding direction predictor configured to predict that the collision of the bicycle with the vehicle predicted collision with a front surface or a rear surface of the bicycle.

Claims

1. A collision detection apparatus comprising:

an impact force detector configured to detect an impact force generated on a vehicle;

a collision detector configured to detect collision with an obstacle outside of the vehicle at the time the impact force detector detects the impact force exceeding a threshold value;

a collision predictor configured to predict that a bicycle being operated by a bicycle rider will collide with the vehicle before the collision with the obstacle outside of the vehicle is detected by the collision detector; and

a colliding direction predictor configured to predict that the collision of the bicycle with the vehicle predicted collision with a front surface or a rear surface of the bicycle, wherein

the collision detector is configured to detect the collision with the obstacle at the time the colliding direction predictor does not predict the collision with the front surface or the rear surface of the bicycle, and the impact force detector detects the impact force exceeding a first threshold value, and

the collision detector is configured to detect the collision with the obstacle including the collision with the front surface or the rear surface of the bicycle at the time the colliding direction predictor predicts the collision with the front surface or the rear surface of the bicycle, and the impact force detector detects the impact force exceeding a second threshold value set to a value lower than the first threshold value.

2. The collision detection apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a bicycle rider protection unit configured to start an operation of protecting the bicycle rider at the time the collision detector detects the collision with the obstacle including the collision with the front surface or the rear surface of the bicycle.

3. The collision detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to carry out an automatic notification to a facility outside of the vehicle at the time the collision detector detects the collision with the obstacle including the collision with the front surface or the rear surface of the bicycle.

4. The collision detection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit configured to carry out an automatic notification to a facility outside of the vehicle at the time the collision detector detects the collision with the obstacle including the collision with the front surface or the rear surface of the bicycle.