System and method for preemptively sensing an object and selectively operating both a collision countermeasure system and a parking assistance system aboard an automotive vehicle

• US 7,138,938 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Prakah-Asante, Kwaku O., Rao, Manoharprasad K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US10/908,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20060250297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 180167-169, 701/300, 701/301, 342/27, 342/28, 342 52- 54, 342 70- 72, 342/175, 342/195, 367/87, 367/93, 367/94, 367 99-116
• US Class Current: 342/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area radar in bumper area G01S2013/93275; bumper with obstacle sensor of electric or electronic type B60R19/483

Abstract

A system and method for preemptively sensing an object in the potential drive path of an automotive vehicle and selectively operating both a collision countermeasure system and a parking assistance system aboard the automotive vehicle are disclosed herein. The system includes a radar sensor, ultrasonic sensors, and a data processing system mounted aboard the automotive vehicle. The data processing system is electrically connected to the radar sensor, the ultrasonic sensors, the collision countermeasure system, and the parking assistance system. The sensors are operable to cooperatively sense the position of the object in the potential drive path of the automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit sensor data to the data processing system. The data processing system is operable to receive the sensor data, selectively process the sensor data, and accordingly transmit operating instructions to the collision countermeasure system and the parking assistance system so as to selectively operate both systems.

Claims

1. A vehicular system for preemptively sensing an object in the potential drive path of an automotive vehicle and selectively operating both a collision countermeasure system and a parking assistance system aboard said automotive vehicle, said vehicular system comprising:

a radar sensor for being mounted aboard said automotive vehicle;

two ultrasonic sensors for being mounted aboard said automotive vehicle; and

a data processing system for being mounted aboard said automotive vehicle, electrically connected to said radar sensor and said two ultrasonic sensors, and electrically connected to said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system;

wherein said radar sensor and said two ultrasonic sensors are operable to cooperatively sense the position of said object in said potential drive path of said automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit radar sensor data and ultrasonic sensor data to said data processing system; and

wherein said data processing system is operable to receive said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data, selectively process said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data, and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system so as to operate said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system in a selective manner.

2. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said radar sensor is operable to produce a beam having an angular field of view of at least 60 degrees.

3. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said radar sensor is mounted at the center of the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

4. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said two ultrasonic sensors are spaced apart and mounted at opposite sides of the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

5. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said radar sensor and said two ultrasonic sensors are mounted at the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

6. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said radar sensor is mounted at the center of the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle, and said two ultrasonic sensors are spaced apart and mounted at opposite sides of said frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

7. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said data processing system comprises at least one microprocessor.

8. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said data processing system has means for executing a data fusion algorithm to selectively aggregate and sort said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data.

9. A vehicular system according to claim 1, wherein said data processing system has means for executing decision-making algorithms to determine said operating instructions for said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system in accordance with said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data.

10. A vehicular system according to claim 1, said vehicular system further comprising:

a backup assistance system including at least one backward-facing sensor mounted on the back of said automotive vehicle, electrically connected to said data processing system, and selected from the group consisting of a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a vision sensor;

wherein said at least one backward-facing sensor is operable, when the reverse gear of said automotive vehicle is engaged, to sense the position of said object in said potential drive path of said automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit sensor data to said data processing system; and

wherein said data processing system is operable to receive said sensor data, selectively process said sensor data, and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said parking assistance system so as to operate said parking assistance system in a selective manner.

11. A method for preemptively sensing an object in the potential drive path of an automotive vehicle and selectively operating both a collision countermeasure system and a parking assistance system aboard said automotive vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) operating a radar sensor aboard said automotive vehicle to sense the position of said object in said potential drive path of said automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit radar sensor data to a data processing system aboard said automotive vehicle;

(b) operating two ultrasonic sensors aboard said automotive vehicle to sense said position of said object in said potential drive path of said automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit ultrasonic sensor data to said data processing system aboard said automotive vehicle; and

(c) operating said data processing system to receive said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data, selectively process said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data, and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system so as to operate said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system in a selective manner.

12. A method according to claim 11, said method further comprising the step of:

mounting said radar sensor at the center of the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

13. A method according to claim 11, said method further comprising the step of:

spacing said two ultrasonic sensors apart and mounting said two ultrasonic sensors at opposite sides of the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

14. A method according to claim 11, said method further comprising the step of:

mounting said radar sensor and said two ultrasonic sensors at the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

15. A method according to claim 11, said method further comprising the steps of:

mounting said radar sensor at the center of the frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle; and

spacing said two ultrasonic sensors apart and mounting said two ultrasonic sensors at opposite sides of said frontal periphery of said automotive vehicle.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises the sub-step of:

operating said data processing system to execute a data fusion algorithm so as to selectively aggregate and sort said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises the sub-step of:

operating said data processing system to execute a data fusion algorithm so as to selectively aggregate and sort said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data into at least one of two data categories, said two data categories being predefined as data utile for collision prediction and data utile for parking assistance.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises the sub-steps of:

operating said data processing system to receive dynamics data of said automotive vehicle and therefrom determine the average speed of said automotive vehicle;

operating said data processing system to determine whether said average speed of said automotive vehicle is greater than a predetermined parking assistance speed limit;

operating said data processing system, when said average speed of said automotive vehicle is determined to be greater than said predetermined parking assistance speed limit, to selectively process said radar sensor data and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said collision countermeasure system so as to operate said collision countermeasure system in a selective manner; and

operating said data processing system, when said average speed of said automotive vehicle is determined to be less than said predetermined parking assistance speed limit, to selectively process said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said parking assistance system so as to operate said parking assistance system in a selective manner.

19. A method according to claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises the sub-step of:

operating said data processing system to execute decision-making algorithms so as to determine said operating instructions for said collision countermeasure system and said parking assistance system in accordance with said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data.

20. A method for preemptively sensing an object in the potential drive path of an automotive vehicle and selectively operating both a collision countermeasure system and a parking assistance system aboard said automotive vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) operating a radar sensor aboard said automotive vehicle to sense the position of said object in said potential drive path of said automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit radar sensor data to a data processing system aboard said automotive vehicle;

(b) operating two ultrasonic sensors aboard said automotive vehicle to sense said position of said object in said potential drive path of said automotive vehicle and accordingly transmit ultrasonic sensor data to said data processing system aboard said automotive vehicle;

(c) operating said data processing system to receive said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data;

(d) operating said data processing system to receive dynamics data of said automotive vehicle and therefrom determine the average speed of said automotive vehicle;

(e) operating said data processing system to determine whether said average speed of said automotive vehicle is greater than a predetermined parking assistance speed limit;

(f) operating said data processing system, when said average speed of said automotive vehicle is determined to be greater than said predetermined parking assistance speed limit, to selectively process said radar sensor data and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said collision countermeasure system so as to operate said collision countermeasure system in a selective manner; and

(g) operating said data processing system, when said average speed of said automotive vehicle is determined to be less than said predetermined parking assistance speed limit, to selectively process said radar sensor data and said ultrasonic sensor data and accordingly transmit operating instructions to said parking assistance system so as to operate said parking assistance system in a selective manner.