Vehicular collision object determining system

• US 7,236,866 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iyoda, Motomi, Takahashi, Hiroyuki, Takafuji, Tetsuya, Miyata, Yujiro, Kachu, Ryotaro, Hattori, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAULIEU, YONEL
• Application Number:
  US10/950,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 701 45- 47, 701/301, 701/36, 701/96, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 280/734, 280/735, 280/728.1, 180167-168
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• 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

Abstract

From a collision load, a one-time integration value and a two-time integration value are computed. The one-time integration value and two-time integration value are then used for obtaining a mass and rigidity of a collision object as two primary parameters. The obtained two primary parameters are used for determining whether or not the collision object is a pedestrian. This achieves accuracy in determining the collision object that is remarkably superior to a conventional method that uses a collision load waveform.

Claims

1. A vehicular collision object determining system mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a collision load sensor that detects a collision load;

a speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

a computing unit that computes at least one of a mass and rigidity of a collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor; and

a determining unit that determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the at least one of the mass and the rigidity of the collision object,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass of the collision object based on a vehicle speed when the collision object starts to collide with the vehicle and a one-time integration value that is obtained by integrating the collision load with respect to time in one time.

7. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 1,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass of the collision object.

8. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 1,

wherein the computing unit computes the rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed rigidity of the collision object.

9. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 1,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass and rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass and rigidity of the collision object.

10. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 1,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed in a vehicle-width direction in front of a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle.

11. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 1,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed between a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle and a side member of the vehicle.

2. A vehicular collision object determining system mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a collision load sensor that detects a collision load;

a speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

a computing unit that computes at least one of a mass and rigidity of a collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor; and

a determining unit that determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the at least one of the mass and the rigidity of the collision object,

wherein the computing unit computes the rigidity of the collision object based on a vehicle speed when the collision object starts to collide with the vehicle, a one-time integration value that is obtained by integrating the collision load with respect to time in one time, and a two-time integration value that is obtained by integrating the collision load with respect to time in two times.

12. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 2,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass of the collision object.

13. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 2,

wherein the computing unit computes the rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed rigidity of the collision object.

14. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 2,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass and rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass and rigidity of the collision object.

15. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 2,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed in a vehicle-width direction in front of a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle.

16. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 2,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed between a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle and a side member of the vehicle.

3. A vehicular collision object determining system mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a collision load sensor that detects a collision load;

a speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

a computing unit that computes at least one of a mass and rigidity of a collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor; and

a determining unit that determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the at least one of the mass and the rigidity of the collision object,

wherein the computing unit computes at least one of the mass and the rigidity of the collision object when the collision load decreases to a given ratio relative to a maximum after the collision load reaches the maximum.

17. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 3,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass of the collision object.

18. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 3,

wherein the computing unit computes the rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed rigidity of the collision object.

19. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 3,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass and rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass and rigidity of the collision object.

20. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 3,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed in a vehicle-width direction in front of a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle.

21. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 3,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed between a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle and a side member of the vehicle.

4. A vehicular collision object determining system mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a collision load sensor that detects a collision load;

a speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle;

a computing unit that computes at least one of a mass and rigidity of a collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor; and

a determining unit that determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the at least one of the mass and the rigidity of the collision object; and

a width sensor that detects a collision width between the collision object and a bumper of the vehicle,

wherein the computing unit computes the rigidity of the collision object based on the collision width, the mass of the collision object, a vehicle speed when the collision object starts to collide with the vehicle, and a two-time integration value that is obtained by integrating the collision load with respect to time in two times.

5. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the width sensor is disposed in a vehicle-width direction on a front surface of a bumper cover of the vehicle.

6. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the width sensor is disposed in a vehicle-width direction between a bumper cover of the vehicle and an absorber of the vehicle.

22. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass of the collision object.

23. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the computing unit computes the rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed rigidity of the collision object.

24. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the computing unit computes the mass and rigidity of the collision object based on at least outputs from the collision load sensor and the speed sensor, and

wherein the determining unit determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or not based on the computed mass and rigidity of the collision object.

25. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed in a vehicle-width direction in front of a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle.

26. The vehicular collision object determining system of claim 4,

wherein the collision load sensor is disposed between a bumper reinforcement of the vehicle and a side member of the vehicle.