Feature target selection for countermeasure performance within a vehicle

• US 7,480,570 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Li, Yusheng, Mentell, Corinne, Yopp, Wilford Trent, King, Anthony Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/711,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/36, 701300-302, 342/29, 342/41, 342/61, 342 69- 70, 342/455, 340/425.5, 340435-436, 340/903, 340/901
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A target selection system (21) for a vehicle (12) includes an object detection sensor (17) that generates object detection signals associated with multiple detected objects. A feature target selection module (30) selects secondary targets from the objects and associates the secondary targets with respective features (23). A primary target selection module (31) selects primary targets from the secondary targets and associates each of the primary targets with a single respective concentrated feature.

Claims

1. A target selection system for a vehicle, said target selection system comprising:

at least one object detection sensor for generating object detection signals associated with a plurality of objects;

a feature target selection module for selecting secondary targets from said plurality of objects and associating said secondary targets with a plurality of respective features; and

a primary target selection module for selecting primary targets from said secondary targets and associating each of said primary targets with a single respective concentrated feature.

2. A target selection system as in claim 1, wherein said single respective concentrated feature is selected from said plurality of respective features.

3. A target selection system as in claim 1, said target selection system further comprising:

a path prediction module for determining at least one predicted path estimation of said vehicle; and

a diagnostic module for determining positions of said plurality of objects in response to said at least one predicted path estimation;

wherein said feature target selection module is operable to select said secondary targets in response to the determined positions.

4. A target selection system as in claim 3, wherein said path prediction module is operable to determine a resultant predicted future path and an associated path confidence level in response to said at least one predicted path estimation and said diagnostic module, and said diagnostic module is operable to determine said positions in response to said predicted future path and said confidence level.

5. A target selection system as in claim 1, said target selection system further comprising:

an object tracker module for tracking said plurality of objects and generating an object data field;

wherein said feature target selection module is operable to select said secondary targets in response to said object data field.

6. A target selection system as in claim 5, wherein said object tracker module is operable tag at least one of said plurality of objects as new and track previously detected objects.

7. A target selection system as in claim 5, wherein said object data field includes:

an object list; and

object associated characteristic data.

8. A target selection system as in claim 7, wherein said object associated characteristic data includes at least one type of data selected from the list consisting of range data, range-rate data, angle data, position data, shape data, size data, weight data, classification data, certainty indices, and confidence levels.

9. A target selection system as in claim 1, said target selection system further comprising:

a cue information request module for generating target information request signals;

wherein said at least one object detection sensor is operable to generate said object detection signals in response to said target information request signals.

10. A target selection system as in claim 9, wherein said cue information request module is operable to generate a first information request signal associated with a first primary target and also a second information request signal associated with a second primary target.

11. A target selection system as in claim 9, wherein said at least one object detection sensor is operable to adjust sensor settings in response to said target information request signals.

12. A target selection system as in claim 9, wherein said cue information request module is operable to generate a first information request signal associated with a first secondary target and also a second information request signal associated with a second secondary target.

13. A target selection system as in claim 1, wherein said feature target selection module is operable to select a first set of secondary targets associated with a first feature and also a second set of secondary targets associated with a second feature.

14. A target selection system as in claim 1, wherein said primary target selection module is operable to select a first primary target associated solely with a first feature and also a secondary target associated solely with a second feature.

15. A target selection system as in claim 1, wherein said primary target selection module is operable to select a set of primary targets associated with a particular feature.

16. A countermeasure system for a vehicle, said countermeasure system comprising:

at least one object detection sensor for generating object detection signals associated with a plurality of objects;

a feature target selection module for selecting secondary targets from said plurality of objects and associating said secondary targets with a plurality of respective features;

a primary target selection module for selecting primary targets from said secondary targets and associating each of said primary targets with a single respective concentrated feature; and

a controller for performing at least one countermeasure in response to said primary targets.

17. A countermeasure system as in claim 16, said countermeasure system further comprising:

a path prediction module for determining a resultant predicted future path of said vehicle and an associated path confidence level; and

a diagnostic module for determining positions of said plurality of objects in response to said resultant predicted future path and said path confidence level;

wherein said feature target selection module is operable to select said secondary targets in response to the determined positions.

18. A target selection system for a vehicle, said target selection system comprising:

at least one object detection sensor for generating object detection signals associated with a plurality of objects;

a plurality of vehicle state sensors for generating vehicle state signals;

a path-tracking module for generating a path-tracking signal;

a path prediction module for generating at least one path-prediction signal in response to said vehicle state signals, said path prediction module being operable to determine a resultant predicted future path of said vehicle and an associated path confidence level in response to said at least one path-prediction signal and said path-tracking signal; and

a controller for determining threat of each of said plurality of objects in response to said object detection signals and selecting at least one primary target for a plurality of features in response to said resultant predicted future path, said associated path confidence level, and said threat.

19. A target selection system as in claim 18, wherein:

said controller, for selecting said at least one primary target, is operable to determine a highest threat object of said plurality of objects for said plurality of features; and

said controller is operable to perform a countermeasure in response to said primary target.

20. A target selection system as in claim 18, wherein said controller comprises:

a feature target selection module for selecting secondary targets from said plurality of objects and associating said secondary targets with said plurality of features; and

a primary target selection module for selecting said at least one primary target from said secondary targets and associating each of a plurality of concentrated features with said at least one primary target.