Collision predicting apparatus and collision predicting method

• US 7,974,784 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murahashi, Yasuhiko, Moriizumi, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHNCKE, CHRISTINE M
• Application Number:
  US12/382,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 701/96, 701/300, 701/301, 701/93, 701/97, 701/98, 701/302, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 180/167, 180/232
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/726 Multiple target tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction

Abstract

A collision predicting apparatus detects subject targets present in the traveling course of the own vehicle by using the relative distance and the relative velocity, etc. The apparatus also calculates the predicted collision time of each subject target on the basis of the relative distance and the relative velocity. The apparatus also detects the relative lateral position of each subject target, and corrects the relative lateral position. The apparatus then executes a collision-predicted target selecting routine, in which the predicted collision time of each subject target that does not meet a predetermined condition is set at a predetermined maximum value. The apparatus selects a subject target that meets the predetermined condition as a collision subject target, and predicts whether the collision subject target will collide with the own vehicle.

Claims

1. A collision predicting apparatus, comprising:

a subject target detector portion that detects a plurality of subject targets which exist in a course of the vehicle and which have a possibility of colliding with the vehicle;

a relative quantity detector portion that detects a relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected by the subject target detector portion;

a collision time calculator portion that predicts and calculates a collision time of each of the subject targets until a collision with the vehicle, by using the relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected by the relative quantity detector portion;

a collision subject target selector portion that selects a collision subject target having a high possibility of colliding with the vehicle based on at least the collision time of each of the subject targets calculated by the collision time calculator portion;

a collision predictor portion that predicts a collision between the collision subject target selected by the collision subject target selector portion and the vehicle by using the collision time of the collision subject target;

a relative lateral position calculation portion that calculates a relative lateral position between the center axis of the vehicle and a part of each of the subject targets, wherein the relative lateral position is calculated based on the assumption that the vehicle is moving linearly relative to the subject targets;

a curvature estimating portion that estimates a radius of a curvature along which the vehicle is running;

an estimate relative lateral position calculation portion that calculates an estimated relative lateral position by correcting the relative lateral position calculated by the relative lateral position calculation portion based on the radius of the curvature estimated by the curvature estimating portion; and

wherein the collision subject target selector portion excludes the subject targets from the collision subject target if at least one of the relative lateral position and the estimated relative lateral position is greater than a predetermined distance.

2. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collision subject target selector portion selects, as the collision subject target, a subject target that has a shortest collision time among the collision times of the plurality of subject targets calculated by the collision time calculator portion.

3. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collision subject target selector portion selects the collision subject target based on the collision time, and information that indicates whether the subject target detector portion continues to detect the subject targets.

4. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information is extrapolation flag information that is output if the subject target is temporarily not detected by the subject target detector portion.

5. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the collision subject target selector portion selects, as the collision subject target, a subject target in which the number of times of output of the extrapolation flag information is within a predetermined range.

6. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a collision time corrector portion that corrects the collision time predicted and calculated by the collision time calculator portion using a predetermined relative quantity among the relative quantities detected by the relative quantity detector portion,

wherein the predetermined relative quantity used by the collision time corrector portion is a quantity of offset of the subject target from a center line of the vehicle which extends in a direction that coincides with a traveling direction of the vehicle.

7. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a collision time corrector portion that corrects the collision time predicted and calculated by the collision time calculator portion using a predetermined relative quantity among the relative quantities detected by the relative quantity detector portion,

wherein the collision time corrector portion corrects the collision time of each of the subject targets by setting the collision time to a predetermined maximum value.

8. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collision subject target selector portion resets a selection of the collision subject target already selected, and newly selects the collision subject target.

9. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relative quantity detected by the relative quantity detector portion includes at least one relative quantity selected from the group consisting of a relative distance of each subject target, a relative velocity of each subject target, and a direction of existence of each subject target from the own vehicle.

10. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the relative lateral position calculation portion estimates whether the each of the target subjects exists in the course in which the vehicle is running; and

the estimate relative lateral position calculation portion estimates whether the each of the target subjects is unavoidable when the vehicle is running with the radius calculated by the curvature estimating portion.

11. A method for controlling a vehicle that includes a plurality of different occupant protection devices comprising:

detecting a plurality of subject targets that exist in a course of the vehicle and that have a possibility of colliding with the vehicle;

detecting a relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected;

predicting and calculating a collision time of each of the subject targets preceding a collision with the vehicle, by using the relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected;

selecting a collision subject target having a high possibility of colliding with the vehicle based on at least the collision time of each of the subject targets calculated;

predicting a collision between the collision subject target selected by the selecting the collision subject target step and the vehicle by using the collision time of the collision subject target;

calculating a relative lateral position between the center axis of the vehicle and a part of each of the subject targets, wherein the relative lateral position is calculated based on the assumption that the vehicle is moving linearly relative to the subject targets;

estimating a radius of a curvature along which the vehicle is running;

calculating an estimated relative lateral position by correcting the relative lateral position based on the estimated radius of the curvature; and

excluding the subject targets from the collision subject target if at least one of the relative lateral position and the estimated relative lateral position is greater than a predetermined distance.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a subject target that has a shortest collision time among the collision times calculated with regard to the subject targets is selected as the collision subject target.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the collision subject target is selected based on the collision time, and information that indicates whether the detecting the subject targets is continued.

14. The collision predicting method according to claim 13, wherein the information is extrapolation flag information that is output if the collision subject target is temporarily not detected.

15. The collision predicting method according to claim 14, wherein a subject target in which the number of times of output of the extrapolation flag information is within a predetermined range is selected as the collision subject target.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined relative quantity is a quantity of offset of the subject target from a center line of the vehicle which extends in a direction that coincides with a traveling direction of the vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

correcting the collision time predicted and calculated by setting the collision time to a predetermined maximum value using a predetermined relative quantity among the detected relative quantities.

18. The collision predicting method according to claim 11, wherein a selection of the collision subject target already selected is reset, and the collision subject target is newly selected.

19. The collision predicting method according to claim 11, wherein the relative quantity detected includes at least one relative quantity selected from the group consisting of a relative distance of each subject target, a relative velocity of each subject target, and a direction of existence of each subject target from the own vehicle.

20. A collision predicting apparatus, comprising:

a subject target detector portion that detects a plurality of subject targets which exist in a course of the vehicle and which have a possibility of colliding with the vehicle;

a relative quantity detector portion that detects a relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected by the subject target detector portion;

a collision time calculator portion that predicts and calculates a collision time of each of the subject targets until a collision with the vehicle, by using the relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected by the relative quantity detector portion;

a collision subject target selector portion that selects a collision subject target having a high possibility of colliding with the vehicle based on at least the collision time of each of the subject targets calculated by the collision time calculator portion;

a collision predictor portion that predicts a collision between the collision subject target selected by the collision subject target selector portion and the vehicle by using the collision time of the collision subject target;

a relative lateral position calculation portion that calculates a relative lateral position between the center axis of the vehicle and each of the subject targets;

an estimate relative lateral position calculation portion that calculates an estimated relative lateral position based on a radius of a curve the vehicle is traveling along; and

a collision time corrector portion that corrects the collision time predicted and calculated by the collision time calculator portion using a predetermined relative quantity among the relative quantities detected by the relative quantity detector portion,

wherein the collision time corrector portion corrects the collision time of each of the subject targets by setting the collision time to a predetermined maximum value if at least one of the relative lateral position and the estimated relative lateral position is greater than a predetermined distance.

21. The collision predicting apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the collision subject target selector portion excludes the subject targets from the collision subject target if the collision time of the subject targets is set to the predetermined maximum value.

22. A collision predicting apparatus, comprising:

a subject target detector portion that detects a plurality of subject targets which exist in a course of the vehicle and which have a possibility of colliding with the vehicle;

a relative quantity detector portion that detects a relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected by the subject target detector portion;

a collision time calculator portion that predicts and calculates a collision time of each of the subject targets until a collision with the vehicle, by using the relative quantity between the vehicle and each of the subject targets detected by the relative quantity detector portion;

a collision subject target selector portion that selects a collision subject target having a high possibility of colliding with the vehicle based on at least the collision time of each of the subject targets calculated by the collision time calculator portion;

a collision predictor portion that predicts a collision between the collision subject target selected by the collision subject target selector portion and the vehicle by using the collision time of the collision subject target;

a relative lateral position calculation portion that calculates a relative lateral position between the center axis of the vehicle and a part of each of the subject targets, wherein the relative lateral position is calculated based on the assumption that the vehicle is moving linearly relative to the subject targets;

a curvature estimating portion that estimates a radius of a curvature along which the vehicle is running;

an estimate relative lateral position calculation portion that calculates an estimated relative lateral position by correcting the relative lateral position calculated by the relative lateral position calculation portion based on the radius of the curvature estimated by the curvature estimating portion; and

wherein the collision time calculator portion compares the relative lateral position to a predetermined distance, and sets the collision time to a predetermined maximum value if the relative lateral position is greater than the predetermined distance; and

wherein the collision time calculator portion compares the estimated relative lateral position to the predetermined distance if the relative lateral position is less than the predetermined distance, and sets the collision time to the predetermined maximum value if the estimated relative lateral position is greater than the predetermined distance.