Vision system for deploying safety systems

• US 8,060,280 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arriver Software LLC (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hadi, Salah, Decker, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US12/103,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/70, 280/735
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0002 Type of accident
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

A control system for safety deployment. The control system includes a processor, a first imaging sensor, and a second imaging sensor. The first and second imaging sensor are in electrical communication with the processor. The processor generates a safety system activation decision based on two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor and three-dimensional information based on the first and second imaging sensor.

Claims

1. A control system for safety system deployment in a vehicle, the control system comprising:

a processor;

a first imaging sensor in electrical communication with the processor;

a second imaging sensor in electrical communication with the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to generate safety system activation decision based on two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor and three-dimensional information based at least partially on the first and second imaging sensor;

wherein the processor is configured to generate a first collision decision based on the two-dimensional information and a second collision decision based on the three-dimensional information.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a safety system activation decision based on two-dimensional information provided from the second imaging sensor and three-dimensional information generated based on the first and second imaging sensor.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the first collision decision is generated based on the two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor, a second collision decision is generated by the two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor, and a third collision decision is generated based on the three-dimensional information, and wherein a safety system activation decision is generated based on the first, second and third collision decision.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate an object trajectory based on a combination of the two-dimensional information and the three-dimensional information.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to generate the safety system activation decision based on a two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor, two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor, and three-dimensional information generated based on the first and second imaging sensor.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein the first collision decision is generated based on the two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor, a second collision decision is generated by the two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor, and a third collision decision is generated based on the three-dimensional information, and wherein a safety system activation decision is generated based on the first, second and third collision decision.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate an object class based on a combination of the two-dimensional information and the three-dimensional information.

8. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to generate the safety system activation decision based on a two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor, two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor, and three-dimensional information generated based on the first and second imaging sensor.

9. The control system according to claim 8, wherein the first collision decision is generated based on the two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor, a second collision decision is generated by the two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor, and a third collision decision is generated based on the three-dimensional information, and wherein a safety system activation decision is generated based on the first, second and third collision decision.

10. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate an object distance based on a combination of the two-dimensional information and the three-dimensional information.

11. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the safety system activation decision based on a two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor, two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor, and three-dimensional information generated based on the first and second imaging sensor.

12. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the safety system activation decision is an airbag deployment decision.

13. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adapt the safety system based on the object trajectory, the object class, and the object distance.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first collision decision and second collision decision are each a determination as to whether an object will collide with the vehicle.

14. A method for controlling the safety system in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

generating two-dimensional information from a first imaging sensor;

generating three-dimensional information based at least partially on a second imaging sensor;

generating a first collision decision based on the two-dimensional information along a first processing path;

generating a second collision decision based on the three-dimensional information along a second processing path; and

generating a safety system activation decision based on the first and second collision decision.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

generating two-dimensional information based on the second imaging sensor;

generating a third collision decision based on a two-dimensional information received from the second imaging sensor; and

generating the safety system activation decision based on the first, second and third collision decision.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the three-dimensional information is stereo imaging information.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the two-dimensional information is single detector imaging information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to provide the object trajectory, object class, and object distance information to a driver system.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to adapt safety system deployment parameters based on the combination of the two-dimensional information and the three-dimensional information.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first collision decision and second collision decision are each a determination as to whether an object will collide with the vehicle.