Security system and a method to derive a security signal

• US 8,140,226 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Wagner, Daniel, Linsenmaier, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US12/335,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/274, 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

This invention relates to a security system for vehicles that have a side-looking pre-crash sensor for anticipating impact by a closing object, such as another motor vehicle, from a direction that is non-parallel to the direction of travel of the host vehicle. Such a system employs optical recognition for acquiring closing objects and for easing classification of the objects. The invention relates further to a method to derive a signal used for example to activate a side air back or to be used and further security systems of a vehicle.

Claims

1. Security system for a motor vehicle having a side and a vehicle electric and communication system, said security system comprising:

a video sensor fixedly secured to the side of the motor vehicle, said video sensor having a field of view ±

75°

from an axis perpendicular to the side of the motor vehicle and creating a video signal; and

a controller electrically connected to said video sensor for receiving said video signal for video frame analysis, said controller having a software module to run software using a multilevel optical object recognition mode and a connector to the vehicle electric and communication system, said software module providing a security signal to be transmitted out of said controller to the vehicle electric and communication system when a side impact is measured to be imminent, said multilevel optical object recognition mode identifying objects in the video signal on one level of optical recognition and, in a subsequent level, identifying direction and speed of the objects in the video signal identified in said one level of optical recognition.

2. Security system according claim 1 installed in a rear view mirror wherein the video sensor for side impact sensing is positioned in an exterior rear view mirror.

3. Security system according claim 1 installed in a rear view mirror wherein the video sensor for side impact sensing is including a storage device.

4. Security system according claim 2 installed in a rear view mirror wherein the video sensor is positioned at the remote end of the rear view mirror.

5. Security system according claim 1 installed in a rear view mirror wherein said controller and said software module are positioned in the rear view mirror.

6. Method to derive a security signal for a motor vehicle having a vehicle side with the following steps:

receiving a video signal via a video sensor, having a view of at least ±

75°

from the axis perpendicular to the vehicle side;

analyzing the video signals;

defining objects by object recognition in a first decision level;

comparing the objects in successive video frames of said video signal to define velocity and direction of the object with respect to the motor vehicle;

classifying the objects using the velocity and direction parameters of the previous step in a second decision level; and

providing a security signal in case of expected side impact for use in a vehicle safety system of the motor vehicle.

7. Method according claim 6 further including the step of using the security signal as a trigger for exploding a side air bag.

8. Method according claim 6 further including the step of using further sensing signals to verify the danger situation and to improve the decision by further parameter sets.

9. Method according claim 6 wherein the video signal is stored in a storage device.