Collision reducing device

• US 8,798,885 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Application Number:
  US12/532,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01259 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01265 Seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/14 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A collision reducing device including a radar, an image sensor, a collision mitigation, and a brake. A collision predicting section of the collision mitigation has a first actuating section for causing a vehicle control section to perform running control when a collision possibility exceeds a reference value in one-frame determination, a second actuating section for causing the vehicle control section to perform running control when the collision possibility exceeds a reference value in M-frame determination, and a selecting section for selectively operating the first actuating section and second actuating section, so that the vehicle control section can be operated by two kinds of numbers of determinations, whereby the speed of collision determination can be secured by a smaller number of determinations when operating the first actuating section, while malfunctions can be reduced more by a greater number of determinations when operating the second actuating section.

Claims

1. A collision reducing device comprising:

a sensor that is configured to detect information about objects around an own vehicle;

a detector that is configured to detect an object existing in the information;

a first actuating unit that is configured to determine whether a number of a collision possibility between the object and the own vehicle exceeds a first reference value by more than a first number of times in a first number of frames;

a second actuating unit that is configured to determine whether a number of the collision possibility exceeds the first reference value by more than a second number of times in a second number of frames, the second number being greater than the first number;

a selecting unit that is configured to select one of the first actuating unit and the second actuating unit in accordance with the collision possibility and a second reference value of a time to collision; and

a controller that is configured to control the own vehicle to reduce collision influence based on selected actuating.

2. A collision reducing device according to claim 1, wherein the selecting unit operates the first actuating unit if the collision possibility exceeds the second reference value and operates the second actuating unit if the collision possibility does not exceed the second reference value.

3. A collision reducing device according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle speed detecting unit for detecting an own vehicle speed;

wherein the selecting unit operates the first actuating unit if the own vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit exceeds a third reference value and operates the second actuating unit if the own vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit does not exceed a third reference value.

4. A collision reducing device according to claim 1, further comprising braking unit for performing a braking operation of the own vehicle;

wherein the selecting unit operates the first actuating unit if the braking unit does not perform the braking operation and operates the second actuating unit if the braking unit performs the braking operation.

5. A collision reducing device according to claim 1, wherein the selecting unit operates the first actuating unit if a curvature of a running path of the own vehicle exceeds a fourth reference value and operates the second actuating unit if a radius of curvature of a running path of the own vehicle does not exceed a fourth reference value.

6. A collision reducing device according to claim 1, wherein the selecting unit operates the first actuating unit if a detection accuracy of the object detecting unit exceeds a fifth reference value and operates the second actuating unit if a detection accuracy of the object detecting unit does not exceed a fifth reference value.

7. A collision reducing device according to claim 1, further comprising a driver monitor sensor for detecting an alertness of a driver;

wherein the selecting unit operates the first actuating unit if the alertness of the driver detected by the driver monitor sensor is less than a sixth reference value and operates the second actuating unit if the alertness of the driver detected by the driver monitor sensor is not less than a sixth reference value.

8. A collision reducing device comprising:

a sensor that detects an object existing about an own vehicle; and

an ECU that is configured to;

determine whether a number of a collision possibility between the object and the own vehicle exceeds a first reference value by more than a first number of times or more in a first number of frames,

determine whether or not to reduce collision influence in accordance with the collision possibility determination based on a second reference value that is a second number of times or more in a second number of frames, the second number being greater than the first number,

select one of a first actuating unit and a second actuating unit in accordance with a time to collision, and

configured to reduce the collision influence based on selected actuating.

9. A collision reducing method comprising:

detecting information about an own vehicle;

detecting an object existing in the information;

controlling, by a first actuating unit, the own vehicle to reduce collision influence in accordance with whether a number of a collision possibility between the object and the own vehicle exceeds a first reference value by more than a first number of times in a first number of frames;

controlling, by a second actuating unit, the own vehicle to reduce collision influence in accordance with whether a number of the collision possibility exceeds the first reference value by more than a second number of times in a second number of frames, the second number being greater than the first number;

selecting one of the first actuating unit and the second actuating unit in accordance with the collision possibility and a second reference value of a time to collision; and

controlling the own vehicle to reduce collision influence based on selected actuating.