System for protection of a vulnerable road user and method for operating the system

• US 8,876,157 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Nilsson, Par, Johansson, Bjorn, Jarvholm, Stefan, Harda, Peter, Ask, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US13/927,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20140000974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 701/45, 701/96, 701/301, 180/271, 180/167, 180/274, 340/435, 340/436, 307/10.1, 296/187.04
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/38 using means for lifting bonnets

Abstract

A method is provided for operating a system of a vehicle for protection of a vulnerable road user. The system includes a remote sensor, a contact-based sensor, and a pedestrian protection device. The method may include scanning a region in front of the vehicle by the remote sensor to detect a target object and, if a target object is detected, classifying the target object into an object category based on information from the remote sensor. The method may also include selecting the selectable fire interval of an evaluation algorithm using the object category as input and, if an impact is detected by the contact-based sensor, the contact-based sensor sending information about the impact to the evaluation algorithm. The method may also include the evaluation algorithm evaluating if the signal is within the selectable fire interval, and in that case activating the pedestrian protection device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a system of a vehicle for protection of a vulnerable road user, said system comprising a remote sensor, a contact-based sensor and a pedestrian protection means, the method comprising:

scanning a region in front of said vehicle by said remote sensor in order to detect a target object;

if a target object is detected, classifying said target object into an object category based on information from said remote sensor;

selecting a selectable fire interval of an evaluation algorithm using said object category as input;

if an impact is detected by said contact-based sensor, said contact-based sensor sending information about the impact as a signal to said evaluation algorithm;

said evaluation algorithm evaluating if said signal is within said selectable fire interval, and in that case activating said pedestrian protection means;

wherein a plurality of n different object categories is used corresponding to n fire intervals of said evaluation algorithm, n being between 2 and 20.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein image analysis is utilized for classifying said target object into one of the object categories.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said image analysis is combined with information from said remote sensor about the speed of said target object relative to said vehicle for classifying said target object into one of the object categories.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said target object is classified according to one of the object categories comprising:

a no-fire object category, corresponding to a first fire interval of said evaluation algorithm;

a fire object category, corresponding to a second fire interval of said evaluation algorithm; and

an undefined object category, corresponding to a third fire interval of said evaluation algorithm.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a height (h) of said target object by information from said remote sensor, said classifying of said target object into one of the object categories also being based on said determined height (h).

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a predicted impact point on said vehicle based on information from said remote sensor, using said predicted impact point for selection of a subset of contact-based sensors from a plurality of contact-based sensors in said vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a speed of said vehicle when said contact-based sensor detects an impact, and only activating said pedestrian protection means if the speed of said vehicle is within a predefined speed interval.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of n different object categories is used corresponding to n fire intervals of said evaluation algorithm, n being between 2 and 10.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of n different object categories is used corresponding to n fire intervals of said evaluation algorithm, n being between 2 and 5.

10. A method for operating a system of a vehicle for protection of a vulnerable road user, said system comprising a remote sensor, a contact-based sensor and a pedestrian protection means, the method comprising:

scanning a region in front of said vehicle by said remote sensor in order to detect a target object;

if a target object is detected, classifying said target object into an object category based on information from said remote sensor;

selecting a selectable fire interval of an evaluation algorithm using said object category as input;

if an impact is detected by said contact-based sensor, said contact-based sensor sending information about the impact as a signal to said evaluation algorithm;

said evaluation algorithm evaluating if said signal is within said selectable fire interval, and in that case activating said pedestrian protection means;

wherein the range of the fire interval of said evaluation algorithm is steplessly selectable, corresponding to an infinite number of different object categories.

11. A system for protection of a vulnerable road user, the system comprising:

a remote sensor for detecting a target object at a distance (d);

a contact-based sensor;

a pedestrian protection means;

a classifier; and

a computational unit comprising an evaluation algorithm for activation of said pedestrian protection means;

wherein said remote sensor is adapted to send information to said classifier, said classifier is adapted to classify said target object into an object category, said contact-based sensor is arranged to send information as a signal to said evaluation algorithm, said evaluation algorithm has a selectable fire interval selected based on said object category, said pedestrian protection means is activated if said signal is evaluated as being within said selectable fire interval, and a plurality of n different object categories is used corresponding to n fire intervals of said evaluation algorithm, n being between 2 and 20.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said classifier comprises an image analysis system.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said remote sensor comprises a radar system, a lidar system, an ultrasonic system, a camera system, a stereo camera system, an IR camera system and/or a transceiver of a vehicle-2-vehicle system.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said contact-based sensor comprises an accelerometer, a pressure sensor, a light sensor, a fibre-optic sensor, a contact foil and/or a piezoelectric sensor.

15. The system according to claim 11 further comprising means for determining the speed of said target object and/or the speed of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the means for determining the speed of said target object and/or the speed of the vehicle comprises the remote sensor.

17. A vehicle comprising the system for protection of a vulnerable road user according to claim 11.

18. The system according to claim 11 wherein the pedestrian protection means comprises a deployable bonnet and/or or one or more airbags.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of n different object categories is used corresponding to n fire intervals of said evaluation algorithm, n being between 2 and 10.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of n different object categories is used corresponding to n fire intervals of said evaluation algorithm, n being between 2 and 5.