System and method of providing warning to pedestrian using laser beam

• US 9,024,740 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Hui Sung, Kim, Jin Hak, Min, Kyoung Moo, Yoo, Kyung Ho, Jang, Yoon Ho, Im, Seong Su, Choi, Eun Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/556,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/436, 340/901, 340/904, 340/902, 340/903, 340/552, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557, 340/438, 340/933, 340/942
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system and method of providing a warning to a pedestrian using a laser beam. In particular, objects present in a detection area of a front impact sensor provided on a vehicle are detected. A movement path vector of a first moving object that is moving in a direction identical to that of the vehicle, among the objects present in the detection area, is generated. When the movement path vector of the first moving object falls within an error range of a movement vector of the vehicle, the first moving object is designated as belonging to a group of laser warning target candidates, and thereafter an emission angle of a laser beam is generated. The laser beam is emitted through a laser light based on the emission angle of the laser beam.

Claims

1. A method of providing a warning to a pedestrian using a laser beam, comprising:

detecting, by a sensor, objects present in a detection area of a front impact sensor provided on a vehicle;

generating, by a control unit, a movement path vector of a first moving object that is moving in a direction identical to that of the vehicle among the objects present in the detection area;

in response to the movement path vector of the first moving object falling within an error range of a movement vector of the vehicle, designating, by the control unit, the first moving object as belonging to a group of laser warning target candidates, and thereafter generating an emission angle of a laser beam;

emitting the laser beam through a laser light based on the generated emission angle of the laser beam;

generating a movement path vector of a new moving object when the new moving object other than the first moving object designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates is present in the detection area;

designating the new moving object as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls within the error range of the movement vector of the vehicle; and

designating the new moving object as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates when the movement path vector of the new moving object does not fall within the error range of the movement vector of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein among the objects present in the detection area, a fixed object and a second moving object moving in a direction different from that of the vehicle are designated as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when the movement path vector of the first moving object falls within a range of ±

10°

of the movement vector of the vehicle, the first moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates; and

when the movement path vector of the first moving object falls outside the range of ±

10°

, the first moving object is designated as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam emitted through the laser light is projected onto a ground surface located ahead of the first moving object in a direction in which the first moving object is moving.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the emission angle of the laser beam is generated by the following equations (1) and (2):

θ

1=tan((Y1+Y2)/(X1+X2)) 

 

(1)

θ

2=tan((H1)/(X1+X2)) 

 

(2)

where θ

1 denotes an angle of lateral rotation of the laser light, θ

2 denotes an angle of vertical rotation of the laser light, X1 denotes an interval between the front impact sensor and the first moving object, X2 denotes an interval between the first moving object and a location onto which the laser beam is projected, H1 denotes a height from the ground surface to the laser light, Y1 denotes an interval between a center of a front of the vehicle and a center of the first moving object, and Y2 denotes an interval between the center of the front of the vehicle and the laser light.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls within a range of ±

10°

of the movement vector of the vehicle, the new moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates; and

when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls outside the range of ±

10°

, the new moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning exception candidates.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that detect objects present in a detection area of a front impact sensor provided on a vehicle;

program instructions that generate a movement path vector of a first moving object that is moving in a direction identical to that of the vehicle among the objects present in the detection area;

program instructions that designate the first moving object as belonging to a group of laser warning target candidates, and thereafter generating an emission angle of a laser beam in response to the movement path vector of the first moving object falling within an error range of a movement vector of the vehicle;

program instructions that emit the laser beam through a laser light based on the generated emission angle of the laser beam;

program instructions that generate a movement path vector of a new moving object when the new moving object other than the first moving object designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates is present in the detection area;

program instructions that designate the new moving object as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls within the error range of the movement vector of the vehicle; and

program instructions that designate the new moving object as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates when the movement path vector of the new moving object does not fall within the error range of the movement vector of the vehicle.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein among the objects present in the detection area, a fixed object and a second moving object moving in a direction different from that of the vehicle are designated as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein:

when the movement path vector of the first moving object falls within a range of ±

10°

of the movement vector of the vehicle, the first moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates; and

when the movement path vector of the first moving object falls outside the range of ±

10°

, the first moving object is designated as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the laser beam emitted through the laser light is projected onto a ground surface located ahead of the first moving object in a direction in which the first moving object is moving.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the emission angle of the laser beam is generated by the following equations (1) and (2):

θ

1=tan((Y1+Y2)/(X1+X2)) 

 

(1)

θ

2=tan((H1)/(X1+X2)) 

 

(2)

where θ

1 denotes an angle of lateral rotation of the laser light, θ

2 denotes an angle of vertical rotation of the laser light, X1 denotes an interval between the front impact sensor and the first moving object, X2 denotes an interval between the first moving object and a location onto which the laser beam is projected, H1 denotes a height from the ground surface to the laser light, Y1 denotes an interval between a center of a front of the vehicle and a center of the first moving object, and Y2 denotes an interval between the center of the front of the vehicle and the laser light.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein:

when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls within a range of ±

10°

of the movement vector of the vehicle, the new moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates; and

when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls outside the range of ±

10°

, the new moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning exception candidates.

13. A system of providing a warning to a pedestrian using a laser beam, comprising:

a sensor mounted in a front portion of a vehicle configured to detect objects present in a detection area of a front impact sensor provided on a vehicle;

a control unit configured to generate a movement path vector of a first moving object that is moving in a direction identical to that of the vehicle among the objects present in the detection area, designate the first moving object as belonging to a group of laser warning target candidates in response to the movement path vector of the first moving object falling within an error range of a movement vector of the vehicle and thereafter generate an emission angle of a laser beam; and

a laser light configured to emit the laser beam based on the generated emission angle of the laser beam,

wherein a movement path vector of a new moving object is generated when the new moving object other than the first moving object designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates is present in the detection area;

the new moving object is designated as belonging to the group of laser warning target candidates when the movement path vector of the new moving object falls within the error range of the movement vector of the vehicle; and

the new moving object is designated as belonging to a group of laser warning exception candidates when the movement path vector of the new moving object does not fall within the error range of the movement vector of the vehicle.