Collision damage reduction system

• US 20030139883A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Takafuji, Tetsuya, Suzuki, Tomoji
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01259 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01265 Seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In a collision damage reduction system, a microcomputer obtains a first performance limit data of the own vehicle according to the detected speed thereof by a first detecting unit and a second performance limit data of the object according to the relative position data detected by a first detecting unit, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof by a third detecting unit. The microcomputer calculates a total collision probability representing a probability that the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other on a runnable space according to the first performance limit data, the second performance limit data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the relative position data. In addition, the microcomputer instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability.

Claims

1. A collision damage reduction system installed on an own vehicle and having an operation unit capable of performing at least one of a first operation of avoiding a collision of the own vehicle with an object and a second operation of reducing damage in the collision, said system comprising:

a first detecting unit configured to regularly detect a relative position data corresponding to a relative position between the own vehicle and the object;

a second detecting unit configured to regularly detect a speed of the own vehicle;

a third detecting unit configured to regularly detect a turning angle of the own vehicle;

means for obtaining a first performance limit data of the own vehicle according to the detected speed thereof and a second performance limit data of the object according to the relative position data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof;

means for calculating a total collision probability representing a probability that the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other on a runnable space according to the first performance limit data, the second performance limit data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the relative position data, said own vehicle and object being runnable on the runnable space; and

means for instructing the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability.

2. A collision damage reduction system according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means comprises:

means for expecting a first running locus of the own vehicle on the runnable space according to the first performance limit data;

means for expecting a second running locus of the object on the runnable space according to the second performance limit data;

means for obtaining a region on which the first running locus of the own vehicle and the second running locus of the object are temporally spatially overlapped so as to expect the overlapped region as a collision region on which the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other;

means for obtaining a first probability distribution including probabilities that the own vehicle will exist on the collision region according to the first performance limit data and a second probability distribution including probabilities that the object will exist on the collision region according to the second performance limit data; and

means for calculating the total collision probability according to the obtained first and second probability distributions.

3. A collision damage reduction system according to claim 1, wherein said first performance limit data includes at least one of a maximum speed rate of the own vehicle in its running direction at a current time, and a maximum displaceable amount of the own vehicle in a direction orthogonal to its running direction at a current time during a movement of the own vehicle by unit distance in its running direction or after a predetermined unit time being passed, and wherein said second performance limit data includes at least one of a maximum speed rate of the object in its running direction at a current time and a maximum displaceable amount of the object in a direction orthogonal to its running direction at a current time during a movement of the object by unit distance in its running direction or after a predetermined unit time being passed.

4. A collision damage reduction system according to claim 3, wherein said maximum displaceable amount of the own vehicle represents a maximum turning performance of the own vehicle related to a maximum steering-range thereof, and said maximum displaceable amount of the object represents a maximum turning performance of the object related to a maximum steering-range thereof.

5. A collision damage reduction system according to claim 2, further comprising means for calculating a remained time until which the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other according to the collision region, and wherein said instructing means instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability and the remained time.

6. A collision damage reduction system according to claim 5, further comprising means for calculating a relative speed between the own vehicle and the object according to the relative position data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof, and wherein said instructing means instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability, the remained time and the relative speed.

7. A collision damage reduction system according to claim 6, further comprising a map data representing a relationship between a parameter data and an operating level of the operation unit, said parameter data including each of the total collision probability, the remained time and the relative speed, and wherein said instructing means instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the map data.

8. A computer-readable program product used for a collision damage reduction system, in which said collision reduction system is installed on an own vehicle and has an operation unit capable of performing at least one of a first operation of avoiding a collision of the own vehicle with an object and a second operation of reducing damage in the collision, a first detecting unit configured to regularly detect a relative position data corresponding to a relative position between the own vehicle and the object, a second detecting unit configured to regularly detect a speed of the own vehicle and a third detecting unit configured to regularly detect a turning angle of the own vehicle, said program product comprising:

means for causing a computer to obtain a first performance limit data of the own vehicle according to the detected speed thereof and a second performance limit data of the object according to the relative position data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof,

means for causing a computer to calculate a total collision probability representing a probability that the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other on a runnable space according to the first performance limit data, the second performance limit data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the relative position data, said own vehicle and object being runnable on the runnable space; and

means for causing a computer to instruct the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability.

9. A computer-readable program product according to claim 8, wherein said calculating means comprises:

means for expecting a first running locus of the own vehicle on the runnable space according to the first performance limit data;

means for expecting a second running locus of the object on the runnable space according to the second performance limit data;

means for obtaining a region on which the first running locus of the own vehicle and the second running locus of the object are temporally spatially overlapped so as to expect the overlapped region as a collision region on which the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other;

means for obtaining a first probability distribution including probabilities that the own vehicle will exist on the collision region according to the first performance limit data and a second probability distribution including probabilities that the object will exist on the collision region according to the second performance limit data; and

means for calculating the total collision probability according to the obtained first and second probability distributions.

10. A computer-readable program product according to claim 8, wherein said first performance limit data includes at least one of a maximum speed rate of the own vehicle in its running direction at a current time, and a maximum displaceable amount of the own vehicle in a direction orthogonal to its running direction at a current time during a movement of the own vehicle by unit distance in its running direction or after a predetermined unit time being passed, and wherein said second performance limit data includes at least one of a maximum speed rate of the object in its running direction at a current time and a maximum displaceable amount of the object in a direction orthogonal to its running direction at a current time during a movement of the object by unit distance in its running direction or after a predetermined unit time being passed.

11. A computer-readable program product according to claim 10, wherein said maximum displaceable amount of the own vehicle represents a maximum turning performance of the own vehicle related to a maximum steering-range thereof, and said maximum displaceable amount of the object represents a maximum turning performance of the object related to a maximum steering-range thereof.

12. A computer-readable program product according to claim 9, further comprising means for causing a computer to calculate a remained time until which the own vehicle and the object will collide with each other according to the collision region, and wherein said instructing means instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability and the remained time.

13. A computer-readable program product according to claim 12, further comprising means for causing a computer to calculate a relative speed between the own vehicle and the object according to the relative position data, the detected speed of the own vehicle and the detected turning angle thereof, and wherein said instructing means instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the total collision probability, the remained time and the relative speed.

14. A computer-readable program product according to claim 13, wherein said collision damage reduction system includes a map data representing a relationship between a parameter data and an operating level of the operation unit, said parameter data including each of the total collision probability, the remained time and the relative speed, and wherein said instructing means instructs the operation unit to operate at least one of the first operation and the second operation according to the map data.