Method and Apparatus for Determining the Operation of a Vehicle Safety System

• US 20160300106A1
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Custer, Robert J., Amato, William P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,366,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

Various embodiments of an apparatus and method for determining the operation of a vehicle safety system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the controller for a safety system comprises a sensor input for receiving a signal from a safety system sensor; a camera input for receiving a signal from a camera; and a processor having control logic. The control logic is capable of receiving the sensor signal indicating an absence of detected objects in a field of view of the safety system sensor; receiving the camera signal indicating at least one non-vehicle object identified in the field of view of the camera; and maintaining the active vehicle safety system as active in response to the sensor signal indicating the absence of detected objects and the camera signal indicating the identification of at least one visual non-vehicle object.

Claims

1. A controller for a safety system on a vehicle comprising:

a sensor input for receiving a signal from a safety system sensor;

a camera input for receiving a signal from a camera; and

a processor having control logic, the control logic capable of;

receiving the sensor signal indicating an absence of detected objects in a field of view of the safety system sensor;

receiving the camera signal indicating at least one non-vehicle object identified in the field of view of the camera; and

maintaining the active vehicle safety system as active in response to the sensor signal indicating the absence of detected objects and the camera signal indicating the identification of at least one visual non-vehicle object.

2. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the sensor signal is received from a safety system sensor capable of sensing at least one of a forward object speed, position and distance.

3. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the camera signal is received from a vehicle mounted forward viewing camera capable of identifying at least one of a pedestrian, a lane marking and a traffic sign.

4. The controller as in claim 1, further comprising an environmental condition input for receiving a signal from an environmental condition device;

wherein the control logic is further capable of receiving the environmental condition device signal indicating the environment does not meet a predetermined value; and

deactivating the active vehicle safety system in response to the sensor signal indicating the absence of detected objects, the environmental condition device signal indicating the environment does not meet a predetermined value and the camera signal indicating a camera fault.

5. The controller as in claim 1, further comprising:

an output for indication of the state of the active safety system;

wherein the control logic is further capable of indicating that the active vehicle safety system is deactivated.

6. A controller for a safety system on a vehicle comprising:

a sensor input for receiving a signal from a safety system sensor;

an input for receiving a signal indicative of an environmental condition;

a camera input for receiving a signal from a vehicle mounted camera; and

a processor having control logic, the control logic capable of;

receiving the sensor signal indicating an absence of detected objects in the field of view of the safety system sensor;

receiving the environmental condition signal indicating the environment is outside a predetermined value;

receiving the camera signal indicating a camera fault; and

deactivating the active vehicle safety system in response to the sensor signal indicating the absence of detected objects, the environmental condition signal indicating the environment does not meet a predetermined value and the camera signal indicating a camera fault.

7. The controller as in claim 6, wherein the predetermined value of the environmental condition signal is at least one of an external temperature above about 32F and the humidity lower than about 80% and the windshield wipers being off.

8. The controller as in claim 6, wherein the camera signal indicating a fault is in response to at least one of a blurred image and a lens blockage.

9. The controller as in claim 6, further comprising:

an output for indication of the state of the active safety system;

wherein the control logic is further capable of;

indicating that the active vehicle safety system is deactivated.

10. A method for determining the status of a sensor in an active vehicle safety system comprising:

receiving a sensor signal indicating the absence of detected objects in the field of view of the sensor;

receiving a camera signal indicating at least one visual non-vehicle object in the field of view of the camera; and

maintaining the active vehicle safety system as active in response to the sensor signal indicating the absence of detected objects and the camera signal indicating at least one visual non-vehicle object.

11. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an environmental condition signal indicating the environmental condition does not meet a predetermined value;

receiving the camera signal indicating a fault; and

deactivating the active vehicle safety system in response to the sensor signal, the environmental condition signal and the camera signal.

12. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

indicating that the active vehicle safety system is deactivated.

13. A system for determining the status of a sensor in an active vehicle safety system comprising:

a sensor for detecting objects in a field of view of the sensor;

a camera for identifying objects in a field of view of the camera; and

a controller in communication with the sensor and the camera, the controller having control logic capable of;

receiving a sensor signal indicating of the absence of objects in the field of view of the sensor;

receiving a camera signal indicating at least one non-vehicle object identified in the field of view of the camera; and

maintaining the active vehicle safety system as active in response to the sensor signal and the camera signal.

14. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

a vehicle communications bus, wherein the sensor, the camera and the controller communicate over the vehicle serial communications bus.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the controller is integrated with the sensor.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the sensor is one of a radar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor and a laser.

17. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

an environmental condition detection device;

wherein the control logic is further capable of;

receiving an environmental condition signal from the environmental condition detection device;

receiving a camera signal indicating a camera fault; and

deactivating the active vehicle safety system in response to the environmental condition signal indicating the environmental condition does not meet a predetermined value and the camera signal indicating a camera fault.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein the environmental condition detection device is at least one of an ambient temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a windshield wiper motor.