SENSOR INTEGRATION BASED PEDESTRIAN DETECTION AND PEDESTRIAN COLLISION PREVENTION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20180236985A1
• Filed: 12/06/2017
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: KIM, Yoon Soo, MIN, Suk Ki, SUNG, Dong Hyun, JUNG, In Yong, PARK, Seung Wook, LEE, Sang Min, LEE, Kang Hoon, LEE, Wan Jae, LEE, Tae Young, LEE, Min Byeong, KIM, Eung Seo, KWON, Yong Seok
• Granted Patent: US 10,814,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/32 Vehicle surroundings
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2220/03 Driver counter-steering; Avoidance of conflicts with ESP control
• 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: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/58 responsive to speed and another condition or to plural speed conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/40 Photo, light or radio wave sensitive means, e.g. infrared sensors
• 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 2510/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/182 : Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 : the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0956 : the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 : Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An apparatus includes a front detection sensor detecting presence of a pedestrian on a driving lane of the vehicle, gaze information of the pedestrian, and a distance and a relative speed between the pedestrian and the vehicle; a vehicle sensor detecting at least one of a speed, an acceleration, a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, or a pressure of a master cylinder of the vehicle; an electronic control unit activating a function of a pedestrian detection and collision mitigation system based on information detected by the front detection sensor and the vehicle sensor; and a warning unit operated to inform a driver of a collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle by controlling the electronic control unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for activating a pedestrian detection and collision mitigation system (PDCMS) of a vehicle, comprising:

a front detection sensor detecting presence of a pedestrian on a driving lane of the vehicle, gaze information of the pedestrian, and a distance and a relative speed between the pedestrian and the vehicle;

a vehicle sensor detecting at least one of a speed, an acceleration, a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, or a pressure of a master cylinder of the vehicle;

an electronic control unit activating a function of the PDCMS based on information detected by the front detection sensor and the vehicle sensor; and

a warning unit operating to inform the vehicle'"'"'s driver of a collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle by controlling the electronic control unit,

wherein the front detection sensor includes;

a radar sensor detecting the pedestrian on the driving lane of the vehicle using a radio wave reflected from the pedestrian to generate radar detection information;

a far-infrared sensor imaging heat radiated from the pedestrian to generate far-infrared recognition information; and

an information integration unit integrating the radar detection information and the far-infrared recognition information,

the function of the PDCMS includes activating an operation of the warning unit and activating an operation of a brake of the vehicle regardless of whether the driver operates the brake, and

the activation of the operation of the warning unit and the activation of the operation of the brake are performed in order of the activation of the operation of the warning unit, a partial braking of the vehicle, and a full braking of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information integration unit includes:

a consistency determination unit calculating a correlation between the radar detection information and the far-infrared recognition information to form a binary matrix;

a similarity calculation unit generating a measurement value using the binary matrix formed by the consistency determination unit and calculating similarity in a state variable area between the measurement value and track tracking information of a previous time;

a state variable updating unit updating each tracking information by performing Kalman filtering using the measurement value and the state variable; and

a tracking information management unit performing merging, generation, and deletion of the track.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the similarity calculation unit represents longitudinal/lateral relative positions of the radar detection information and the far-infrared recognition information using a polar coordinate system to generate the measurement value.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the state variable updating unit applies an extended Kalman filter to perform the Kalman filtering.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front detection sensor further includes a radar detection information post-processing unit removing a result other than the pedestrian among the radar detection information before the integration of the result with the far-infrared recognition information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radar detection information is generated by the number equal to or less than 64.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the far-infrared recognition information is generated by the number equal to or less than 8.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when a horizontal length of the entire face of the pedestrian is defined as x, a horizontal length from a left face contour to a left eye of the pedestrian is defined as x₁, a horizontal length from a right face contour to a right eye of the pedestrian is defined as x₂, and a horizontal length between the left eye and the right eye of the pedestrian is defined as x₃, the gaze information of the pedestrian corresponds to a front or a diagonal if |(x₁−

x₂)/x|<

a, a rear if x₁=x₂=x₃=0, a side if |(x₁−

x₂)/x|≥

a or x₁=0 or x₂=0, and the a is selected in a range between 0.65 and 0.95.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electronic control unit performs the activation of the operation of the warning unit and the activation of the operation of the brake by delaying the activation of the operation of the warning unit and the activation of the operation of the brake by a predetermined time when the gaze information of the pedestrian is the front or the diagonal, compared to when the gaze information of the pedestrian is the rear or the side.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor further includes at least one of a rain sensor, a temperature sensor, and an illumination sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit performs the activation of the operation of the brake so that the speed of the vehicle is reduced to at least a predetermined speed or more from time when the operation of the brake is activated to time when the collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle occurs.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit permits the driver to operate the brake for a maximum possible deceleration even after the activation of the operation of the brake starts.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit controls the warning unit to inform the driver that the PDCMS function is in an available state.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the warning unit includes a display unit visually informing the collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle or a speaker unit audibly informing the collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PDCMS function further includes an operation of a rear brake lamp.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PDCMS function further includes an operation of an electrical stability control (ESC).

17. A method for activating a pedestrian detection and collision mitigation system (PDCMS) of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting the pedestrian on a driving lane of the vehicle using a radio wave reflected from the pedestrian to generate radar detection information;

imaging heat radiated from the pedestrian to generate far-infrared recognition information;

integrating the radar detection information with the far-infrared recognition information to detect pedestrian information including presence of the pedestrian on the driving lane of the vehicle, gaze information of the pedestrian, and a distance and a relative speed between the pedestrian and the vehicle;

detecting vehicle information including at least any one of a speed, an acceleration, a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, or a pressure of a master cylinder of the vehicle; and

activating a PDCMS function based on the pedestrian information and the vehicle information,

wherein the PDCMS function includes activating an operation of a warning unit operated to inform a driver of the vehicle of a collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle and activating an operation of a brake of the vehicle regardless of whether the driver operates the brake, and

the activation of the operation of the warning unit and the activation of the operation of the brake are performed in order of the activation of the operation of the warning unit, a partial braking of the vehicle, and a full braking of the vehicle.