JP2005263026A - Method and device for optimizing pre-crash safety control - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for optimizing the pre-crash safety control capable of optimizing the pre-crash safety control of a vehicular safety device according to the magnitude of a damage estimated to be sustained by a self vehicle by a collision with an object to be collided. <P>SOLUTION: In a vehicle having one or more safety devices to be operated when determining that a collision of a self vehicle with an object is inevitable, the magnitude of a damage sustained by the self vehicle by the collision with the object is estimated based on information acquired by a radar device and an image take-in device provided on the vehicle, and the pre-crash safety control of the safety device is optimized according to the magnitude of the estimated damage. More specifically, the operation starting timing of the safety device is changed according to the magnitude of the estimated damage of the self vehicle, for example, according to the magnitude of the estimated damage. Alternatively, the safety device to be operated in the pre-crash safety control out of the safety devices is selected according to the magnitude of the estimated damage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for optimizing pre-crash safety control of one or more vehicle safety devices, such as airbag devices and seat belt devices with pretensioners, in vehicles, and more particularly to collisions with an impacted object. The present invention relates to a pre-crash safety control optimization method and apparatus that optimizes the pre-crash safety control according to the magnitude of damage estimated to be received by the vehicle.

  In vehicles, safety devices such as an air bag device and a seat belt device with a pretensioner are well known. These vehicle safety devices are activated when it is determined that a collision between the host vehicle and a colliding object is unavoidable, and is intended to reduce damage to the host vehicle. Such operation control of the vehicle safety device is called pre-crash safety control.

With regard to this pre-crash safety control method, a collision has conventionally been identified by identifying the vehicle type and loading status of the other vehicle based on information such as the distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle detected by the camera and the body sensor and the relative speed. A technique for predicting the situation and controlling the operation of the safety device according to the prediction result is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-8-164807

  However, in the conventional method described in Patent Document 1, it is not predicted how much damage is caused to the own vehicle due to the collision between the own vehicle and another vehicle, and the pre-crash safety control of the safety device is not necessarily optimally controlled. I can't say that.

  That is, for example, when the host vehicle is a normal vehicle, it can be said that more preferable control is realized by changing the control content of the pre-crash safety control depending on whether the collision object is a large truck or a bicycle.

  The present invention is to solve such a problem, and optimizes pre-crash safety control of a vehicle safety device according to the magnitude of damage estimated to be caused to the host vehicle due to a collision with a collision object. It is a main object of the present invention to provide a pre-crash safety control method and apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle including one or more safety devices that are activated when it is determined that a collision between the host vehicle and a collided object is unavoidable. A method for optimizing the pre-crash safety control of
Based on the information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device provided in the vehicle, estimate the magnitude of damage to the host vehicle due to the collision with the collision object,
The pre-crash safety control optimization method optimizes the pre-crash safety control of the safety device according to the estimated damage magnitude.

  In the first aspect, the radar device is, for example, a millimeter wave radar, and the image capturing device is, for example, a CMOS camera or a CCD camera.

  In this first aspect, more specifically, as an optimization of the pre-crash safety control of the safety device, for example, the operation start timing of the safety device is changed according to the estimated magnitude of damage. Alternatively, the safety device to be operated in the pre-crash safety control may be selected according to the estimated damage magnitude.

  Further, in the first aspect, the magnitude of damage to the host vehicle is, for example, the weight of the collision object estimated from the information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device, and the weight of the vehicle. Is estimated by comparing. Here, the weight of the colliding object is estimated from, for example, the size of the front projected area of the colliding object.

  According to this first aspect, the pre-crash safety control of the vehicle safety device can be optimized according to the magnitude of damage estimated to be caused by the host vehicle due to the collision with the colliding object.

A second aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is mounted on a vehicle including one or more safety devices that are activated when it is determined that a collision between the host vehicle and a collided object is unavoidable. A pre-crash safety control optimization device that optimizes the pre-crash safety control of a safety device,
A radar device and an image capturing device for detecting a collision object are provided.
Damage degree estimation means for estimating the magnitude of damage to the host vehicle due to a collision with a colliding object based on information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device;
The pre-crash safety control optimizing device includes an optimizing unit that optimizes the pre-crash safety control of the safety device in accordance with the magnitude of damage estimated by the damage level estimating unit.

  In the second aspect, the radar device is, for example, a millimeter wave radar, and the image capturing device is, for example, a CMOS camera or a CCD camera.

  In the second aspect, more specifically, the optimization unit may change the operation start timing of the safety device according to the magnitude of damage estimated by the damage level estimation unit, for example. Alternatively, one of the safety devices to be operated in the pre-crash safety control may be selected according to the magnitude of damage estimated by the damage level estimation means.

  Further, in the second aspect, the damage degree estimation means compares, for example, the weight of the collided object estimated from information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device with the weight of the vehicle. To estimate the magnitude of damage to the vehicle. Here, the weight of the collided object is estimated from the size of the front projected area of the collided object, for example.

  According to this second aspect, the pre-crash safety control of the vehicle safety device can be optimized according to the magnitude of damage estimated to be caused by the host vehicle due to the collision with the collision object.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a pre-crash safety control method and apparatus for optimizing the pre-crash safety control of a vehicle safety device according to the magnitude of damage estimated to be caused by the host vehicle due to a collision with a collision object. can do.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The basic concept, main hardware configuration, operating principle, basic control method, etc. of various safety devices such as an airbag device and a seat belt device with a pretensioner that are assumed by the present invention are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

  A pre-crash safety control optimization device and an optimization method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a pre-crash safety control optimization device 100 according to the present embodiment. The pre-crash safety control optimizing device 100 determines the possibility and timing of a collision with a radar sensor 101 that is, for example, a millimeter wave radar, and an image sensor 102 that is, for example, a CMOS camera or a CCD camera. And a collision determination ECU 103 that controls the operation.

  The radar sensor 101 and the image sensor 102 may be shared with other systems and devices such as auto cruise control.

  The collision determination ECU 103 sends control signals to various safety devices such as a seat belt ECU, a brake ECU, an airbag ECU, an engine ECU, and a transmission ECU, and controls the operation of each safety device.

  Next, the operation of the pre-crash safety control optimization device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the collision possibility is determined using the radar sensor 101 and the image sensor 102 as usual. That is, when an obstacle is detected in front of the host vehicle by the radar sensor 101 and / or the image sensor 102, the collision determination ECU 103 determines the possibility of collision from the distance to the obstacle and the relative speed obtained from these sensors. . Various methods and algorithms have already been proposed for determining a collision when the conditions are met, and are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here. In this embodiment, any method can be used.

  When the collision determination ECU 103 determines that a collision is unavoidable, various safety devices are operated by the pre-crash safety control. Therefore, the pre-crash safety control optimization method according to the present embodiment is executed. The processing flow will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the flow of a collision object category (described later) selection process by the image sensor 102 and a damage degree estimation process by the collision determination ECU 103 according to the present embodiment, respectively.

  When there is an obstacle that is determined to be inevitable to collide with the host vehicle (that is, a collided object), first, the position information of the collided object that indicates the distance to the collided object measured by the radar sensor 101 is obtained from the image sensor 102. Send to.

  When the image sensor 103 receives the collision object position information from the radar sensor 101 (S201 in FIG. 2), the image sensor 103 tries to extract a target edge around the collision object position by simple image processing (S202).

  Next, it is confirmed whether a target edge has been extracted (S203). If the target edge is not extracted by the image sensor 103 (“NO” in S203), it is determined that the radar sensor 101 is erroneously recognized, and the collision target detection impossible flag indicating that the collision target cannot be detected. Is sent to the collision determination ECU 103 (S204).

On the other hand, if the target edge is extracted (“YES” in S203), then, based on the extracted target edge, the width W_tgt and the height H_tgt of the colliding object are calculated (S205), Approximate the forward projected area S_tgt of the impacted object to be rectangular,
Projected area S_tgt = width W_tgt × height H_tgt
(S206).

  Here, since the target detected by the radar sensor 101 is mainly a metal object, in S207 to S213, the approximate weight of the collided object is estimated from the obtained projection area S_tgt. More specifically, in this embodiment, the impacted objects are classified according to weight, such as “heavy objects” such as large trucks, “ordinary cars” such as small trucks and ordinary passenger cars, “small cars” such as light cars, and motorcycles. And “lightweight objects” such as bicycles and bicycles (hereinafter referred to as “impacted object category”).

First, it is determined whether or not the projected area S_tgt is 5.0 square meters (m ² ) or more (S207). If it is 5.0 m ² or more (“YES” in S207), the collided object is classified into the “heavy object” category (S208).

If the projected area S_tgt is less than 5.0 m ² (“NO” in S207), it is then determined whether it is 3.0 m ² or more (S209), and if 5.0> S_tgt ≧ 3.0 (“YES” in S209), the colliding object is classified into the “ordinary vehicle” category (S210).

When the projected area S_tgt is less than 3.0 m ² (“NO” in S209), it is then determined whether or not it is 1.5 m ² or more (S211). If 3.0> S_tgt ≧ 1.5 (“YES” in S211), the colliding object is classified into the “small car” category (S212), and if the projected area S_tgt is less than 1.5 m ² (“NO” in S211), the colliding object is “ It is classified into the “lightweight” category (S213).

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the category name and the number of categories of the colliding object category used here, and the threshold value of the area used for the classification (5.0, 3.0, and 1.5 m ² ). Are merely examples. In the present invention, an arbitrary number of categories can be set and classified by an arbitrary threshold value.

  Next, the image sensor 102 sends the collision object category for the collision object selected by such classification to the collision determination ECU 103 (S214). When the collision determination ECU 103 receives the collision object category from the image sensor 102 (S301 in FIG. 3), the own vehicle when the collision object collides with the collision object from the collision object category and the weight M of the host vehicle held in advance. The magnitude of damage to be received is estimated (S302).

  More specifically, in the present embodiment, the degree of damage estimated to be caused by the own vehicle is determined based on the relationship between the collision object category and the own vehicle weight M, “damage large”, “under damage”, and Classify into three stages of “small damage”. An example is shown in FIG.

  In one specific example shown in FIG. 4, the own vehicle weight M is classified into three stages of “5 tons or more”, “less than 5 tons, 1.5 tons or more”, and “less than 1.5 tons”. In the case of collision with a collision object that is considered heavier than the subject vehicle in the light of the collision object category received from the image sensor 102, the collision is with a collision object that is considered to be as heavy as the subject vehicle. If it collides with an impacted object that is considered to be lighter than the host vehicle, it is classified as “damaged”.

  When the degree of damage of the host vehicle when colliding with the colliding object is estimated in this way, next, in S303 to S306, the actual pre-crash of the safety device is based on the estimated magnitude of damage. Optimize safety control. Here, as an example, the description will focus on the operation control of a seat belt with a pretensioner.

  First, it is determined whether or not it is estimated that “damage is large” in S302 (S303). When it is estimated that “damage is large” (“YES” in S303), the collision judgment is accelerated in the operation control of the seat belt with the pretensioner in preparation for the collision with the collision object that is estimated to be heavier than the own vehicle. And the occupant restraining force is increased (S304). Specifically, for example, the operation timing is set 0.8 seconds before the predicted collision time, and the seat belt retracting load is set to 200N.

  If the degree of damage to the host vehicle estimated in S302 is not “large damage” (“NO” in S303), it is then determined whether or not it is estimated that “damage is small” (S305). If it is estimated that “damage is small” (“YES” in S305), in the operation control of the seat belt with a pretensioner, the collision avoidance by steering is avoided in preparation for the collision with the collision object estimated to be lighter than the own vehicle. In consideration of the possibility, the collision determination is delayed and the occupant restraining force is reduced, and in addition, the collision object protection device is operated (S306). Specifically, for example, the operation timing is set 0.4 seconds before the predicted collision time, and the seat belt retracting load is set to 100N. In addition, an active hood, a pedestrian air bag, and the like are activated to reduce the damage that the host vehicle can cause to the impacted object.

  When the degree of damage of the own vehicle estimated in S302 is neither “large damage” nor “small damage” (“NO” in S305), the estimated degree of damage of the own vehicle is “damaged”, and the collision determination time In addition, the occupant restraint force remains normal (specifically, for example, for a seat belt with a pretensioner, the operation timing is 0.6 seconds before the predicted collision time, and the seat belt retracting load is 150 N). Is done.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the control contents of the pre-crash safety control of the safety device are made variable according to the degree of damage estimated to be caused by the own vehicle due to the collision with the collision object, and the estimated damage Since the safety device can be actuated at a faster timing and with a larger operating force as the value of is larger, the pre-crash safety control is optimized.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the weight of the collision object is estimated from the size of the projected area, and the projected area is also calculated by approximating the projected area as a rectangle based on the edge extracted by the image sensor 102. Therefore, for example, it is possible to estimate the degree of damage to the host vehicle by a relatively simple calculation process as compared with a case where a specific vehicle type is specified by a complicated process such as pattern recognition. This speeds up the process and reduces the required processing capacity, leading to cost reduction.

  In the above embodiment, as a specific example, the case where the operation start timing and the winding load of the seat belt with a pretensioner are made variable according to the magnitude of damage estimated to be received by the host vehicle has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the operation start timing and / or the operation amount (or operation force) of any arbitrary safety device can be made variable.

  Further, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in the present invention, when it is determined that a collision is inevitable, it is not always necessary to operate all the safety devices provided, and it is assumed that the host vehicle receives as described above. Depending on the degree of damage done, the safety device operated in the pre-crash safety control may be selected such that the greater the estimated damage is, the more types of safety devices are activated.

  The present invention can be used for a vehicle equipped with a safety device such as an airbag device or a seat belt device with a pretensioner. The appearance, weight, size, running performance, etc. of the vehicle are not limited.

It is a schematic block diagram of the pre-crash safety control optimization apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the selection process of the colliding object category by the image sensor which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the damage level estimation process by the collision judgment ECU which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the estimation method which estimates a damage level from the colliding object category and the own vehicle weight based on one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Pre-crash safety control optimization apparatus 101 Radar sensor 102 Image sensor 103 Collision judgment ECU

Claims (8)

In a vehicle equipped with one or more safety devices that are activated when it is determined that a collision between the host vehicle and a collision object is unavoidable, a method for optimizing the pre-crash safety control of the safety device,
Based on the information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device provided in the vehicle, estimate the magnitude of damage to the host vehicle due to the collision with the collision object,
A pre-crash safety control optimization method, wherein the pre-crash safety control of the safety device is optimized according to the estimated damage magnitude. A pre-crash safety control optimization method according to claim 1,
A pre-crash safety control optimization method, characterized in that the operation start timing of the safety device is changed according to the estimated damage magnitude. The pre-crash safety control optimization method according to claim 1 or 2,
A method for optimizing a pre-crash safety control, wherein one of the safety devices to be operated in the pre-crash safety control is selected according to the estimated magnitude of damage. A pre-crash safety control optimization method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The magnitude of damage to the host vehicle is estimated by comparing the weight of the collision object estimated from the information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device with the weight of the vehicle. Characteristic pre-crash safety control optimization method. Optimizing pre-crash safety control that is mounted on a vehicle having one or more safety devices that are activated when it is determined that a collision between the host vehicle and an impacted object is inevitable, and that optimizes the pre-crash safety control of the safety device Device.
A radar device and an image capturing device for detecting a collision object are provided.
Damage degree estimation means for estimating the magnitude of damage to the host vehicle due to a collision with a colliding object based on information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device;
And a pre-crash safety control optimizing device, comprising: an optimizing unit that optimizes the pre-crash safety control of the safety device according to the magnitude of damage estimated by the damage level estimating unit. The pre-crash safety control optimization device according to claim 5,
The pre-crash safety control optimizing device, wherein the optimizing unit changes an operation start timing of the safety device in accordance with a magnitude of damage estimated by the damage degree estimating unit. The pre-crash safety control optimization device according to claim 5 or 6,
The optimizing unit selects a pre-crash safety control to be operated in the pre-crash safety control among the safety devices according to the magnitude of damage estimated by the damage level estimation unit. apparatus. The pre-crash safety control optimization device according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The damage degree estimation means compares the weight of the collided object estimated from the information acquired by the radar device and the image capturing device with the weight of the vehicle, thereby determining the magnitude of damage to the host vehicle. Pre-crash safety control optimization device characterized by estimating

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