JP6806017B2 - Protection control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a protection control device configured to control the operation of a protection device that protects a person who has collided with a vehicle.

As this kind of protection control device, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The protection control device described in Patent Document 1 includes a secondary collision position estimation unit, an operation device selection unit, and an operation instruction unit. The secondary collision position estimation unit estimates the secondary collision position of the occupant of the bicycle based on the relative speed of the bicycle that collided with the vehicle and the primary collision position. The operating device selection unit selects a protective device to be operated based on the secondary collision position estimated by the secondary collision position estimation unit. The operation instruction unit operates the protection device selected by the operation device selection unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-19378

Various studies have been conducted to realize more optimum protection operation in this type of protection control device. Specifically, for example, the estimation of the secondary collision position is not performed well due to the occurrence of an abnormality in the detection unit used for estimating the secondary collision position, or the occurrence of a vehicle driving environment unsuitable for the operation of the detection unit. There can be cases. In a situation where a primary collision between a pedestrian or a bicycle and a vehicle is unavoidable, it is necessary to reliably estimate the secondary collision position and estimate the secondary collision position with good accuracy. It is important to realize it. The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances exemplified above.

The protection control device (80) according to claim 1 is configured to control the operation of the protection device (10) that protects a human being who has collided with the vehicle (1).
This protection control device
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of the collision sensor (71), which is provided on the bumper (3) forming a part of the vehicle body and is configured to generate an output corresponding to the impact applied by the collision between the object and the bumper. , A second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
Is equipped with.
The protection operation control unit corrects the other based on one of the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit. It is configured.

The protection control device (80) according to claim 9 is configured to control the operation of the protection device (10) that protects a human being who has collided with the vehicle (1).
This protection control device
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
With
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit are within a predetermined range, the protection operation control unit performs the second estimation. It is configured to control the operation of the protection device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the unit.

The protection control device (80) according to claim 14 is configured to control the operation of the protection device (10) that protects a person who collides with the vehicle (1).
This protection control device
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
With
The protective device is
A behavior control device (11) configured to control the behavior of the vehicle, and
A pop-up hood device (12) configured to raise the front hood (4) forming a part of the vehicle body, and a pop-up hood device (12) configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying on the vehicle body. With at least one of the pedestrian airbag devices (13),
Have,
The protective operation control unit causes the behavior control device to execute guidance control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle so that the secondary collision position is within the protected area of the pop-up hood device or the pedestrian airbag device. Is configured as
The protection operation control unit performs the second estimation when the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit do not exist within a predetermined range. It is configured to control the operation of the pedestrian airbag device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the unit.

The protection control device (80) according to claim 15 is configured to control the operation of the protection device (10) that protects a person who has collided with the vehicle (1).
This protection control device
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
With
The protective device is
A behavior control device (11) configured to control the behavior of the vehicle, and
A pop-up hood device (12) configured to raise the front hood (4) forming a part of the vehicle body, and a pop-up hood device (12) configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying on the vehicle body. With at least one of the pedestrian airbag devices (13),
Have,
The protective operation control unit causes the behavior control device to execute guidance control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle so that the secondary collision position is within the protected area of the pop-up hood device or the pedestrian airbag device. Is configured as
The protective operation control unit
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit are within a predetermined range, the guidance control by the behavior control device is executed. ,
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit do not exist within the predetermined range, the guidance control by the behavior control device is prohibited. To do
It is configured as follows.

The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each means in the above and in the claims column indicate an example of the correspondence between the means and the specific means described in the embodiments described later. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the above description of the reference numerals.

It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle which mounted the protection control device of embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the protection control device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows one operation example of the protection control device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the secondary collision position estimation process shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the estimation process of the first estimation position shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the estimation process of the 2nd estimation position shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the adjustment process shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the other operation example of the protection control device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows still another operation example of the protection control device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the secondary collision position estimation process shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the estimation process of the first estimation position shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the estimation process of the 2nd estimation position shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the output example of the collision sensor shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle equipped with the protection control device of one modification. It is a graph which shows the output example of the collision sensor shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the output example of the collision sensor shown in FIG.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that, as for various modifications applicable to one embodiment, if they are inserted in the middle of a series of explanations regarding the embodiment, the understanding of the embodiment may be hindered. It will be described together after the explanation.

(Outline configuration of vehicle)
Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is a so-called automobile and has a box-shaped vehicle body 2. The concepts of "front", "rear", "left", and "right" in the vehicle 1 and the vehicle body 2 are as shown by arrows in FIG. The front-rear direction may be referred to as the "vehicle total length direction", the left-right direction may be referred to as the "vehicle width direction", and the direction orthogonal to the vehicle total length direction and orthogonal to the vehicle width direction may be referred to as the "vehicle height direction".

A front bumper 3 is provided at the front end of the vehicle body 2. Further, the vehicle body 2 is provided with a front hood 4, a front window 5, and a front pillar 6.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a protective device 10. The protection device 10 is configured to protect a person who has collided with the vehicle 1.

The "human being who collided with the vehicle 1" includes, for example, a pedestrian who directly collided with the vehicle 1, and a occupant such as a motorcycle or a wheelchair who collided with the vehicle 1. Motorcycles include bicycles and motorcycles. For example, in a collision between a vehicle 1 and a two-wheeled vehicle with an occupant, the object that directly collides with the vehicle 1 may be a two-wheeled vehicle instead of an occupant. However, even in this case, it is possible that the occupant of the two-wheeled vehicle "indirectly" collided with the vehicle 1. The same applies to occupants such as wheelchairs.

That is, the protection device 10 is configured to operate to protect a person who directly or indirectly collides with the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 collides with a specific object. "Specific objects" include pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles with occupants, wheelchairs with occupants, and the like. A person who directly or indirectly collides with the vehicle 1, that is, a pedestrian or a occupant such as a two-wheeled vehicle, protected by the protection device 10 may also be referred to as a "vulnerable person" or a "protected object".

In the present embodiment, the protection device 10 includes a behavior control device 11, a pop-up hood device 12, and a pedestrian airbag device 13.

The behavior control device 11 is provided to control the behavior of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the behavior control device 11 constituting the so-called pre-crash safety system has a brake control device, a steering control device, and the like (not shown), and has a positional relationship between an object around the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1. It is configured to execute brake control, steering control, etc. accordingly. The behavior of the vehicle 1 is hereinafter abbreviated as "vehicle behavior".

In the pop-up hood device 12 and the pedestrian airbag device 13, which are traffic vulnerable protection devices, when a primary collision between the vehicle 1 and a specific object occurs, a pedestrian or a human being who is an occupant causes a secondary collision with the vehicle 1. It is provided to reduce the impact received by. Specifically, the pop-up hood device 12 is configured to push up the rear end portion of the front hood 4 upward during operation. The pedestrian airbag device 13 is configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying it on the vehicle body 2.

In the present embodiment, the pedestrian airbag device 13 has a right front airbag 13a, a left front airbag 13b, a right pillar airbag 13c, and a left pillar airbag 13d. In the present embodiment, the right front airbag 13a, the left front airbag 13b, the right pillar airbag 13c, and the left pillar airbag 13d are provided so as to be independently deployable.

The right front airbag 13a and the left front airbag 13b are configured such that the front hood 4 and the front window 5 are deployed corresponding to portions adjacent to each other in the overall length direction of the vehicle. The right front airbag 13a is provided corresponding to the right end portion from the central portion in the vehicle width direction. The left front airbag 13b is provided corresponding to the left end portion from the central portion in the vehicle width direction. The right pillar airbag 13c is configured to deploy corresponding to the right front pillar 6. The left pillar airbag 13d is configured to be deployed corresponding to the left front pillar 6.

(Configuration of protection control device)
The vehicle 1 is equipped with a control system 70. The control system 70 is configured to detect whether or not a specific object has collided with the front bumper 3 and operate the protection device 10 when the collision of the specific object is detected. Hereinafter, each part constituting the control system 70 will be described.

The front bumper 3 is provided with a collision sensor 71. The collision sensor 71 is configured to generate an output corresponding to the impact applied by the collision between the object and the front bumper 3.

In the present embodiment, the collision sensor 71 is a long-shaped pressure tube type sensor having a longitudinal direction along the vehicle width direction, and is housed in the front bumper 3. Specifically, the collision sensor 71 has a tube member 71a, a right side pressure sensor 71b, and a left side pressure sensor 71c.

The tube member 71a is a tubular member extending along the vehicle width direction, and is formed of a synthetic resin such as synthetic rubber. One end of the tube member 71a is connected to the right pressure sensor 71b. The other end of the tube member 71a is connected to the left pressure sensor 71c. The right side pressure sensor 71b and the left side pressure sensor 71c are configured to generate an electrical output (eg, voltage) corresponding to the pressure in the tube member 71a. Since the specific configuration and arrangement of the collision sensor 71, which is a pressure tube type sensor, is already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further description thereof will be omitted.

The object detection unit 72 is provided so as to detect an object existing around the vehicle 1. That is, the object detection unit 72 is configured to recognizable the type of the object and acquire the distance to the object before the object collides with the front bumper 3. The object detection unit 72 may also be referred to as a “prevention sensor”.

Specifically, for example, the object detection unit 72 can be configured as a so-called stereo camera including two camera sensors. Alternatively, the object detection unit 72 may be configured as a so-called fusion sensor including a camera sensor and a millimeter wave radar sensor. Since the specific configuration and arrangement of such an object detection unit 72 are already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further description thereof will be omitted in the present specification.

A plurality of distance measuring sensors 73 are mounted on the front bumper 3. Specifically, one distance measuring sensor 73 is provided at each of the right corner portion and the left corner portion of the front bumper 3, and two sensors 73 are provided at the front surface portion of the front bumper 3. The distance measuring sensor 73 is a so-called ultrasonic sonar, and has a well-known configuration for acquiring a distance from an object existing around the vehicle 1 by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

In addition to the collision sensor 71, the object detection unit 72, and the distance measuring sensor 73, the control system 70 includes a vehicle speed sensor 74, a steering angle sensor 75, a yaw rate sensor 76, an acceleration sensor 77, and a protection control device 80. I have.

The vehicle speed sensor 74 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, a voltage) corresponding to the traveling speed of the vehicle 1. The traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is hereinafter simply referred to as "vehicle speed".

The steering angle sensor 75 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, voltage) corresponding to the steering angle of the vehicle 1. The yaw rate sensor 76 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, a voltage) corresponding to the yaw rate acting on the vehicle body 2. The acceleration sensor 77 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, a voltage) corresponding to the acceleration acting on the vehicle body 2.

The protection control device 80 is an ECU configured to control the operation of the protection device 10, and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and a non-volatile RAM (not shown). ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. The non-volatile RAM is, for example, a flash ROM or the like. The CPU, ROM, RAM and non-volatile RAM of the protection control device 80 are hereinafter simply abbreviated as "CPU", "ROM", "RAM" and "non-volatile RAM".

The protection control device 80 is configured so that various control operations can be realized by the CPU reading a program from the ROM or the non-volatile RAM and executing the program. This program contains the corresponding routines described below. Further, various data used when executing the program are stored in advance in the ROM or the non-volatile RAM. Various types of data include, for example, initial values, look-up tables, maps, and the like.

The protection device 10 and the protection control device 80 are electrically connected to each other via an in-vehicle communication line. Further, the collision sensor 71, the object detection unit 72, the distance measuring sensor 73, the vehicle speed sensor 74, the steering angle sensor 75, the yaw rate sensor 76, and the acceleration sensor 77 are electrically connected to the protection control device 80 via an in-vehicle communication line. ing.

The steering angle sensor 75, the yaw rate sensor 76, and the acceleration sensor 77 control the vehicle behavior in the behavior control device 11, that is, the behavior control device by transmitting their outputs to the behavior control device 11 via the vehicle-mounted communication line. It is provided for brake control and steering control in the brake control device and steering control device (not shown) included in 11. Further, the protection control device 80 intervenes in the control of the vehicle behavior in the behavior control device 11 by transmitting the behavior control signal to the behavior control device 11 via the vehicle-mounted communication line in a predetermined case. ..

(Functional configuration of protection control ECU)
Referring to FIG. 2, the protection control device 80 includes an object recognition unit 81, a distance acquisition unit 82, a collision determination unit 83, and a protection operation control unit 84 as functional configurations realized by the CPU. doing.

The object recognition unit 81 is provided so as to recognize the type of an object existing around the vehicle 1 based on the output of the object detection unit 72. That is, the object recognition unit 81 recognizes the type of the object existing in the field of view of the camera sensor by the image recognition technology. The "type" includes pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, animals, fixed obstacles, and the like. An "animal" is, for example, an animal such as a deer or a bear that does not need to operate the protective device 10. A "fixed obstacle" is, for example, a pillar, a wall, or the like.

The distance acquisition unit 82 is provided so as to acquire the distance from the vehicle 1 of the object whose type is recognized by the object recognition unit 81 based on the output of the object detection unit 72. That is, the protection control device 80 acquires the type and distance of the object existing in the field of view of the camera sensor based on the output of the object detection unit 72, and associates the type and distance with the RAM or the non-volatile RAM. It is designed to be remembered in. A well-known technique such as a stereo camera technique, a sensor fusion technique, an SFM technique, or the like can be used for the distance acquisition unit 82 to acquire the distance associated with the type. SFM is an abbreviation for Structure from Motion.

The collision determination unit 83 determines the primary collision of a specific object with the front bumper 3 based on the outputs of the collision sensor 71 and the distance measurement sensor 73, the recognition result by the object recognition unit 81, and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 82. It is configured to detect the occurrence, estimate the secondary collision position of the object to be protected, and output the detection result and the estimation result to the protection operation control unit 84. The "secondary collision position" is a position on the vehicle body 2 where the heads of pedestrians or occupants, which are objects to be protected, collide with each other after the occurrence of the primary collision of the specific object with the vehicle 1.

Specifically, the collision determination unit 83 has a primary collision detection unit 831 and a secondary collision position estimation unit 832 as functional configurations realized by the CPU.

The primary collision detection unit 831 is configured to detect whether or not a primary collision situation has occurred based on the outputs of various sensors including the collision sensor 71 and the object detection unit 72. The "primary collision situation" is a situation in which a primary collision of a specific object with the vehicle 1 has occurred, or a situation in which there is a high possibility that a primary collision has occurred.

Specifically, the primary collision detection unit 831 calculates a collision margin time TTC indicating a margin time until the vehicle 1 first collides with a specific object, and whether or not the calculated collision margin time TTC is less than a predetermined value. It is designed to determine whether or not. TTC is an abbreviation for Time To Collision. The method for calculating the collision margin time TTC is already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application. That is, the collision margin time TTC can be calculated based on the recognition result by the object recognition unit 81 and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 82. Specifically, the collision margin time TTC can be calculated based on the distance from the vehicle 1 to the specific object, the relative speed between the specific object and the vehicle 1, and the vehicle behavior.

Further, the primary collision detection unit 831 is provided so as to detect the occurrence of a primary collision of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 3 based on the output of the collision sensor 71. Specifically, when the output of the collision sensor 71 exceeds a predetermined reference value, the primary collision detection unit 831 determines the collision object based on the recognition result by the object recognition unit 81 and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 82. The type is determined and a threshold value is set according to the type, and when the output of the collision sensor 71 exceeds the set threshold value, the occurrence of a primary collision of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 3 is detected. Since the threshold setting and the primary collision detection according to the type of the collision object are already known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further details thereof will be omitted in the present specification (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-215786). See publication).

The secondary collision position estimation unit 832 is provided so as to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation. Specifically, the secondary collision position estimation unit 832 has a first estimation unit 8321, a second estimation unit 8322, and an adjustment unit 8323.

The first estimation unit 8321 is provided so as to estimate the secondary collision position based on the detection result by the object detection unit 72 in the primary collision situation. Specifically, the first estimation unit 8321 acquires the recognition result by the object recognition unit 81 and the distance acquisition by the distance acquisition unit 82 when the primary collision detection unit 831 detects the occurrence of the primary collision of the specific object with respect to the front bumper 3. Based on the result, the primary collision position is acquired. The "primary collision position" is the position in the front bumper 3 in the vehicle width direction in which the primary collision of a specific object occurs.

Further, the first estimation unit 8321 calculates the relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the specific object calculated based on the acquired primary collision position, the vehicle behavior, the recognition result by the object recognition unit 81, and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 82. Based on the above, the secondary collision position is estimated. Specifically, the vehicle behavior includes the motion state of the vehicle 1 acquired based on the outputs of the vehicle speed sensor 74, the steering angle sensor 75, the yaw rate sensor 76, the acceleration sensor 77, and the like. The detailed contents of the secondary collision position estimation operation by the first estimation unit 8321 will be described later.

The second estimation unit 8322 is provided so as to estimate the secondary collision position based on the output of the collision sensor 71 in the primary collision situation. Specifically, the second estimation unit 8322 estimates the primary collision position based on the output of the collision sensor 71 at the time when the primary collision detection unit 831 detects the occurrence of the primary collision of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 3. It has become like. Further, the second estimation unit 8322 is based on the estimated primary collision position, the time change of the relative position between the vehicle 1 and the specific object acquired by the outputs of the plurality of ranging sensors 73, and the vehicle behavior. The next collision position is estimated. The detailed contents of the secondary collision position estimation operation by the second estimation unit 8322 will be described later.

The adjusting unit 8323 uses the secondary collision position estimation result of the first estimation unit 8321 and the secondary collision position estimation result of the second estimation unit 8322 to control the operation of the protection device 10. It is provided to obtain the final estimation result of the position. The detailed contents of the operation of acquiring the final estimation result by the adjusting unit 8323 will be described later. Further, the adjustment unit 8323 outputs the acquired final estimation result to the protection operation control unit 84.

The protection operation control unit 84 is provided to control the operation of the protection device 10 based on the detection result and the estimation result by the collision determination unit 83. That is, the protection operation control unit 84 controls the operation of the protection device 10 based on the detection result of the primary collision by the primary collision detection unit 831 and the secondary collision position estimated by the secondary collision position estimation unit 832. It has become like. Specifically, the protection operation control unit 84 estimates the first estimation unit 8321 and / or the second estimation unit 8322 when the primary collision detection unit 831 detects the occurrence of a primary collision of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 3. Based on the result, the behavior control device 11, the pop-up hood device 12, and the pedestrian airbag device 13 are activated at appropriate timings.

(Operation example)
Hereinafter, an operation example based on the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart. In the following description in the drawings and the specification, "step" is simply abbreviated as "S". The CPU of the protection control device 80 repeatedly starts the protection device control routine shown in FIG. 3 at predetermined time (for example, 10 msec).

When the protection device control routine shown in FIG. 3 is activated, first, in S301, the CPU determines whether or not a specific object is detected by the object detection unit 72. That is, in S301, the CPU determines whether or not a specific object exists in the field of view of the camera sensor provided in the object detection unit 72. The processing of S301 corresponds to the operation of the object recognition unit 81.

When a specific object is detected (that is, S301 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S302. On the other hand, when the specific object is not detected (that is, S301 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S302 and ends this routine. Therefore, it is assumed that the specific object has been detected (that is, S301 = YES), and the description of this routine will be continued.

In S302, the CPU determines whether or not there is a possibility of collision with the detected specific object. Specifically, in S302, the CPU determines whether or not the collision margin time TTC is less than the predetermined value TTC0. The process of S302 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision detection unit 831.

When there is a possibility of collision with the detected specific object (that is, S302 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S310. On the other hand, when there is no possibility of collision with the detected specific object (that is, S302 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S310 and ends this routine. Therefore, the description of this routine will be continued below assuming that there is a possibility of collision with the detected specific object (that is, S302 = YES).

In S310, the CPU determines whether or not the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be avoided by automatic braking control using the pre-crash safety system. When braking can be avoided (that is, S310 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S311. On the other hand, when braking cannot be avoided (that is, S310 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S312. The process of S310 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision detection unit 831.

In S311 the CPU causes the behavior control device 11 to execute collision avoidance by automatic braking control. Collision avoidance by automatic braking control is already known or well known at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, in the present specification, the details of collision avoidance by automatic braking control will be omitted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-189075 and the corresponding US patent No. 6,922,624, etc. reference). The process of S311 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued on the assumption that the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 cannot be avoided by the automatic braking control (that is, S310 = NO).

In S312, the CPU determines whether or not the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be avoided by automatic steering control using the pre-crash safety system. When steering avoidance is possible (that is, S312 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S313. When steering avoidance is unavoidable (ie, S312 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S314. The process of S312 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision detection unit 831.

In S313, the CPU causes the behavior control device 11 to execute collision avoidance by automatic steering control. Collision avoidance by automatic steering control is already known or well known at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, in the present specification, the details of collision avoidance by automatic steering control will be omitted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-99496 and US Pat. No. 9,540,002 relating to the corresponding US application, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-232825 and the corresponding US patent application publication No. 2015/0353133, etc.). The process of S313 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued on the assumption that the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 cannot be avoided by the automatic steering control (that is, S312 = NO).

In S314, the CPU determines whether or not the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be avoided by the combination of the automatic braking control and the automatic steering control using the pre-crash safety system. If it can be avoided (that is, S314 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S315. On the other hand, if it is unavoidable (ie, S314 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S320. The process of S314 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision detection unit 831.

In S315, the CPU causes the behavior control device 11 to execute collision avoidance by combining automatic braking control and automatic steering control. Collision avoidance by combining automatic braking control and automatic steering control is already known or well known at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, in the present specification, the details of collision avoidance by the combination of automatic braking control and automatic steering control will be omitted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-232825 and the corresponding US patent application publication No. 2015/0353133, etc.). The process of S315 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued on the assumption that the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 cannot be avoided by the combination of the automatic braking control and the automatic steering control (that is, S314 = NO).

In S320, the CPU determines whether or not a primary collision situation has occurred. Specifically, in this specific example, in S320, the CPU determines whether or not the collision margin time TTC is less than the predetermined value TTC1. The predetermined value TTC1 is a value smaller than the above-mentioned predetermined value TTC0. That is, the primary collision situation in S320 corresponds to "a situation in which there is a high possibility that a primary collision has occurred". The process of S320 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision detection unit 831.

The CPU waits for the progress of processing to S330 until a primary collision situation occurs. When the primary collision situation occurs, the CPU advances the process to S330.

In S330, the CPU assumes that the braking amount BA by the automatic braking control and the steering amount SA by the automatic steering control are 0, respectively. Subsequently, the CPU advances the process to S340. In S340, the CPU estimates the secondary collision position P2 on the premise of the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA assumed in S330. The estimation process of the secondary collision position P2 in S340 will be described later. The processing of S330 and S340 corresponds to the operation of the secondary collision position estimation unit 832. After that, the CPU advances the process to S350.

In S350, the CPU determines whether or not the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S340 is within the protected area. The "protected area" is an area on the vehicle body 2 in which the impact on the head of the object to be protected at the time of the secondary collision is satisfactorily alleviated by the pop-up hood device 12 and the pedestrian airbag device 13. Specifically, the protection area is the central portion of the front hood 4 and the deployment area of the right front airbag 13a, the left front airbag 13b, the right pillar airbag 13c, and the left pillar airbag 13d. The processing of S350 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

When the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S340 is within the protected area (that is, S350 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the processes of S351 and S352. The processing of S351 and S352 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

In S351, the CPU determines whether or not the operation timing of the pop-up hood device 12 and the pedestrian airbag device 13 has arrived. The CPU waits for the progress of the process to S352 until the operation timing arrives. When the operation timing arrives, the CPU advances the process to S352.

In S352, the CPU operates the pop-up hood device 12 and the pedestrian airbag device 13. Specifically, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the CPU is in S340 of the right front airbag 13a, the left front airbag 13b, the right pillar airbag 13c, and the left pillar airbag 13d. The one corresponding to the estimated secondary collision position P2 is developed.

On the other hand, when the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S340 is outside the protected area (that is, S350 = NO), the CPU advances the processing to S361 or later prior to the processing execution of S351 and S352.

In S361, the CPU identifies the protection region R closest to the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S340. Next, in S362, the CPU calculates the braking amount BA by the automatic braking control and the steering amount SA by the automatic steering control, which are necessary for bringing the secondary collision position P2 closer to the protection area R specified in S361. .. The processing of S361 and S362 corresponds to the operation of the secondary collision position estimation unit 832.

Subsequently, the CPU advances the process to S370. In S370, the CPU estimates the secondary collision position P2 on the premise of the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA calculated in S362. The estimation process of the secondary collision position P2 in S370 will be described later. After that, the CPU advances the process to S380. In S380, the CPU determines whether or not the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S370 is within the protected area.

When the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S370 is within the protected area (that is, S380 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S381. In S381, the CPU causes the behavior control device 11 to execute vehicle control by the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA calculated in S362. That is, the guidance control is executed by transmitting the behavior control signal from the protection control device 80 to the behavior control device 11. Guidance control refers to controlling vehicle behavior in order to bring the secondary collision position P2 closer to the protected area R. The process of S381 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

Specifically, when the process of S381 is executed in association with the process of "S380 = YES", the secondary collision position P2 is within the deployment region of the pedestrian airbag device 13 or the operation of the pop-up hood device 12. Guidance control is performed so that it is central to the front hood 4 at the time.

After executing the process of S381, the CPU executes the processes of S351 and S352, and then ends this routine. That is, the CPU operates the pop-up hood device 12 and the pedestrian airbag device 13 when the operation timing arrives.

On the other hand, when the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S370 is outside the protected area (that is, S380 = NO), the CPU is for minimizing the impact on the head of the protected object at the time of the secondary collision. After executing the processes of S382 to S385 for calculating the vehicle behavior control amount, the process proceeds to S381. The processing of S382 to S385 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 84.

Specifically, first, in S382, the CPU calculates the secondary collision possible range. The "secondary collision possible range" is a range in which it is estimated that the secondary collision position P2 can be located within the limit in which the vehicle behavior can be controlled. Next, in S383, the CPU calculates an impact estimated value map. The "impact estimated value map" is a map of the result of calculating the impact value to the head of the object to be protected at the time of the secondary collision at each position included in the secondary collision possible range.

Subsequently, in S384, the CPU specifies the secondary collision position P2 at which the impact estimated value is minimized on the impact estimated value map. Finally, in S385, the CPU corrects the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA calculated in S362 so as to correspond to the secondary collision position P2 specified in S384. As a result, in S381, the secondary collision position P2 is guided to the position where the impact estimated value is minimized on the impact estimated value map by using the corrected braking amount BA and the steering amount SA.

FIG. 4 shows a subroutine of the estimation process of the secondary collision position P2 corresponding to S340 and S370. S340 and S370 differ only in the prerequisite braking amount BA and steering amount SA, and the others are the same. Therefore, the case of S340 and the case of S370 will be collectively described with reference to FIG.

First, the CPU estimates the first estimated position P21 in S410. The first estimated position P21 is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the first estimation unit 8321. The processing of S410 corresponds to the operation of the first estimation unit 8321. Next, the CPU estimates the second estimated position P22 in S420. The second estimated position P22 is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the second estimation unit 8322. The processing of S420 corresponds to the operation of the second estimation unit 8322. Finally, the CPU executes the adjustment process in S430. The process of S430 corresponds to the operation of the adjusting unit 8323.

FIG. 5 shows a subroutine of estimation processing of the first estimation position P21 corresponding to S410. Referring to FIG. 5 below, first, in S510, the CPU acquires the image information at the time T1 when the primary collision situation occurs. That is, in S510, the CPU reads the image information acquired by the object detection unit 72 at time T1 from the RAM or the non-volatile RAM. The time T1 corresponds to the time when it is determined in S320 in the routine of FIG. 3 that the collision margin time TTC is less than the predetermined value TTC1.

Next, in S520, the CPU acquires the primary collision position P11 based on the image information acquired in S510. The primary collision position P11 can be obtained by using a well-known image processing technique. Subsequently, in S530, the CPU acquires the head position H11 corresponding to the primary collision position P11 based on the image information acquired in S510. The head position H11 is the position of the head of the object to be protected at the time T1, and can be obtained by using a well-known image processing technique.

Subsequently, in S540, the CPU acquires vehicle behavior information. The vehicle behavior information includes the above-mentioned braking amount BA and steering amount SA in addition to the motion state of the vehicle 1 such as vehicle speed, steering angle, yaw rate, and acceleration. Further, in S550, the CPU relatives the vehicle 1 to the object to be protected based on the vehicle behavior information acquired in S540, the recognition result by the object recognition unit 81, and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 82. Get the speed. Finally, in S560, the CPU estimates the first estimated position P21 based on the acquisition results in S520 to S550.

FIG. 6 shows a subroutine of estimation processing of the second estimation position P22 corresponding to S420. Referring to FIG. 6 below, first, in S610, the CPU estimates the primary collision position P12 based on the output of the collision sensor 71. Specifically, the primary collision position P12 can be estimated by analyzing the output waveform of the right side pressure sensor 71b and the output waveform of the left side pressure sensor 71c, which indicate the passage of time of the pressure detection value. As for the method of estimating the primary collision position P12 based on the output of the collision sensor 71, there are already some known examples at the time of filing the application of the present application, and such known examples can be appropriately applied to the present embodiment. Further details of the embodiment will be omitted (see, for example, JP-A-2016-88456, JP-A-2016-210346, etc.).

Next, in S620, the CPU acquires the head position H12 corresponding to the primary collision position P12. The head position H12 is the position of the head of the object to be protected when the output of the collision sensor 71 exceeds the threshold value according to the type of the collision object.

For example, when the specific object is a pedestrian, the head position H12 can be estimated at a position above a predetermined distance (for example, 50 cm) from the primary collision position P12, which is the position in the vehicle width direction on the front bumper 3.

When the specific object is a bicycle with a occupant, the orientation of the bicycle at the time of the primary collision can be estimated based on the history of the distance measurement result by the distance measurement sensor 73. Therefore, in this case, the head position H12 is calculated based on the history of the distance measurement result by the distance measurement sensor 73, the average bicycle size, and the average human height and sitting height in the traveling area of the vehicle 1. obtain. The average bicycle size can be set, for example, based on traffic regulations or industry standards. Specifically, in the case of Japan, the maximum dimensions of an adult bicycle specified in the JIS standard, total length 1900 mm, total width 600 mm, and saddle height 1100 mm, are each multiplied by a predetermined coefficient (for example, 0.8). The value can be adopted as the average bicycle size.

Subsequently, in S630, the CPU acquires vehicle behavior information in the same manner as in S540. Further, in S640, the CPU estimates the relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the object to be protected based on the vehicle behavior information acquired in S630 and the history of the distance measurement result by the distance measurement sensor 73. Finally, in S650, the CPU estimates the second estimated position P22 based on the acquisition results in S610 to S640.

FIG. 7 shows a subroutine of adjustment processing corresponding to S430. Referring to FIG. 7 below, first, in S710, the CPU determines whether or not the first estimated position P21 is estimated by the process of S410.

As described above, the first estimated position P21 is estimated based on the object detection result by the object detection unit 72 provided with the camera sensor. Therefore, for example, the object detection unit 72 may not be able to detect the object due to the occurrence of adverse conditions such as backlight or sensor failure. In such a case, the first estimated position P21 is not estimated by the processing of S410. On the other hand, the second estimated position P22 is estimated based on the output of the collision sensor 71 generated by the actual primary collision. Therefore, the second estimated position P22 can be reliably estimated if a primary collision actually occurs.

When the first estimated position P21 is estimated (that is, S710 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S720. In S720, the CPU determines whether or not the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 are within a predetermined range. "The first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 exist within a predetermined range" specifically means that, for example, the horizontal distance between the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 is less than a predetermined value. Is to be. That is, the processing of S720 means determining whether or not the error between the estimation result of the first estimation position P21 and the estimation result of the second estimation position P22 is small.

When the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 are within a predetermined range (that is, S720 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S730. In S730, the CPU estimates the secondary collision position P2 based on the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22.

For example, in S730, either one of the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 may be selected as the secondary collision position P2. Specifically, for example, a collision sensor generated by an actual primary collision rather than the primary collision position P11 acquired by processing the image information acquired by the object detection unit 72 regardless of the actual occurrence of the primary collision. The estimation of the primary collision position P12 based on the output of 71 is likely to be more accurate. Therefore, when the error between the estimation result of the first estimated position P21 and the estimated result of the second estimated position P22 is small, the second estimated position P22 estimated based on the primary collision position P12 is the secondary collision position P2. Can be selected as.

Alternatively, for example, in S730, the secondary collision position P2 can be estimated by correcting the other based on one of the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22. Specifically, for example, for the same reason as described above, the secondary collision position P2 can be estimated by correcting the second estimated position P22 based on the first estimated position P21. More specifically, for example, the position where the line segment connecting the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 is internally divided into 1: N in a plan view can be estimated as the secondary collision position P2. is there. N is a natural number of 2 or more.

When the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 do not exist within a predetermined range (that is, S720 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S740.

For example, in bad weather such as rainy weather or dense fog, or at night, it becomes difficult for the object detection unit 72 to acquire image information, and therefore, the estimation error of the first estimation position P21 may become large. Therefore, in S740, the CPU determines whether or not the traveling environment of the vehicle 1 is bad weather or at night. The determination of S740 can be performed based on, for example, the operating conditions of the wiper, the headlight, and the fog lamp (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1.

When the error between the estimation result of the first estimated position P21 and the estimation result of the second estimated position P22 is large (that is, S720 = NO) and the traveling environment of the vehicle 1 is bad weather or at night (that is, S740 = YES). ), The reliability of the first estimated position P21 is low. Therefore, in this case, the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S750. In S750, the CPU selects the second estimated position P22 as the secondary collision position P2.

As described above, even if the first estimated position P21 is not estimated because the object detection unit 72 cannot detect the object due to the occurrence of adverse conditions such as backlight (that is, S710 = NO). The second estimated position P22 is estimated. Therefore, also in this case, the CPU advances the processing to S750. That is, the CPU selects the second estimated position P22 as the secondary collision position P2.

The object detection accuracy by the fusion sensor and the stereo camera in recent years is very high if the shooting environment by the camera sensor is good. On the other hand, the head position H12, which is the basis for estimating the second estimated position P22 based on the output of the collision sensor 71, is an estimated value, not a measured value.

Therefore, when the error between the estimation result of the first estimated position P21 and the estimated result of the second estimated position P22 is large (that is, S720 = NO) and the traveling environment of the vehicle 1 is not bad weather or nighttime (that is,). S740 = NO), rather, the reliability of the first estimated position P21 may be higher. Therefore, in this case, the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S760. In S760, the CPU selects the first estimated position P21 as the secondary collision position P2.

(effect)
As described in detail above, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the collision sensor 71 provided in the front bumper 3 generates an output according to the applied impact. The object detection unit 72 detects an object existing around the vehicle 1. The first estimation unit 8321 estimates the first estimation position P21 based on the detection result by the object detection unit 72 in the primary collision situation. The second estimation unit 8322 estimates the second estimation position P22 based on the output of the collision sensor 71 in the primary collision situation. The protection operation control unit 84 controls the operation of the protection device 10 based on the secondary collision position P2 estimated by the first estimation unit 8321 and the second estimation unit 8322.

As described above, in the above configuration, the estimation of the secondary collision position P2 is the estimation by the first estimation unit 8321, that is, the estimation based on the detection result by the object detection unit 72, and the estimation by the second estimation unit 8322, that is, the collision sensor 71. It is redundant with the estimation based on the output. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the first estimated position P21 which is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the first estimation unit 8321 and the second estimated position P2 which is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the second estimation unit 8322. The estimated position P22 and can be obtained.

Therefore, for example, by selecting one of the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 depending on the situation, or by correcting the other based on one, the estimation accuracy of the secondary collision position P2 Can be improved. Further, for example, due to an abnormality in the object detection unit 72 or a running environment of the vehicle 1 that is not suitable for the operation of the object detection unit 72, the first estimation unit 8321 cannot estimate the first estimation position P21 well. Even in this case, the second estimation unit 8322 can estimate the second estimation position P22. As described above, according to the above configuration, the estimation of the secondary collision position P2 is surely executed, or the secondary collision position P2 is estimated with good accuracy, so that a more optimum protection operation can be realized. It will be possible.

In the configuration of the present embodiment, in the protection control device 80, the secondary collision position P2 is in the deployment region of the pedestrian airbag device 13 or the central portion of the front hood 4 when the pop-up hood device 12 is activated. As described above, the behavior of the vehicle is controlled by using the behavior control device 11. Therefore, according to such a configuration, protection of the object to be protected can be satisfactorily performed when the primary collision with the specific object is unavoidable.

(Modification example)
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Therefore, the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate. A typical modification will be described below. In the following description of the modified example, the differences from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described. Further, in the above-described embodiment and the modified example, the same reference numerals are given to the portions that are the same or equal to each other. Therefore, in the following description of the modified example, the description in the above embodiment may be appropriately incorporated with respect to the component having the same reference numeral as that in the above embodiment, unless there is a technical contradiction or a special additional explanation.

The present invention is not limited to the specific device configuration shown in the above embodiment. Specifically, for example, in the above embodiment, the pedestrian airbag device 13 includes a right front airbag 13a, a left front airbag 13b, a right pillar airbag 13c, and a left pillar airbag 13d. Was. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, the pedestrian airbag device 13 may include other airbags.

In the above embodiment, the pedestrian airbag device 13 is divided into a plurality of regions so as to be independently deployable. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, for example, the right front airbag 13a, the left front airbag 13b, the right pillar airbag 13c, and the left pillar airbag 13d may be configured to be integrally expanded.

The configuration of the collision sensor 71 is not limited to the above specific example. That is, for example, the collision sensor 71 may be a pressure chamber type sensor, an optical fiber type sensor, or a piezoelectric film sensor formed of a piezoelectric polymer film element. The collision sensor 71 may be divided into a plurality of parts in the vehicle width direction.

As a configuration capable of detecting the primary collision position in the vehicle width direction, for example, those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-203775 are known. Further, also in the piezoelectric film sensor, it is possible to estimate the primary collision position in the vehicle width direction based on the output voltage characteristic generated at the time of the primary collision.

The configuration of the object detection unit 72 is not limited to the above specific example. That is, the object detection unit 72 may be configured to include one or more or one or more well-known sensors selected from a camera sensor, a laser radar sensor, a millimeter wave radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like.

The present invention is not limited to the specific operation examples and processing modes shown in the above embodiments. Specifically, the first estimation unit 8321 may estimate the primary collision position and the secondary collision position when the collision margin time TTC becomes less than the predetermined value TTC1.

For example, the secondary collision position estimation by the second estimation unit 8322 is not limited to the one using the outputs of the plurality of ranging sensors 73. That is, instead of or together with the outputs of the plurality of ranging sensors 73, the output of one ranging sensor (for example, a laser radar sensor or a millimeter wave radar sensor) for cruise control is output by the second estimation unit 8322. It can be used to estimate the next collision position. Alternatively, the output of a sensor other than the camera sensor in the object detection unit 72 that can be used as a distance measuring sensor (for example, a millimeter wave radar sensor) can be used for the secondary collision position estimation by the second estimation unit 8322. ..

For example, in the process of S330, it was assumed that the braking amount BA by the automatic braking control and the steering amount SA by the automatic steering control were 0, respectively. This is a simplification of the description of the embodiment for convenience. Therefore, in the process of S330, at least one of the braking amount BA by the automatic braking control and the steering amount SA by the automatic steering control may be a predetermined value other than 0. In particular, from the viewpoint of reducing the impact value at the time of the primary collision as much as possible, the braking amount BA by the automatic braking control is preferably a predetermined value other than 0.

For example, in the process of S340 prior to S370, the primary collision positions P11 and P12 have been acquired, and the head positions H11 and H12 corresponding to the primary collision positions P11 and P12 have also been acquired. Therefore, in the estimation process of the secondary collision position P2 corresponding to S370, the processes of S510 to S530 and the processes of S610 and S620 may be omitted.

In S720, the process of determining whether or not the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 are within a predetermined range is, for example, in a plan view, the first estimated position P21 is the second estimated position P22. It may be a process of determining whether or not it is included in a circle having a diameter of D0 centered on. Alternatively, the determination process in S720 may be a process for determining whether or not the second estimated position P22 is included in a circle having a diameter D1 centered on the first estimated position P21. The diameter D0 and the diameter D1 may be the same or different. Alternatively, the determination process in S720 is a process for determining whether or not the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 are included in the same protected area (for example, the deployment area of the left front airbag 13b). May be good.

For example, in the routine of FIG. 7, the processes of S740 and S760 may be omitted. That is, when the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 do not exist within a predetermined range (that is, S720 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S750 and sets the second estimated position P22 to the secondary collision position. It may be selected as P2.

For example, a specific object may be a bicycle with a occupant, and the occupant may suddenly brake or stop suddenly immediately before a collision. In this case, there is a possibility that a large error may occur in the first estimated position P21 estimated based on the object detection result by the object detection unit 72.

Specifically, it is assumed that a bicycle with a occupant suddenly jumps out from the left side of the vehicle 1 and the occupant suddenly brakes or suddenly stops immediately before the collision. In this case, even if the primary collision position P11 acquired based on the object detection result by the object detection unit 72 is substantially the center of the front bumper 3 in the vehicle width direction, the actual primary collision is caused by the above-mentioned sudden braking or sudden stop. The position is the left corner of the front bumper 3 and substantially coincides with the primary collision position P12 estimated based on the output of the collision sensor 71. In this case, the accuracy of the second estimated position P22 is higher than that of the first estimated position P21. Therefore, in this case, by selecting the second estimated position P22 as the secondary collision position P2, it is possible to realize an appropriate protection operation.

As described above, for various reasons, a relatively large error may occur between the estimation result of the first estimated position P21 and the estimation result of the second estimated position P22. In particular, it may not be clear which of the estimation result of the first estimated position P21 and the estimation result of the second estimated position P22 has higher accuracy.

Therefore, when the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 do not exist within a predetermined range, the above-mentioned guidance control may be prohibited. The flowchart of FIG. 8 is a modification of the flowchart of FIG. 3 corresponding to such a modification. S801 to S870 in FIG. 8 are the same processes as S301 to S370 in FIG. Similarly, S880 to S885 in FIG. 8 are the same processes as S380 to S385 in FIG.

In this modification, the process of S875 is executed immediately after S870. In S875, the CPU determines whether or not the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 are within a predetermined range. When the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 are within a predetermined range (that is, S875 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S880.

On the other hand, when the first estimated position P21 and the second estimated position P22 do not exist within a predetermined range (that is, S875 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S880 and ends this routine. That is, in this case, the vehicle control process of S881 is skipped. As a result, the above-mentioned guidance control is prohibited.

The protection operation control unit 84 may wait for the operation of the protection device 10 when the second estimation position P22, which is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the second estimation unit 8322, cannot be obtained. 9 to 12 are modifications of the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 to 6 in response to such a modification.

S901 to S915 in FIG. 9 are the same processes as S301 to S315 in FIG. Similarly, S930 and later in FIG. 9 are the same processes as S330 and later in FIG. That is, the flowchart of FIG. 9 corresponds to the one in which the processing of S320 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is omitted.

FIG. 10 shows a subroutine of the estimation process of the secondary collision position P2 corresponding to S940 and S970. Referring to FIG. 10, in this subroutine, the CPU first estimates the first estimated position P21 in S1010. Next, the CPU estimates the second estimated position P22 in S1020. After that, the CPU advances the process to S1025.

In S1025, the CPU determines whether or not the second estimated position P22 has been estimated in S1020. When the second estimated position P22 is estimated in S1020 (that is, S1025 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S1030. On the other hand, when the second estimated position P22 is not estimated in S1020 (that is, S1025 = NO), the CPU returns the process to S1020. That is, the CPU waits for the progress of processing to S1030 until the estimated value of the second estimated position P22 is acquired in S1020.

Finally, the CPU executes the adjustment process in S1030. The processing of S1030 is the same as the processing of S430, that is, the processing of the subroutine of FIG.

FIG. 11 shows a subroutine of estimation processing of the first estimation position P21 corresponding to S1010. Referring to FIG. 11 below, first, in S1100, the CPU determines whether or not the collision margin time TTC is less than the predetermined value TTC0.

When the collision margin time TTC is equal to or greater than the predetermined value TTC0 (that is, S1100 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S1110 and temporarily terminates this routine. On the other hand, when the collision margin time TTC becomes less than the predetermined value TTC0 (that is, S1100 = YES), the CPU temporarily terminates this routine after executing the processes of S111 to S1160. S110 to S1160 is the same process as S510 to S560 in FIG.

FIG. 12 shows a subroutine of estimation processing of the second estimation position P22 corresponding to S1020. Referring to FIG. 12 below, first, in S1200, the CPU determines whether or not the output PR of the collision sensor 71 exceeds the threshold value PRth according to the type of the collision object.

When the output PR of the collision sensor 71 is equal to or less than the threshold value PRth (that is, 1200 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S1210 and temporarily ends this routine. On the other hand, when the output PR of the collision sensor 71 exceeds the threshold value PRth (that is, 1200 = YES), the CPU executes the processes of S120 to S1250 and then temporarily terminates this routine. S120 to S1250 are the same processes as S610 to S650 in FIG.

The method of estimating the second estimated position P22 by the second estimating unit 8322 is not limited to the above examples. Hereinafter, some modifications regarding the method of estimating the second estimated position P22 by the second estimation unit 8322 will be described.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing an output example of the pressure tube type collision sensor 71 shown in FIG. In FIG. 13, the vertical axis PR indicates the output of the collision sensor 71, and the horizontal axis indicates the time T. The time T indicates the elapsed time from the reference time, with the time when the specific object comes into contact with the front bumper 3 as the reference time (that is, T = 0).

The solid line in FIG. 13 shows the case where the primary collision position P1 is the central portion in the vehicle width direction. On the other hand, the broken line indicates the case where the primary collision position P1 is the end portion in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the tube member 71a is curved at the end in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, in the case of an end collision, the collision load escapes and the output value becomes low.

That is, in the case of a central collision, the peak value PR1 is generated at time T1. On the other hand, in the case of end collision, a peak value PR2 lower than PR1 is generated at time T2 before time T1. It is possible to estimate the primary collision position P1 by using such an output characteristic. It is possible to use the peak value of the output PR, T, PR / T, etc. as the estimation parameters.

Corresponding to the primary collision position P1 estimated in this way, the second estimated position P22, which is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the second estimation unit 8322, can be easily estimated as follows. Specifically, for example, when the primary collision position P1 is the central portion in the vehicle width direction, the second estimated position P22 is presumed to be the central portion in the front hood 4. On the other hand, for example, when the primary collision position P1 is the end portion in the vehicle width direction, the second estimated position P22 is presumed to be the outer edge portion in the front hood 4 or the front pillar 6.

FIG. 14 shows a configuration using a piezoelectric film type collision sensor 71. FIG. 15A shows the spatial distribution of the output PR of the collision sensor 71 when the primary collision position P1 is the central portion in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 15B shows the spatial distribution of the output PR of the collision sensor 71 when the primary collision position P1 is the end portion in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 15A, when the primary collision position P1 is the central portion in the vehicle width direction, the positions showing high output are widely distributed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15B, when the primary collision position P1 is the end portion in the vehicle width direction, the distribution of the positions showing high output is narrowed or the positions showing high output do not appear. Or It is possible to estimate the primary collision position P1 by using such an output characteristic.

Corresponding to the primary collision position P1 estimated in this way, the second estimated position P22, which is the estimation result of the secondary collision position P2 by the second estimation unit 8322, is estimated. Specifically, for example, when the primary collision position P1 is the central portion in the vehicle width direction, the second estimated position P22 is presumed to be the central portion in the front hood 4. On the other hand, for example, when the primary collision position P1 is the end portion in the vehicle width direction, the second estimated position P22 is presumed to be the outer edge portion in the front hood 4 or the front pillar 6.

Needless to say, the method of estimating the primary collision position P1 shown in FIGS. 13, 15A, and 15B can be applied to the above embodiment.

Modifications are also not limited to the above examples. Also, a plurality of variants can be combined with each other. Further, all or part of the above embodiments and all or part of the modifications may be combined with each other.

1 Vehicle 2 Body 3 Front bumper 10 Protective device 71 Collision sensor 72 Object detection unit 80 Protective control device 8321 First estimation unit 8322 Second estimation unit 84 Protective operation control unit

Claims (18)

A protection control device (80) configured to control the operation of a protection device (10) that protects a person who has collided with a vehicle (1).
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
Equipped with a,
The protection operation control unit corrects the other based on one of the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit. The configured protection control device. The second estimation unit is configured to estimate the secondary collision position based on the output of the collision sensor and the behavior of the vehicle.
The protection control device according to claim 1. When the protection operation control unit cannot obtain the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the first estimation unit, the protection operation control unit operates the protection device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the second estimation unit. Configured to control,
The protection control device according to claim 1 or 2. The protection operation control unit is configured to wait for the operation of the protection device when the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the second estimation unit cannot be obtained.
The protection control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The protective device is
A behavior control device (11) configured to control the behavior of the vehicle, and
A pop-up hood device (12) configured to raise the front hood (4) forming a part of the vehicle body, and a pop-up hood device (12) configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying on the vehicle body. With at least one of the pedestrian airbag devices (13),
Have,
The protective operation control unit causes the behavior control device to execute guidance control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle so that the secondary collision position is within the protected area of the pop-up hood device or the pedestrian airbag device. Constructed as
The protection control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit are within a predetermined range, the protection operation control unit performs the second estimation. It is configured to control the operation of the protective device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the unit.
The protection control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The protection operation control unit performs the second estimation when the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit do not exist within a predetermined range. It is configured to control the operation of the pedestrian airbag device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the unit.
The protection control device according to claim 5 . The protective operation control unit
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit are within a predetermined range, the guidance control by the behavior control device is executed. ,
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit do not exist within the predetermined range, the guidance control by the behavior control device is prohibited. Configured to
The protection control device according to claim 5 . A protection control device (80) configured to control the operation of a protection device (10) that protects a person who has collided with a vehicle (1).
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
With
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit are within a predetermined range, the protection operation control unit performs the second estimation. A protection control device configured to control the operation of the protection device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the unit. The second estimation unit is configured to estimate the secondary collision position based on the output of the collision sensor and the behavior of the vehicle.
The protection control device according to claim 9. When the protection operation control unit cannot obtain the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the first estimation unit, the protection operation control unit operates the protection device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the second estimation unit. Configured to control,
The protection control device according to claim 9 or 10. The protection operation control unit is configured to wait for the operation of the protection device when the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the second estimation unit cannot be obtained.
The protection control device according to any one of claims 9 to 11. The protective device is
A behavior control device (11) configured to control the behavior of the vehicle, and
A pop-up hood device (12) configured to raise the front hood (4) forming a part of the vehicle body, and a pop-up hood device (12) configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying on the vehicle body. With at least one of the pedestrian airbag devices (13),
Have,
The protective operation control unit causes the behavior control device to execute guidance control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle so that the secondary collision position is within the protected area of the pop-up hood device or the pedestrian airbag device. Constructed as
The protection control device according to any one of claims 9 to 12. A protection control device (80) configured to control the operation of a protection device (10) that protects a person who has collided with a vehicle (1).
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
With
The protective device is
A behavior control device (11) configured to control the behavior of the vehicle, and
A pop-up hood device (12) configured to raise the front hood (4) forming a part of the vehicle body, and a pop-up hood device (12) configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying on the vehicle body. With at least one of the pedestrian airbag devices (13),
Have,
The protective operation control unit causes the behavior control device to execute guidance control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle so that the secondary collision position is within the protected area of the pop-up hood device or the pedestrian airbag device. Is configured as
The protection operation control unit performs the second estimation when the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit do not exist within a predetermined range. A protection control device configured to control the operation of the pedestrian airbag device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the unit. A protection control device (80) configured to control the operation of a protection device (10) that protects a person who has collided with a vehicle (1).
Based on the detection result by the object detection unit (72) provided to detect the object existing around the vehicle, a primary collision of a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant with the vehicle has occurred. The first estimation unit (8321) provided to estimate the secondary collision position of the protected object that is the pedestrian or the occupant in the primary collision situation that is likely to have occurred.
Based on the output of a collision sensor (71) provided on a bumper (3) that constitutes a part of the vehicle body and configured to generate an output corresponding to an impact applied by a collision between the object and the bumper. The second estimation unit (8322) provided to estimate the secondary collision position in the primary collision situation, and
A protection operation control unit (84) provided to control the operation of the protection device based on the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the second estimation unit.
With
The protective device is
A behavior control device (11) configured to control the behavior of the vehicle, and
A pop-up hood device (12) configured to raise the front hood (4) forming a part of the vehicle body, and a pop-up hood device (12) configured to protect the object to be protected by deploying on the vehicle body. With at least one of the pedestrian airbag devices (13),
Have,
The protective operation control unit causes the behavior control device to execute guidance control for controlling the behavior of the vehicle so that the secondary collision position is within the protected area of the pop-up hood device or the pedestrian airbag device. Is configured as
The protective operation control unit
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit are within a predetermined range, the guidance control by the behavior control device is executed. ,
When the secondary collision position estimated by the first estimation unit and the secondary collision position estimated by the second estimation unit do not exist within the predetermined range, the guidance control by the behavior control device is prohibited. To do
Protective control device configured to. The second estimation unit is configured to estimate the secondary collision position based on the output of the collision sensor and the behavior of the vehicle.
The protection control device according to claim 14 or 15. When the protection operation control unit cannot obtain the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the first estimation unit, the protection operation control unit operates the protection device based on the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the second estimation unit. Configured to control,
The protection control device according to any one of claims 14 to 16. The protection operation control unit is configured to wait for the operation of the protection device when the estimation result of the secondary collision position by the second estimation unit cannot be obtained.
The protection control device according to any one of claims 14 to 17.

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