KR101868088B1 - Apparatus and method for collision avoiding using ultrasonic sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A collision avoiding apparatus and method using an ultrasonic sensor are disclosed. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor unit having a plurality of ultrasonic sensors arranged to sense a predetermined region with a predefined sensing range, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors to be controlled and driven, and a sensing signal applied to each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors Analyzing the object, analyzing an object corresponding to the position of the object included in the object information, analyzing the traveling direction of the vehicle, and determining whether the emergency mode is activated And outputs a signal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a collision avoidance apparatus and method using an ultrasonic sensor,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a collision avoiding apparatus and method for a moving object such as a vehicle and a robot, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for detecting a pedestrian in a dangerous area and avoiding a collision according to a sensed situation.

According to the survey data of the road traffic corporation, the deaths of pedestrians account for 36.5% of all traffic accident deaths, and the cost of social loss due to pedestrian traffic accidents is estimated to exceed 13 trillion won annually.

In Europe, USA, Japan and other major countries, safety regulations are being strengthened to reduce pedestrians' traffic accidents. Various advanced technologies are being introduced to prevent collision by detecting pedestrians in vehicles. In Europe, the European Union (EU) requires the installation of an AEB system or AEBS for the purpose of reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths. The Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) AEB was officially included as a vehicle safety assessment item.

The AEB system detects a dangerous situation in a vehicle even if there is no active instruction of the driver in case the speed of the preceding vehicle is reduced or stopped, or an obstacle such as a pedestrian suddenly appears, warning the driver or controlling the deceleration automatically, Furthermore, it is a system that prevents the collision accident by minimizing the damage by activating the brake by itself in the vehicle.

In the AEB system, it is necessary to accurately determine the collision possibility and the collision prediction time based on the accurate detection of the pedestrian, the precise prediction of the moving direction and the moving speed of the pedestrian, and the prediction information in order to prevent collision between the vehicle and the pedestrian, , The driver should be presented with a warning of danger in order to induce avoidance or perform automatic braking immediately before the crash.

Currently, the AEB system uses sensors of various types for precise pedestrian detection and distance detection. Ultrasonic sensors are used as representative sensors among these sensors. Ultrasonic sensors are typically configured to detect near obstacles on the order of 3 to 4 meters and are capable of sensing distances from obstacles while limiting the direction, or angle, of the obstacles. In addition, there is a limitation that the sensing angle is limited.

As the angle of the ultrasonic sensor is limited, ultrasonic sensors are mainly disposed in the forward and rearward directions of the vehicle based on the traveling direction of the vehicle. The placement of such an ultrasonic sensor is preferable because the vehicle basically performs only the forward or backward movement. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to detect the pedestrian when the pedestrian suddenly enters the area corresponding to the vehicle progress path or when the vehicle rotates.

Referring to the recently published Euro NCAP AEBS requirements, it is required to detect the risk of collision with pedestrians with a walking speed of 3-8 km / h even when the vehicle is running at 10-60 km / h per hour. However, when a pedestrian appears at a high speed while the vehicle is traveling at a low speed of 20 km / h or less, when a concealed pedestrian suddenly appears in a short distance, or when a pedestrian appears in a short distance side while the vehicle is rotating There is a technical limitation in determining whether there is a risk of a collision by sensing it, determining that there is a possibility of a collision, and decelerating or suddenly braking within a short time.

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1500162 (Registered on Mar. 2, 2015)

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic danger detection brake system capable of early detection and discrimination of an obstacle difficult to detect by a conventional sensor such as a short pedestrian at low speed traveling or turning of the vehicle, And an object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoiding apparatus using an ultrasonic sensor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoiding method using an ultrasonic sensor for achieving the above object.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for avoiding collision using an ultrasonic sensor, the apparatus including: an ultrasonic sensor unit having a plurality of ultrasonic sensors disposed in a vehicle to detect a designated area, An object detecting unit for controlling and driving the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, detecting an object by analyzing a sensing signal applied from each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, generating an object information by discriminating an area including a detected position of the object, And a collision determiner for analyzing a region corresponding to a position of the object included in the object information and a traveling direction of the vehicle and outputting an emergency mode activation signal; .

Wherein the collision determination unit classifies whether the area corresponding to the position of the object is within the range of the vehicle's traveling direction or outside based on the vehicle width of the vehicle and if the area corresponding to the position of the object is within the traveling direction range of the vehicle And outputs the emergency mode activation signal.

Wherein the ultrasonic sensor unit comprises: two vehicle-width reference ultrasonic sensors disposed at both ends of the vehicle in a traveling direction of the vehicle and sensing the sensing range specified in the outward direction based on the vehicle width of the vehicle; And at least one traveling direction ultrasound sensor disposed on one side of a traveling direction of the vehicle and sensing a traveling direction of the vehicle; And a control unit.

The ultrasonic sensor part is arranged such that the sensing areas of adjacent ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors overlap with each other in a predetermined overlap ratio range.

Wherein the ultrasonic sensor unit includes at least one ultrasonic sensor, each of the at least one ultrasonic sensor is alternately arranged in a predetermined order; And a control unit.

In the case where a plurality of ultrasonic sensors are provided in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units use different frequencies.

The plurality of ultrasonic sensor units may be arranged such that the plurality of ultrasonic sensors are not overlapped with each other in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units.

Wherein the object detecting unit drives the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units alternately in a predetermined order, and when all the objects are detected by the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, it is determined that the object is located in the overlapping region And that when the object is detected only by one of the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other, it is determined that the object is located in the sensing area excluding the overlap area in the sensing range of each of the ultrasonic sensors .

The collision determining unit determines that the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle when the position of the object determined by the object detecting unit is within the sensing range of the at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor when the vehicle goes straight forward or backward And when the position of the object is determined to be an overlapped area in which the sensing ranges of the two vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensors and the at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor are superimposed on each other, And outputs a pre-control signal.

Wherein the collision determination unit outputs the emergency mode activation signal if the plurality of forward direction ultrasonic sensors are provided and the position of the object is an overlapping area in which the detection ranges of the plurality of forward direction ultrasonic sensors overlap, And outputs the pre-control signal together with the emergency mode activation signal if the emergency braking range is the sensing range of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors.

Wherein the collision determining unit determines that the object is located outside the traveling direction range of the vehicle when the object is within the sensing area of the two vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensors.

Wherein the collision judging unit judges that the traveling direction of the vehicle is rotating at a predetermined reference angle or more and that the position of the object discriminated by the object detecting unit is larger than the vehicle width of the vehicle, And the emergency mode activation signal is output when the object is within the detection range of the reference ultrasonic sensor and the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

Wherein the collision avoiding apparatus comprises: a vehicle control section having an emergency control section activated in response to the emergency mode activation signal to control the brake of the vehicle to brake the vehicle or output a warning to the driver; And further comprising:

The vehicle control section is characterized in that it responds to the pre-control signal to activate an initial flow-amount increase module (Pre-fill module) to minimize the brake response time of the vehicle according to a predetermined pre-setting .

Wherein the vehicle control unit determines whether the initial flow rate increase module is activated when the emergency mode activation signal and the advance control signal are applied together, activates the emergency control unit when the initial flow rate increase module is activated, And activates the initial flow rate increase module if the increase module is deactivated.

The conflict determination unit accumulates and stores the position of the identified object, and calculates and stores the moving direction and the moving speed of the object as object information using the stored position of the object.

Wherein the collision determining unit receives vehicle state information including a moving speed, a moving direction, and a rotation angle of the vehicle from the vehicle control unit, calculates a collision estimated time (TTC) using the vehicle state information and the stored object information, And compares the calculated collision prediction time (TTC) with a predetermined braking critical time (Xb) and a warning critical time (Tw), and transmits a danger braking signal or a collision warning signal to the emergency control unit.

Wherein the emergency control unit drives the brake of the vehicle when the danger braking signal is applied and outputs a collision warning to the driver when the collision warning signal is applied.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an impact avoiding method using an ultrasonic sensor, including an ultrasonic sensor unit including a plurality of ultrasonic sensors disposed in a vehicle to detect a predetermined sensing range, The method comprising: generating a sensing signal by sensing an object of the ultrasonic sensor part under the control of the object detecting part, in the collision avoiding method of the collision avoiding device, Detecting the object by analyzing the sensing signal applied from each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and discriminating an area corresponding to the detected position of the object; And outputting an emergency mode activation signal by analyzing a region of the collision determination unit corresponding to the position of the object and a traveling direction of the vehicle; .

Wherein the step of generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal comprises the steps of: determining whether an area corresponding to the position of the object is within a traveling direction of the vehicle or outside based on a width of the vehicle; And generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal if the collision determination unit determines that the object is within a traveling direction of the vehicle. And a control unit.

Wherein the generating of the sensing signal comprises: dividing the plurality of ultrasonic sensors into a plurality of ultrasonic sensor units according to an arrangement order, and alternately driving the plurality of separated ultrasonic sensor units in a predetermined order; And receiving the sensing signal from at least one ultrasonic sensor included in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units alternately driven by the object detection unit; And a control unit.

Wherein the step of discriminating an area where the object is detected includes the steps of sensing the ultrasonic waves applied to the plurality of ultrasonic sensors arranged in such a manner that the sensing ranges of the adjacent ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other are overlapped with each other in a pre- Analyzing the signal; Determining that the object is located in the overlapping area when all of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors are detected in the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other; And determining that the object is located in the sensing area excluding the overlap area in the sensing range of each of the ultrasonic sensors when the object is detected only in one of the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other. And a control unit.

Determining whether the vehicle is within or outside the traveling direction of the vehicle comprises: determining whether the vehicle is traveling straight ahead or turning; Determining whether the position of the object is included in the sensing range of at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor arranged on one side of the traveling direction of the vehicle among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors for sensing the traveling direction of the vehicle ; Determining that the object is located within a range of a traveling direction of the vehicle when the position of the object is within a sensing range of the at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor; Wherein the position of the object is included in the sensing range of two vehicle-width reference ultrasonic sensors that are disposed at both ends of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors in the traveling direction of the vehicle and detect a predetermined sensing range in the outward direction based on the vehicle width of the vehicle ; And determining that the object is located outside the traveling direction range of the vehicle if the position of the object is within the sensing range of the two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors. And a control unit.

Wherein the step of determining whether the object is within or outside the traveling direction of the vehicle includes determining that the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle, Determining whether the sensing range of the reference ultrasonic sensor is an overlapped area; And if the position of the object is an overlapped area in which the position of the object overlaps the sensing range of at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor and the sensing range of the two width-width reference ultrasonic sensors, step; And further comprising:

Wherein the step of generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal comprises: transmitting the emergency mode activation signal when it is determined that the emergency mode activation signal is located within the traveling direction of the vehicle; And transmitting an advance control signal when it is determined that the object is located in the boundary range; And a control unit.

Determining that the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle includes determining that the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors are plural and the object position is the overlapping area in which the sensing ranges of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors overlap; Determining that the object is located within a range of a traveling direction of the vehicle if the position of the object is an overlapped area in which the sensing ranges of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors overlap; And determining that the object is located in an emergency braking range if the position of the object is a sensing area of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors. And a control unit.

Generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal includes: transmitting the emergency mode activation signal and the advance control signal together if it is determined that the object is located in the emergency braking range; And a control unit.

Wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle is in the traveling direction or outside of the vehicle comprises determining whether the rotational angle of the vehicle's steering wheel is greater than a predetermined reference angle if the vehicle is rotating; Wherein the control unit determines that the rotation angle of the steering wheel is rotated to a predetermined reference angle or more and the position of the object is within the sensing range of the vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensor corresponding to the rotational direction of the vehicle among the two vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensors Determining that the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle; And further comprising:

Wherein the collision avoiding apparatus further comprises a vehicle control section, wherein the vehicle control section controls the braking of the vehicle in response to the emergency mode activating signal to brake the vehicle, or outputs a warning to the driver, Activating an emergency control section of the mobile terminal; And further comprising:

The vehicle control method is characterized in that the vehicle controller is responsive to the pre-control signal to activate an initial flow-rate pre-fill module to minimize the brake response time of the vehicle according to a predetermined pre-setting ; And further comprising:

Wherein the vehicle control method further comprises the steps of: determining whether the initial flow rate increase module is in an activated state when the pre-control signal and the emergency mode activation signal are applied together; and if the initial flow rate increase module is in an activated state, Activating the emergency flow rate control module and activating the initial flow rate increase module if the initial flow rate increase module is inactive; And further comprising:

The step of transmitting the emergency mode activation signal may include accumulating and storing positions of the object determined by the collision determination unit; Calculating and storing the moving direction and the moving speed of the object as object information using the cumulative stored position of the object; Receiving vehicle state information including a moving speed, a moving direction, and a rotating direction of the vehicle from the vehicle control unit; Calculating a collision prediction time (TTC) using the vehicle state information and the stored object information; Determining whether the collision expected time (TTC) is less than a predetermined braking critical time (Xb); Outputting a danger braking signal to the emergency control unit when the collision expected time (TTC) is less than the braking critical time (Xb); Determining whether the collision prediction time (TTC) is less than a predetermined warning threshold time (Tw) if the collision prediction time (TTC) is greater than or equal to the braking critical time (Xb); And outputting the collision warning signal to the emergency control unit if the collision prediction time (TTC) is less than the warning threshold time (Tw). .

Wherein activating the emergency control unit comprises: driving the brake of the vehicle when the danger braking signal is applied; And outputting a collision warning to the driver when the collision warning signal is applied; And a control unit.

Therefore, in the collision avoiding apparatus and method using the ultrasonic sensor of the present invention, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors are arranged so that a part of the sensing area of the ultrasonic sensors adjacent to each other based on the width of the vehicle is overlapped and the adjacent ultrasonic sensors are alternately driven , It is possible to accurately and quickly identify the presence and position of obstacles located in the course of the vehicle even in a low-speed short distance situation. Therefore, a warning is issued to the driver, or the vehicle's automatic danger-detection brake system is effectively driven to enable sufficient deceleration and emergency braking of the vehicle in operation. Accordingly, there is an effect that rapid pedestrian collision determination and response can be performed.

1 shows a collision avoiding apparatus using an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 shows an example of a plurality of ultrasonic sensor arrangements of the ultrasonic sensor unit of FIG.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the vehicle control unit of Fig. 1. Fig.
4 illustrates a collision avoidance method using an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a detailed view illustrating the emergency mode activation step of FIG.

In order to fully understand the present invention, operational advantages of the present invention, and objects achieved by the practice of the present invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described. In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same members.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as " including " an element, it does not exclude other elements unless specifically stated to the contrary. The terms "part", "unit", "module", "block", and the like described in the specification mean units for processing at least one function or operation, And a combination of software.

In this specification, the moving body includes a vehicle such as an automobile or a train, and a robot such as a cleaning robot or a service robot, and a movable device is sufficient. The collision avoiding apparatus senses an object as referred to in this specification, and the collision avoiding apparatus detects the dangerous situation in the vehicle even if there is no active instruction of the driver in the case where the preceding vehicle reduces or stops the speed, or the pedestrian / obstacle suddenly appears, (AEBS) or an automatic emergency braking system (AEBS) or an automatic emergency braking system (AEBS). The automatic emergency braking system It may also be referred to as an EBS (Emergency Braking System).

In addition, an external object referred to in this specification is typically a pedestrian. Pedestrians are those who are walking on the road or working on the road, people on the street, people standing or lying on the road, persons riding or pushing wheelchairs for disabled persons, children riding on tricycles or model cars, , A prime mover bicycle, a person who pulls a bicycle, etc. In the following, it is defined as a pedestrian or an object. In addition, in the present invention, the object may further include a stationary facility such as a pedestrian block, a guardrail,

1 shows a schematic configuration of a collision avoiding apparatus using an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the collision avoiding apparatus using the ultrasonic sensor of the present invention includes a sensor unit 100, an object detection unit 200, a collision determination unit 300, and a vehicle control unit 400.

The sensor unit 100 detects an object located outside the moving vehicle and transmits a detection signal to the object detection unit 200. The sensor unit 100 includes an ultrasonic sensor unit 110 and the ultrasonic sensor unit includes a first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and a second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 each having at least one ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensors of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 are alternately arranged in parallel on the front surface (or rear surface) of the vehicle. For example, when at least one ultrasonic sensor of the first ultrasonic sensor part 111 is disposed at the left end of the front face of the vehicle, at least one of the second ultrasonic sensor part 111 is disposed on the right side of the ultrasonic sensor disposed at the left- The ultrasonic sensor of Fig. In addition, the at least one ultrasonic sensor of the first ultrasonic sensor part 111 and the at least one ultrasonic sensor of the second ultrasonic sensor part 112 are arranged so that a part of the sensing range is overlapped with each other do.

Here, the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 is divided into the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112 so that the collision avoidance apparatus of the present invention does not simultaneously drive the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, . That is, in the present invention, at least one ultrasonic sensor of each of the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112 is alternately activated under the control of the object detection unit 200 to sense the object, ).

Since the plurality of ultrasonic sensors of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 are divided into the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112 and alternately driven and the sensing ranges of the adjacent ultrasonic sensors are arranged to overlap with each other, The collision avoiding apparatus of the present invention detects both the object sensed only by the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the object sensed only by the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 and both the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112 The object can be distinguished, and the position of the object can be determined more accurately. The sizes of the overlapping regions where the sensing ranges of the respective ultrasonic sensors are overlapped by adjusting the intervals of the ultrasonic sensors of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112, By adjusting, it is possible to control the sensitivity of sensing the object, that is, the sensitivity of the system.

In this case, if the plurality of ultrasonic sensors of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 are plural, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors may be configured to use different frequencies. If the plurality of ultrasonic sensors of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 are plural, It is preferable that the ultrasonic sensors are configured to use different frequencies. If they are configured to use the same frequency, they should be arranged so that the sensing ranges do not overlap each other. This is because, when the sensing ranges of the sensors using the ultrasonic waves of the same frequency are overlapped, the position of the object can not be distinguished by the ultrasonic waves reflected from the object.

For example, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 are divided into two groups by the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112. However, depending on the number and position of the ultrasonic sensors 110, Group.

At least one ultrasonic sensor of each of the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112 will be described in detail later.

The sensor unit 100 may further include a radar sensor 120 in addition to the ultrasonic sensor unit 110. The radar sensor 120 detects a relatively distant object by overcoming the problem that the distance that the ultrasonic sensor of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 can detect an object is limited to a distance of typically 3 to 4 meters, And transmits the signal to the object detection unit 200. The radar sensor 120 may also be configured to detect an object located close to the ultrasonic sensor unit 110. However, due to the characteristics of the radar sensor 120 using a signal of a higher frequency band than the ultrasonic sensor, It is lower than ultrasound. Therefore, it is preferable that the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 is used to detect an object at a near object and the radar sensor 120 is used to detect a distant object that the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 can not detect.

Like the ultrasonic sensor unit 110, the radar sensor 120 may be disposed on the front or rear surface of the vehicle to sense an object positioned in front of or behind the vehicle. However, in the present invention, the radar sensor 120 may be omitted as an additional component provided to extend the sensing range limited to a close range when the sensor unit 100 includes the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 alone.

The object detecting unit 200 controls and drives the sensor unit 100 and analyzes the sensing signal applied from the sensor unit 100 to determine the position of the object. In particular, in the present invention, the object detection unit 200 includes a first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and a second ultrasonic sensor unit 110, in which sensing areas of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 are stored in advance, By alternately driving at least one ultrasonic sensor of the ultrasonic sensor unit 112 in a predetermined order, the position of the object located in the overlapping region can be distinguished, and the position of the object can be accurately discriminated.

In addition, the object detecting unit 200 can analyze the movement path (direction) and the moving speed of the object by using the positional change of the object determined according to the passage of time. The position, movement path, and movement speed of the object are transmitted to the collision determination unit 300 as object information.

Since the object detection unit 200 analyzes the sensing signal applied from the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 to determine the position of the object, it is related to the placement position and the sensing area of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and a detailed description thereof will be described later.

Meanwhile, the object detecting unit 200 includes a radar sensor 120 in the sensor unit 100. When the sensing signal is applied from the radar sensor 120, the object detecting unit 200 analyzes the sensing signal to detect the object. In the case of the radar sensor 120, the object detection unit 200 can easily acquire the position of the object from the sensing signal since it can sense both the direction and the distance of the object, as is known. As described above, since the radar sensor 120 is capable of sensing an object relatively farther than the ultrasonic sensor, the object detecting unit 200 detects the position of the object located at a distance that the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 can not detect Can be detected through the radar sensor (120).

The collision determining unit 300 receives the object information from the object detecting unit 200 and receives the vehicle state information from the vehicle control unit 400 to analyze relative positions and relative velocities between the vehicle and the object, And transmits an emergency mode activation signal to the vehicle control unit 400. [0051] Vehicle condition information may include vehicle speed information, steering wheel information, yaw rate information, driver condition information, lane information, and surrounding vehicle information, for example.

The collision judging unit 300 calculates the collision probability according to a predetermined collision prediction model, and the collision prediction model for predicting the collision probability can be variously set. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the collision determiner 300 may calculate a time to collision (TTC) using vehicle state information and object information, and may generate an emergency mode activation signal It is possible to separately transmit a danger braking signal or a collision warning signal to the vehicle control unit 400. The collision determiner 300 compares the collision predicted time TTC with the preset braking critical time Tb and the warning critical time Tw and transmits the danger braking signal or the collision warning signal to the vehicle controller 400. [ The collision determining unit 300 transmits a danger braking signal to the vehicle controller 400 when the calculated collision prediction time TTC is less than the braking critical time Xb. However, if the estimated collision time TTC is equal to or greater than the braking critical time Tb and less than the warning critical time Tw, the collision warning signal is transmitted to the vehicle controller 400.

The collision determining unit 300 may be configured such that the object detecting unit 200 is provided with the radar sensor 120 in the sensor unit 100 and the object having the predetermined distance is detected from the radar sensor 120 (TTC: Time To Collision), and transmits a pre-control signal to the vehicle controller 400 when the detection signal is detected from the detection signal. That is, the collision determiner 300 outputs a pre-control signal to the vehicle controller 400 when the collision time (TTC) is less than the preset precontrol threshold time Xf. Here, the warning critical time Tw may be set to a value between the braking critical time Tb and the precontrol critical time Xf.

Also, the collision determining unit 300 may determine that the object is located at a position very close to the vehicle, so that the braking time needs to be minimized, or even if the collision risk with the object is high, (400). ≪ / RTI > This is because the advance control signal is not a signal for braking the vehicle by driving the brake or the like of the actual vehicle, but is a signal corresponding to the pre-standby command for preparing in advance so as to shorten the braking time. That is, although the pre-control signal is a signal for reducing the braking time, it is not a signal for controlling actual braking but a braking standby signal. Therefore, if the risk of collision disappears, the vehicle can return to the previous state without braking.

On the other hand, the collision judging unit 300 judges that there is a risk of collision with the object in the detection range of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, The area can be changed. The detection range in which the plurality of ultrasonic sensors of the sensor unit 100 detect the object may be distinguished from the overlapping area overlapping the sensing range of the other ultrasonic sensor and the sensing area excluding the overlapping area, The controller 300 can discriminate the risk for each of the collision area and the detection area from each other. However, when the vehicle rotates, the collision risk for each of the overlapping area and the sensing area needs to be changed as the traveling direction of the vehicle changes. Therefore, the collision determining unit 300 determines that the rotation angle of the steering wheel is equal to or greater than a predetermined rotation angle The risk of collision for each region can be adjusted corresponding to the direction of rotation.

For example, when the steering wheel is rotated to the right by a predetermined reference angle or more, the collision determining unit 300 determines that the object detected in the overlapped area or the sensing area in the vehicle right direction is more dangerous than the overlapping area and the sensing area Can be distinguished.

The vehicle control unit 400 includes an emergency control unit 410 and activates the emergency control unit 410 in response to the emergency mode activation signal transmitted from the collision determination unit 300. [ When the collision warning signal or the danger braking signal is applied, the activated emergency control unit 410 intervenes directly in the control of the vehicle in response to the collision warning signal and outputs a warning to the driver. In response to the danger braking signal, (Eg brake braking) or lateral control (eg steering wheel control for lane change) to avoid collisions with pedestrians.

In addition, in response to the advance control signal, the emergency control section 410 activates the advance control function so that the braking of the vehicle can be quickly reacted. Here, the pre-control function may be an operation designated by a pre-setting in the vehicle, for example, to operate an initial pre-fill module to minimize the brake response time. The initial flow rate increase module is provided to reduce the braking time by increasing the flow rate at the beginning of the hydraulic brake of the vehicle. Here, the emergency control unit 410 can be configured to activate the pre-control function even when the emergency control unit 410 is not activated. This is because the pre-control function is a pre-waiting operation for emergency braking rather than actual braking or warning output, so that it is preferable that the emergency control unit 410 can operate regardless of whether the emergency control unit 410 is activated or not. The pre-control function may be performed by the vehicle control unit 400 so that the pre-control function can be performed irrespective of whether the emergency control unit 410 is activated or not.

2 shows an example of a plurality of ultrasonic sensor arrangements of the ultrasonic sensor unit of FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a vehicle having four ultrasonic sensors US1 through US4 on its front side. The first and third ultrasonic sensors US1 and US3 among the four ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 are included in the first ultrasonic sensor part 111 and the second and fourth ultrasonic sensors US2 and US4 are included in the second ultrasonic sensor part 111, And is included in the sensor unit 112. That is, the ultrasonic sensors US1 and US3 of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the ultrasonic sensors US2 and US4 of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 are alternately arranged as described above.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the four ultrasonic sensors US1 through US4 are disposed such that overlapping areas A12, A23, and A34 overlap the sensing ranges. This makes it possible not only to prevent an object located within the detection range of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 from being detected but also to prevent the ultrasonic sensors US1 and US3 of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit The ultrasonic sensors US2 and US4 of the ultrasonic sensors 112 are alternately driven so that the object detecting unit 200 can easily determine the position of the object placed in the overlapping areas A12, A23 and A34.

For example, when the object exists in the B position PB or the D position PD, the object is detected only by the fourth ultrasonic sensor US4 and the third ultrasonic sensor US3, Is present in the fourth sensing area A4 and the third sensing area A3 except the overlap area A34 in the sensing range of each of the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors US3 and US4. However, when the object exists in the C position (PC), all of the objects are detected in the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors US3 and US4. Therefore, the object detecting unit 200 can determine that the object is located in the 34th overlapping area A34 where the sensing ranges of the third and fourth ultrasonic sensors US3 and US4 overlap.

2, an ultrasonic sensor (first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 in FIG. 2) disposed at both side edges of the vehicle front (or rear) of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors is disposed on the basis of the vehicle width of the vehicle The detection range is set so as to detect the predetermined angle to the outside and the detection range is set so that the remaining ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 detect the front (or back) of the vehicle.

In the case where the vehicle is urgently braked or avoided at the time of straight forward or backward travel, the object is located within the range of vehicle width in the traveling direction of the vehicle. When an object is detected outside the range of the vehicle width during straight forward or backward driving, the vehicle can prepare for the case where the object enters the width of the vehicle width by activating the precontrol function, but emergency braking or avoiding operation is unnecessary. Therefore, the object detection unit 200 needs to determine whether or not the position of the object corresponds to the vehicle width. Accordingly, in the present invention, the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 disposed at both ends of the vehicle are arranged to have a detection range for sensing the outside on the basis of the vehicle width, thereby determining whether or not the object exists at a position corresponding to the vehicle width As a reference for the future.

The object detecting unit 200 may detect the object in the second or third ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 that sense the front direction of the vehicle in the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors The collision determination unit 300 can determine that the object is present in the overlapping areas A12 and A34 outside the range corresponding to the vehicle width, It is possible to transmit to the vehicle control unit 400 a prior control signal that is not a danger braking signal or a collision warning signal.

That is, the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 may be referred to as a vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensor. For example, when the object is placed in the C position (PC), the object detecting unit 200 can confirm that the object is detected in the 34th overlapping area A34, and the collision determining unit 300 can output the pre- have.

However, when the vehicle is rotating, the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 may be used to detect an emergency braking or object to be avoided. In the case where the vehicle is rotating, the danger zone is an area outside the range corresponding to the vehicle width in accordance with the rotational direction of the vehicle. Accordingly, when the vehicle is rotating, the ultrasonic sensor at the position corresponding to the vehicle rotation direction among the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 having the sensing areas A1 and A4 sensing the outside on the basis of the vehicle width, Or may be used to detect objects to be avoided.

The collision determining unit 300 may output a danger braking signal or a collision warning signal in consideration of the driving state of the vehicle being in a rotating state. For example, the collision determining unit 300 determines that the vehicle is turning right from the steering wheel information included in the vehicle state information applied from the vehicle control unit 400, and determines that the position of the object in the object information applied by the object detecting unit 200 is It is possible to transmit a danger braking signal or a collision warning signal to the vehicle control unit 400. [

As a result, in the present invention, by setting the ultrasonic sensors disposed at both corners of the vehicle to detect the outside on the basis of the vehicle width, it is possible to distinguish and determine the risk of the object detected during driving. Also, the moving direction and the moving speed of the object can be determined by analyzing the positional change of the object with respect to time. In order to analyze the movement direction and the movement speed of the object, the collision determination unit 300 may accumulate and store the movement direction and the movement speed of the previously identified object, that is, the object information.

In the present invention, the sizes of the overlapping areas A12, A23, and A34 in which the sensing ranges of the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 overlap, . For example, the ratio range of the sizes of the overlapping areas A12, A23, and A34 with respect to the detection range may be set to 20 to 50%. This is because if the size of the overlapping areas A12, A23 and A34 is too small or too large, it is meaningless to discriminate the position of the object by distinguishing the sensing areas A1 to A4 and the overlapping areas A12, A23 and A34.

The sizes of the overlap areas A12, A23 and A34 are related to the object detection performance and accuracy, that is, the sensitivity of the system. Particularly, between the ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 disposed at the corners of the vehicle and the remaining ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 Since the overlapping areas A12 and A34 are used as a criterion which is very important for determining the risk of a vehicle, by arranging the distance sd between the ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 and the remaining ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3, Can be adjusted.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 use different frequencies. If the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 are configured to use different frequencies, the ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 of the first and second ultrasonic sensor units 111 and 112 are alternately driven It may be driven at the same time. However, when a plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 are configured to use different frequencies, there is a limit in considering the frequency of a limited ultrasonic band, and the cost is greatly increased. Therefore, in the present invention, it is assumed that a plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 use two frequencies.

The first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 disposed at both ends of the vehicle among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 use the same first frequency and the remaining ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 use the same second frequency, Frequency. This is because, as described above, it is important for the present invention to discriminate whether the object sensed by the ultrasonic sensor is within the range of the width of the vehicle or located externally. That is, it is necessary to distinguish the sensing areas of the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 sensing the outside on the basis of the vehicle width. However, the sensing areas of the remaining ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3, which sense the front of the vehicle, Even if they are overlapped with each other, the risk due to the object can be determined.

In some cases, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 may be configured to use the same frequency. When a plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 are configured to use the same frequency, when a plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 simultaneously detect the same area, A problem may arise in which a wrong detection is made. That is, an error may occur when the sensing ranges are overlapped. In particular, the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 disposed at the opposite ends of the vehicle to detect the outside of the vehicle width and the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4, If the detection ranges of the ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 detecting the ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 are overlapped with each other, the risk of the vehicle can not be discriminated.

  Accordingly, in the present invention, the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 through US4 are divided into different groups of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112, So that it is possible to eliminate the possibility of error occurrence. However, even if the adjacent ultrasonic sensors are divided into different groups and alternately driven, an error may occur if an overlapping region occurs between the ultrasonic sensors (US1, US3, US2, US4) in the same group . Therefore, if the ultrasonic sensors (US1, US3), (US2, US4) in the same group are set to use the same frequency, the detection ranges of the ultrasonic sensors in the same group should be set such that there is no overlapping area .

2 shows a case where the first and fourth ultrasonic sensors US1 and US4 use the first frequency and the second and third ultrasonic sensors US2 and US3 use the second frequency. Since the ultrasonic sensors use different frequencies, even if the sensing ranges of the first and third ultrasonic sensors US1 and US3 and the sensing ranges of the second and fourth ultrasonic sensors US2 and US4 are partially overlapped, No problem occurs.

Although not shown, when the radar sensor 120 is provided, the radar sensor 120 may be arranged to detect the front of the vehicle.

Although FIG. 2 exemplifies the front of the vehicle, the vehicle can be moved backward as well as forward. Therefore, a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a radar sensor can be disposed on the rear surface of the vehicle in the same manner.

3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the emergency control unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, the emergency control unit 410 is included in the vehicle control unit 400 and is activated in response to the emergency mode activation signal applied by the collision determination unit 300. The collision determining unit 300 determines a collision risk using the object information and the vehicle state information, and generates a danger braking signal, a collision warning signal, and a pre-control signal according to the collision risk, and transmits the danger braking signal, The emergency control unit 410 of the vehicle control unit 400 outputs a warning to the driver when a collision warning signal is applied. When the danger braking signal is applied, the emergency control unit 410 controls the lateral braking such as the braking braking or the lateral braking through the steering wheel active control So that collision with the pedestrian can be avoided.

That is, in the present invention, the emergency mode activates the emergency control unit 410 of the vehicle control unit 400 according to the risk of collision between the vehicle and the object, and the activated emergency control unit 410 controls the emergency control unit 410 so that the vehicle avoids collision with the object It means the mode that can control.

Referring to FIG. 3, the emergency control unit 410 may include a steering control unit 411, a brake control unit 412, and an engine control unit 413.

When it is determined that it is difficult for the vehicle to avoid a collision with the pedestrian, the steering control unit 411 actively controls the steering wheel to avoid the collision by performing the steering control even if there is no steering control of the driver. At this time, if the vehicle state information includes navigation information, the steering control unit 411 analyzes the navigation information to determine the lane width, the width of the lane, and the like that are sufficient for the lane control in the current lane, The active control can be performed by setting the steering angle at an angle that is away from the direction in which the collision with the pedestrian is expected.

On the other hand, the brake control section 412 immediately drives the brake in response to the danger braking signal. The brake control unit 412 performs a pre-operation so as to more quickly respond to an emergency situation through an active pre-setting setting when a pre-control signal that does not require urgent collision avoidance is applied. For example, the brake control unit 412 operates the initial pre-fill module to minimize the response delay time that occurs during brake operation.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a hydraulic system braking device includes a booster device for amplifying the power of the brake pedal, a master cylinder for converting the force generated in the booster device to hydraulic pressure, And the braking force is generated by transmitting the braking hydraulic pressure to the disc brake installed on each wheel through the hydraulic line by the driver's pressing force. However, braking is not started from the moment when pressure is applied to the brake pedal during braking using a conventional hydraulic braking device, but braking is started after the brake pedal advances to some extent. As described above, the interval between the time when the brake pedal is depressed and the time when braking is started is referred to as a "Lost Travel" section. Therefore, even when the emergency braking is started, it is difficult to bring about an immediate braking effect due to the occurrence of the invalid stroke period. At this time, the brake control unit 412 operates an initial flow rate pre-fill module (not shown) to minimize the invalid stroke period when the advance control signal is applied from the collision determination unit 300. [ The initial pre-fill module is installed between the master cylinder and the disc brake, and provides the braking hydraulic pressure in the initial period before the braking force is generated, thereby moving the brake pad toward the disc, further reducing the gap between the pad and the disc Function. As a result, the braking response can be enhanced and the braking force can be exerted more promptly and in an urgent situation.

In response to the advance control signal, the engine control unit 430 prepares for quick response to the emergency situation by controlling the response of the engine to be lowered or the output to be lowered.

Generally, the diesel engine can control the output by controlling the fuel injection amount, and in the case of the gasoline engine, the output of the engine can be controlled by controlling the air amount. Therefore, in the case of a diesel engine, when the accelerator pedal is operated, the fuel pump is regulated to increase the fuel injection quantity and increase the expansion pressure of the combusted mixer, thereby increasing the output. At this time, the engine control unit 430 can intentionally lower the output of the engine by controlling the fuel pump to reduce the fuel injection amount.

In the case of a gasoline engine, the output of the engine can be controlled by adjusting the amount of air by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve. At this time, the engine control unit 430 can intentionally lower the output of the engine by reducing the amount of air sucked into the engine combustion chamber by adjusting the opening degree of the throttle valve.

FIG. 4 shows a collision avoiding method using an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, it is assumed that the vehicle is in a straight state.

The object detecting unit 200 first detects the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 by referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, And alternately driven (S110). That is, the first and third ultrasonic sensors US1 and US3 of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 are driven to receive a sensing signal from the first and third ultrasonic sensors US1 and US3, The second and fourth ultrasonic sensors US2 and US4 of the unit 111 receive the sensing signal from the second and fourth ultrasonic sensors US2 and US4.

The object detecting unit 200 analyzes the sensing signals transmitted from the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 through US4 (S120). The object detection unit 200 can determine that an object exists when a sensing signal is applied from at least one ultrasonic sensor among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4. If it is determined that an object exists, Can be analyzed.

Basically, the object detecting unit 200 can instantly determine the distance from the sensing signal to the object according to the characteristics of the ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4, but can not accurately grasp the direction of the object. However, in the present invention, as described above, the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 are alternately driven, and the detection ranges of the ultrasonic sensors US1 through US4 adjacent to each other are overlapped Since the sensing areas A1 to A4 do not overlap with the areas A12, A23 and A34, the object detecting part 200 determines whether an ultrasonic sensor senses an object or a plurality of ultrasonic sensors sense an object A23 and A34 are located in the sensing areas A1 to A4 except for the overlapping areas A12, A23 and A34. That is, it can determine the approximate direction of the object. Then, the object detection unit 200 transmits the position of the detected object to the collision determination unit 300 as object information.

The collision determining unit 300 analyzes the object information and determines whether the object is detected in the 23rd overlapping area A23 (S130). That is, the second ultrasonic sensor US2 and the third ultrasonic sensor US3 determine whether an object is detected. If it is determined that the object is detected in the 23rd overlap area A23, the collision determiner 300 transmits the emergency mode activation signal to the vehicle controller 400 to activate the emergency controller 410 (S140).

In FIG. 2, the 23rd overlapping area A23 is a front center area of the vehicle, and is a very high risk of object collision. Therefore, when the object is detected in the 23rd overlapping area A23, the collision determining unit 300 transmits an emergency mode activation signal to the vehicle controller 400 so that the emergency control unit 410 is activated, The vehicle control unit 400 activates the emergency control unit 410 so that the vehicle can immediately respond to the object (S140).

However, if it is determined that the object is not detected in the 23rd overlapping area A23, the collision determining unit 300 determines that the object is not detected in the 23rd overlapping area A23, It is determined whether an object is detected in step A3 (S150). The object is detected in the second sensing area A2 or the third sensing area A3 only when the second ultrasonic sensor US2 or the third ultrasonic sensor US3 among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 through US4 detects an object Respectively. This is because the object is located at a position closer to the vehicle than the 23rd overlapping area A23 in the area corresponding to the front width of the vehicle in Fig. 2 and the object is located in the 23rd overlapping area A23 It can be seen as an emergency braking range requiring more urgent braking.

Therefore, the collision determining unit 300 outputs a pre-control signal and an emergency mode activation signal to the vehicle control unit 400 so as to enable quicker braking. In response to the pre-control signal, the vehicle control unit 400 activates . That is, it is determined whether the initial flow rate increase module is activated and set to reduce the braking time (S160).

If it is determined that the advance control function is activated, the vehicle control unit 400 activates the emergency control unit 410 in response to the emergency mode activation signal (S140). However, if the initial flow rate increase module is not activated, the initial flow rate increase module is activated (S170). The object detection unit 200 controls the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 to switch the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112, (S110), and determines the position of the object. When the object is still detected in the second sensing area A2 or the third sensing area A3 because the dictionary control function is activated, the vehicle controller 400 responds to the emergency mode activation signal and transmits the emergency control signal to the emergency control unit 410 (S140).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the second and third sensing areas A2 and A3 are not detected, the collision determining unit 300 determines whether an object is detected in the twelfth overlapping area A12 or the 34th overlapping area A34 (S180). Although the twelfth overlapping area A12 and the 34th overlapping area A34 in Fig. 2 are not included in the traveling range of the straight traveling vehicle, they are very close to each other and do not require braking of the actual vehicle in the present state, Or the area of the vehicle boundary that can be changed to the risk of collision at any time depending on the movement of the pedestrian. When the object is detected in the boundary range, there is no need to activate the emergency control unit 410, but the emergency state control unit 410 needs to be activated in consideration of possibility of changing the state.

If it is determined that the object is detected in the 12th overlapping area A12 or the 34th overlapping area A34, the collision determiner 300 outputs a pre-control signal to the vehicle controller 400, The initial flow rate increase module is activated to activate the pre-control function (S170).

If it is determined that no object is detected in the 12th and 34th overlapping areas A12 and A34, the collision determining unit 300 determines whether an object is detected in the first or the fourth sensing area A1 or A4 ). When an object is detected in the first or fourth sensing area A1 or A4, it can be determined that the object exists in a relatively non-hazardous position in view of the progress of the vehicle. Therefore, the collision determining unit 300 does not perform any other operation, and the object detecting unit 200 controls the first ultrasonic sensor unit 111 and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 112 of the ultrasonic sensor unit 110 again (S110).

If the collision determining unit 300 determines that no object is detected in the first and fourth sensing areas A1 and A4, the collision determining unit 300 determines that no object is detected in the sensor unit 100 (S200). A state in which no object is detected in all of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors US1 to US4 of the sensor unit 100 means that no object exists in the vicinity of the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, there is no need to perform a separate operation.

In FIG. 4, since the operation in the case where the object is detected in the first or fourth sensing area A1 or A4 and the case in which the object is not detected are the same, there is no need to distinguish between them. However, this is because the assumption is made that the vehicle is in a straight line as described above. If the vehicle is rotating, if the object is detected in the first or fourth sensing area A1 or A4, Should be distinguished.

For example, if the vehicle is turning right by turning the steering wheel to a predetermined reference angle or more, the collision determining unit 300 determines that the object is detected in the fourth sensing area A1 or A4 corresponding to the rotation direction, To the vehicle control unit (400). When an object is detected in the 34th overlapping area A34, the emergency mode activation signal and the advance control signal are transmitted to the vehicle controller 400. When the object is detected in the 23rd overlapping area A23, which is the front of the vehicle, Signal to the vehicle control unit 400 only. On the other hand, if the object is not detected, no separate operation is performed as in FIG.

That is, when the object is detected in at least one of the plurality of sensing areas A1 to A4 and the overlapping areas A12, A23, and A34, the collision determining unit 300 determines the vehicle state information As shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, only the case where the vehicle travels in the front direction is exemplified, but it can be operated so as to avoid collision with the object in a similar manner even when the vehicle is backward or backward.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view illustrating the emergency mode activation step of FIG.

5, first, the collision determining unit 300 outputs an emergency mode activation signal to the vehicle control unit 400 to activate the emergency control unit 410, and the state of the vehicle from the vehicle control unit 400 Information is acquired (S141). Then, the collision determining unit 300 obtains the object information by calculating the moving direction and the moving speed of the object from the cumulatively stored object position, calculates the relative distance and the relative speed between the vehicle and the object from the obtained object information and the vehicle state information do. Then, the collision estimated time (TTC) is calculated using the relative distance and the relative velocity between the calculated vehicle and the object (S142). At this time, if the collision determining unit 300 determines that the vehicle is rotating, the collision determining unit 300 also calculates the lateral velocity of the vehicle together to calculate the relative distance and the relative velocity.

The collision determining unit 300 compares the collision prediction time TTC with the predetermined braking critical time Tb to determine whether the collision prediction time TTC is less than the braking critical time Tb at step S143. If the collision prediction time TTC is less than the braking critical time Tb, the collision determiner 300 outputs a danger braking signal to the vehicle controller 400 and the emergency control unit 410 of the vehicle controller 400 The brake control unit 412 is operated to urgently brake the vehicle (S144). If it is determined that the estimated collision time TTC is equal to or greater than the braking critical time Tb, the collision determiner 300 determines whether the estimated collision time TTC is less than the predetermined warning threshold Tw (S145).

If it is determined that the estimated collision time TTC is less than the warning threshold time Tw, the collision determining unit 300 outputs a collision warning signal to the vehicle control unit 400, and the emergency control unit 410 of the vehicle control unit 400 In response to the collision warning signal, the collision warning is output to the driver (S216).

The method according to the present invention can be implemented as a computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and a carrier wave (for example, transmission via the Internet). The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed over a networked computer system so that computer readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

Claims (33)

An ultrasonic sensor part having a plurality of ultrasonic sensors disposed in the vehicle to detect a predefined area with a predefined sensing range;
An object detecting unit for controlling and driving the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, detecting an object by analyzing a sensing signal applied from each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, generating an object information by discriminating an area including a detected position of the object, And
And a collision determination unit for analyzing a traveling direction of the vehicle and an area corresponding to the position of the object included in the object information and outputting an emergency mode activation signal,
Wherein the ultrasonic sensor unit comprises a plurality of ultrasonic sensor units, each of the ultrasonic sensor units includes at least one ultrasonic sensor, each of the at least one ultrasonic sensor units is alternately arranged in a predetermined order,
Two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors disposed at both ends of the vehicle in the traveling direction to sense the sensing range predefined in the outward direction based on the width of the vehicle; And at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor disposed on one side of a traveling direction of the vehicle and sensing a traveling direction of the vehicle, wherein the sensing range of adjacent ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors is set to a predetermined The overlapped area overlapped with each other in the overlap ratio range and the non-overlapping detection area exist,
Wherein the object detecting unit drives the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units alternately in a predetermined order, and when all the objects are detected by the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, it is determined that the object is located in the overlapping region And determining that the object is located in the sensing area excluding the overlap area in the sensing range of each of the ultrasonic sensors when the object is detected in only one ultrasonic sensor among the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other. Collision avoidance device. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collision determiner
If it is determined that the area corresponding to the position of the object is within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the width of the vehicle, And outputs the emergency mode activation signal. delete delete delete 2. The collision avoidance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of ultrasonic sensors are provided in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units, the plurality of ultrasonic sensors in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units use different frequencies. . The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units
Wherein the plurality of ultrasonic sensors are disposed in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units such that the sensing ranges do not overlap with each other. delete The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collision determiner
If the position of the object discriminated by the object detecting unit is within the sensing range of at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor when the vehicle is straight ahead or backward, it is determined that the object is located within the traveling direction range of the vehicle, Outputs an activation signal,
When it is determined that the position of the object is an overlapped area in which the detection ranges of the two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors and the at least one direction ultrasonic sensor are overlapped, it is determined that the object is located in the boundary range and a pre- Wherein the collision avoidance device is a collision avoidance device. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the collision determiner
Directional ultrasonic sensors, and outputs the emergency-mode activation signal if the position of the object is an overlapping area in which the sensing ranges of the plurality of forward-direction ultrasonic sensors overlap,
Wherein the controller outputs the advance control signal together with the emergency mode activation signal if the position of the object is an emergency braking range that is the sensing area of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the collision determiner
Wherein when the position of the object is within the sensing range of the two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors, it is determined that the object is located outside the traveling direction range of the vehicle. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the collision determiner
Wherein a position of the object determined by the object detecting unit corresponds to a rotating direction of the vehicle among the two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors, Wherein the collision avoidance device determines that the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle when the collision avoidance area is within the detection area and outputs the emergency mode activation signal. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the collision avoidance device
A vehicle control section having an emergency control section activated in response to the emergency mode activation signal to control the brake of the vehicle to brake the vehicle or output a warning to the driver; Wherein the collision avoidance device further comprises: 14. The vehicle control device according to claim 13,
Responsive to said pre-control signal, activates an initial pre-fill module to minimize the brake response time of said vehicle according to a predetermined pre-setting. 15. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 14,
Wherein the initial flow rate increase module is activated when the emergency flow rate increase module is activated and if the initial flow rate increase module is activated when the emergency mode activation signal and the advance control signal are applied together, And if so, activates said initial flow rate increase module. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the collision determiner
Accumulates and stores the positions of the identified objects, and calculates and stores the moving direction and the moving speed of the object as object information using the accumulated positions of the objects stored. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the conflict determination unit
(TTC) using the vehicle state information and the stored object information, receives the vehicle state information including the moving speed, the moving direction, and the rotation angle of the vehicle from the vehicle control unit, Compares the estimated time (TTC) with the predetermined braking critical time (Xb) and the warning threshold time (Tw), and transmits a danger braking signal or a collision warning signal to the emergency control unit. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the emergency control unit
Wherein the collision avoidance apparatus drives the brake of the vehicle when the danger braking signal is applied and outputs a collision warning to the driver when the collision warning signal is applied. An object of the present invention is to provide a collision avoiding method of a collision avoiding apparatus including an ultrasonic sensor unit including a plurality of ultrasonic sensors disposed in a vehicle to detect a predetermined detection range,
Generating a sensing signal by sensing the object by the ultrasound sensor unit under the control of the object detecting unit;
Detecting the object by analyzing the sensing signal applied from each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and discriminating an area corresponding to the detected position of the object; And
And outputting an emergency mode activation signal by analyzing a region of the collision determination unit corresponding to the position of the object and a traveling direction of the vehicle,
The step of generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal
Determining whether an area corresponding to the position of the object is within the traveling direction of the vehicle or outside based on the width of the vehicle; And generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal if the collision determination unit determines that the object is within a traveling direction of the vehicle,
The step of generating the sensing signal
Wherein the object detecting unit divides the plurality of ultrasonic sensors into a plurality of ultrasonic sensor units according to an arrangement order and alternately drives the plurality of divided ultrasonic sensor units in a predetermined order; And receiving the sensing signal from at least one ultrasonic sensor included in each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensor units alternately driven by the object detecting unit,
Wherein the step of determining an area in which the object is detected
Analyzing a sensing signal applied from each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors arranged such that the sensing ranges of adjacent ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other are overlapped with each other in a predetermined overlap ratio range;
Determining that the object is located in the overlapping area when all of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors are detected in the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other; And
And determining that the object is located in the sensing area excluding the overlap area in the sensing range of each of the ultrasonic sensors when the object is detected in only one ultrasonic sensor among the ultrasonic sensors disposed adjacent to each other In collision avoidance method. delete delete delete 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle is in the traveling direction of the vehicle
Determining whether the vehicle is traveling straight or turning;
Determining whether the position of the object is included in the sensing range of at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor arranged on one side of the traveling direction of the vehicle among the plurality of ultrasonic sensors for sensing the traveling direction of the vehicle ;
Determining that the object is located within a range of a traveling direction of the vehicle when the position of the object is within a sensing range of the at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor;
Wherein the position of the object is included in the sensing range of two vehicle-width reference ultrasonic sensors that are disposed at both ends of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors in the traveling direction of the vehicle and detect a predetermined sensing range in the outward direction based on the vehicle width of the vehicle ; And
Determining that the object is located outside the traveling direction range of the vehicle if the position of the object is within the sensing range of the two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors; Wherein the collision avoidance method comprises: 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle is in a traveling direction of the vehicle
Determining whether the position of the object is an overlapped region in which the sensing range of at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor and the sensing range of the two width-wise reference ultrasonic sensors overlap with each other, after determining that the object is located within the traveling direction range of the vehicle ; And
Determining that the object is located in a boundary range if the position of the object is an overlapped region in which the sensing range of the at least one traveling direction ultrasonic sensor and the sensing range of the two width- ; ≪ / RTI > 25. The method of claim 24, wherein generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal comprises:
Transmitting the emergency mode activation signal if it is determined to be located within a traveling direction of the vehicle; And
Transmitting an advance control signal when it is determined that the object is located in the boundary range; Wherein the collision avoidance method comprises: 26. The method of claim 25, wherein determining that the vehicle is located within a range of a traveling direction of the vehicle
Determining whether the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors are plural and the position of the object is an overlapping area in which the sensing ranges of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors overlap;
Determining that the object is located within a range of a traveling direction of the vehicle if the position of the object is an overlapped area in which the sensing ranges of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors overlap; And
Determining that the object is located in an emergency braking range if the position of the object is a sensing area of the plurality of traveling direction ultrasonic sensors; Wherein the collision avoidance method comprises: 27. The method of claim 26, wherein generating and outputting the emergency mode activation signal comprises:
Transmitting the emergency mode activation signal and the pre-control signal together if it is determined that the object is located in the emergency braking range; Wherein the collision avoidance method comprises: 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle is in the traveling direction of the vehicle
Determining whether the rotational angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle has been rotated to be equal to or greater than a predetermined reference angle if the vehicle is rotating;
Wherein the control unit determines that the rotation angle of the steering wheel is rotated to a predetermined reference angle or more and the position of the object is within the sensing range of the vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensor corresponding to the rotational direction of the vehicle among the two vehicle width reference ultrasonic sensors Determining that the object is located within the range of the traveling direction of the vehicle; ≪ / RTI > 29. The vehicle control system according to claim 28, wherein the collision avoiding apparatus further comprises a vehicle control section,
Activating an emergency control section of the vehicle control section, the vehicle control section controlling the brake of the vehicle in response to the emergency mode activation signal to braking the vehicle or outputting a warning to the driver; ≪ / RTI > 30. The vehicle control method according to claim 29,
Activating an initial pre-fill module to minimize the brake response time of the vehicle in response to the pre-control signal, in accordance with a predetermined pre-setting; ≪ / RTI > 31. The vehicle control method according to claim 30,
Determining whether the initial flow rate increase module is in an activated state if the vehicle control unit is applied with the advance control signal and the emergency mode activation signal together;
Activating the emergency control module if the initial flow rate increase module is in an activated state and activating the initial flow rate increase module if the initial flow rate increase module is inactive; ≪ / RTI > 32. The method of claim 31, wherein transmitting the emergency mode activation signal comprises:
Accumulating and storing the positions of the objects determined by the collision determining unit;
Calculating and storing the moving direction and the moving speed of the object as object information using the cumulative stored position of the object;
Receiving vehicle state information including a moving speed, a moving direction, and a rotating direction of the vehicle from the vehicle control unit;
Calculating a collision prediction time (TTC) using the vehicle state information and the stored object information;
Determining whether the collision expected time (TTC) is less than a predetermined braking critical time (Xb);
Outputting a danger braking signal to the emergency control unit when the collision expected time (TTC) is less than the braking critical time (Xb);
Determining whether the collision prediction time (TTC) is less than a predetermined warning threshold time (Tw) if the collision prediction time (TTC) is greater than or equal to the braking critical time (Xb); And
Outputting a collision warning signal to the emergency control unit if the collision prediction time (TTC) is less than the warning threshold time (Tw); ≪ / RTI > 33. The method of claim 32, wherein activating the emergency control comprises:
Driving the brake of the vehicle when the danger braking signal is applied; And
Outputting a collision warning to the driver when the collision warning signal is applied; ≪ / RTI >

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