US6721659B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Collision warning and safety countermeasure system
Assignee: Ford Motor Co
•
Filing: 2002-02-01
•
Granted: 2004-04-13
•
Expires: 2022-02-01
Abstract
Abstract A collision warning and safety countermeasure system ( 10 ) for an automotive vehicle ( 12 ) having a vehicle sensor complex ( 18 ) and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal is provided. The system ( 10 ) includes a sensor fusion ( 14 ) that generates an object status signal. A threat assessor ( 16 ) generates a vehicle status signal in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal. The threat assessor ( 16 ) also in response to the vehicle status signal and the object status signal generates a collision assessment signal. An active countermeasure controller ( 20 ) generates an active countermeasure signal in response to the collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal. A passive countermeasure controller ( 22 ) generates a passive countermeasure signal in response to the collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal. An indicator ( 30 ) generates a collision-warning signal in response to the collision assessment signal. A method for performing the same is also provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Lawrence Gerard Stopczynski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 13:59
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/01; B60R21/013; B60R21/015; G; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/16; G08G1/165; G08G1/166; B60R2021/003; B60R2021/0039; B60R2021/0051; B60R21/0134; B60W; B60W50/00; B60W2050/0001; B60W2050/0043; B60W2050/0052; B60W2520/00; B60W2520/10; B60W2520/105; B60W2520/12; B60W2520/125; B60W2520/14; B60W2520/16; B60W2520/18; B60W2554/00; B60W2554/80; B60W2556/00; B60W2556/45; B60W2556/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
A collision warning and safety countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said system comprising: a sensor fusion generating an object status signal; a threat assessor electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and the vehicle sensor complex, said threat assessor generating a vehicle status signal in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal; said threat assessor in response to said vehicle status signal and said object status signal generating a collision assessment signal; an active countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor and comprising; an operator intent estimator generating an operator intent estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; said active countermeasure controller generating an active countermeasure signal in response to said collision assessment signal, the vehicle sensor complex signal, and said operator intent estimator signal; a passive countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said passive countermeasure controller generating a passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal; and an indicator electrically coupled to said threat assessor and generating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
A collision warning and safety countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said system comprising: a sensor fusion generating an object status signal; a threat assessor electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and the vehicle sensor complex, said threat assessor generating a vehicle status signal in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal; said threat assessor in response to said vehicle status signal and said object status signal generating a collision assessment signal; an active countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor and comprising; an operator intent estimator generating an operator intent estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; said active countermeasure controller generating an active countermeasure signal in response to said collision assessment signal, the vehicle sensor complex signal, and said operator intent estimator signal; a passive countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said passive countermeasure controller generating a passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal; and an indicator electrically coupled to said threat assessor and generating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system as in claim 1 further comprising a sensor controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor and said sensor fusion, said sensor controller signaling said sensor fusion in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said indicator is electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and generates a collision warning signal in response to said object status signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system as in claim 3 wherein said indicator generates a collision warning signal in response to said vehicle status signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as in claim 1 further comprising: said sensor fusion generating a surroundings status signal; and said threat assessor generating said collision assessment signal in response to said surroundings status signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as in claim 5 wherein said surroundings status signal comprises at least one of a camera scene and an infrared scene.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as in claim 6 wherein said object status signal comprises at least one of an object relative position signal, an object relative velocity signal, an object identification status signal, and an object future path signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as in claim 7 wherein said threat assessor further comprises a path estimator predicting the vehicle future path and the object future path in response to said vehicle future path signal and said object future path signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said threat assessor further comprises a collision estimator for generating said collision assessment signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said active countermeasure controller further comprises a chassis estimator generating a chassis estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as in claim 10 wherein said active countermeasure controller generates said active countermeasure signal in response to said chassis estimator signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said active countermeasure signal comprises at least one of a brake control signal, a throttle control signal, a steering control signal, a suspension control signal, a transmission control signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said indicator is electrically coupled to said active countermeasure controller and generates said collision warning signal in response to said active countermeasure signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises a collision severity estimator generating a collision severity signal in response to said collision assessment signal and said vehicle sensor complex signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system as in claim 14 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises an occupant position estimator generating an occupant position estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system as in claim 15 wherein said passive countermeasure controller generates said passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision severity signal and said occupant position estimator signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said passive countermeasure signal comprises at least one of an internal air bag signal, a seatbelt signal, a knee bolster signal, a head restraint signal, a load limiting pedal signal, a load limiting steering signal, a pretensioner signal, an external air bag signal, and a pedestrian protection signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said threat assessor generates said collision assessment signal in response to said active countermeasure signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said collision warning signal comprises prognostics.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said indicator generates a post collision signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as in claim 1 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises a crash severity estimator generating a collision severity estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said collision assessment signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as in claim 21 wherein said collision severity estimator further comprises a timing filter, said timing filter filtering false object time to collision data.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as in claim 21 wherein said collision severity estimator further comprises a spatial filter, said spatial filter filtering false object point of collision data.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
51 words
A system as in claim 21 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises: a local collision acceleration estimator generating an accelerometer based collision severity signal; said crash severity estimator generating said collision severity estimator signal and an accelerometer based collision severity signal in response to said accelerometer based collision severity signal.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as in claim 24 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises an occupant position estimator generating an occupant position estimator signal in response to said collision assessment signal and said vehicle sensor complex signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system as in claim 25 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises: a local collision acceleration estimator generating an accelerometer based collision severity signal; said occupant position estimator generating an occupant position signal in response to said collision severity signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
90 words
A system as in claim 26 wherein said passive countermeasure controller further comprises: a countermeasure matrix generator generating a maximum subset countermeasure matrix and an available countermeasure matrix in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said collision assessment signal; and a passive countermeasure deployment device generating said passive countermeasure signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal, said collision assessment signal, said collision severity estimator signal, said accelerometer based collision severity signal, said occupant position estimator signal, said maximum subset countermeasure matrix and said available countermeasure matrix.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
308 words
A collision warning and safety countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said system comprising: a sensor fusion generating an object status signal; a threat assessor electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and the vehicle sensor complex, said threat assessor generating a vehicle status signal in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal and comprising; a path estimator generating a vehicle predicted future path signal and an object predicted future path signal in response to said vehicle status signal and said object status signal; and a collision estimator generating a collision assessment signal in response to, said vehicle status signal, said object status signal, said vehicle predicted future path signal, and said object predicted future path signal; a sensor controller electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and said threat assessor, said sensor controller signaling said sensor fusion in response to said collision assessment signal; an active countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said active countermeasure controller comprising; a chassis estimator generating a chassis estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; and an operator intent estimator generating an active countermeasure signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said chassis estimator signal; a passive countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said passive countermeasure controller comprising; a collision severity estimator generating a collision severity signal in response to said collision assessment signal and said vehicle sensor complex signal; an occupant position estimator generating an occupant position estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; said passive countermeasure controller generating a passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision severity signal and said occupant position estimator signal; and an indicator electrically coupled to said threat assessor and generating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
308 words
A collision warning and safety countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said system comprising: a sensor fusion generating an object status signal; a threat assessor electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and the vehicle sensor complex, said threat assessor generating a vehicle status signal in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal and comprising; a path estimator generating a vehicle predicted future path signal and an object predicted future path signal in response to said vehicle status signal and said object status signal; and a collision estimator generating a collision assessment signal in response to, said vehicle status signal, said object status signal, said vehicle predicted future path signal, and said object predicted future path signal; a sensor controller electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and said threat assessor, said sensor controller signaling said sensor fusion in response to said collision assessment signal; an active countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said active countermeasure controller comprising; a chassis estimator generating a chassis estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; and an operator intent estimator generating an active countermeasure signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said chassis estimator signal; a passive countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said passive countermeasure controller comprising; a collision severity estimator generating a collision severity signal in response to said collision assessment signal and said vehicle sensor complex signal; an occupant position estimator generating an occupant position estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; said passive countermeasure controller generating a passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision severity signal and said occupant position estimator signal; and an indicator electrically coupled to said threat assessor and generating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of collision warning and activating safety countermeasures for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said method comprising; detecting an object and generating an object status signal; determining the vehicle status in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal and generating a vehicle status signal; assessing the potential for a collision between said vehicle and said object and generating a collision assessment signal in response to said object status signal and said vehicle status signal; implementing active countermeasures in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal; implementing passive countermeasures in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal; and indicating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of collision warning and activating safety countermeasures for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said method comprising; detecting an object and generating an object status signal; determining the vehicle status in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal and generating a vehicle status signal; assessing the potential for a collision between said vehicle and said object and generating a collision assessment signal in response to said object status signal and said vehicle status signal; implementing active countermeasures in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal; implementing passive countermeasures in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal; and indicating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method as in claim 29 wherein generating a collision assessment signal further comprising: generating a vehicle predicted future path signal and an object predicted future path signal in response to said vehicle status signal and said object status signal; and generating said collision assessment signal in response to, said vehicle status signal, said object status signal, said vehicle predicted future path signal, and said object predicted future path signal.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 29 further comprising signaling said sensor fusion in response to said collision assessment signal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as in claim 29 wherein generating an active countermeasure signal further comprises: generating a chassis estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; and generating an active countermeasure signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said chassis estimator signal.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as in claim 29 wherein generating a passive countermeasure signal further comprises: generating a collision severity signal in response to said collision assessment signal and said vehicle sensor complex signal; and generating an occupant position estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal; said passive countermeasure controller generating said passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision severity signal and said occupant position estimator signal.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
76 words
A method as in claim 29 further comprising: generating a maximum subset countermeasure matrix and an available countermeasure matrix in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said collision assessment signal; and generating said passive countermeasure signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal, said collision assessment signal, said collision severity estimator signal, said accelerometer based collision severity signal, said occupant position estimator signal, said maximum subset countermeasure matrix and said available countermeasure matrix.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-04-13 | 2007-10-13 | 2008-04-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-04-13 | 2011-10-13 | 2012-04-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-04-13 | 2015-10-13 | 2016-04-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |