Vehicle Hood Movement Control for Selective Pedestrian Impact Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle hood actuation systems cause unnecessary actuation during non-person impacts, leading to costly and time-consuming repairs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system utilizing thermal and visible light cameras, impact sensors, and speed sensors to selectively actuate a hood moving assembly based on the presence of an animate object and imminent impact, reducing false actuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hood actuation system is activated in all impact events, then pedestrian safety is improved, but false actuations occur during non-person impacts causing costly repairs
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal camera serves as an intermediary detection device between the impact sensor and hood actuation system. The thermal camera detects whether the impacted object has animate characteristics (human body temperature) before triggering the hood actuation, thereby preventing false actuations during non-person impacts while maintaining safety during pedestrian impacts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical impact-based actuation system with an integrated optical detection system (thermal camera). The thermal camera captures thermal images to determine object characteristics, substituting the need for complex mechanical sensing of impact force and object type with thermal field detection
2Reliability
If the hood actuation system is activated in all impact events, then pedestrian safety is improved, but unnecessary actuations increase repair time and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal camera performs preliminary detection of the impacted object's characteristics before the hood actuation is triggered. By detecting animate vs. inanimate objects in advance, the system prevents unnecessary actuations and the subsequent time-consuming repair work that would result from false positives
3Reliability
If the hood actuation system is activated in all impact events, then pedestrian safety is improved, but false actuations during non-person impacts increase repair costs
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal camera acts as an intermediary intelligence layer that prevents false actuations. By detecting thermal signatures characteristic of human bodies versus inanimate objects, it eliminates unnecessary hood actuations during non-person impacts, thereby avoiding the costly repairs of both the hood and actuator system
4Reliability
If thermal camera and object detection are added to distinguish animate objects, then false actuations are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thermal field detection (infrared imaging) to replace complex mechanical or multi-sensor systems that would otherwise be needed to detect and classify impacted objects. The thermal camera provides a straightforward method to distinguish animate from inanimate objects based on thermal radiation, simplifying the overall system architecture despite adding thermal detection capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces false actuations of the hood moving assembly, minimizing repair costs and time by ensuring actuation only when a person is present and an impact is imminent.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal camera is carried by the body and has a field of view that includes an area in front of the front end. The thermal camera provides an output to the controller from which a determination can be made of the presence of an animate object in the field of view
Data Source
AI summary
In at least some implementations, a vehicle includes a body having a front end, a front compartment and a hood received over at least part of the front compartment. A hood moving assembly is coupled to the hood to move the hood away from the front compartment and from a closed position. A thermal camera is carried by the body and has a field of view that includes an area in front of the front end. And a controller is coupled to the thermal camera and to the hood moving assembly. The thermal camera provides an output to the controller from which a determination can be made of the presence of an animate object in the field of view, and wherein the controller is responsive to the output of the thermal camera to selectively actuate the hood moving assembly to move the vehicle hood.