Pedestrian Collision Detection Using Acceleration Metrics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pedestrian protection systems in vehicles face challenges in accurately and rapidly detecting collisions with pedestrians, leading to potential malfunctions and delayed device deployment, especially when encountering objects with similar effective mass or varying collision locations.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle collision determination system that utilizes acceleration and pressure sensors to measure and filter signals, setting metrics for determining the nature of the collision, including accumulated and double accumulated values, to accurately identify pedestrians and trigger impact reduction devices at the appropriate time based on driving speed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional collision sensors and metrics are used to determine pedestrian collision, then the system can detect collision events, but the detection accuracy is insufficient leading to malfunctions when encountering objects with similar effective mass or varying collision locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepedestrian collision detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem malfunction rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the collision detection task into multiple independent sensor measurements (acceleration sensor for collision detection, impact sensor for impact magnitude) and multiple metric calculations (accumulated acceleration value, double accumulated acceleration value). This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific aspects of collision detection, improving overall accuracy and reducing malfunctions when encountering objects with similar effective mass or varying collision locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces multiple derived parameters from the basic acceleration signal, including accumulated acceleration value (first parameter) and double accumulated acceleration value (second parameter). By analyzing the relationship between these different parameter representations, the system can more accurately distinguish pedestrian collisions from other objects, thereby improving detection accuracy and reducing false positives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Speed

If the pedestrian protection device is deployed based on conventional detection signals, then the device can respond to collisions, but the deployment time is delayed due to the required processing time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice deployment speedVSAvoiddetection and deployment delay

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors and processes acceleration signals in real-time, pre-calculating accumulated acceleration values and double accumulated acceleration values before a collision occurs. When a collision event is detected, the determination of whether it is a pedestrian collision can be made immediately by comparing the pre-computed metrics, significantly reducing the response time for pedestrian protection device deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If multiple sensors and metrics are used to improve detection accuracy, then the system can better identify pedestrian collisions, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision object identification accuracyVSAvoidsensor and processing system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The acceleration sensor serves multiple functions: it detects collision events, provides data for calculating accumulated acceleration values, and contributes to determining collision characteristics. The impact sensor similarly serves multiple purposes by measuring impact magnitude and providing additional verification data. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sensors for each measurement type, thereby managing system complexity while maintaining high detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

The system effectively and rapidly determines pedestrian collisions, reducing the likelihood of malfunction and ensuring timely deployment of impact reduction devices, thereby enhancing pedestrian safety.

Implementation Method 1

an acceleration sensor fixedly positioned to a front end of the vehicle and configured to measure acceleration at a fixed position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcceleration sensing: Accelerometer

Implementation Method 2

an impact sensor positioned at the front end of the vehicle at rear and upper sides of the acceleration sensor and configured to measure impact externally applied to the vehicle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpact sensing: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentUS11618402B2Vehicle collision determination system and method

Publication Date: 2023.04.04 HYUNDAI MOBIS CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle collision determination system includes an acceleration sensor fixedly positioned to a front end of the vehicle and configured to measure acceleration at a fixed position, a detector configured to detect whether the vehicle collides using the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor, a metrics setting unit configured to set at least one metric using the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor when the detector detects collision of the vehicle, and a determiner configured to determine whether an object that has collided with the vehicle is a pedestrian using the at least one metric set by the metrics setting unit.