Collision avoidance assistance device for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355181-A1
Application number	US-201615171005-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A collision avoidance assistance device for a vehicle is provided. The collision avoidance assistance device includes a camera configured to acquire an image of an area around the vehicle and a controller. The controller is configured to: detect an image of an animal in the image of the area around the vehicle; determine a type of the animal detected in the image; retrieve behavior characteristics index values representing behavior characteristics of the determined type of the animal; calculate a future presence area of the animal based on the behavior characteristics index values; determine a probability of a collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal; and perform a collision avoidance assistance function based on the determined probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A collision avoidance assistance device for a vehicle comprising:
a camera configured to acquire an image of an area around the vehicle; and a controller configured to:
detect an image of an animal in the image of the area around the vehicle;
determine a type of the animal detected in the image;
retrieve behavior characteristics index values representing behavior characteristics of the determined type of the animal;
calculate a future presence area of the animal based on the behavior characteristics index values;
determine a probability of a collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal; and
perform a collision avoidance assistance function based on the determined probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle.

2 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect an image of a tetrapod in the image of the area around the vehicle.

3 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
select a mode of the collision avoidance assistance function based on the determined type of the animal, and perform the collision avoidance assistance function according to the selected mode.

4 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a direction, position and movement speed of the animal based on a plurality of images acquired from the camera; and calculate a distribution of future presence probabilities of the animal in a planar area around the vehicle using the behavior characteristics index values of the determined type of the animal and the determined direction, position, and movement speed of the animal.

5 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate a future presence area of the vehicle; and determine the probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal and the calculated future presence area of the vehicle.

6 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate a distribution of future presence probabilities of the vehicle in the planar area around the vehicle , and determine the probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle based on
the distribution of future presence probabilities of the animal and the distribution of future presence probabilities of the vehicle.

7 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the collision avoidance assistance device further comprises a memory, and the controller is further configured to retrieve the behavior characteristics index values of the determined type of the animal from the memory.

8 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the behavior characteristics index values of the determined type of the animal comprise a movement direction and a movement speed of the animal corresponding to a behavior pattern and a generation probability of the behavior pattern, the behavior pattern being a pattern of behavior that may be expected for the determined type of the animal.

9 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate a future presence area of the vehicle; and determine the probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal and the calculated future presence area of the vehicle.

10 . The collision avoidance assistance device for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, based on the image of the area around the vehicle, whether the animal is part of a group of animals; and in response to the determining that the animal is part of the group of animals, calculate the future presence area of the animal based on group behavior characteristics index values of the animal.

11 . A vehicle comprising a collision avoidance assistance device, the collision avoidance assistance device comprising:
a camera configured to acquire an image of an area around the vehicle; and an electronic control device configured to:
detect an image of an animal in the image of the area around the vehicle, determine a type of the animal detected in the image,
retrieve behavior characteristics index values representing behavior characteristics of the determined type of the animal,
calculate a future presence area of the animal based on the behavior characteristics index values,
determine a probability of a collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal, and
perform a collision avoidance assistance function based on the determined probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle.

12 . A collision avoidance method for a vehicle, the collision avoidance method comprising:
acquiring an image of an area around the vehicle; detecting an image of an animal in the image of the area around the vehicle; determining a type of the animal detected in the image; retrieving behavior characteristics index values representing behavior characteristics of the determined type of the animal; calculating a future presence area of the animal based on the behavior characteristics index values; determining a probability of a collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal; and performing a collision avoidance assistance function based on the determined probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle.

13 . The collision avoidance method of claim 12 , wherein the detecting the image of the animal in the image of the area around the vehicle comprising detecting an image of a tetrapod in the image of the area around the vehicle.

14 . The collision avoidance method of claim 12 , further comprising:
selecting a mode of the collision avoidance assistance function based on the determined type of the animal, and performing the collision avoidance assistance function according to the selected mode.

15 . The collision avoidance method of claim 12 , further comprising:
acquiring a plurality of images of the area around the vehicle; determining a direction, position and movement speed of the animal based on the plurality of images acquired from the camera; and calculating a distribution of future presence probabilities of the animal in a planar area around the vehicle using the behavior characteristics index values of the determined type of the animal and the determined direction, position, and movement speed of the animal.

16 . The collision avoidance method of claim 15 , further comprising:
calculating a future presence area of the vehicle; and determining the probability of the collision between the animal and the vehicle based on the calculated future presence area of the animal and the calculated future presence area of the vehicle.

17 . The collision avoidance method of claim 16 , further comprising:
calculating a distribution of future presence probabilities of the vehicle in the planar area around the vehicle, and determining the

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morales Teraoka Edgar Yoshio
• Tanaka Shin
• Oikawa Yoshitaka

Classifications

• B60W2710/20

  Steering systems · CPC title

• B60Q5/006

  indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians · CPC title

• B60W30/08 Primary

  Active safety systems} predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision {or attempting to minimise its consequences · CPC title

• B60W10/184

  with wheel brakes · CPC title

• B60W30/14

  {Adaptive} cruise control · CPC title