Damage reduction device, damage reduction method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022126821-A1
Application number	US-202217570319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2022
Priority date	Sep 29, 2015
Publication date	Apr 28, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A damage reduction device according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an input unit, a prediction unit, a recognition unit, and a determination unit. The input unit inputs status data regarding a status in a moving direction of a moving body apparatus. The prediction unit predicts a collision with an object in the moving direction on the basis of the status data. The recognition unit recognizes whether the object includes a person. The determination unit determines, when the collision with the object is predicted and it is recognized that the object includes a person, a steering direction of the moving body apparatus in which a collision with the person is avoidable, on the basis of the status data.

First claim

1 . A damage reduction system for a subject vehicle, the damage reduction system comprising:
a camera having a forward field of view from the subject vehicle and configured to generate image data; and control circuitry configured to: predict a possibility of a collision with an object based on the image data; recognize a type of the object as a person or an unmanned structure based on the image data; determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is avoidable, a steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to avoid the collision with the object; determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as a person, the steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to minimize damage to the person; and determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as an unmanned structure, the steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to minimize damage to the subject vehicle.

2 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as an unmanned structure, a target collision site of the subject vehicle that collides with the object.

3 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to recognize the type of the object based at least in part on status data regarding a status in a moving direction of the subject vehicle, and
wherein the status data includes the image data.

4 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as a manned vehicle, a target collision site of the manned vehicle based on passenger data regarding a sitting position of a passenger in the manned vehicle.

5 . The damage reduction system according to claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
estimate the sitting position of the passenger in the manned vehicle, and determine a non-sitting position of the passenger in the manned vehicle or a vicinity thereof as the target collision site of the manned vehicle based on the sitting position of the passenger in the manned vehicle.

6 . The damage reduction system according to claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
determine a sitting position of a passenger in the subject vehicle, and determine the target collision site of the subject vehicle based on the sitting position of the passenger in the subject vehicle.

7 . The damage reduction system according to claim 6 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a non-sitting position of the passenger in the subject vehicle or a vicinity thereof as the target collision site of the subject vehicle.

8 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , further comprising a steering controller configured to control steering of the subject vehicle based on the determined steering direction.

9 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , further comprising a distance sensor configured to generate distance data representative of a distance between the subject vehicle and the object,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to predict the possibility of the collision with the object based on the image data and the distance data.

10 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is mounted in a cabin of the subject vehicle.

11 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as a manned vehicle, the steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to minimize damage to the subject vehicle and the manned vehicle.

12 . The damage reduction system according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as a manned vehicle, the steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to minimize damage to the passengers of the subject vehicle and the manned vehicle.

13 . A damage reduction method, comprising:
generating image data captured by a camera having a forward field of view from a subject vehicle; predicting a possibility of a collision with an object based at least in part on the image data; recognizing a type of the object as a person or an unmanned structure based at least in part on the image data; determining, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is avoidable, a steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to avoid the collision with the object; determining, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as a person, the steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to minimize damage to the person; and determining, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as an unmanned structure, the steering direction of the subject vehicle so as to minimize damage to the subject vehicle.

14 . The damage reduction method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as an unmanned structure, a target collision site of the subject vehicle that collides with the object.

15 . The damage reduction method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
recognizing the type of the object based at least in part on status data regarding a status in a moving direction of the subject vehicle, and wherein the status data includes the image data.

16 . The damage reduction method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, when it is predicted that the collision with the object is unavoidable and the object is recognized as a manned vehicle, a target collision site of the manned vehicle based on passenger data regarding a sitting position of a passenger in the manned vehicle.

17 . The damage reduction method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
estimating the sitting position of the passenger in the manned vehicle, and determining a non-sitting position of the passenger in the manned vehicle or a vicinity thereof as the target collision site of the manned vehicle based on the sitting position of the passenger in the manned vehicle.

18 . The damage reduction method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
determining a sitting position of a passenger in the subject vehicle, and determining the target collision site of the subject vehicle based on the sitting position of the passenger in the subject vehicle.

19 . The damage reduction method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
determining a non-sitting position of the passenger in the subject vehicle or a vicinity thereof as the target collision site of the subject vehicle.

20 . The damage reduction method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
controlling steering of the subject vehicle based on the determined steering direction.

21 . The damage reduction method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
generating, by a distance sensor, distance data representative of a distance between the subject vehicle and the object, w

Assignees

• Sony Group Corp

Inventors

• Oyaizu Hideki
• Kondo Yuhi
• Hirasawa Yasutaka
• Aoki Suguru
• Akama Taketo

Classifications

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• B60W2710/207

  Steering angle of wheels · CPC title

• B60R21/0134

  responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle {, e.g. using radar systems} · CPC title

• B60R2021/01252

  Devices other than bags · CPC title

• G06V20/584

  of vehicle lights or traffic lights · CPC title