External airbag deployment method and system

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an external airbag deployment method. The method includes setting, by a controller, a detection area located in front. In addition, the method includes setting, by the controller, a target object from objects detected in the detection area, when an object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a TTE less than a third reference, wherein TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed. Furthermore, the method includes determining, by the controller, whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels and deploying the external airbag when the predicted relative velocity and overlap are greater than the predetermined levels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An external airbag deployment method comprising:
 setting, by a controller, a detection area located in front of a vehicle;   selecting, by the controller, an object as a target object from objects detected in the detection area, when an object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a Time To EAB (External Airbag) (TTE) less than a third reference, wherein TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed;   determining, by the controller, whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels; and   deploying, by the controller, the external airbag when the relative velocity and the overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than the predetermined levels.   
     
     
         2 . The external airbag deployment method of  claim 1 , wherein setting the detection area further includes:
 recognizing, by the controller, objects detected in the detection area using a front sensor;   assigning, by the controller, identifications (IDs) to the detected objects; and   updating, by the controller, detected objects when measurement is performed by the front sensor.   
     
     
         3 . The external airbag deployment method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 updating, by the controller, data regarding the detected objects and the target object at intervals of a measurement period of the front sensor; and   calculating, by the controller, predicted data at intervals of a predetermined time during each measurement period.   
     
     
         4 . The external airbag deployment method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined levels are given as the first reference for the relative velocity and as the second reference for the overlap. 
     
     
         5 . An external airbag deployment system, comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 set a detection area located in front of a vehicle; 
 select an object as a target object from objects detected in the detection area, when the object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a Time To EAB (External Airbag) (TTE) less than a third reference, wherein TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed; 
 determine whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels; and 
 deploy the external airbag when the relative velocity and the overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than the predetermined levels. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 recognize objects detected in the detection area using a front sensor;   assign identifications (IDs) to the detected objects; and   update detected objects when measurement is performed by the front sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 update data regarding the detected objects and the target object at intervals of a measurement period of the front sensor; and   calculate predicted data at intervals of a predetermined time during each measurement period.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein predetermined levels are given as the first reference for the relative velocity and as the second reference for the overlap. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising:
 program instructions that set a detection area located in front of a vehicle;   program instructions that select an object as a target object from objects detected in the detection area, when an object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a Time To EAB (External Airbag) (TTE) less than a third reference, wherein TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed;   program instructions that determine whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels; and   program instructions that deploy the external airbag when the relative velocity and the overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than the predetermined levels.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 program instructions that recognize objects detected in the detection area using a front sensor;   program instructions that assign identifications (IDs) to the detected objects; and   program instructions that update detected objects when measurement is performed by the front sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 program instructions that update data regarding the detected objects and the target object at intervals of a measurement period of the front sensor; and   program instructions that calculate predicted data at intervals of a predetermined time during each measurement period.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein predetermined levels are given as the first reference for the relative velocity and as the second reference for the overlap. 
     
     
         13 . An external airbag deployment method comprising:
 setting, by a controller, a detection area located in front of a vehicle;   selecting, by the controller, an object having a shortest Time To EAB (External Airbag) (TTE), from objects detected in the detection area, as a dangerous object, wherein the TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed;   selecting, by the controller, the dangerous object as a target object when the dangerous object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a TTE less than a third reference;   determining, by the controller, whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels; and   deploying, by the controller, the external airbag when the predicted relative velocity and overlap of the target object are greater than the predetermined levels.   
     
     
         14 . The external airbag deployment method of  claim 13 , wherein selecting the dangerous object further includes:
 selecting, by the controller, an object having a shortest Time To Collision (TTC), from the detected objects, as a dangerous object, wherein the TTC is a remaining time until the object collides with the vehicle when the object is predicted to collide with the vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . An external airbag deployment method comprising:
 setting, by a controller, a detection area located in front of a vehicle;   selecting, by the controller, an object as a target object from objects detected in the detection area, when an object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a Time To EAB (External Airbag) (TTE) less than a third reference, wherein TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed;   determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is stable by comparing a predicted yaw rate of the vehicle with a measured yaw rate;   determining, by the controller, whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels; and   deploying, by the controller, the external airbag when the vehicle is stable and the predicted relative velocity and overlap of the target object are greater than the predetermined levels.   
     
     
         16 . The external airbag deployment method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining, by the controller, whether a collision probability based on a reciprocal of a Time To Collision (TTC) and a variation in collision probability are greater than predetermined levels, wherein the TTC is a remaining time until the target object collides with the vehicle when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, and   deploying, by the controller, the external airbag when the vehicle is stable, the predicted relative velocity and overlap of the target object are greater than predetermined levels, and the collision probability and the variation in the collision probability are greater than predetermined levels.   
     
     
         17 . The external airbag deployment method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 calculating, by the controller, a required steering avoidance distance and a required braking avoidance distance based on a relative velocity of the target object;   comparing, by the controller, a distance to the target object with the required steering avoidance distance and the required braking avoidance distance; and   deploying the external airbag when the vehicle is stable, the predicted relative velocity and overlap of the target object are greater than the predetermined levels, and the distance to the target object is less than the required steering avoidance distance and the required braking avoidance distance.   
     
     
         18 . An external airbag deployment method comprising:
 setting, by the controller, a detection area located in front of a vehicle;   selecting, by the controller, a target object, from objects detected in the detection area, when an object has a relative velocity greater than a first reference, an overlap greater than a second reference, and a Time To EAB (External Airbag) (TTE) less than a third reference, wherein TTE is a remaining time until the object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed;   determining, by the controller, whether a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels;   validating, by the controller, presence of the target object using an ultrasonic sensor; and   deploying, by the controller, the external airbag when the relative velocity and the overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than the predetermined levels and when the presence of the target object is validated.