JP6806018B2 - Protection control device and protection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is a protection control device and protection configured to protect a protected object such as a pedestrian from an impact caused by a collision with a vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle. Regarding the system.

As a protection control device and a protection system of this type, the configurations disclosed in Patent Document 1 are known. The protection control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a secondary collision position estimation unit, an operation device selection unit, and an operation instruction unit. The secondary collision position estimation unit estimates the secondary collision position of the occupant of the bicycle based on the relative speed of the bicycle that collided with the vehicle and the primary collision position. The operating device selection unit selects a protective device to be operated based on the secondary collision position estimated by the secondary collision position estimation unit. The operation instruction unit operates the protection device selected by the operation device selection unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-19378

In this type of protection control device and protection system, various studies have been conducted to more appropriately protect the protection target from the impact caused by the collision with the vehicle body. Protected objects include, for example, occupants of two-wheeled vehicles with occupants and pedestrians.

Specifically, for example, depending on the primary collision position of a pedestrian or a bicycle with respect to the front bumper, the sensitivity of the collision sensor for detecting the primary collision may decrease, or the impact received by the protected object at the time of the primary collision may increase. obtain. Therefore, in order to protect the protected object more appropriately, it is necessary to consider not only the time of the secondary collision but also the time of the primary collision.

Alternatively, for example, in a vehicle equipped with both a hood pop-up device and a pedestrian airbag device, if the estimated secondary collision position is on the pop-up front hood, the secondary collision protects the vehicle. The impact received can be mitigated to some extent. However, the impact can be further reduced in the deployment area of the pedestrian airbag than on the pop-up front hood.

The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances exemplified above.

The protection control device (30) according to claim 1 collides the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). It is configured to protect against the impact of.
This protection control device
The detection result acquisition unit (41), which acquires the detection result of the object by the object detection unit (32) that detects the object existing around the vehicle,
The collision sensor (31), which is provided on a front bumper (11) forming a part of the vehicle body and generates an output according to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. Impact value acquisition unit (40) that acquires the output,
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protected object is said to be after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When said occurrence of said unavoidable situation by determination unit determines, as the primary collision of the specific object relative to the front bumper, the position or orientation suitable for the protection of the protected by the protection device, the A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
Equipped with a,
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so as to cause the primary collision in which the sensitivity of the collision sensor is higher than when the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. ..
The protection control device (30) according to claim 6 collides the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). It is configured to protect against the impact of.
This protection control device
The detection result acquisition unit (41), which acquires the detection result of the object by the object detection unit (32) that detects the object existing around the vehicle,
The collision sensor (31), which is provided on a front bumper (11) forming a part of the vehicle body and generates an output according to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. Impact value acquisition unit (40) that acquires the output,
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protected object is said to be after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When the occurrence of the unavoidable situation is determined by the determination unit, the primary collision of the specific object with the front bumper is at a position or direction suitable for protection of the protection target by the protection device. A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
With
The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The bumper absorber includes an upper absorber (14a) and a lower absorber (14b) arranged below the upper absorber.
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber and the lower absorber are close to the bumper cover at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
The protection system (20) according to claim 11 causes the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, to collide with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). It is configured to protect against impact.
This protection system
An object detection unit (32) that detects an object existing around the vehicle, and
A collision sensor (31) provided on a front bumper (11) that forms a part of the vehicle body and generates an output corresponding to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. When,
A behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
A protection control device (30) that controls the operation of the protection system, and
With
The protection control device is
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protected object is said to be after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When said occurrence of said unavoidable situation by determination unit determines, as the primary collision of the specific object relative to the front bumper, the position or orientation suitable for the protection of the protected by the protection device, the A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
Equipped with a,
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so as to cause the primary collision in which the sensitivity of the collision sensor is higher than when the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. ..
The protection system (20) according to claim 16 causes the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, to collide with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). It is configured to protect against impact.
This protection system
An object detection unit (32) that detects an object existing around the vehicle, and
A collision sensor (31) provided on a front bumper (11) that forms a part of the vehicle body and generates an output corresponding to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. When,
A behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
A protection control device (30) that controls the operation of the protection system, and
With
The protection control device is
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protected object is said to be after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When the occurrence of the unavoidable situation is determined by the determination unit, the primary collision of the specific object with the front bumper is at a position or direction suitable for protection of the protection target by the protection device. A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
With
The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The bumper absorber includes an upper absorber (14a) and a lower absorber (14b) arranged below the upper absorber.
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber and the lower absorber are close to the bumper cover at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.

In the above configuration, the object detection unit detects the object existing around the vehicle. The collision sensor generates the output corresponding to the impact applied to the front bumper by the primary collision between the object and the vehicle. The protection operation control unit controls the operation of the protection device based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor.

Further, in the above configuration, the determination unit determines that the unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred. When the determination unit determines that the unavoidable situation has occurred, the control amount determination unit is located at a position where the primary collision of the specific object with the front bumper is suitable for protection of the protection target by the protection device. The control amount in the behavior control device is determined so as to be in the direction.

Specifically, for example, the control amount determining unit causes the primary collision in which the sensitivity of the collision sensor is higher than that in the case where the behavior control of the vehicle is not performed by the control amount in the behavior control device. , The control amount can be determined. As a result, the operation control of the protective device can be performed well.

Alternatively, for example, the control amount determining unit may perform the primary collision so that the impact received by the protected object is smaller than that in the case where the behavior control of the vehicle is not performed by the control amount in the behavior control device. The control amount can be determined. As a result, the impact on the protected object due to the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle can be satisfactorily reduced.

Alternatively, for example, the control amount determination unit can determine the control amount so that the secondary collision position is within the protection area of the protection device. The secondary collision position is a position where the protected object collides with the vehicle body after the primary collision of the specific object with respect to the front bumper. As a result, the impact on the protected object due to the secondary collision generated by the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle can be satisfactorily reduced.

As described above, according to the above configuration, when the specific object collides with the vehicle, the protection target can be more appropriately protected.

The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each means in the above and in the claims column indicate an example of the correspondence between the means and the specific means described in the embodiments described later. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the above description of the reference numerals.

It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle equipped with the protection system. It is a side sectional view which shows the front bumper shown in FIG. 1 enlarged. It is a front view of the vehicle body shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the front hood shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the protection system shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the state of change according to the vehicle width direction position of the clearance between a bumper cover and a bumper absorber shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the state of change according to the position in the vehicle width direction of the sensitivity of the collision sensor shown in FIG. It is the schematic for demonstrating the relationship between the sensitivity of the collision sensor shown in FIG. 1 and the collision direction. It is a flowchart which shows one operation example of the protection control device shown in FIG. It is the schematic which shows the structure of one modification of the collision sensor shown in FIG.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that, as for various modifications applicable to one embodiment, if they are inserted in the middle of a series of explanations regarding the embodiment, the understanding of the embodiment may be hindered. It will be described together after the explanation.

(Outline configuration of vehicle)
First, a schematic configuration of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The concepts of "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper" and "lower" in the vehicle 1 are as shown by arrows in FIGS. 1 to 4. The front-rear direction may be referred to as the "vehicle total length direction", the left-right direction may be referred to as the "vehicle width direction", and the direction orthogonal to the vehicle total length direction and orthogonal to the vehicle width direction may be referred to as the "vehicle height direction".

Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is a so-called automobile and has a box-shaped vehicle body 10. A front bumper 11 that forms a part of the vehicle body 10 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1.

The bumper cover 12 forming the outermost shell of the front bumper 11 is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. Unlike the back surface 12b on the opposite side, the outer surface 12a of the bumper cover 12 is subjected to a surface finish (for example, painting) for forming the appearance of the vehicle body 10.

The front bumper 11 includes a bumper cover 12, a bumper reinforcing member 13, and a bumper absorber 14. The bumper reinforcing member 13 and the bumper absorber 14 are provided inside the bumper cover 12.

The bumper reinforcing member 13 is housed in the bumper cover 12 and is arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction. The bumper reinforcing member 13 which is a rigid member is formed of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy.

The bumper absorber 14 is arranged between the bumper cover 12 and the bumper reinforcing member 13. Specifically, the bumper absorber 14 is fixed to the front surface of the bumper reinforcing member 13, that is, the surface facing the back surface 12b of the bumper cover 12. The bumper absorber 14 which is a shock absorbing member is formed of a foamable synthetic resin such as expanded polypropylene.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the upper absorber 14a and the lower absorber 14b are provided as the bumper absorber 14. The lower absorber 14b is arranged below the upper absorber 14a. Both ends of the lower absorber 14b in the vehicle width direction are provided inside the upper absorber 14a in the vehicle width direction with respect to both ends in the vehicle width direction. That is, both ends of the upper absorber 14a in the vehicle width direction are provided so as to project outward in the vehicle width direction from both ends of the lower absorber 14b in the vehicle width direction.

Referring to FIG. 3, the vehicle body front surface 15 has a front grille 15a and a pair of headlights 15b. The front grill 15a and the pair of headlights 15b are provided above the front bumper 11. The front grill 15a is arranged at the center in the vehicle width direction. The pair of headlights 15b are arranged at both ends in the vehicle width direction. That is, the pair of headlights 15b are provided outside the front grill 15a in the vehicle width direction.

Referring to FIG. 3, the front hood 16 extends rearward from the upper end portion of the vehicle body front portion 15. Referring to FIG. 4, the outer edge portion 16a of the front hood 16 in the vehicle width direction has higher rigidity than the other portions. The outer edge portion 16a is provided so as to impart a certain rigidity to the front hood 16 in the overall length direction of the vehicle. Further, an intermediate rigidity region 16b extends along the vehicle width direction in the intermediate region of the front hood 16 in the vehicle overall length direction. The intermediate rigidity region 16b is provided so as to impart a certain rigidity to the front hood 16 in the vehicle width direction.

A first shock absorbing region 16c and a second shock absorbing region 16d are formed between the pair of outer edge portions 16a of the front hood 16 in the vehicle width direction. The first shock absorption region 16c is provided behind the intermediate rigidity region 16b. The second shock absorbing region 16d is provided in front of the intermediate rigidity region 16b. The first shock absorbing region 16c and the second shock absorbing region 16d constituting the protective region in the pop-up hood mechanism described later have higher shock absorbing performance than the outer edge portion 16a and the intermediate rigidity region 16b.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the front window 17 is arranged behind the front hood 16. Front pillars 18 are provided on both sides of the front window 17 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the front pillars 18 are extended rearward and upward while supporting both ends of the front window 17 in the vehicle width direction.

(Configuration of protection system)
Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a protection system 20. The protection system 20 is configured to protect a person who has collided with the vehicle 1.

The "human being who collided with the vehicle 1" includes, for example, a pedestrian who directly collided with the vehicle 1, and a occupant such as a motorcycle or a wheelchair who collided with the vehicle 1. Motorcycles include bicycles and motorcycles. For example, in a collision between a vehicle 1 and a two-wheeled vehicle with an occupant, the object that directly collides with the vehicle 1 may be a two-wheeled vehicle instead of an occupant. However, even in this case, it is possible that the occupant of the two-wheeled vehicle "indirectly" collided with the vehicle 1. The same applies to occupants such as wheelchairs.

That is, the protection system 20 is configured to protect the protection target from the impact caused by the collision with the vehicle body 10 when the vehicle 1 collides with a specific object. "Specific objects" include pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles with occupants, wheelchairs with occupants, and the like. The "protected object" includes pedestrians in addition to the occupants of motorcycles with occupants. The "protected object" can also be referred to as the "vulnerable traffic".

The configuration of the protection system 20 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. The protection system 20 includes a behavior control device 21, a protection device 22, and a device drive system 23.

The behavior control device 21 is provided to control the behavior of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the behavior control device 21 constituting the so-called pre-crash safety system has a brake control device, a steering control device, and the like (not shown), and has a positional relationship between an object around the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1. It is configured to execute brake control, steering control, etc. accordingly. Hereinafter, the behavior of the vehicle 1 is abbreviated as "vehicle behavior". Further, the control of vehicle behavior by the behavior control device 21 is abbreviated as "behavior control".

The protection device 22 is configured to protect the protected object from the impact caused by the secondary collision in which the protected object collides with the vehicle body 10 after the primary collision. The "primary collision" means that a specific object first collides with the vehicle body 10, that is, the front bumper 11. The "secondary collision" means that after the primary collision, a protected object such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 10.

In the present embodiment, the hood pop-up device 24 and the pedestrian airbag device 25 are provided as the protection device 22.

The hood pop-up device 24, which constitutes the pop-up hood mechanism together with the front hood 16, is configured to raise the front hood 16 after the occurrence of the primary collision and before the occurrence of the secondary collision. Specifically, the hood pop-up device 24 is configured to push up the rear end portion of the front hood 16 upward during operation.

The pedestrian airbag device 25 is configured to protect the protection target by deploying it on the vehicle body 10. The "protected area" in the protective device 22 includes a first shock absorbing area 16c and a second shock absorbing area 16d in the front hood 16 raised by the hood pop-up device 24, and a deployment area of the pedestrian airbag device 25. Is done.

In the present embodiment, the pedestrian airbag device 25 has a right front airbag 25a, a left front airbag 25b, a right pillar airbag 25c, and a left pillar airbag 25d. In the present embodiment, the right front airbag 25a, the left front airbag 25b, the right pillar airbag 25c, and the left pillar airbag 25d are provided so as to be independently deployable.

The right front airbag 25a and the left front airbag 25b are configured such that the front hood 16 and the front window 17 are deployed corresponding to portions adjacent to each other in the overall length direction of the vehicle. The right front airbag 25a is provided corresponding to the right end portion from the central portion in the vehicle width direction. The left front airbag 25b is provided corresponding to the left end portion from the central portion in the vehicle width direction. The right pillar airbag 25c is configured to deploy corresponding to the right front pillar 18. The left pillar airbag 25d is configured to deploy corresponding to the left front pillar 18.

(Configuration of protection control device)
The device drive system 23 is configured to detect whether or not a specific object has collided with the front bumper 11 and operate the protection device 22 when the collision of the specific object is detected. Hereinafter, each part constituting the device drive system 23 will be described.

The device drive system 23 includes a protection control ECU 30 and various sensors including a collision sensor 31. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. The protection control ECU 30 as the protection control device of the present invention is configured to control the overall operation of the protection system 20 based on signals output from various sensors.

The protection control ECU 30 is a so-called microcomputer, and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and a non-volatile RAM (not shown). The non-volatile RAM is, for example, a flash ROM or the like. The CPU, ROM, RAM and non-volatile RAM of the protection control ECU 30 are hereinafter simply abbreviated as "CPU", "ROM", "RAM" and "non-volatile RAM".

The protection control ECU 30 is configured so that various control operations can be realized by the CPU reading a program from the ROM or the non-volatile RAM and executing the program. This program contains the corresponding routines described below. Further, various data used when executing the program are stored in advance in the ROM or the non-volatile RAM. Various types of data include, for example, initial values, look-up tables, maps, and the like. Details of the functional configuration of the protection control ECU 30 will be described later.

The front bumper 11 is provided with a collision sensor 31. The collision sensor 31 is configured to generate an output corresponding to the impact applied by the collision between the object and the front bumper 11.

In the present embodiment, the collision sensor 31 is a long-shaped pressure tube type sensor having a longitudinal direction along the vehicle width direction, and is extended in the vehicle width direction along the bumper reinforcing member 13. ing. In the present embodiment, the collision sensor 31 is provided at a position corresponding to the upper absorber 14a in the vehicle height direction. Specifically, the collision sensor 31 has a tube member 31a, a right side pressure sensor 31b, and a left side pressure sensor 31c.

The tube member 31a is a tubular member extending along the vehicle width direction, and is made of a synthetic resin such as synthetic rubber. Most of the tube member 31a except for both ends in the vehicle width direction is embedded in the upper absorber 14a as shown in FIG. One end of the tube member 31a in the vehicle width direction is connected to the right pressure sensor 31b. The other end of the tube member 31a in the vehicle width direction is connected to the left side pressure sensor 31c. The right side pressure sensor 31b and the left side pressure sensor 31c are configured to generate an electrical output (eg, voltage) corresponding to the pressure in the tube member 31a. Since the specific configuration and arrangement of the collision sensor 31, which is a pressure tube type sensor, is already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further description thereof will be omitted.

The object detection unit 32 is provided so as to detect an object existing around the vehicle 1. That is, the object detection unit 32 is configured to recognizable the type of the object and acquire the distance to the object before the object collides with the front bumper 11. The object detection unit 32 may also be referred to as a "prevention sensor".

Specifically, for example, the object detection unit 32 can be configured as a so-called stereo camera including two camera sensors. Alternatively, the object detection unit 32 can be configured as a so-called fusion sensor including a camera sensor and a millimeter wave radar sensor. Since the specific configuration and arrangement of such an object detection unit 32 are already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further description thereof will be omitted in the present specification.

A plurality of distance measuring sensors 33 are mounted on the front bumper 11. Specifically, one distance measuring sensor 33 is provided at each of the right corner portion and the left corner portion of the front bumper 11, and two sensors 33 are provided at the front surface portion of the front bumper 11. The distance measuring sensor 33 is a so-called ultrasonic sonar, and has a well-known configuration for acquiring a distance from an object existing around the vehicle 1 by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

In addition to the collision sensor 31, the object detection unit 32, and the distance measuring sensor 33, the device drive system 23 includes a vehicle speed sensor 34, a steering angle sensor 35, a yaw rate sensor 36, and an acceleration sensor 37 as the above-mentioned various sensors. And have.

The vehicle speed sensor 34 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, a voltage) corresponding to the traveling speed of the vehicle 1. The traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is hereinafter simply referred to as "vehicle speed".

The steering angle sensor 35 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, voltage) corresponding to the steering angle of the vehicle 1. The yaw rate sensor 36 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, a voltage) corresponding to the yaw rate acting on the vehicle body 10. The acceleration sensor 37 is configured to generate an electric output (for example, a voltage) corresponding to the acceleration acting on the vehicle body 10.

The protection control ECU 30 is electrically connected to the protection device 22 via an in-vehicle communication line. Further, the collision sensor 31, the object detection unit 32, the distance measuring sensor 33, the vehicle speed sensor 34, the steering angle sensor 35, the yaw rate sensor 36, and the acceleration sensor 37 are electrically connected to the protection control ECU 30 via an in-vehicle communication line. There is.

The steering angle sensor 35, the yaw rate sensor 36, and the acceleration sensor 37 transmit their outputs to the behavior control device 21 via the vehicle-mounted communication line to control the behavior in the behavior control device 21, that is, to the behavior control device 21. It is provided for brake control and steering control in the included brake control device and steering control device (not shown). Further, the protection control ECU 30 intervenes in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21 by transmitting the behavior control signal to the behavior control device 21 via the in-vehicle communication line in a predetermined case.

(Functional configuration of protection control ECU)
Referring to FIG. 5, the protection control ECU 30 has an impact value acquisition unit 40, an object recognition unit 41, a distance acquisition unit 42, and a protection processing unit 43 as functional configurations realized by the CPU. ing. The impact value acquisition unit 40 is provided so as to acquire the output of the collision sensor 31. The object recognition unit 41 and the distance acquisition unit 42 are provided so as to acquire the detection result of the object by the object detection unit 32 and to process the acquired detection result.

The object recognition unit 41 is provided so as to recognize the type of an object existing around the vehicle 1 based on the output of the object detection unit 32. That is, the object recognition unit 41 recognizes the type of the object existing in the field of view of the camera sensor by the image recognition technology. The "type" includes pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, animals, fixed obstacles, and the like. An "animal" is, for example, a deer, a bear, or the like, which does not require the protective device 22 to operate. A "fixed obstacle" is, for example, a pillar, a wall, or the like.

The distance acquisition unit 42 is provided so as to acquire the distance from the vehicle 1 of the object whose type is recognized by the object recognition unit 41 based on the output of the object detection unit 32. That is, the protection control ECU 30 acquires the type and distance of the object existing in the field of view of the camera sensor based on the output of the object detection unit 32, and associates the type and distance with the RAM or the non-volatile RAM. It is designed to be remembered. For the acquisition of the distance associated with the type by the distance acquisition unit 42, well-known techniques such as stereo camera technology, sensor fusion technology, SFM technology, and the like can be used. SFM is an abbreviation for Structure from Motion.

The protection processing unit 43 generates a behavior control signal based on the output of various sensors including the collision sensor 31, the recognition result by the object recognition unit 41, and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 42, and the behavior control device. It is configured to transmit to 21 and control the operation of the protective device 22. Specifically, the protection processing unit 43 has a determination unit 44, a primary collision position estimation unit 45, a secondary collision position estimation unit 46, and a control amount determination unit 47 as functional configurations realized by the CPU. And a primary collision detection unit 48 and a protection operation control unit 49.

The determination unit 44 is provided to determine that an unavoidable situation has occurred in which the primary collision is unavoidable. Specifically, the determination unit 44 calculates the collision margin time TTC indicating the margin time until the vehicle 1 first collides with the specific object, and determines whether or not the calculated collision margin time TTC is less than a predetermined value. It is designed to judge. TTC is an abbreviation for Time To Collision. Further, the determination unit 44 determines whether or not collision avoidance is possible by behavior control using the pre-crash safety system when the collision margin time TTC becomes less than a predetermined value.

The method for calculating the collision margin time TTC is already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application. That is, the collision margin time TTC can be calculated based on the recognition result by the object recognition unit 41 and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 42. Specifically, the collision margin time TTC can be calculated based on the distance from the vehicle 1 to the specific object, the relative speed between the specific object and the vehicle 1, and the vehicle behavior. The determination of whether or not collision avoidance is possible is already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application.

The primary collision position estimation unit 45 is provided so as to estimate the primary collision position. The "primary collision position" is a position in the front bumper 11 in the vehicle width direction in which a primary collision of a specific object occurs. Specifically, the primary collision position estimation unit 45 includes the recognition result by the object recognition unit 41 and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 42 at the time when the collision margin time TTC becomes less than a predetermined value, and the output of various sensors. The primary collision position is calculated based on the above.

The secondary collision position estimation unit 46 is provided so as to estimate the secondary collision position. The "secondary collision position" is a position on the vehicle body 10 where the heads of pedestrians or occupants to be protected collide secondarily after the occurrence of the primary collision of the specific object with the vehicle 1. Specifically, the secondary collision position estimation unit 46 includes the primary collision position estimated by the primary collision position estimation unit 45, the recognition result by the object recognition unit 41 when the collision margin time TTC becomes less than a predetermined value, and the recognition result. The secondary collision position is calculated based on the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 42 and the outputs of various sensors.

The control amount determination unit 47 determines in the behavior control device 21 that when the determination unit 44 determines that an unavoidable situation has occurred, the primary collision is in a position and direction suitable for protecting the protection target by the protection system 20. It is provided to determine the amount of control to intervene in behavior control. The "direction" of the primary collision may also be referred to as the "relative movement direction" between the vehicle 1 and the object at the time of the occurrence of the primary collision, or the "collision direction". The specific operation of the control amount determination unit 47 will be described later.

The primary collision detection unit 48 is provided so as to detect the occurrence of a primary collision based on the output of the collision sensor 31, the recognition result by the object recognition unit 41, and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 42. Specifically, when the output of the collision sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined reference value, the primary collision detection unit 48 determines the collision object based on the recognition result by the object recognition unit 41 and the distance acquisition result by the distance acquisition unit 42. The type is determined and a threshold value is set according to the type, and when the output of the collision sensor 31 exceeds the set threshold value, the occurrence of a primary collision of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 11 is detected. Since the threshold setting and the primary collision detection according to the type of the collision object are already known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further details thereof will be omitted in the present specification (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-215786). See publication).

The protection operation control unit 49 is provided to control the operation of the protection device 22 based on the output of the collision sensor 31 and the detection result of the object by the object detection unit 32. Specifically, the protective operation control unit 49 sets the hood pop-up device 24 and the pedestrian airbag device 25 at appropriate timings when the primary collision detection unit 48 detects the occurrence of a primary collision of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 11. It is designed to start with.

(Outline of operation)
The outline of the operation according to the above configuration will be described below.

In the above configuration, the object detection unit 32 detects an object existing around the vehicle 1. The collision sensor 31 generates an output corresponding to the impact applied to the front bumper 11 due to the primary collision between the object and the vehicle 1. The protection operation control unit 49 controls the operation of the protection device 22 based on the output of the collision sensor 31 and the detection result of the object by the object detection unit 32.

Further, in the above configuration, the determination unit 44 determines that an unavoidable situation has occurred in which the primary collision is unavoidable. When the determination unit 44 determines that an unavoidable situation has occurred, the control amount determination unit 47 protects the protection target by the protection system 20 by determining the primary collision position of a specific object with respect to the front bumper 11 and the collision direction at the primary collision position. The control amount in the behavior control device 21 is determined so that the position and direction are suitable for the above.

For example, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the secondary collision position is within the protection area of the protection device 22. As a result, the impact on the protected object due to the secondary collision generated by the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be satisfactorily reduced.

Further, the control amount determination unit 47 adjusts the secondary collision position so that the impact received by the protection target due to the secondary collision is lower when the secondary collision position can be within the protection area of the protection device 22. The control amount in the behavior control device 21 is determined. Specifically, for example, the control amount determination unit 47 has a secondary collision position of the first impact absorption region 16c in the front hood 16 raised by the hood pop-up device 24 and the deployment region of the right front airbag 25a. If it can be either one, the control amount in the behavior control device 21 is determined in order to guide the secondary collision position to the deployment region of the right front airbag 25a.

Further, for example, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the impact received by the protected object due to the primary collision is smaller than that in the case where the behavior control device 21 does not control the behavior based on the determined control amount. .. As a result, the impact on the protected object due to the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be satisfactorily reduced.

Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a region where only the upper absorber 14a is present and the lower absorber 14b is not present is generated at both ends of the front bumper 11 in the vehicle width direction. On the other hand, in the region of the front bumper 11 near the center in the vehicle width direction, both the upper absorber 14a and the lower absorber 14b are present.

In the region where both the upper absorber 14a and the lower absorber 14b exist, both the upper absorber 14a and the lower absorber 14b are close to the bumper cover 12. Therefore, when the pedestrian first collides with the vehicle 1, the impact on the legs of the pedestrian is satisfactorily alleviated by both the upper absorber 14a and the lower absorber 14b. Therefore, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber 14a and the lower absorber 14b guide the primary collision position to a region close to the bumper cover 12.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, headlights 15b, which is a hard structure, are present above the front bumpers 11 at both ends in the vehicle width direction. On the other hand, in the central portion of the front bumper 11 in the vehicle width direction, the front grill 15a having a relatively flexible structure exists above the front bumper 11, while the hard structure such as the headlight 15b does not exist. Therefore, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so as to guide the primary collision position to the region inside the headlight 15b in the vehicle width direction.

For example, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31 is higher than that in the case where the behavior control device 21 does not control the behavior based on the determined control amount. Thereby, the operation control of the protection device 22 can be performed well.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the collision sensor 31 is a pressure tube type sensor. In the pressure tube type collision sensor 31, the smaller the clearance between the bumper cover 12 and the bumper absorber 14, the higher the sensitivity. Therefore, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the clearance between the bumper cover 12 and the bumper absorber 14 at the primary collision position becomes small.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a change in the clearance C between the bumper cover 12 and the bumper absorber 14 according to the position X in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 7 shows an example of a change in the sensitivity SE of the collision sensor 31 according to the vehicle width direction position X, which corresponds to the change in the clearance C shown in FIG. In FIGS. 6 and 7, X = 0 indicates the center position in the vehicle width direction, and X = XD indicates the end portion of the bumper absorber 14 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this specific example, the clearance C is the minimum in the range of X = XL to XH. 0 <XL <XH <XD. Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 7, in this specific example, the sensitivity SE of the collision sensor 31 is high in the range of X = XL to XH, and the peak of the sensitivity SE is high in the range of X = XP. It is happening. XL <XP <XH. Therefore, in this specific example, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the primary collision position approaches the position X = XP where the peak of the sensitivity SE occurs as much as possible.

Further, referring to FIG. 8, the smaller the collision angle θ, the higher the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31. The collision angle θ is an angle formed by the normal NL of the outer surface 12a of the bumper cover 12 and the collision direction. Note that FIG. 8 shows both the case where the outer surface 12a is curved and the case where it is flat. Therefore, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the collision angle θ becomes small.

For example, the control amount determination unit 47 prioritizes the control amount in which the secondary collision position is within the protected area over other control amounts including the control amount that increases the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31. Specifically, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the impact received by the protection target due to the primary collision is small within the range where the secondary collision position is within the protected area. Similarly, when there are a plurality of control amount candidates that minimize the impact on the protected object due to the primary collision within the range where the secondary collision position is within the protected area, the control amount determining unit 47 is the most among them. A control amount that increases the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31 is selected.

As described above, in the above configuration, the protection control of the protection target is performed in consideration of both the time of the primary collision and the time of the secondary collision. Therefore, according to the above configuration, protection of the protection target can be performed more appropriately when the specific object collides with the vehicle 1.

(Operation example)
Hereinafter, an operation example based on the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart. In the following description in the drawings and the specification, "step" is simply abbreviated as "S". The CPU of the protection control ECU 30 repeatedly starts the protection device control routine shown in FIG. 9 at predetermined time (for example, 10 msec).

When the protection device control routine shown in FIG. 9 is activated, first, in S901, the CPU determines whether or not a specific object is detected by the object detection unit 32. That is, in S901, the CPU determines whether or not a specific object exists in the field of view of the camera sensor provided in the object detection unit 32. The process of S901 corresponds to the operation of the object recognition unit 41.

When a specific object is detected (that is, S901 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S902. On the other hand, when the specific object is not detected (that is, S901 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S902 and ends this routine. Therefore, it is assumed that the specific object has been detected (that is, S901 = YES), and the description of this routine will be continued.

In S902, the CPU determines whether or not there is a possibility of collision with the detected specific object. Specifically, in S902, the CPU determines whether or not the collision margin time TTC is less than the predetermined value TTC0. The process of S902 corresponds to the operation of the determination unit 44.

When there is a possibility of collision with the detected specific object (that is, S902 = YES), the CPU advances the process to S910. On the other hand, when there is no possibility of collision with the detected specific object (that is, S902 = NO), the CPU skips all the processes after S910 and ends this routine. Therefore, the description of this routine will be continued below, assuming that there is a possibility of collision with the detected specific object (that is, S902 = YES).

In S910, the CPU determines whether or not the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be avoided by the automatic braking control using the pre-crash safety system. When braking can be avoided (that is, S910 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S911. On the other hand, when braking cannot be avoided (that is, S910 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S912. The process of S910 corresponds to the operation of the determination unit 44.

In S911, the CPU causes the behavior control device 21 to execute collision avoidance by automatic braking control. Collision avoidance by automatic braking control is already known or well known at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, in the present specification, the details of collision avoidance by automatic braking control will be omitted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-189075 and the corresponding US patent No. 6,922,624, etc. reference).

In the process of S911, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21 to be “0”. In this case, the protection processing unit 43 does not generate a behavior control signal. That is, in this case, the protection control ECU 30 does not intervene in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21. Therefore, by the process of S911, the normal pre-crash safety control by the behavior control device 21 is executed. The process of S911 corresponds to the operation of the control amount determination unit 47.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued on the assumption that the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 cannot be avoided by the automatic braking control (that is, S910 = NO).

In S912, the CPU determines whether or not the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be avoided by automatic steering control using the pre-crash safety system. When steering avoidance is possible (that is, S912 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S913. When steering avoidance is unavoidable (ie, S912 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S914. The process of S912 corresponds to the operation of the determination unit 44.

In S913, the CPU causes the behavior control device 21 to execute collision avoidance by automatic steering control. Collision avoidance by automatic steering control is already known or well known at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, in the present specification, the details of collision avoidance by automatic steering control will be omitted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-99496 and US Pat. No. 9,540,002 relating to the corresponding US application, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-232825 and the corresponding US patent application publication No. 2015/0353133, etc.).

Also in the process of S913, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21 to be “0”. Therefore, by the process of S913, the normal pre-crash safety control by the behavior control device 21 is executed. The process of S913 corresponds to the operation of the control amount determination unit 47.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued on the assumption that the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 is unavoidable by the automatic steering control (that is, S912 = NO).

In S914, the CPU determines whether or not the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 can be avoided by the combination of the automatic braking control and the automatic steering control using the pre-crash safety system. If it can be avoided (that is, S914 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the process of S915. On the other hand, if it is unavoidable (that is, S914 = NO), the CPU advances the process to S921 to S923. The process of S914 corresponds to the operation of the determination unit 44.

In S915, the CPU causes the behavior control device 21 to execute collision avoidance by combining automatic braking control and automatic steering control. Collision avoidance by combining automatic braking control and automatic steering control is already known or well known at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, in the present specification, the details of collision avoidance by the combination of automatic braking control and automatic steering control will be omitted (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-232825 and the corresponding US patent application publication No. 2015/0353133, etc.).

Also in the process of S915, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21 to be “0”. Therefore, by the process of S915, the normal pre-crash safety control by the behavior control device 21 is executed. The process of S915 corresponds to the operation of the control amount determination unit 47.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued on the assumption that the primary collision between the specific object and the vehicle 1 cannot be avoided by the combination of the automatic braking control and the automatic steering control (that is, S914 = NO).

In S921, the CPU tentatively determines the braking amount BA by the automatic braking control to the maximum amount BAX that can be braked, and tentatively determines the steering amount SA by the automatic steering control to 0. The braking amount BA and the steering amount SA correspond to the control amounts for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21. The process of S921 corresponds to the operation of the control amount determination unit 47.

In S922, the CPU estimates the primary collision position P1 on the premise that the braking amount BA = BAX and the steering amount SA = 0. The process of S922 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45. Subsequently, in S923, the CPU estimates the secondary collision position P2 on the premise that the primary collision position P1 estimated in S922, the braking amount BA = BAX, and the steering amount SA = 0. The process of S923 corresponds to the operation of the secondary collision position estimation unit 46. After that, the CPU advances the process to S930.

In S930, the CPU determines whether or not the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S923 is within the protected area. When the estimated secondary collision position P2 is within the protected area (that is, S930 = YES), the CPU terminates this routine after executing the processes of S940, S941 and S942. On the other hand, when the estimated secondary collision position P2 is outside the protected area (that is, S930 = NO), the CPU advances the processing to S951 or later prior to the processing execution of S940, S941 and S942. The process of S930 corresponds to the operation of the protective operation control unit 49.

In S940, the CPU finally determines the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA determined by the execution of this routine as the control amounts for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21, and the behavior control including the control amount. The signal is transmitted to the behavior control device 21. When the determination in S930 is YES, the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA are the same as the values tentatively determined in S921. On the other hand, when the determination in S930 is NO, the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA are determined by the processing after S951. The process of S940 corresponds to the operation of the control amount determination unit 47.

In S941, the CPU determines whether or not the operation timing of the hood pop-up device 24 and the pedestrian airbag device 25 has arrived. Specifically, in S941, the CPU determines whether or not the output of the collision sensor 31 exceeds the threshold value according to the type of the collision object, and based on the determination result, the hood pop-up device 24 and the pedestrian. The arrival of the operation timing in each of the airbag devices 25 is determined. The CPU waits for the progress of the process to S942 until the operation timing arrives. When the operation timing arrives, the CPU advances the process to S942. The process of S941 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision detection unit 48.

In S942, the CPU operates the hood pop-up device 24 and the pedestrian airbag device 25. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the CPU operates the hood pop-up device 24, and also includes the right front airbag 25a, the left front airbag 25b, the right pillar airbag 25c, and the left pillar airbag 25d. Of these, the one corresponding to the estimated secondary collision position P2 is developed. The process of S942 corresponds to the operation of the protection operation control unit 49.

Hereinafter, the description of this routine will be continued assuming that the secondary collision position P2 estimated in S923 is outside the protected area (that is, S930 = NO).

In S951, the CPU calculates the primary collision possible range PR1. The primary collision possible range PR1 is a range in which the primary collision position P1 can be located within the range in which braking control and steering control are possible at that time. The process of S951 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45.

In S952, the CPU calculates an impact estimated value, that is, an impact value estimated to be generated by the primary collision within the primary collision possible range PR1. Specifically, in S952, the CPU calculates an impact estimated value for each of a plurality of candidate positions of the primary collision position P1 included in the primary collision possible range PR1. The process of S952 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45.

In S953, the CPU calculates the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31 within the primary collision possible range PR1. Specifically, in S953, the CPU calculates the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31 for each of the plurality of candidate positions of the primary collision position P1 included in the primary collision possible range PR1. As described above, not only the position in the vehicle width direction of the primary collision position P1 but also the collision angle is taken into consideration in the calculation of the sensitivity. The process of S953 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45.

In S954, the CPU calculates the secondary collision possible range PR2. The secondary collision possible range PR2 is based on the premise of each of a plurality of candidate positions of the primary collision position P1 included in the primary collision possible range PR1, and the secondary collision within the range in which braking control and steering control are possible at that time. The position P2 is the range in which it can be located. The process of S954 corresponds to the operation of the secondary collision position estimation unit 46.

In S955, the CPU calculates an impact estimated value, that is, an impact value estimated to be generated by the secondary collision in the secondary collision possible range PR2. Specifically, in S955, the CPU calculates an impact estimated value for each of a plurality of candidate positions of the secondary collision position P2 included in the secondary collision possible range PR2. When calculating the impact estimate, the secondary collision site in the protected object is assumed to be the head. The process of S955 corresponds to the operation of the secondary collision position estimation unit 46.

In S956, the CPU identifies the low impact region PRL2 within the secondary collision possible range PR2. The low impact region PRL2 is a set of candidate positions of the secondary collision position P2 included in the range from the lowest value to a predetermined width in the distribution of the impact estimated values in the secondary collision possible range PR2. The predetermined width is, for example, a value corresponding to the standard deviation. The process of S956 corresponds to the operation of the secondary collision position estimation unit 46.

In S957, the CPU identifies the low impact region PRL1 from the primary collision possible range PR1. Specifically, in S957, first, the CPU specifies a portion of the primary collision possible range PR1 corresponding to the low impact region PRL2. The specified part is referred to as a "low impact compatible part". Next, the CPU identifies the low impact region PRL1 from the low impact compatible portion. The low impact region PRL1 is a set of candidate positions of the primary collision position P1 included in the range from the lowest value to a predetermined width in the distribution of the impact estimated values in the low impact corresponding portion. The predetermined width is, for example, a value corresponding to the standard deviation. The process of S957 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45.

In S958, the CPU identifies the highest sensitivity region PRH1 from the low impact region PRL1. The highest sensitivity region PRH1 is a region in the low impact region PRL1 where the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31 is highest. The process of S958 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45.

In S961, the CPU specifies the candidate positions of the primary collision position P1 and the secondary collision position P2 based on the highest sensitivity region PRH1 specified in S958. That is, the primary collision position P1 and the secondary collision position P2 specified in S961 correspond to those obtained by modifying the estimation results of the primary collision position P1 and the secondary collision position P2 based on the estimation conditions tentatively determined in S921. To do. The process of S961 corresponds to the operation of the primary collision position estimation unit 45 and the secondary collision position estimation unit 46.

In S962, the CPU calculates the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA so as to correspond to the primary collision position P1 and the secondary collision position P2 specified in S961. The process of S962 corresponds to the operation of the control amount determination unit 47. After that, the CPU advances the process to S940. That is, the CPU determines the braking amount BA and the steering amount SA calculated in S962 as the control amounts for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21, and transmits the behavior control signal to the behavior control device 21.

(Modification example)
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Therefore, the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate. A typical modification will be described below. In the following description of the modified example, the differences from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described. Further, in the above-described embodiment and the modified example, the same reference numerals are given to the portions that are the same or equal to each other. Therefore, in the following description of the modified example, the description in the above embodiment may be appropriately incorporated with respect to the component having the same reference numeral as that in the above embodiment, unless there is a technical contradiction or a special additional explanation.

The present invention is not limited to the specific device configuration shown in the above embodiment. Specifically, for example, in the above embodiment, the pedestrian airbag device 25 includes a right front airbag 25a, a left front airbag 25b, a right pillar airbag 25c, and a left pillar airbag 25d. Was. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, the pedestrian airbag device 25 may include other airbags.

In the above embodiment, the pedestrian airbag device 25 is divided into a plurality of regions so as to be independently deployable. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, for example, the right front airbag 25a, the left front airbag 25b, the right pillar airbag 25c, and the left pillar airbag 25d may be configured to be integrally expanded.

The configuration of the collision sensor 31 is not limited to the above specific example. That is, for example, the collision sensor 31 may be a pressure chamber type sensor or an optical fiber type sensor.

As shown in FIG. 10, the collision sensor 31 may be a piezoelectric film type sensor formed by a piezoelectric polymer film element. The piezoelectric film type collision sensor 31 is supported on the back surface 12b of the bumper cover 12 facing the bumper reinforcing member 13. Since the specific configuration and arrangement of the piezoelectric film type collision sensor 31 are already known or well known at the time of filing the application of the present application, further description thereof will be omitted.

In the case of the piezoelectric film type collision sensor 31, unlike the pressure tube type described above, the larger the clearance between the back surface 12b of the bumper cover 12 and the bumper absorber 14, the higher the sensitivity. Therefore, in this case, the control amount determination unit 47 determines the control amount so that the clearance between the bumper cover 12 and the bumper absorber 14 at the primary collision position becomes larger.

The configuration of the object detection unit 32 is not limited to the above specific example. That is, the object detection unit 32 may be configured to include one or more or one or more well-known sensors selected from a camera sensor, a laser radar sensor, a millimeter wave radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like.

The object detection unit 32 may have only a camera sensor. In this case, the distance acquisition unit 42 can acquire the distance from the vehicle 1 of the object whose type is recognized by the object recognition unit 41 based on the output of the distance measurement sensor 33. Similarly, the output of the ranging sensor 33 can also be used to estimate the primary collision position P1 and / or the secondary collision position P2.

The object recognition unit 41 may be provided on the object detection unit 32 side. That is, the object detection unit 32 may be configured to recognize the type of the object existing in the field of view of the camera sensor by performing image processing by the built-in ECU. In this case, instead of the object recognition unit 41, the protection control ECU 30 is provided with an object recognition result acquisition unit that acquires the object type recognition result by the object detection unit 32 from the object detection unit 32. Similarly, the distance acquisition unit 42 may be provided on the object detection unit 32 side. In this case, instead of the distance acquisition unit 42, the protection control ECU 30 is provided with a distance acquisition result receiving unit that receives, that is, acquires the distance acquisition result by the object detection unit 32 from the object detection unit 32. The determination unit 44 and the primary collision detection unit 48 may be shared. That is, the primary collision detection unit 48 can be omitted by incorporating the function of the primary collision detection unit 48 into the determination unit 44.

The control amount determination unit 47 may omit the consideration of the collision direction at the time of the primary collision. That is, the control amount determination unit 47 determines in the behavior control device 21 so that when the determination unit 44 determines that an unavoidable situation has occurred, the primary collision position becomes a position suitable for protecting the protection target by the protection system 20. The amount of control for intervening in behavior control may be determined.

The present invention is not limited to the specific operation examples and processing modes shown in the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the control amount determination unit 47 gives priority to the control amount in which the secondary collision position is within the protected region over other control amounts including the control amount that increases the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31. I was letting you. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments.

That is, in the above embodiment, the following three factors are taken into consideration when determining the control amount for intervening in the behavior control in the behavior control device 21. In addition, the first element was given the highest priority, and the second element was given the next priority.
[First element] Make sure that the secondary collision position is within the protected area.
[Second element] To guide the primary collision position to a position where the impact received by the protected object due to the primary collision is reduced as much as possible.
[Third element] To guide the primary collision position to a position where the sensitivity of the collision sensor 31 becomes as high as possible.

On the other hand, in one modification, only two of the above three elements may be considered. In this case as well, the first element has the highest priority, and the second element has the next highest priority. That is, for example, when two elements, the first element and the third element, are considered, the first element has priority. When the second element and the third element are considered, the second element has priority. Alternatively, in another variant, only one of the above three elements may be considered. The flowchart shown in FIG. 9 can be appropriately modified in response to these modifications.

The tentatively determined value of the braking amount BA in S921 may be 0. Similarly, the tentatively determined value of the steering amount SA in S921 may be any value other than 0. Specifically, for example, the tentatively determined value of the steering amount SA in S921 may be calculated so that the collision angle θ shown in FIG. 8 becomes 0 degrees.

Even if the determination in S930 is YES, if it is possible to adjust the secondary collision position so that the impact received by the protected object due to the secondary collision is lower by the behavior control, the CPU temporarily performs in S921. The process of correcting the determined control amount may be executed prior to the process of S940. That is, even if the determination in S930 is YES, the same processing as in S951 to S962 may be executed.

In calculating the impact estimated value in S952, not only the position in the vehicle width direction of the primary collision position P1 but also the collision angle may be taken into consideration. In addition, the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 can be changed as appropriate.

Modifications are also not limited to the above examples. Also, a plurality of variants can be combined with each other. Further, all or part of the above embodiments and all or part of the modifications may be combined with each other.

20 Protection system 21 Behavior control device 22 Protection device 24 Hood pop-up device 25 Pedestrian airbag device 31 Collision sensor 32 Object detection unit 44 Judgment unit 47 Control amount determination unit 49 Protection operation control unit

Claims (20)

A protection control device configured to protect the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, from the impact caused by the collision with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). (30)
The detection result acquisition unit (41), which acquires the detection result of the object by the object detection unit (32) that detects the object existing around the vehicle,
The collision sensor (31), which is provided on a front bumper (11) forming a part of the vehicle body and generates an output according to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. Impact value acquisition unit (40) that acquires the output,
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protection target is the said after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When said occurrence of said unavoidable situation by determination unit determines, as the primary collision of the specific object relative to the front bumper, the position or orientation suitable for the protection of the protected by the protection device, the A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
Equipped with a,
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so as to cause the primary collision in which the sensitivity of the collision sensor is higher than when the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. ,
Protection controller. The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The collision sensor is a pressure tube type sensor extending in the vehicle width direction between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper absorber.
The control amount determining unit has the bumper cover and the bumper absorber at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper, as compared with the case where the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. The control amount is determined so that the clearance between them is small.
The protection control device according to claim 1 . The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The collision sensor is a piezoelectric film type sensor supported on the back surface (12b) of the bumper cover facing the bumper reinforcing member.
The control amount determining unit is between the back surface and the bumper absorber at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper, as compared with the case where the behavior control of the vehicle is not performed by the control amount in the behavior control device. The control amount is determined so that the clearance of
The protection control device according to claim 1 . The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that the impact received by the protection target due to the primary collision is smaller than when the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. ,
The protection control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The bumper absorber includes an upper absorber (14a) and a lower absorber (14b) arranged below the upper absorber.
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber and the lower absorber are close to the bumper cover at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
The protection control device according to claim 4 . A protection control device configured to protect the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, from the impact caused by the collision with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). (30)
The detection result acquisition unit (41), which acquires the detection result of the object by the object detection unit (32) that detects the object existing around the vehicle,
The collision sensor (31), which is provided on a front bumper (11) forming a part of the vehicle body and generates an output according to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. Impact value acquisition unit (40) that acquires the output,
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protected object is said to be after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When the occurrence of the unavoidable situation is determined by the determination unit, the primary collision of the specific object with the front bumper is at a position or direction suitable for protection of the protection target by the protection device. A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
With
The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The bumper absorber includes an upper absorber (14a) and a lower absorber (14b) arranged below the upper absorber.
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber and the lower absorber are close to the bumper cover at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
Protection control device. Further provided is a secondary collision position estimation unit (46) that estimates the secondary collision position of the protected object with respect to the vehicle body after the primary collision of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
The control amount determination unit determines the control amount so that the secondary collision position is within the protection area of the protection device.
The protection control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The control amount determining unit reduces the impact on the protected object due to the control amount or the primary collision that increases the sensitivity of the collision sensor with respect to the control amount in which the secondary collision position is within the protection region. Prioritize over the control amount such as
The protection control device according to claim 7. The protected area includes a deployment area of the pedestrian airbag device.
The protection control device according to claim 7 or 8. The protective region includes a shock absorbing region (16c, 16d) inside the outer edge portion (16a) of the front hood in the vehicle width direction.
The protection control device according to any one of claims 7 to 9. A protection system configured to protect the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, from the impact of the collision with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). 20) And
An object detection unit (32) that detects an object existing around the vehicle, and
A collision sensor (31) provided on a front bumper (11) that forms a part of the vehicle body and generates an output corresponding to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. When,
A behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
A protection control device (30) that controls the operation of the protection system, and
With
The protection control device is
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protection target is the said after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When said occurrence of said unavoidable situation by determination unit determines, as the primary collision of the specific object relative to the front bumper, the position or orientation suitable for the protection of the protected by the protection device, the A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
Equipped with a,
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so as to cause the primary collision in which the sensitivity of the collision sensor is higher than when the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. ,
Protection system. The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The collision sensor is a pressure tube type sensor extending in the vehicle width direction between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper absorber.
The control amount determining unit has the bumper cover and the bumper absorber at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper, as compared with the case where the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. The control amount is determined so that the clearance between them is small.
The protection system according to claim 11 . The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The collision sensor is a piezoelectric film type sensor supported on the back surface (12b) of the bumper cover facing the bumper reinforcing member.
The control amount determining unit is between the back surface and the bumper absorber at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper, as compared with the case where the behavior control of the vehicle is not performed by the control amount in the behavior control device. The control amount is determined so that the clearance of
The protection system according to claim 11 . The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that the impact received by the protection target due to the primary collision is smaller than when the behavior of the vehicle is not controlled by the control amount in the behavior control device. ,
The protection system according to any one of claims 11 to 13 . The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The bumper absorber includes an upper absorber (14a) and a lower absorber (14b) arranged below the upper absorber.
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber and the lower absorber are close to the bumper cover at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
The protection system according to claim 14 . A protection system configured to protect the pedestrian or the protected object, which is the occupant, from the impact of the collision with the vehicle body when a specific object including a pedestrian and a two-wheeled vehicle with a occupant collides with the vehicle (1). 20) And
An object detection unit (32) that detects an object existing around the vehicle, and
A collision sensor (31) provided on a front bumper (11) forming a part of the vehicle body and generating an output corresponding to an impact applied to the front bumper due to a primary collision between the object and the vehicle. When,
A behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
A protection control device (30) that controls the operation of the protection system, and
With
The protection control device is
The protection target includes the hood pop-up device (24) for raising the front hood (16) forming a part of the vehicle body or the pedestrian airbag device (25) deployed on the vehicle body, and the protected object is said to be after the primary collision. The operation of the protection device (22) that protects the protection target from the impact caused by the secondary collision that collides with the vehicle body is controlled based on the detection result of the object by the object detection unit and the output of the collision sensor. Protective operation control unit (49) and
A determination unit (44) that determines that an unavoidable situation in which the primary collision is unavoidable has occurred, and
When the occurrence of the unavoidable situation is determined by the determination unit, the primary collision of the specific object with the front bumper is at a position or direction suitable for protection of the protection target by the protection device. A control amount determination unit (47) that determines a control amount in the behavior control device (21) that controls the behavior of the vehicle, and
With
The front bumper is located between a bumper cover (12), a bumper reinforcing member (13) housed in the bumper cover and arranged with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction, and between the bumper reinforcing member and the bumper cover. Equipped with an arranged bumper absorber (14)
The bumper absorber includes an upper absorber (14a) and a lower absorber (14b) arranged below the upper absorber.
The control amount determining unit determines the control amount so that both the upper absorber and the lower absorber are close to the bumper cover at the primary collision position of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
Protection system. Further provided is a secondary collision position estimation unit (46) that estimates the secondary collision position of the protected object with respect to the vehicle body after the primary collision of the specific object with respect to the front bumper.
The control amount determination unit determines the control amount so that the secondary collision position is within the protection area of the protection device.
The protection system according to any one of claims 11 to 16. The control amount determining unit reduces the impact on the protected object due to the control amount or the primary collision that increases the sensitivity of the collision sensor with respect to the control amount in which the secondary collision position is within the protection region. Prioritize over the control amount such as
The protection system according to claim 17. The protected area includes a deployment area of the pedestrian airbag device.
The protection system according to claim 17 or 18. The protective region includes a shock absorbing region (16c, 16d) inside the outer edge portion (16a) of the front hood in the vehicle width direction.
The protection system according to any one of claims 17 to 19.

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