Vehicular collision detection system with safety feature control functions responsive to estimation of collision severity

A vehicular safety feature control system, the vehicular safety feature control system comprising:

• a camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular safety feature control system, the camera having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, the camera capturing image data;
• an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software;
• wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera to detect presence of objects in the field of view of the camera;
• wherein the ECU, responsive to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, detects an object on a collision course with the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the ECU, responsive to detecting the object on the collision course with the equipped vehicle, classifies the detected object via processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera;
• wherein the ECU estimates a mass of the detected object based on the classification of the detected object;
• wherein the ECU estimates a kinetic energy of a potential collision between the equipped vehicle and the detected object based at least in part on the estimated mass of the detected object and an estimated speed of the detected object relative to the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the ECU estimates the kinetic energy of the potential collision based at least in part on an orientation of the detected object relative to the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the ECU estimates a severity of the potential collision based at least in part on the estimated kinetic energy of the potential collision, and wherein the ECU estimates the severity of the potential collision at least in part by mapping the estimated kinetic energy of the potential collision to a mechanical sensor value, and wherein the mechanical sensor value represents an output of a mechanical sensor of the equipped vehicle during a collision, and wherein the mechanical sensor value was previously stored at the vehicle as a fitted curve of mechanical sensor values to kinetic energy values;
• and
• wherein the ECU, responsive to estimating the severity of the potential collision and prior to the potential collision occurring, controls a safety feature of the equipped vehicle based on the estimated severity of the potential collision.

A vehicular safety feature control system, the vehicular safety feature control system comprising:

• a camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular safety feature control system, the camera having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, the camera capturing image data;
• an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software;
• wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera to detect presence of objects in the field of view of the camera;
• wherein the ECU, responsive to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, detects an object on a collision course with the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the ECU, responsive to detecting the object on the collision course with the equipped vehicle, classifies the detected object via processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera;
• wherein the ECU estimates a mass of the detected object based on the classification of the detected object;
• wherein the ECU estimates a kinetic energy of a potential collision between the equipped vehicle and the detected object based at least in part on the estimated mass of the detected object and an estimated speed of the detected object relative to the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the ECU estimates a severity of the potential collision based at least in part on the estimated kinetic energy, and wherein the ECU estimates the severity of the potential collision at least in part by mapping the estimated kinetic energy of the potential collision to a fitted curve plotting kinetic energy values versus mechanical sensor values previously stored at the vehicle and derived from crash test data, and wherein the mechanical sensor values represent outputs of a mechanical sensor of the equipped vehicle during a collision;
• and
• wherein the ECU controls a safety feature of the equipped vehicle based at least in part on the estimated severity of the potential collision.