Vehicle sensing based pre-crash threat assessment system

A method for pre-crash threat assessment for a host vehicle in motion, comprising:

• sensing a first target vehicle in a near zone of the host vehicle;
• tracking said first target vehicle;
• estimating a first target vehicle dynamic;
• calculating a future position of said first target vehicle from said current first target vehicle dynamic;
• sensing the host vehicle in motion;
• tracking a current host vehicle dynamic;
• estimating a future host vehicle dynamic based on said current host vehicle dynamic;
• calculating a future position of the host vehicle from said current host vehicle dynamic;
• calculating a potential for collision between the host vehicle and said first target vehicle;
• and
• determining whether said potential for collision of the host vehicle and said first target vehicle is within a pre-determined safety threshold.

A pre-crash assessment system, having a first target vehicle in a near zone of a host vehicle, comprising:

• a high frequency remote sensor, coupled to the host vehicle, for detecting a first target vehicle dynamic;
• a status monitoring sensor coupled to the host vehicle for detecting a host vehicle dynamic;
• a first safety device actuator, coupled to the host vehicle for activating a first safety device;
• a first safety device activation specification defining a first threshold for said first safety device actuator;
• a second safety device actuator, coupled to the host vehicle, for activating a second safety device;
• and
• a second safety device activation specification defining a second threshold for said second safety device actuator;
• a safety device controller, coupled to the host vehicle for generating a tracking signal based on said first target vehicle dynamic and said host vehicle dynamic, said controller estimating future positions of the host vehicle and the first target vehicle, said controller further estimating whether a potential for crash between the host vehicle and the first target vehicle is within said first threshold for said first safety device actuator, thereby defining a first threshold assessment, and said controller further estimating whether said potential for crash between the host vehicle and the first target vehicle is within said second threshold for said second safety device actuator, thereby defining a second threshold assessment, said safety device controller further controlling said first safety device actuator in response to said first threshold assessment and said second safety device actuator in response to said second threshold assessment.