Collision warning and safety countermeasure system

A collision warning and safety countermeasure system for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said system comprising:

• a sensor fusion generating an object status signal;
• a threat assessor electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and the vehicle sensor complex, said threat assessor generating a vehicle status signal in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal and comprising;
• a path estimator generating a vehicle predicted future path signal and an object predicted future path signal in response to said vehicle status signal and said object status signal;
• and
• a collision estimator generating a collision assessment signal in response to, said vehicle status signal, said object status signal, said vehicle predicted future path signal, and said object predicted future path signal;
• a sensor controller electrically coupled to said sensor fusion and said threat assessor, said sensor controller signaling said sensor fusion in response to said collision assessment signal;
• an active countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said active countermeasure controller comprising;
• a chassis estimator generating a chassis estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal;
• and
• an operator intent estimator generating an active countermeasure signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal and said chassis estimator signal;
• a passive countermeasure controller electrically coupled to said threat assessor, said passive countermeasure controller comprising;
• a collision severity estimator generating a collision severity signal in response to said collision assessment signal and said vehicle sensor complex signal;
• an occupant position estimator generating an occupant position estimator signal in response to said vehicle sensor complex signal;
• said passive countermeasure controller generating a passive countermeasure signal in response to said collision severity signal and said occupant position estimator signal;
• and
• an indicator electrically coupled to said threat assessor and generating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.

A method of collision warning and activating safety countermeasures for an automotive vehicle having a vehicle sensor complex and generating a vehicle sensor complex signal, said method comprising;

• detecting an object and generating an object status signal;
• determining the vehicle status in response to the vehicle sensor complex signal and generating a vehicle status signal;
• assessing the potential for a collision between said vehicle and said object and generating a collision assessment signal in response to said object status signal and said vehicle status signal;
• implementing active countermeasures in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal;
• implementing passive countermeasures in response to said collision assessment signal and the vehicle sensor complex signal;
• and
• indicating a collision warning signal in response to said collision assessment signal.