Collision detection system and method of estimating target crossing location

A collision detection system for a vehicle incorporating a target crossing location estimator comprising:

• a first sensor configured to sense an object in a field of view and provide signals of a first range, defined as the distance between the object and the first sensor, and a first range rate thereof;
• a second sensor configured to sense the object in the field of view and provide signals of a second range, defined by the distance between the object and the second sensor and a second range rate thereof, The sensors defining a baseline and the field of view being a common field of view for the first and second sensors;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive a plurality of paired range and range rate signals for the sensed object from the first sensor and a plurality of paired range and range rate signals for the sensed object from the second sensor over a time period;
• for each of the received paired range and range rate signals received over the time period, compute a W-plane point representing a square of the range and a square of the product of range and range rate, wherein the W-plane is a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with a first axis representing the square of range and a perpendicular second axis representing the square of the product of range and range rate;
• generate a first best-fit W-plane curve from the w-plane points derived from the first sensor and a second best-fit W-plane curve from the W-plane points derived from the second sensor;
• calculate a numerical difference between values of the first and second best-fit W-plane curves at a selected value of the square of the product of range and range rate;
• derive an estimated target crossing point location along the baseline as a distance from a predetermined point on the baseline, the distance being derived from the numerical difference and a separation distance of the first and second sensors;
• and
• generate a signal based on the estimated crossing point location.