Patent Publication Number: US-2016221494-A1

Title: Control system and control method for collision avoidance while opening vehicle door

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to control systems and control methods for collision avoidance while opening vehicle door. 
     BACKGROUND 
     No matter a driver or passengers on a vehicle, may both have an accident because they don&#39;t pay attention to rear cars or pedestrians while opening a vehicle door of the vehicle. At present, although there are many such accident prevention mechanisms for avoiding such accident, they may still cause misjudgment, for example, it has issued a prompting while the driver or the passengers are not going to get off, or it has issued no prompting when the driver or the passengers have opened the vehicle door. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure are better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control system for collision avoidance while opening vehicle door. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a vehicle door. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of an inside of a vehicle. 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  cooperatively constitute a signal flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for collision avoidance while opening vehicle door. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     A definition that applies throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
       FIG. 1  shows a control system for collision avoidance while opening vehicle door  1 . The control system  1  can be run on but not limited to a vehicle  100  which is shown on  FIG. 2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the vehicle  100  can include a processing unit  110 , a speed sensing unit  120 , a number of heat sensing unit  130 , a camera unit  140 , a light prompting unit  150 , a sound prompting unit  160 , a display unit  170 , a driving recorder  180  and a storage unit  190 . The speed sensing unit  120 , the number of heat sensing unit  130 , the camera unit  140 , the light prompting unit  150 , the sound prompting unit  160 , the display unit  170 , the driving recorder  180  and the storage unit  190  can be electrically coupled to the processing unit  110  respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the vehicle  100  can further include a number of vehicle doors  200 , such as left front vehicle door, left hand rear door, right front vehicle door, or right rear vehicle door, or the like. Each vehicle door  200  can include an inner handle  210  and an inner panel  220 . The vehicle  100  can further include two outside rearview mirrors (not shown). Each outside rearview mirror can be located on one side of a vehicle body (not shown) of the vehicle  100 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the processing unit  110  can be used to control the speed sensing unit  120 , the number of heat sensing units  130 , the camera unit  140 , the light prompting unit  150 , the sound prompting unit  160 , the display unit  170 , the driving recorder  180  and the storage unit  190  to cooperatively work. 
     The speed sensing unit  120  can be used to sense a moving speed of the vehicle  100  in real time, and further transmit the sensed moving speed to the processing unit  110 . 
     The heat sensing unit  130  can include a number of heat-sensitive sensors. Each inner handle  210  can attach at least one heat-sensitive sensor thereon. The at least one heat-sensitive sensor can be used to sense a coming heat source. 
     The camera unit  140  can include at least two cameras. Each outside rearview mirror can attach at least one camera. The at least one camera can be used to film environment images beside the vehicle body of the vehicle  100 . In this embodiment, each outside rearview mirror can attach only one camera. 
     The light prompting unit  150  can include a number of light guiding plates. Each inner panel  220  can attach at least one light guide plate. The light prompting unit  150  can be used to flicker with a certain frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle  100 . In this embodiment, each inner panel  220  can attach only one light guide plate, although the invention is not so limited and more than one may be used. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the sound prompting unit  160  can include a number of loudspeakers. The vehicle  100  can further include a driver&#39;s seat  230 , a passenger&#39;s seat  240  and a back seat  250 . Each loudspeaker can locate close to the driver&#39;s seat  230 , the passenger&#39;s seat  240  or the back seat  250  and further located close to one inner panel  220 . The number of loudspeakers can be used to alarm with a certain frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle. In this embodiment, each location which is close to one inner panel  220  can attach only one loudspeaker. 
     The display unit  170  can include a first display unit  1701  mounted on a front side of the driver&#39;s seat  230  of the vehicle  100  and two second display unit  1702  mounted on a back side of the driver&#39;s seat  230  of the vehicle  100  and a back side of the passenger&#39;s seat  240  of the vehicle  100  respectively. The display unit  170  can be used to display environment images filmed by the camera unit  140  in real time. 
     The driving recorder  180  can be mounted on a front side and/or a back side of the vehicle  100 , and used to film environment images beside the front side and/or the back side of the vehicle  100 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the processing unit  110  can be a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, or a single chip, for example. 
     In at least one embodiment, the storage unit  190  can be an internal storage system, such as a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM) for temporary storage of information, and/or a read-memory (ROM) for permanent storage of information. 
     In at least one embodiment, the storage unit  190  can also be a storage system, such as a hard disk, a storage card, or a data storage medium. The storage unit  190  can include volatile and/or non-volatile storage devices. 
     In at least one embodiment, the storage unit  190  can include two or more storage devices such that one storage device is a memory and the other storage device is a hard drive. Additionally, the storage unit  190  can be respectively located either entirely or partially external relative to the vehicle  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, the control system  1  can include a number of modules, and the number of modules can include a light controlling module  11 , an object detecting module  12 , a sound controlling module  13 , a display controlling module  14  and a record controlling module  15 . The number of modules can be stored in the storage unit  190 , and further applied on the processing unit  110 . The modules of the control system  1  can include separated functionalities represented by hardware or integrated circuits, or as software and hardware combinations, such as a special-purpose processor or a general-purpose processor with special-purpose firmware. The details are as follows. 
     The light controlling module  11  can be used to control the light prompting unit  150  to flicker with a certain frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle  100  when the sensed moving speed is zero, that is, the vehicle  100  is not moving. 
     The object detecting module  12  can be used to control the camera unit  140  to film environment images of a side of the vehicle  100  when the sensed moving speed is zero, and further determine whether a size of a certain feature of an object in the continuous environment images is becoming larger, and determine that there is an object moving close to the vehicle  100  when determined that a size of a certain feature of an object in the continuous environment images is becoming larger. 
     The light controlling module  11  can be used to control the light prompting unit  150  to flicker with an increased frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle  100  when determined that there is an object moving close to the side of the vehicle  100 , and the less distance between the moving object and vehicle  100 , and the larger frequency applied by the light prompting unit  150  flicker. 
     When the sensed moving speed is zero and the heat sensing unit  130  senses that there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle  210 , the sound controlling module  13  can be used to control the sound prompting unit  160  which is close to the inner handle  210  to alarm with a certain frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle  100 . 
     The sound controlling module  13  can be further used to control the sound prompting unit  160  which is close to the inner handle  210  to alarm with an increased frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle  100  when determined that there is an object moving close to the vehicle  100 , and the less distance between the moving object and vehicle  100 , and the larger frequency of the sound prompting unit  150  alarms. 
     When the sensed moving speed is zero and the heat sensing unit  130  senses that there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle  210 , the display controlling module  14  can be used to control the display unit  170  close to the inner handle  210  to display the environment images filmed by the camera unit  140 . In this embodiment, when the sensed moving speed is zero and the heat sensing unit  130  senses that there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle  210 , the display controlling module  14  can be used to control the first display unit  1701  or the second display unit  1702  which is close to the inner handle  210  to display the environment images filmed by the camera unit  140 . 
     The record controlling module  15  can be used to control the driving recorder  180  to record environment images when the sensed moving speed is zero and the heat sensing unit  130  senses that there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle  210 , and further control the storage unit  190  to store the recorded environment images. Heat sensing unit  130  is a non-limiting example of an activity sensor in the vehicle that senses movement proximate to the handle  210 , but the invention is not limited to a heat sensor. For example, a motion sensor, or a light sensor that detects changes in light (e.g., such as when a handle is covered by a hand), could also be used. 
     In at least one embodiment, the object detecting module  12  can be omitted, and the light prompting unit  150  and the sound prompting unit  160  can be used to prompt with a certain frequency. Other alarm patterns, such as simple ON/OFF could be used rather than frequency control. 
     In at least one embodiment, the display unit  170  can be omitted, and the display controlling module  14  and the camera unit  140  can be thus omitted. 
     In at least one embodiment, the driving recorder  180  can be omitted, and the record controlling module  15  can be thus omitted. 
     In at least one embodiment, the light prompting unit  150  flickers can be a first alarm, and the sound prompting unit  160  alarms can be a second alarm. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  cooperatively illustrate a signal flowchart of a control method for collision avoidance while opening vehicle door. The control method is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The control method described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in  FIG. 1 , for example, and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining the example method. Each block shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  represents one or more processes, methods, or subroutines carried out in the example method. Furthermore, the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can be changed. Additional blocks may be added or fewer blocks may be utilized, without departing from this disclosure. The example method can begin at block  510 . 
     At block  510 , a speed sensing unit of a vehicle senses a moving speed of the vehicle in real time. 
     At block  520 , a light controlling module controls a light prompting unit of the vehicle to flicker with a certain frequency to prompt a driver and/or passengers on the vehicle when the sensed moving speed is zero, and an object detecting module controls a camera unit of the vehicle to film environment images beside the vehicle, and further determines whether a size of a certain feature of an object in continuous filmed environment images is becoming larger to determine whether there is an object moving close to the vehicle, if yes, the process goes to block  530 , otherwise, the process continues the block  520 . 
     At block  530 , the object detecting module determines that there is an object moving close to the vehicle, and the light controlling module controls the light prompting unit to flicker with an increased frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle, and the less distance between the moving object and vehicle, and the larger frequency of the light prompting unit flickers. 
     At block  540 , a heat sensing unit senses whether there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle, if yes, the process goes to block  550 , otherwise, the process continues the block  540 . 
     At block  550 , a sound controlling module controls a sound prompting unit of the vehicle which is close to the inner handle to alarm with a certain frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle; the object detecting module controls the camera unit to film environment images beside the vehicle, and further determines whether a size of a certain feature of an object in continuous filmed environment images is becoming larger to sense whether there is an object moving close to the vehicle, if yes, the process goes to block  560 , otherwise, the process continues the block  550 . 
     At block  560 , the sound controlling module further controls the sound prompting unit which is close to the inner handle to alarm with an increased frequency to prompt the driver and/or the passengers on the vehicle, and the less distance between the moving object and vehicle, and the larger frequency of the sound prompting unit alarms; and the heat sensing unit senses whether there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle, if yes, process goes to block  580 , otherwise, the process continues the block  560 . 
     At block  570 , the heat sensing unit senses whether there is a heat source moving close to an inner handle, if yes, the process goes to block  580 , otherwise, the process continues the block  570 . 
     At block  580 , a display controlling module controls a display unit of the vehicle close to the inner handle to display the environment images filmed by the camera unit. In this embodiment, the display controlling module controls a first display unit of the vehicle or a second display unit of the vehicle which is close to the inner handle to display the environment images filmed by the camera unit. 
     At block  590 , a record controlling module controls a driving recorder of the vehicle to record environment images, and further controls a storage unit of the vehicle to store the recorded environment images. 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.