Patent ID: 8232872

Claim:
A cross traffic collision alert system comprising: an image-based detection device for capturing motion data of objects in a region of a direction of travel of a driven vehicle; a motion analysis module for monitoring the captured motion data, the motion analysis module identifying potential moving objects in the captured motion data; a salient region detection module for identifying regions of interest within the captured motion data that indicates at least portions of potential moving objects, the salient region module detecting regions having varying characteristics within the captured motion data; a predictive object detection module that is responsive to the outputs of the motion analysis module and the salient region detection module for generating at least one object candidate based on the potential moving objects identified by the motion analysis module and the salient region detection module; non-imaging object detection sensors for detecting the at least one object candidate in a region sensed by the non-imaging object detection sensors; an object tracking module for tracking the at least one object candidate detected by the predictive object detection module and by the non-imaging object detection sensors, the object tracking module fusing the at least one object candidate transitioning between the region sensed by the non-imaging object detection sensors and the region captured by the image-based sensing device, the object tracking module tracking a position and velocity of the at least one object candidate in relation to the driven vehicle, wherein fusing the at least one object candidate transitioning between the regions includes merging object data representing the at least one object candidate in the motion data with potential objects in the region sensed by the non-imaging object detection sensors; and a threat assessment module for determining a threat assessment of a potential collision between a tracked object candidate and the driven vehicle, the threat assessment module determining whether a warning should be provided in response to the threat assessment.