Patent ID: 8249798

Claim:
A vehicle pre-impact sensing system comprising: an array of infrared light emitters mounted on a vehicle and configured to emit infrared light into multiple transmit zones spaced from the vehicle; an array of infrared light detectors mounted on the vehicle, wherein each detector is configured to detect infrared light intensity of infrared light received, and output a reflected signal indicative of the infrared light intensity reflected from an object located in one or more multiple receive zones proximate to the transmit zones, wherein the reflected signals are indicative of the object being in certain one or more receive zones; and a processor for processing the reflected signals and determining range, location, speed and direction of the object, wherein the processor is configured to selectively turn each of the infrared light emitters on and off in multiple combinations, determine a difference in the reflected signals for each receive zone with the infrared light emitters turned on and turned off, determine, based on those differences, whether the object is expected to impact the vehicle as a function of the determined range, location, speed and direction of the object, and generate an output indicative of a sensed pre-impact event.