System and method for combined blind spot detection and rear crossing path collision warning

1. A blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning system for a host vehicle, comprising:

at least one radar sensor mounted in a rear portion of said host vehicle;

each said radar sensor projecting at least a radar beam and transmitting radar data to an electronic control unit (ECU) with memory having tables therein with maximum and minimum radar beam ranges for a blind spot detection mode and separate maximum and minimum radar beam ranges for a rear crossing path collision mode;

each said radar beam capable of multiple data transmission to said ECU and having a programmable range limit as determined by said ECU maximum and minimum ranges for determining at least one of distance, speed and trajectory of an approaching object, whether said object is a threat and a level of threat posed to warn an operator when an object is detected within said programmable range limit;

said system operating in a blind spot detection mode using said maximum and minimum radar beam ranges corresponding to said blind spot detection mode when said vehicle is not in reverse gear, and operating in a rear crossing path warning mode using said maximum and minimum radar beam ranges corresponding to said rear crossing path warning mode when said vehicle is in reverse gear, wherein one radar sensor per side performs all functions of said system.

2. The blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning system of claim 1 , wherein said warning may be at least one of audio, visual, or haptic warning to said operator.

3. The blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning system of claim 1 , wherein said rear portion of said host vehicle is from about said vehicle's B pillar rearward.

4. The blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning system of claim 1 , further including radar sensors mounted rearward of the B pillar on both sides of said host vehicle.

5. A method for operating a blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning system in a host vehicle having an electronic control unit (ECU) with memory, comprising:

monitoring at least one host vehicle blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning radar sensor diagnostic by projecting at least one radar beam from at least one radar sensor for use for both blind side detection and rear cross path warning on a single side, said memory having tables therein with maximum and minimum radar beam ranges for a blind spot detection mode and separate maximum and minimum radar beam ranges for a rear crossing path collision mode;

determining whether said host vehicle blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning radar sensors are within operational specifications;

determining whether said host vehicle is in reverse gear;

using maximum and minimum radar beam ranges corresponding to said rear crossing path warning mode when said vehicle is in reverse gear, and using said maximum and minimum radar beam ranges corresponding to said blind spot detection mode when said vehicle is not in reverse gear;

determining said host vehicle state, reversing speed and vehicle trajectory;

detecting objects in crossing path detection zones on at least one side of said host vehicle;

determining at least one of distance, speed, direction, and time in zone of at least one target object in said rear crossing path zone;

classifying objects detected in said zone into threatening and non-threatening objects;

determining whether any threatening objects are in said rear crossing path zone;

determining a collision threat and estimating a severity of said collision threat; and

providing appropriate warning to an operator of said host vehicle of an impending threat event.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including initiating automatic countermeasures to mitigate potential collision threat.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the automatic countermeasures include the application of vehicle brakes and sounding of vehicle horn.

8. The method of claim 5 , further including determining whether the collision threat exists above a minimum threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein when said collision threat does not exist above the minimum threshold value, the rear crossing path collision warning and associated automatic countermeasures are deactivated.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein if the radar sensors are not operating within specification, a fault is sent to the controller.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein if it is determined a vehicle is not in reverse gear, the blind spot detection and rear crossing path collision warning system is operated in the blind spot detection mode.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the warning may be visual, audio or haptic.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the crossing path visual warning may be displayed in the side view mirrors.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the crossing path visual warning may be displayed in the interior rearview mirror.

15. The method of claim 5 wherein the steps of monitoring at least one vehicle blind spot detection and rear crossing path warning radar sensor diagnostics further includes projecting at least one radar beam from the same radar sensor for both blind side detection and rear crossing path warning.