Collision-prediction unit for a vehicle

1. A collision-prediction unit for a vehicle comprising:

a road condition detector for detecting a condition of a road surface on which the vehicle travels;

a maximum deceleration estimator for estimating a maximum vehicle deceleration before a collision on the condition detected by the road condition detector;

a forward vehicle detector for detecting a moving condition of a forward vehicle located ahead of the vehicle;

a forward vehicle deceleration calculator for calculating a forward vehicle deceleration based on the moving condition of the forward vehicle detected by the forward vehicle detector;

a forward vehicle collision determining means for determining a collision of the forward vehicle when the forward vehicle deceleration calculated by the forward vehicle deceleration calculator based on the moving condition detected by the forward vehicle detector is greater than the maximum vehicle deceleration estimated by the maximum deceleration estimator; and

a collision examiner for determining whether a collision of the vehicle with the forward vehicle is imminent based on the collision of the forward vehicle determined by the forward vehicle collision determining means.

2. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a velocity detector for detecting a velocity of the vehicle and wherein the forward vehicle detector detects at least a relative velocity of the vehicle to the forward vehicle and the forward vehicle deceleration calculator calculates the forward vehicle deceleration using the velocity of the vehicle and a change in the relative velocity over a period of time.

3. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 1 , wherein the collision examiner determines that a collision is imminent when the forward vehicle deceleration is greater than the maximum vehicle deceleration.

4. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a vehicle velocity detector for detecting a velocity of the vehicle; and

a relative velocity retriever for retrieving a relative velocity between the vehicle and a forward vehicle, wherein

the collision examiner determines whether the collision is imminent by further comparing the relative velocity to the detected velocity of the vehicle.

5. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 1 , further comprising an alarm generator for generating an alarm when the collision examiner determines that a collision is imminent.

6. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 5 , wherein the alarm generator provides the alarm to a driver of the vehicle.

7. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 5 , wherein the alarm generator provides the alarm to the forward vehicle.

8. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 5 , further comprising:

an evasion distinguisher for detecting an evasive manipulation of the vehicle;

an evasion evaluator for determining whether the evasive manipulation detected by the evasion distinguisher occurred after the alarm was generated; and

a brake controller for automatically braking the vehicle when the evasion distinguisher determines that no evasive manipulation has been taken after the alarm has been generated.

9. The collision-prediction unit according to claim 5 , further comprising:

an evasion distinguisher for detecting an evasive manipulation of the vehicle and determining whether the evasive manipulation has occurred after the alarm has been generated; and

an evasion evaluator for determining whether the collision of the vehicle with the forward vehicle is avoidable by the evasive manipulation and for controlling at least one passive safety device when the collision is determined to be unavoidable.

10. A method of predicting a collision of a vehicle with a forward vehicle, comprising:

estimating a maximum deceleration of the vehicle;

estimating a forward deceleration of the forward vehicle;

determining a forward collision of the forward vehicle when the forward deceleration is greater than the maximum deceleration; and

determining an imminent collision of the vehicle with the forward vehicle based on the forward collision of the forward vehicle, and penetrating an alarm when the forward collision is determined, to notify at least one of a driver of the vehicle and a driver of the forward vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

determining a velocity of the vehicle; and

determining a relative velocity as the difference between the velocity of the vehicle and a velocity of the forward vehicle prior to estimating the maximum deceleration and the forward deceleration.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising detecting a condition of a road surface on which the vehicle travels and wherein the maximum deceleration is based on the condition of the road surface and the velocity of the vehicle and the forward deceleration is based on a change in the relative velocity over a period of time.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

comparing the relative velocity to the velocity of the vehicle; and

generating an alarm when the relative velocity is greater than the velocity of the vehicle to notify at least one of a driver of the vehicle and a driver of the forward vehicle that the forward vehicle is traveling toward the vehicle and a collision is imminent.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

detecting an evasive manipulation of the vehicle;

determining whether the evasive manipulation occurred after the alarm was generated; and

automatically braking the vehicle when no evasive manipulation has been taken after the alarm has been generated.

15. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

detecting whether an evasive manipulation of the vehicle has occurred after the alarm has been generated;

determining whether the evasive manipulation can avoid a collision between the vehicle and a forward vehicle; and

actuating at least one passive safety device when the collision is determined to be unavoidable.