Method and apparatus for disabling an airbag system in a vehicle

• US 20010024032A1
• Filed: 02/07/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David S. Breed, Vittorio Castelli, Wendell C. Johnson, Wilbur E. Duvall
• Original Assignee: David S. Breed, Vittorio Castelli, Wendell C. Johnson, Wilbur E. Duvall
• Inventors: Castelli, Vittorio, Johnson, Wendell C., Breed, David S., DuVall, Wilbur E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,513,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/829 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/853 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/288 with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4825 : for sensing amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 : responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 : using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0153 : using field detection presence sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 : using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 : using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 : for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 : detecting passenger motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 : detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 : sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 : detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 : Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21656 : Steering wheel covers or similar cup-shaped covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 : with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/20 : adjustable in position, e.g. in height
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 : using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 : Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 : Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 : Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 : Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 : Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/417 : involving the use of neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 : using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 : using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

Apparatus for disabling an airbag system for a seating position within a motor vehicle in which occupant sensors are situated adjacent or on a roof above the seat and the presence or absence of an occupant of the seating position is detected using the occupant sensor(s). The airbag system is disabled if the seating position is unoccupied. The position of an occupant is detected if the seating position is occupied and the airbag system is disabled if the occupant'"'"'s position would result in injury to the occupant greater than any injury resulting from non-deployment. Further, the airbag deployment parameters, e.g., rate of inflation and time of deployment, may be modified based on the occupant'"'"'s position to adjust inflation of the airbag according to proximity of the occupant to the airbag door.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a passenger compartment, an interior roof, a windshield at a forward end of the passenger compartment, a seat for the passenger and a rear view mirror, an airbag system for inflation and deployment of an air bag in front of the passenger during a collision, said airbag system comprising:

an air bag;

an inflator connected to said air bag and structured and arranged to inflate said air bag with a gas;

a passenger sensor system mounted at least partially adjacent to or on the interior roof of the vehicle, said sensor system being structured and arranged to continuously sense position of the passenger and generate electrical output indicative of the position of the passenger; and

a microprocessor electrically connected to said sensor system and to said inflator, said microprocessor being structured and arranged to compare and perform an analysis of the electrical output from said sensor system and activate said inflator to inflate and deploy said air bag when said analysis indicates that the vehicle is involved in a collision and that deployment of said air bag would likely reduce a risk of serious injury to the passenger which would exist absent deployment of said air bag and likely would not present an increased risk of injury to the passenger resulting from deployment of said air bag.

2. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is structured and arranged to continuously sense position of the passenger relative to said air bag.

3. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system comprises an array of passenger proximity sensors, each of said proximity sensors being structured and arranged to sense distance from a passenger to said proximity sensor, and said microprocessor being structured and arranged to determine passenger position by determining each of said distances and then triangulating the distances from the passenger to each of said proximity sensors.

4. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said microprocessor includes memory in which the positions of the passenger over some interval of time are stored.

5. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is particularly sensitive to the position of the head of the passenger.

6. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is arranged on the rear view mirror.

7. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is arranged on a windshield header of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is positioned to be operative rearward.

9. The vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is mounted at a front of the passenger compartment.

10. The vehicle system of

claim 1

, wherein said sensor system is arranged on the roof.

11. In a motor vehicle having an air bag module including an inflatable airbag and an inflator arranged to inflate the air bag in front of an occupant of the motor vehicle during a collision, an airbag control system comprising:

a sensor system mounted adjacent to or on an interior roof of the vehicle, said sensor system being structured and arranged to sense the position of the occupant with respect to the passenger compartment of the vehicle and generate output indicative of the position of the occupant; and

a microprocessor connected to said sensor system and to the inflator, said microprocessor being structured and arranged to compare and perform an analysis of said output from said sensor system and activate the inflator to inflate the air bag when said analysis indicates that the vehicle is involved in a collision and deployment of the air bag is desired.

12. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said sensor system comprises an array of occupant proximity sensors, each of said proximity sensor being structured and arranged to sense distance from the occupant to each of said proximity sensors, and said microprocessor being structured and arranged to determine the occupant'"'"'s position by determining each of said distances and triangulating the distances from the occupant to each of said proximity sensors.

13. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said microprocessor includes memory in which said positions of the occupant over some interval of time are stored.

14. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said sensor system is particularly sensitive to the position of the head of the occupant.

15. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein the occupant is seated on a passenger seat of the vehicle and said sensor system is structured and arranged to sense the position of the occupant on the passenger seat.

16. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said sensor system is arranged on the rear view mirror.

17. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said sensor system is arranged on a windshield header of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said sensor system is positioned to be operative rearward.

19. The vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein said sensor system is mounted at a front of the passenger compartment.