Process for determining lateral overturning of vehicle and occupant protecting system in vehicle

• US 20010038202A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Takahata, Osamu, Tobaru, Shigeo, Maeda, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,618,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/805
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/9124 Roll-over protection systems, e.g. for warning or control
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 detecting passenger motion

Abstract

A process for determining lateral overturning of a vehicle involves establishing a threshold value line S separating a lateral overturning region farther from an origin and a lateral non-overturning region closer to the origin on a two-dimensional map made using a rolling angle θ and a rolling angular speed ω of the vehicle. When a hysteresis line for actual rolling angles and actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle traverses the threshold value line from the lateral non-overturning region to the lateral overturning region, it is determined that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, and correspondingly an occupant protecting system may be deployed. Also, to assure accuracy, a lateral acceleration sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration for establishing the threshold value line S is disposed on a center plane of a vehicle body.

Claims

1. A process for determining the lateral overturning of a vehicle, comprising the step of establishing a threshold value line separating a lateral overturning region farther from an origin and a lateral non-overturning region closer to the origin on a two-dimensional map made using a rolling angle and a rolling angular speed of the vehicle as parameters, wherein when a hysteresis line for actual rolling angles and actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle traverses said threshold value line from the lateral non-overturning region to the lateral overturning region, it is determined that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, and wherein a lateral acceleration sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration for establishing said threshold value line is disposed on a center plane of a vehicle body.

2. A process for determining the lateral overturning of a vehicle according to

claim 1

, comprising the further step of selectively operating a plurality of occupant restraint means of the vehicle based on a rolling angular speed at a time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

3. A process for determining the lateral overturning of a vehicle according to

claim 1

, comprising the further step of controlling timing of deployment of occupant restraint means of the vehicle based on a condition of the occupant within a vehicle compartment relative to a lateral direction of a vehicle body at a time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

4. An occupant protecting system comprising a plurality of occupant restraint means, in which a threshold value line separating a lateral overturning region farther from an origin and a lateral non-overturning region closer to the origin is established on a two-dimensional map made using a rolling angle and a rolling angular speed of a vehicle as parameters, and when a hysteresis line for actual rolling angles and actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle traverses said threshold line from the lateral non-overturning region to the lateral overturning region, it is determined that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, whereby said plurality of occupant restraint means are operated, and wherein said plurality of occupant restraint means are operated selectively based on a rolling angular speed at a time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

5. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 4

, further including means for detecting said actual rolling angles and said actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle, and control means for determining that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, and for selectively operating said plurality of occupant restraint means based on the rolling angular speed at the time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

6. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 4

, wherein said plurality of occupant restraint means are a seat belt pretensioner and an air curtain, and in a condition where the rolling angular speed is smaller, only said seat belt pretensioner is operated, and in a condition where the rolling angular speed is larger, both said seat belt pretensioner and said air curtain are operated.

7. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 4

, wherein said rolling angular speed is smaller when its value is <

a predetermined threshold value and is larger when its value is ≧

said predetermined threshold value.

8. An occupant protecting system comprising a occupant restraint means, in which a threshold value line separating a lateral overturning region farther from an origin and a lateral non-overturning region closer to the origin is established on a two-dimensional map made using a rolling angle and a rolling angular speed of a vehicle as parameters, and when a hysteresis line for actual rolling angles and actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle traverses said threshold line from the lateral non-overturning region to the lateral overturning region, it is determined that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, whereby said occupant restraint means is operated, and wherein timing of deployment of said occupant restraint means is controlled based on a condition of the occupant within a vehicle compartment relative to a lateral direction of a vehicle body, attendant on the lateral overturning of the vehicle.

9. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 8

, wherein the condition of the occupant is at least one of a distance between the occupant and the inner surface of the side of the vehicle body and a relative speed between the occupant and the inner surface of the side of the vehicle body.

10. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 9

, wherein the condition of the occupant is the distance between the occupant and the inner surface of the side of the vehicle body, and the occupant restraint means is not deployed unless said distance is at least a predetermined value at a time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

11. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 9

, wherein the condition of the occupant is the relative speed between the occupant and the inner surface of the side of the vehicle body, and the occupant restraint means is not deployed unless a relative speed of the occupant is away from the inner surface of the side of the vehicle body at a time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

12. An occupant protecting system according to

claim 8

, further including means for detecting said actual rolling angles and said actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle, means for detecting said condition of the occupant within a vehicle compartment relative to the lateral direction of a vehicle body, and control means for determining that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, and for controlling the timing of deployment of said occupant restraint means based on said condition of the occupant within the vehicle compartment relative to the lateral direction of a vehicle body at the time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.