Method and apparatus for anticipating a vehicle crash event
First Claim
1. A vehicle occupant protection system comprising:
- a receiver which is operative to receive a vehicle position signal from a source of positioning information, said receiver also being operative to receive an object signal indicative of the speed and position of an object adjacent to the vehicle;
a vehicle speed sensor which is operative to provide a vehicle speed signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle; and
a controller electrically coupled with said receiver and said vehicle speed sensor, said controller being operative to provide an anticipatory crash event signal upon determining the occurrence of an anticipatory crash event condition in response to the vehicle position signal, the vehicle speed signal, and the object signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An occupant protection system (10) for a vehicle (12) includes a receiver (24) which is operative to receive a vehicle position signal (30) from a source (34) of positioning information. The receiver (24) also is operative to receive an object signal (38) indicative of the speed and position of an object adjacent the vehicle. The system (10) includes a vehicle speed sensor (90) which is operative to provide a vehicle speed signal (92) indicative of the speed of the vehicle. A controller (22) is electrically coupled with the receiver (24) and the vehicle speed sensor (90). The controller (22) is operative to provide an anticipatory crash event signal (99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109 and/or 111) upon determining the occurrence of an anticipatory crash event condition in response to the vehicle position signal (30), the vehicle speed signal (92), and the object signal (38).
16 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A vehicle occupant protection system comprising:
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a receiver which is operative to receive a vehicle position signal from a source of positioning information, said receiver also being operative to receive an object signal indicative of the speed and position of an object adjacent to the vehicle;
a vehicle speed sensor which is operative to provide a vehicle speed signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle; and
a controller electrically coupled with said receiver and said vehicle speed sensor, said controller being operative to provide an anticipatory crash event signal upon determining the occurrence of an anticipatory crash event condition in response to the vehicle position signal, the vehicle speed signal, and the object signal. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A vehicle occupant protection system comprising:
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a receiver which is operative to receive a vehicle position signal from a source of positioning information and an object signal indicative of a speed condition and a position condition of at least one object adjacent the vehicle;
a vehicle speed sensor which is operative to provide a vehicle speed signal indicative of the speed of the vehicle; and
a controller electrically coupled with said receiver and said vehicle speed sensor, said controller being operative to determine a first vehicle path upon receiving the position signal from the source of positioning information and the vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor, said controller being operative to determine a second object path upon receiving the object signal, said controller providing an anticipatory crash event signal upon determining the occurrence of an anticipatory crash event condition upon determining the first vehicle path and the second object path. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
a plurality of anticipatory sensing apparatuses, each apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses being mountable in an associated vehicle and including;
a receiver for receiving a first signal indicative of vehicle position for the vehicle associated with a first apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses and for receiving a second signal from a second apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses, the second signal being indicative of vehicle condition information of the vehicle associated with said second apparatus, the vehicle condition information of the second signal including vehicle speed and vehicle position of the vehicle associated with said second apparatus, a transmitter for transmitting a third signal indicative of vehicle condition information of the vehicle associated with said first apparatus which may be received by at least another apparatus of said plurality of apparatuses, the vehicle condition information of the third signal including vehicle speed and vehicle position of the vehicle associated with said first apparatus, and a controller operative to determine an anticipatory crash event condition based upon the vehicle condition information of the vehicle associated with said second apparatus and the vehicle condition information of the vehicle associated with said first apparatus, said controller of said first apparatus being operative to control actuation of an actuatable vehicle occupant protection device of the vehicle associated with said first apparatus upon determining the anticipatory crash event condition. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17)
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15. A method for helping to protect a vehicle occupant of a vehicle during a crash event, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a vehicle position signal indicative of the position of the vehicle;
sensing the speed of the vehicle;
providing a vehicle speed signal indicative of the sensed vehicle speed;
determining a vehicle path based upon the vehicle speed signal and the vehicle position signal;
receiving an object signal from at least one adjacent object, the object signal being indicative of the at least one adjacent object'"'"'s position and speed;
determining an object path of the at least one adjacent object upon receiving the object signal from the at least one adjacent object;
comparing the vehicle path and the object path, and controlling actuation of an actuatable vehicle occupant protection device based upon the vehicle path and the object path.
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Specification