Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraining device using switched thresholds based on crush zone sensors
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
- a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
means for determining crash velocity in response to the crash acceleration signal;
means for determining crash displacement in response to the crash acceleration signal;
a controller comparing the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement against one of a discrimination threshold and a switched discrimination threshold;
a crush zone accelerometer sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location; and
said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a crush zone threshold and means for switching the value of the discrimination threshold to the switched discrimination threshold when the value functionally related to crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold and actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeding the one of the discrimination threshold and the switched discrimination threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18). A crash sensor (32, 36) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal (110, 160) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined (118, 168) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage (90, 94) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold (130, 132, 180, 182). A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) senses crash acceleration at a crush zone location. The crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 256) against a crush zone threshold (220, 222, 250, 252). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
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a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
means for determining crash velocity in response to the crash acceleration signal;
means for determining crash displacement in response to the crash acceleration signal;
a controller comparing the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement against one of a discrimination threshold and a switched discrimination threshold;
a crush zone accelerometer sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location; and
said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a crush zone threshold and means for switching the value of the discrimination threshold to the switched discrimination threshold when the value functionally related to crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold and actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeding the one of the discrimination threshold and the switched discrimination threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
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a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
means for determining crash velocity in response to the crash acceleration signal;
means for determining crash displacement in response to the crash acceleration signal;
a controller actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeding one of a first discrimination threshold and a second discrimination threshold;
a crush zone accelerometer sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location; and
said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a crush zone threshold, said controller actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said crash velocity exceeding said first discrimination threshold and said value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration being less than said crush zone threshold and actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said crash velocity exceeding said second discrimination threshold when said value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration is greater than said crush zone threshold.
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7. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
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a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
means for determining crash velocity in response to the crash acceleration signal;
means for determining crash displacement in response to the crash acceleration signal;
a controller for comparing the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement against one of a low discrimination threshold and a switched low discrimination threshold;
a crush zone accelerometer sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location; and
said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement against a crush zone threshold, said controller actuating a first stage of said multistage occupant restraining system in response to said determined crash velocity exceeding one of said low discrimination threshold or said switched low discrimination threshold and in response to the comparison of the value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement against the crush zone threshold. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
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sensing crash acceleration;
determining crash velocity in response to the sensed crash acceleration;
determining crash displacement in response to the sensed crash acceleration;
comparing the determined crash velocity as a function of the determined crash displacement against a discrimination threshold;
sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location;
comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a crush zone threshold;
switching the value of the discrimination threshold to a switched discrimination threshold value when the value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold; and
actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeding one of the discrimination threshold and the switched discrimination threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19)
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15. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
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sensing crash acceleration;
determining crash velocity in response to the sensed crash acceleration;
determining crash displacement in response to the sensed crash acceleration;
sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location; and
comparing the crush zone acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a crush zone threshold; and
actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said crash velocity exceeding said first discrimination threshold and said crush zone acceleration being less than said crush zone threshold and actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said determined crash velocity exceeding said second discrimination threshold when said crush zone acceleration is greater than said crush zone threshold.
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16. A method for controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system comprising the steps of:
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sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
determining crash velocity in response to the crash acceleration signal;
determining crash displacement in response to the crash acceleration signal;
comparing the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement against one of a low discrimination threshold and a switched low discrimination threshold;
sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location;
comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement against a crush zone threshold;
selected one of the low discrimination threshold and the switched low discrimination threshold in response to the comparison of the value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration against the crush zone threshold; and
actuating a first stage of said multistage occupant restraining system in response to said determined crash velocity exceeding the selected one of said low discrimination threshold and switched low discrimination threshold.
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Specification