Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraining device using switched thresholds based on transverse acceleration

• US 20020147533A1
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Foo, Chek-Peng, Tsai, Meng-Fu, Sumner, Paul Leo, Thanapathomsinchai, Suthep, Wright, Timothy Chester
• Granted Patent: US 6,529,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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 21/01336 using filtering

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 transverse accelerometer (34) senses transverse crash acceleration. The transverse acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 278) against a transverse threshold (268). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

a first crash accelerometer sensing crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining crash velocity in response to the first crash acceleration signal;

means for determining crash displacement in response to the first 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 a selected one of a discrimination threshold and a switched discrimination threshold;

a second accelerometer sensing transverse crash acceleration and providing a transverse crash acceleration signal indicative thereof; and

said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the transverse crash acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a transverse threshold and means for selecting one of the discrimination threshold and the switched discrimination threshold in response to the comparison of the value functionally related to the transverse acceleration against the transverse threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller further includes means for comparing said determined crash velocity against a high discrimination threshold and controlling a second stage of said actuatable restraining system in response to the time between said crash velocity exceeding the selected one of said discrimination threshold and said switched discrimination threshold to when said crash velocity exceeds said high discrimination threshold.

3. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

a first crash acceleration sensor sensing crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining crash velocity in response to the first crash acceleration signal;

means for determining crash displacement in response to the first 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 second accelerometer sensing transverse crash acceleration and providing a transverse crash acceleration signal; and

said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the transverse acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a transverse 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 transverse acceleration being less than said transverse threshold and actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said crash velocity exceeding said second discrimination threshold and said value functionally related to the transverse acceleration is greater than said transverse threshold.

4. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

a first crash accelerometer sensing crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining crash velocity in response to the first crash acceleration signal;

means for determining crash displacement in response to the first 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 second accelerometer sensing transverse crash acceleration; and

said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the transverse crash acceleration as a function of the crash displacement against a transverse threshold, and means for selecting said one of said low discrimination threshold and said switched low discrimination threshold in response to the transverse crash acceleration comparison, said controller 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 or switched low discrimination threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said controller further includes means for comparing said determined crash velocity against a high discrimination threshold and controlling a second stage of said actuatable restraining system in response to the time between said crash velocity exceeding the selected one of said discrimination threshold and said switched low discrimination threshold to when said crash velocity exceeds said high discrimination threshold.

6. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

sensing crash acceleration;

determining crash velocity in response to the sensed crash acceleration;

determining crash displacement in response to the sensed crash acceleration;

sensing transverse crash acceleration;

comparing a value functionally related to the transverse acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a transverse threshold;

switching the value of the discrimination threshold to a switched discrimination threshold when the value functionally related to the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse 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.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

sensing crash acceleration;

determining crash velocity in response to the sensed crash acceleration;

determining crash displacement in response to the sensed crash acceleration;

sensing transverse acceleration; and

comparing a value functionally related to the transverse acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a transverse threshold; and

actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said crash velocity exceeding a first discrimination threshold and said value functionally related to the transverse acceleration being less than said transverse threshold and actuating said occupant restraining system in response to said determined crash velocity exceeding a second discrimination threshold when said value functionally related to the transverse acceleration is greater than said transverse threshold.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system comprising the steps of:

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 switch low discrimination threshold;

sensing transverse crash acceleration;

comparing a value functionally related to transverse crash acceleration as a function of the crash displacement against a transverse threshold and selecting one of a low discrimination threshold and a switched low discrimination threshold in response thereto; 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.

9. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

a crash accelerometer 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 a selected one of a low discrimination threshold and a switched low discrimination threshold;

a crush zone accelerometer for sensing crush zone acceleration at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing a crush zone acceleration signal indicative thereof;

a transverse accelerometer sensing transverse crash acceleration and providing a transverse crash acceleration signal indicative thereof; and

said controller including means for comparing a value functionally related to the transverse crash acceleration signal as a function of the determined crash displacement against a transverse threshold, 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 selecting one of the low discrimination threshold and the switched low discrimination threshold in response to at least one of the value functionally related to the transverse acceleration exceeding the transverse threshold and the value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration exceeding the crush zone threshold.

10. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:

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;

actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeding a selected one of a low discrimination threshold and a switched low discrimination threshold;

sensing crush zone acceleration at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing a crush zone acceleration signal indicative thereof;

sensing transverse crash acceleration and providing a transverse crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

comparing a value functionally related to the transverse crash acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a transverse threshold;

comparing a value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration as a function of the determined crash displacement against a crush zone threshold; and

selecting one of the low discrimination threshold and the switched low discrimination threshold in response to at least one of the value functionally related to the transverse acceleration exceeding the transverse threshold and the value functionally related to the crush zone acceleration exceeding the crush zone threshold.