Method for detecting a rollover situation

• US 20030047927A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Frimberger, Manfred, Wolf, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 7,017,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/755
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting a rollover situation in such a way that restraint means, such as belt tighteners or head airbags, can be released at the right time during rollover. The signals that pertain to several sensors and detect transitional and rotational movements are detected, connected to one another and evaluated.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a rollover situation in which

the movement and/or the change of movement of a vehicle is detected,

a translatory and a rotary movement and/or change of movement of the vehicle is detected,

a rollover threshold (S) is determined from at least one translatory and at least one rotary movement and/or change of movement, and

a restraint means is triggered if a rotary movement and/or change of movement exceeds the rollover threshold (S).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the restraint means is triggered at the right time.

3. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rollover threshold (S) depends on the acceleration of the vehicle perpendicular to its vehicle axis.

4. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rollover threshold (S) depends on the angular speed (w) of the vehicle about its longitudinal axis.

5. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rollover threshold (S) depends on the acceleration of the vehicle in its vertical direction (z-direction).

6. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rollover threshold (S) depends dynamically on the duration in time of the acceleration of the vehicle perpendicular to its vehicle axis and/or the angular speed (w) of the vehicle about its longitudinal axis and/or the acceleration of the vehicle in its vertical direction (z-direction).

7. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

a sensor detects the acceleration in the lateral direction perpendicular (y-direction) to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle,

a sensor detects the acceleration in the vertical direction (z-direction).

8. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

the restraint means can only trigger when at least one acceleration signal and at least one rate of rotation signal is present.