Collision type decision device

• US 20030074111A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Toshiyuki, Ugusa, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 6,728,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal

Abstract

A collision type decision device includes left and right deceleration detectors, an arithmetic unit, an average calculating unit, and a decision unit. The left and right deceleration detectors are located at left and right front portions of a vehicle for detecting decelerations at the left and right front portions, respectively. The arithmetic unit calculates the decelerations detected by the deceleration detectors to obtain arithmetic results with respect to the left and right portions of the vehicle. The average calculating unit calculates an average of the arithmetic results. The decision unit compares the average with a threshold and decides whether a collision type of the vehicle is a symmetric or asymmetric on the basis of the comparison.

Claims

1. A collision type decision device comprising:

left and right deceleration detectors located at left and right front portions of a vehicle for detecting decelerations at the left and right front portions, respectively;

an average calculating unit for calculating an average of values based on the decelerations detected by the left and right deceleration detectors; and

a decision unit for comparing the average with a threshold and for deciding whether a collision type of the vehicle is a symmetric or asymmetric on the basis of the comparison.

2. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an arithmetic unit for calculating the decelerations detected by the deceleration detectors to obtain arithmetic results with respect to the left and right portions of the vehicle, the average calculating unit calculating an average of the arithmetic results.

3. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 1, wherein the average calculating unit calculating an average of the decelerations themselves detected by the left and right deceleration detectors.

4. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a central deceleration detector located near the central portion of the vehicle for detecting deceleration at the central portion; and

a collision beginning detector for detecting a collision beginning moment of the vehicle on the basis of the deceleration detected by the central deceleration detector or on the basis of the decelerations detected by the central deceleration detector and at least one of the left and right deceleration detectors, the decision unit outputting a decision result thereof for only a certain period after the collision beginning moment.

5. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a central deceleration detector located near the central portion of the vehicle for detecting deceleration at the central portion,

the decision unit comparing the threshold with a change in the average calculated by the average calculating unit for a period before a value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches a certain level, deciding whether a collision type of the vehicle is a symmetric or asymmetric on the basis of the comparison, and outputting no decision on the collision type of the vehicle based on the left and right decelerations after the value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches the certain level.

6. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 5, further comprising a second arithmetic unit for calculating the deceleration detected by the central deceleration detector to obtain an arithmetic result with respect to the central portion of the vehicle,

the decision unit utilizes the arithmetic result with respect to the central portion as the value based on the deceleration at the central portion.

7. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 5, wherein the decision unit utilizes the deceleration itself detected by the central deceleration detector as the value based on the deceleration at the central portion.

8. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 5, wherein the decision unit outputs a decision result on the collision type of the vehicle, which is based on the left and right decelerations before the value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches the certain level, after the value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches the certain level.

9. A collision type decision device comprising:

left and right deceleration detectors located at left and right front portions of a vehicle for detecting decelerations at the left and light front portions, respectively;

a selecting unit for selecting a lower value among two values based on the decelerations detected by the left and right deceleration detectors; and

a decision unit for comparing a selection result selected by the selecting unit with a threshold and for deciding whether a collision type of the vehicle is a symmetric or asymmetric on the basis of the comparison.

10. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 9, further comprising an arithmetic unit for calculating the decelerations detected by the deceleration detectors to obtain arithmetic results with respect to the left and right portions of the vehicle,

the selecting unit selecting a lower arithmetic result among the arithmetic results.

11. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 9, wherein the selecting unit selecting a lower deceleration among the decelerations themselves detected by the deceleration detectors.

12. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a central deceleration detector located near the central portion of the vehicle for detecting deceleration at the central portion; and

a collision beginning detector for detecting a collision beginning moment of the vehicle on the basis of the deceleration detected by the central deceleration detector or on the basis of the decelerations detected by the central deceleration detector and at least one of the left and right deceleration detectors, the decision unit outputting a decision result thereof for only a certain period after the collision beginning moment.

13. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 9, further comprising a central deceleration detector located near the central portion of the vehicle for detecting deceleration at the central portion,

the decision unit comparing the threshold with a change in the selection result selected by the selecting unit for a period before a value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches a certain level, deciding whether a collision type of the vehicle is a symmetric or asymmetric on the basis of the comparison, and outputting no decision on the collision type of the vehicle based on the left and right decelerations after the value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches the certain level.

14. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 13, further comprising a second arithmetic unit for calculating the deceleration detected by the central deceleration detector to obtain an arithmetic result with respect to the central portion of the vehicle,

the decision unit utilizes the arithmetic result with respect to the central portion as the value based on the deceleration at the central portion.

15. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 13, wherein the decision unit utilizes the deceleration itself detected by the central deceleration detector as the value based on the deceleration at the central portion.

16. The collision type decision device as recited in claim 13, wherein the decision unit outputs a decision result on the collision type of the vehicle, which is based on the left and right decelerations before the value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches the certain level, after the value based on the deceleration at the central portion reaches the certain level.