Collision determination system

• US 20040002815A1
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ishizaki, Tatsuya, Matsuda, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558

Abstract

A collision determination system of the present invention includes a plurality of acceleration sensors provided in a bumper face of a vehicle for detecting the acceleration of deformation of the bumper face when the vehicle collides with an object. The system also includes an actuation permitter which, even when one of the acceleration sensors detects an acceleration equal to or more than a set value and it is determined that a collision occurs, refers to another acceleration sensor for operation. Under the AND conditions that an actuation permitting signal is supplied from the actuation permitter and a collision detection signal is supplied from a collision detector, an actuating signal output outputs an actuating signal for actuating collision mitigating devices.

Claims

1. A collision determination system for detecting a collision of a vehicle with an object and outputting an actuating signal to collision mitigating devices, said system comprising:

a plurality of acceleration sensors for mounting to a front portion of said vehicle to detect accelerations of movement of said front portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction;

an actuation permitting means for outputting an actuation permitting signal for a fixed time period when one of said acceleration sensors detects an acceleration equal to or more than a set value within a set time after another acceleration sensor detects an acceleration equal to or more than the set value;

a collision detecting means for outputting a collision detection signal when determining that a collision with a given object occurs based on acceleration detected by at least one of said acceleration sensors; and

an actuating signal outputting means for outputting an actuating signal to said collision mitigating devices when receiving both an actuation permitting signal from said actuation permitting means and a collision detection signal from said collision detecting means.

2. A collision determination system according to claim 1, wherein a control unit including said actuation permitting means, collision detecting means and actuating signal outputting means is mounted in a position different from that of said acceleration sensors.

3. A collision determination system for detecting a collision of a vehicle with an object and outputting an actuating signal to collision mitigating devices, said system comprising:

a plurality of acceleration sensors for mounting to a front portion of said vehicle to detect accelerations of movement of said front portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction;

a plurality of collision detecting means provided in correspondence with said respective acceleration sensors to perform calculations with said detected accelerations detected by said acceleration sensors, thereby to detect a collision of said vehicle with said object;

a plurality of acceleration comparing means provided in correspondence with said respective acceleration sensors to determine whether or not said detected accelerations detected by said acceleration sensors are equal to or more than a set value; and

an actuating signal outputting means for outputting an actuating signal when determining that any of said collision detecting means detects a collision and any of said acceleration comparing means referring to the corresponding acceleration sensor which is different from the acceleration sensor referred to by said collision detecting means detecting the collision has detected an acceleration equal to or more than the set value during a predetermined past time period before the collision detection.

4. A collision determination system according to claim 3, wherein said actuating signal outputting means outputs an actuating signal under such conditions that any of said collision detecting means detects a collision and the acceleration comparing means referring to the acceleration sensor mounted adjacent to the acceleration sensor referred to by said collision detecting means detecting the collision has detected an acceleration equal to or more than the set value during the predetermined past time period before the collision detection.

5. A collision determination system according to claim 3, wherein a control unit including said collision detecting means, acceleration comparing means and actuating signal outputting means is mounted in a position different from that of said acceleration sensors.