Activating device for occupant protection device and controlling method therefor

• US 20040148082A1
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyata, Yujiro, Imai, Katsuji, Motomi, Iyoda
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• 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 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis

Abstract

The activating device (20) for an occupant protection device includes a first deceleration detecting means (22) for detecting a first deceleration G in vehicle front/rear direction and an activation judging means (37) for judging whether the activation of the occupant protection device is necessary or not by comparing the first deceleration G detected by the first deceleration detecting means (22) with a first threshold value. The device further includes a second deceleration detecting means (24, 26) for detecting a deceleration LG, RG at a position further front side of the vehicle than the position detecting the first deceleration, a collision condition detecting means (35) for detecting a vehicle collision condition based on a second threshold value by the deceleration LG and RG and a first threshold changing means (36) for changing the first threshold value of an activation judging means (37) based on the detected result of the collision condition detecting means (35).

Claims

1. An activating device (20) for an occupant protection device comprising a first deceleration detecting means (22) for detecting a first deceleration (G) which is the deceleration in a front/rear direction of a vehicle (10) and an activation judging means (37) for judging the activation of the occupant protection device by comparing the first deceleration with a predetermined first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low), wherein

the activating device (20) further includes a second deceleration detecting means (24, 26) for detecting a second deceleration (LG, RG) which is the deceleration in the front/rear direction of the vehicle (10), the second deceleration detecting means (24, 26) being arranged further forward in the vehicle (10) than the first deceleration detecting means (22);

characterized by;

a collision condition detecting means (35) for detecting a vehicle collision condition by comparing the second deceleration with a predetermined second threshold value (TH1, Th2); and

a first threshold value setting means (36) for setting the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) of the activation judging means (37) for judging the activation of the occupant protecting device based on the condition detected by the collision condition detecting means (35).

2. An activating device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that as the higher the second deceleration relative to the second threshold value, the lower the first threshold value of the setting means (36) is set.

3. An activating device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the activation device (20) further includes an integral calculating means (34) for integrating the first deceleration by the time to calculate a first deceleration integration value (VG);

and

the activation judging means (37) includes an activation judging map (101) formed by the first deceleration and the first deceleration integration value (VG) to set the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) on the activation judging map, wherein the activation judgment activates the activating device (20) if the first deceleration exceeds the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low).

4. An activating device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the collision condition detecting means (35) includes a collision condition detecting map (102, 103) formed by the second deceleration and a second deceleration integration value (VG) to set the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) on the collision condition detecting map (102, 103), wherein the detecting means (35) judges a possibility of the collision if the second deceleration exceeds the second threshold value (TH1, TH2).

5. An activating device (20) according to claim 4, characterized in that the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) is increased beyond a reference value to avoid a wave shape which is not the subject of collision condition detection at an early stage of the vehicle collision.

6. An activating device (20) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) is increased beyond the reference value to avoid a wave shape which is not the subject of collision condition detection at an intermediate stage of the vehicle collision.

7. An activating device (20) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) is increased beyond the reference value to avoid a wave shape which is not the subject of collision condition detection at an end stage of the vehicle collision.

8. An activating device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that plural sets of second threshold values (TH1, TH2) are provided.

9. An activating device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) is selected from predetermined plural number of values.

10. An activating device (20) according to claim 9, characterized in that as an initial value for the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low), the highest threshold value (Hi) is set.

11. An activating device (20) according to claim 10, characterized in that the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) is changed from the initial value in accordance with the condition detected by the collision condition detecting means (35).

12. An activating device (20) according to claim 11, characterized in that the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) is set according to one of three values having the following relation:

first 1a threshold value (Hi)>

first 1b threshold value (Med)>

first 1c threshold value (Low),

and the second threshold value is set to two values having the following relation;

second 2a threshold value (TH1)>

second 2b threshold value (TH2), wherein when the second deceleration is less than the second 2b threshold value (TH2), the first threshold value is defined to be the first 1a threshold value (Hi), when the second deceleration is equal to or more than the second 2b threshold value (TH2) and less than the second 2a threshold value (TH1), the first threshold value is defined to be the first 1b threshold value (Med), and when the second deceleration is equal to or more than the second 2a threshold value (TH1), the first threshold value is defined to be the first 1c threshold value (Low).

13. An activating device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the second deceleration detecting means (24, 26) is provided at left and right sides of the vehicle.

14. An activating device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the occupant protection device is an air bag device.

15. An activating device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the occupant protection device is a pre-tensioning device for a seat belt.

16. A method for controlling an activating device (20) for an occupant protection device to judge the activation of the activating device by detecting a first deceleration which is the deceleration in a front/rear direction of a vehicle (10), and comparing the first deceleration with a first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low), characterized in that

the method includes detecting a collision condition of the vehicle (10) by comparing a second deceleration which is the deceleration in the front/rear direction of the vehicle (10) and which is detected at a position further forward in the vehicle (10) than the position where the first deceleration is detected, with a predetermined second threshold value (TH1, TH2) and changing the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) used for the activation of the occupant protection device based on the detected vehicle collision condition.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that as the higher the second deceleration relative to the second threshold value, the lower the first threshold value of the setting means (36) is set.

18. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 16, characterized in that the method includes setting the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) on an activation judging map (101) formed by the first deceleration and the first deceleration integration value (VG) integrating the first deceleration by the time, wherein the activation judgment activates the activating device (20) if the first deceleration exceeds the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low).

19. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 16, characterized in that setting the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) on a collision condition detecting map (102, 103) formed by the second deceleration and a second deceleration integration value (VG), wherein the detecting means (35) judges a possibility o the collision if the second deceleration exceeds the second threshold value (TH1, TH2).

20. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 19, characterized in that the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) is increased beyond a reference value to avoid a wave shape which is not the subject of collision condition detection at an early stage of the vehicle collision.

21. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) is increased beyond the reference value to avoid a wave shape which is not the subject of collision condition detection at an intermediate stage of the vehicle collision.

22. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to any one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that the second threshold value (TH1, TH2) is increased beyond the reference value to avoid a wave shape which is not the subject of collision condition detection at an end stage of the vehicle collision.

23. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to any one of claims 16 to 22, characterized in that plural sets of second threshold values (TH1, TH2) are provided.

24. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 16, characterized in that the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) is selected from predetermined plural number of values.

25. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 24, characterized in that as an initial value for the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low), the highest threshold value (Hi) is set.

26. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 25, characterized in that the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) is changed from the initial value in accordance with the collision condition of the vehicle (10).

27. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to claim 26, characterized in that the first threshold value (Hi, Med, Low) is set according to one of three values having the following relation:

first 1a threshold value (Hi)>

first 1b threshold value (Med)>

first 1c threshold value (Low), and the second threshold value is set to two values having the following relation;

second 2a threshold value (TH1)>

second 2b threshold value (TH2), wherein when the second deceleration is less than the second 2b threshold value (TH2), the first threshold value is defined to be the first 1a threshold value (Hi), when the second deceleration is equal to or more than the second 2b threshold value (TH2) and less than the second 2a threshold value (TH1), the first threshold value is defined to be the first 1b threshold value (Med), and when the second deceleration is equal to or more than the second 2a threshold value (TH1), the first threshold value is defined to be the first 1c threshold value (Low).

28. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to any one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the second deceleration is detected at left and right sides of the vehicle.

29. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to any one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that the occupant protection device is an air bag device.

30. A method for controlling an activating device (20) according to any one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that the occupant protection device is a pre-tensioning device for a seat belt.