Logic and a method for detecting a vehicle rollover

• US 20050159872A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Geborek, Mariusz, Darvish, Abtin, Haun, Jens
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0119 Plausibility check
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

The present invention relates to a logic and a method for detecting a vehicle rollover or dangerous situations that may precede a rollover of a vehicle. The logic (1) is preferably connected with at least one protection device for an occupant of a vehicle and comprises the first main activation path (2), which is activated if a signal of a vehicle lateral acceleration sensor (21) exceeds a predefined threshold value (22); the second main activation path (3), which is activated if a signal of a vehicle vertical acceleration sensor (31) exceeds a predefined threshold value (32); and the first additional activation path (4), which is activated if a vehicle roll angle exceeds a predefined threshold value (42a) and a signal of a vehicle roll rate sensor (51) exceeds a predefined threshold value (42b); the second additional activation path (5), which is activated if a vehicle roll rate sensor (51) exceeds a predefined second threshold value (52); the third additional activation path (6), which is activated if a signal of a vehicle longitudinal acceleration sensor (61) exceeds a predefined threshold value (62), wherein the activation of the logic (1) depends on the activation of individual activation paths and for the activation of the logic (1) at least one main activation path must be activated. Preferably activation of at least one main activation path (2, 3) and at least one additional activation path (4, 5, 6) is sufficient for the activation of the logic (1).

Claims

1. A logic for detecting a vehicle rollover, characterized in that, it comprises the first main activation path (2), which is activated if a signal of a vehicle lateral acceleration sensor (21) exceeds a predefined threshold value (22);

the second main activation path (3), which is activated if a signal of a vehicle vertical acceleration sensor (31) exceeds a predefined threshold value (32); and

the first additional activation path (4), which is activated if a vehicle roll angle exceeds a predefined threshold value (42a) and a signal of a vehicle roll rate sensor (51) exceeds a predefined threshold value (42b);

the second additional activation path (5), which is activated if a vehicle roll rate sensor (51) exceeds a predefined second threshold value (52), wherein the activation of the logic (1, 1′

) depends on the activation of individual activation paths and for the activation of the logic (1, 1′

) at least one main activation path must be activated.

2. A logic as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, it further comprises the third additional activation path (6), which is activated if a signal of a vehicle longitudinal acceleration sensor (61) exceeds a predefined threshold value (62).

3. A logic as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, activation of at least one main activation path (2, 3) and at least one additional activation path (4, 5, 6) is sufficient for the activation of the logic (1).

4. A logic as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, activation of the first main activation path (2), or the second main activation path (3′

) and at least one additional activation path (4, 5, 6) is sufficient for the activation of the logic (1′

).

5. A logic as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, it is connected with at least one protection device for an occupant of a vehicle.

6. A logic as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, the activation signal of the logic is additionally processed before activation of said protection devices.

7. A logic as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, the activation signal of the logic is a signal to activate said protection devices.

8. A logic as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the activation signal of at least one activation path (2, 3, 3′

, 4, 5, 6) is sustained for a predefined period.

9. A logic as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the input value of at least one activation path (2, 3, 3′

, 4, 5, 6) is pre-processed.

10. A logic as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, pre-processing involves at least signal scaling, removing a sensor drift and/or filtering a signal.

11. A logic as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, it comprises at least one sensor chosen from a lateral acceleration sensor (21), a vertical acceleration sensor (31), a roll rate sensor (51), a roll angle sensor (41) and a longitudinal acceleration sensor (61).

12. A method of determining a rollover of a vehicle, characterized in that, it comprises the steps of:

detecting a lateral acceleration of a vehicle and activation of the first main activation path if it exceeds a predefined threshold value;

detecting a vertical acceleration of a vehicle and activation of the second main activation path if it exceeds a predefined threshold value; and

detecting a roll angle and a roll rate of a vehicle and activation of the first additional activation path if these values simultaneously exceed a predefined threshold values;

activation of the second additional activation path if a roll rate of a vehicle exceeds a predefined second threshold value;

generating an output activation signal determining a possibility of rollover of the vehicle, in dependence of activation of individual activation paths, wherein for generating an output activation signal the activation of at least one main activation path is necessary.

13. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that, it further comprises the step of detecting a longitudinal acceleration of a vehicle and activation of the third additional activation path if it exceeds a predefined threshold value.

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, activation of at least one main activation path and at least one additional activation path is sufficient for generating an output activation signal.

15. A method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, activation of the first main activation path, or the second main activation path and at least one additional activation path is sufficient for generating an output activation signal.

16. A method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, it further comprises the step of activation at lest one protection device for an occupant of a vehicle.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that, said output activation signal is additionally processed before activation of said protection devices.

18. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that, said output activation signal is a signal to activate said protection devices.

19. A method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, the activation signal of at least one activation path is sustained for a predefined period.

20. A method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, the input value of at least one activation path is pre-processed.

21. A method according to claim 20, characterized in that, pre-processing involves at least signal scaling, removing a sensor drift and/or filtering a signal.