Vehicle accident analyzing apparatus

• US 20060100762A1
• Filed: 02/01/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Takanori, Hiemer, Marcus, Barrho, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 7,162,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• 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 21/0156 by deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/476 Free end only engaged

Abstract

To provide a vehicle accident analyzing apparatus in which reconstruction quality of low speed crashes is improved. An impact parameter determination apparatus 10 is provided with a triggering unit 20 which uses input signals from in-vehicle sensors, and an area determination unit 30, and a parameter calculation unit 50. The triggering unit 20 generates a trigger signal 21 based on the input signals for triggering the area determination unit 30 and the parameter calculation unit 50. The area determination unit 30 uses the input signals to calculate the most probable impact area 31. The parameter calculation unit 50 calculates the final desired crash parameters based on the input signals and the most probable impact area 31.

Claims

1. A vehicle accident analyzing apparatus comprising a crash parameter determination apparatus for determining crash parameters of a vehicle based on input signals from sensors mounted in the vehicle, the crash parameter determination apparatus comprising:

a triggering unit for generating a trigger signal if the input signals indicate a crash situation of the vehicle;

an area determination unit for generating a most probable impact area of the vehicle based on the input signals in response to the trigger signal; and

a parameter calculation unit for calculating the crash parameters based on the input signals and the most probable impact area,

the triggering unit comprising;

a level determination unit for determining levels of the input signals with predefined thresholds;

a timer operated in response to a determination result of the level determination unit;

a time determination unit for comparing operating time of the timer with predetermined duration time; and

logical operators for generating the trigger signal by combining respective determination results of the level determination unit and the time determination unit, wherein

the trigger signal enables processes of the area determination unit and the parameter calculation unit to be started;

the area determination unit comprises an area classification and assignment unit and an area counter triggered by the trigger signal;

the area classification and assignment unit determines the most probable impact location of the vehicle to classify the impact area in every time instant;

the area counter detects the most probable impact area by individually counting the impact area which has been classified in every time instant by the area classification and assignment unit; and

the parameter calculation unit calculates an impact location of the vehicle and an impact force of a crash opponent, and calculates an impact angle based on a principle direction of the impact force applied to the impact location.

2. The vehicle accident analyzing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input signals inputted to the triggering unit and the area determination unit comprise respective acceleration signals in a front-rear direction and a lateral direction of the vehicle;

and

the input signals inputted to the parameter calculation unit comprise the respective acceleration signals and yaw acceleration.

3. The vehicle accident analyzing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the level determination unit comprises first and second level determination units for comparing the respective acceleration signals in the front-rear direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle with individual thresholds, respectively;

the first and second level determination units output first determination results, respectively, if the respective acceleration signals exceed the individual thresholds, and output second determination results, respectively, if the respective acceleration signals do not exceed the individual thresholds; and

the logical operators comprise an OR gate for outputting a logical sum of the first determination results of the first and second level determination units and an AND gate for outputting a logical product of the logical sum signal from the OR gate and the first determination result of the time determination unit as the trigger signal.

4. The vehicle accident analyzing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the area determination unit comprises an estimated impact angle calculation unit for calculating an estimated impact angle of the vehicle based on the respective acceleration signals in the front-rear direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle;

the area classification and assignment unit determines the most probable impact location based on the estimated impact angle to classify the impact area; and

the area counter comprises an individual counter for every vehicle area corresponding to the impact area, increments the individual counter corresponding to the impact area inputted from the area classification and assignment unit in every time instant, and outputs the vehicle area corresponding to the individual counter indicating the maximum counter value as the most probable impact area.

5. The vehicle accident analyzing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the parameter calculation unit comprises a PDOF calculation unit and an impact force calculation unit;

the PDOF calculation unit calculates the impact location and the impact angle based on the respective acceleration signals in the front-rear direction and the lateral direction of the vehicle, the yaw acceleration, and the most probable impact area determined by the area determination unit; and

the impact force calculation unit calculates the impact force based on the impact location and the impact angle.

6. The vehicle accident analyzing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the parameter calculation unit executes an algorithm for determining the crash parameters to the most probable impact area and two vehicle areas adjacent to the most probable impact area.