Method and apparatus for determining symmetric and asymmetric crash events with improved misuse margins

• US 20060129295A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Foo, Chek-Peng, Yeh, Huahn-Fern, Sumner, Paul Leo, Yoo, Dongkyun
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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 21/01562 by speed

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18) of a vehicle includes a crash sensor (32) sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle. A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) is provides a crush zone crash acceleration signal. A controller (50) a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal. A plurality a predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold maps (152-172) is provided, two of the plurality of threshold maps (170, 172) relating to a second stage (92, 96) of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system. The selects one of the two threshold maps relating to the second stage of in response to the crush zone acceleration signal and controls second stage actuation in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the selected one of the two threshold maps (170, 172). Improved misuse margins are also provided as well as deployment mappings based on symmetric and asymmetric crash detection.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system of a vehicle comprising:

a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative of sensed crash acceleration;

a crush zone accelerometer spaced from the passenger compartment at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing a crush zone crash acceleration signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed at the crush zone location;

a controller connected to the central crash sensor for determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal; and

a plurality of predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold maps, two of said plurality of threshold maps relating to a second stage of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system;

said controller being further connected to said crush zone accelerometer and including means for selecting one of said two threshold maps relating to said second stage of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the crush zone acceleration signal, said controller controlling second stage actuation in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the selected one of said two threshold maps.

2. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraining system of a vehicle comprising:

a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative of sensed crash acceleration;

a crush zone accelerometer spaced from the passenger compartment at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing a crush zone crash acceleration signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed at the crush zone location;

an infinite-impulse-response filter connected to said crush zone sensor for providing a filtered crush zone acceleration signal;

a controller connected to the crash sensor centrally located for determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal;

a stored crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold map; and

a plurality of stored predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement misuse threshold maps is provided;

said controller being further connected to said crush zone accelerometer and to said infinite-impulse-response filter and including means for selecting one of said stored misuse threshold maps in response to the filtered crush zone acceleration signal, said controller controlling actuation of said actuatable occupant restraining system in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against said selected misuse threshold map and the crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold map.

3. An apparatus for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system of a vehicle comprising:

a crash sensor sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative of sensed crash acceleration;

a crush zone accelerometer assembly spaced from the passenger compartment at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing crush zone crash acceleration signals indicative of crash acceleration sensed at the crush zone location; and

a controller connected to the central crash sensor for determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal and connected to the crush zone accelerometer assembly for controlling actuation of first and second stages of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system, said controller determining if a crash event is a symmetric or asymmetric crash event in response to signals from the crush zone acceleration signals and controlling actuation of the second stage in response thereto.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said controller includes stored deployment map timings that map relative times between crossing of threshold values and times of second stage actuations, said controller selecting a timing map in response to a values from the crush zone sensor assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the crush zone sensor assembly includes two crush zone sensors, said controller selecting an asymmetric timing map then either crush zone sensor signal reaches a predetermined value.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the crush zone sensor assembly includes two crush zone sensors, said controller selecting an symmetric timing map then both crush zone sensor signals reach a predetermined value.

7. A method for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative of sensed crash acceleration;

sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing a crush zone crash acceleration signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed at the crush zone location;

determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal;

providing a plurality a predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold maps, two of said plurality of threshold maps relating to a second stage of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system;

selecting one of said two threshold maps relating to said second stage of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the crush zone acceleration signal; and

controlling second stage actuation in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the selected one of said two threshold maps.

8. A method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraining system of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative of sensed crash acceleration;

sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing a crush zone crash acceleration signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed at the crush zone location;

filtering the crush zone signal with an infinite-impulse-response filter;

determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal;

providing a crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold map is provided and a plurality of predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement misuse threshold maps is provided;

selecting one of said misuse threshold maps in response to the filtered crush zone acceleration signal; and

controlling actuation of the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against said selected misuse threshold map and the crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold map.

9. A method for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative of sensed crash acceleration;

sensing crush zone accelerometer assembly spaced from the passenger compartment at a crush zone location of the vehicle and providing crush zone crash acceleration signals indicative of crash acceleration sensed at the crush zone location;

determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal;

controlling actuation of first and second stages of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system, said controller determining if a crash event is a symmetric or asymmetric crash event in response to signals from the crush zone acceleration signals and controlling actuation of the second stage in response thereto.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of storing deployment map timings that map relative times between crossing of threshold values and times of second stage actuations, and selecting a timing map in response to a value from the crush zone sensor assembly.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of sensing crush zone acceleration includes sensing crush zone acceleration at two locations and the step of selecting includes selecting an asymmetric timing map when either crush zone sensor signal reaches a predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of sensing crush zone acceleration includes sensing crush zone acceleration at two locations and wherein the step of selecting includes selecting an symmetric timing map then both crush zone sensor signals reach a predetermined value.