Airbag Deployment Control Based on Seat Parameters

• US 20060244246A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Duvall, Wilbur E., Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

Airbag control arrangement for a vehicle including an airbag system having at least one airbag, a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by the airbag(s), a seat position sensor system for determining the seat'"'"'s position, and a control system for controlling deployment of the airbag(s). The control system is coupled to the seat position sensor system and determines deployment for the airbag(s) based on the determined position of the seat. Deployment of each airbag may be based only on the determined position of the seat, i.e., not based on information about the occupant or occupying item of the seat. The control system can suppress deployment of the airbag(s) or provide for a depowered deployment when the seat position sensor system indicates that the seat is in a forwardmost position.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters;

a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag;

a seat position sensor system arranged to determine the position of said seat; and

a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat position sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein deployment for said at least one airbag is based only on the determined position of said seat.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control system is arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag when said seat position sensor system indicates that said seat is in a forwardmost position.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle;

said control system being coupled to said crash sensor system.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a seatbelt associated with said seat; and

a seatbelt spool-out sensor system arranged to determine a spooled-out length of said seatbelt, said control system being coupled to said spool-out sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat and the determined spooled-out length of said seatbelt.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said seat includes a bottom portion and a back portion arranged at an angle to said bottom portion, further comprising:

a seat back angle sensor system arranged to determine an angle between said back portion and said bottom portion, said control system being coupled to said seat back angle sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based only on the determined position of said seat and the determined angle between said back portion and said bottom portion.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a seatbelt associated with said seat and having a buckle; and

a seat belt buckle sensor system arranged to determine whether said seatbelt is buckled, said control system being coupled to said seat belt buckle sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based only on the determined position of said seat and whether said seatbelt is buckled.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said seat includes a bottom portion and a back portion arranged at an angle to said bottom portion, further comprising:

a seatbelt associated with said seat;

a seatbelt spool-out sensor system arranged to determine a spooled-out length of said seatbelt; and

a seat back angle sensor system arranged to determine an angle between said back portion and said bottom portion, said control system being coupled to said spool-out sensor system and said seat back angle sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based only on the determined position of said seat, the determined spooled-out length of said seatbelt and the determined angle between said seat back and said bottom portion.

9. A vehicle comprising:

an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters;

a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag;

a seat sensor system arranged to determine parameters relating to said seat; and

a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat sensor system and determining deployment parameters for said at least one airbag based only on the determined parameters relating to said seat and not on parameters relating to the occupant of said seat.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said seat includes a bottom portion, a back portion arranged at an angle to said bottom portion and an associated seatbelt having a buckle, said seat sensor system being arranged to determine one or more of:

a position of said bottom portion of said seat, an angle between said bottom portion and said back portion, a spooled-out length of said seatbelt, and whether said buckle is fastened.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said seat sensor system includes a seat position sensor arranged to determine a position of said seat such that said control system determines deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said seat includes an associated seatbelt, said seat sensor system including a seatbelt spool-out sensor arranged to determine a spooled-out length of said seatbelt such that said control system determines deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined spooled-out length of said seatbelt.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said seat includes a bottom portion and a back portion arranged at an angle to said bottom portion, said seat sensor system including a seat back angle sensor arranged to determine an angle between said back portion and said bottom portion such that said control system determines deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined angle between said back portion and said bottom portion.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said seat includes an associated seatbelt having a buckle, said seat sensor system including a seat belt buckle sensor system arranged to determine whether said seatbelt is buckled such that said control system determines deployment for said at least one airbag based on whether said seatbelt is buckled.

15. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:

determining a position of a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; and

determining deployment for the airbag based on the determined position of the seat.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein deployment of the airbag is based only on the determined position of the seat.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a spooled-out length of a seatbelt associated with the seat; and

determining deployment for the airbag based on the determined position of the seat and the determined spooled-out length of the seatbelt.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining an angle between a back portion and a bottom portion of the seat; and

determining deployment for the airbag based only on the determined position of the seat and the determined angle between the back portion and the bottom portion.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determine whether a seatbelt associated with the seat is buckled; and

determining deployment for the airbag based only on the determined position of the seat and whether the seatbelt is buckled.

20. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:

determining parameters relating to a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; and

determining deployment for the airbag based only on the determined parameters relating to the seat and not on parameters relating to the occupant of the seat.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of determining parameters relating to the seat comprises one or more of:

determining a position of a bottom portion of the seat;

determining an angle between a bottom portion and a back portion of the seat;

determining a spooled-out length of a seatbelt associated with the seat; and

determining whether a buckle of a seatbelt associated with the seat is fastened.