Airbag firing electronic system for vehicles

• US 20070108749A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Baur, Richard, Urbahn, Jan, Weidner, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558

Abstract

A vehicle includes an airbag system, a sensor unit, which includes a first sensor module, which permits the sensing of actual driving conditions, and an electronic system, which fires the airbag system in the event of a crash and which is designed to evaluate the sensor signals that are provided by the sensor unit. The electronic system carries out a comparison of sensed actual driving conditions with predetermined critical driving conditions, which indicate a crash. The sensor unit includes a second sensor module, which senses in advance the environmental conditions of the vehicle, which after a certain period of time may lead to critical actual driving conditions. Critical actual driving conditions, whose imminent occurrence has been indicated in advance by the second sensor module, are rated by the electronic system as crash-free driving conditions.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an airbag system,

a sensor unit, including a first sensor module that sense actual driving conditions;

an electronic system that fires the airbag system in the event of a crash, evaluates sensor signals provided by the sensor unit, wherein the electronic system includes logic that compares sensed actual driving conditions with predetermined critical driving conditions indicating a crash,

wherein the sensor unit includes a second sensor module, the second sensor module senses in advance environmental conditions of the vehicle that after a certain period of time may lead to critical actual driving conditions,

wherein the electronic system rates the critical actual driving conditions whose imminent occurrence has been indicated in advance by the second sensor module as crash-free driving conditions.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes a sensor unit that scans an environment in the front area of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes a sensor unit that scans an environmental area of the vehicle that is located in front of front wheels of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes a sensor unit that scans an environmental area that is located up to one meter in front of front wheels of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes a sensor unit that scans an environmental area that is located up to two meters in front of front wheels of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes a sensor unit that scans road reliefs in an area located in front of front wheels of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes at least one radar sensor.

8. The vehicle claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes at least one optical sensor.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second sensor module includes at least one acoustic sensor.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the at least one acoustic sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is actively braked by braking intervention and the second sensor module senses the environmental conditions that on continued braking intervention may lead to critical actual driving conditions, brake pressures actuated at the individual brakes of the vehicle are decreased.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises:

wheel suspensions with actively controllable spring/damping characteristics, wherein when the second sensor senses the environmental conditions that may lead to critical actual driving conditions, the spring/damping characteristics are modified as a function of the expected critical driving conditions.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle further comprises:

a vehicle component positioned over a bearing in the vehicle and bearing characteristics of which are actively controllable, wherein when the second sensor module senses the environmental conditions that may lead to critical actual driving conditions, the bearing characteristics are modified as a function of the expected critical driving conditions.

14. A method for controlling airbag deployment, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving actual driving conditions from a first sensor;

comparing the sensed actual driving conditions with predetermined critical driving conditions;

determining that the comparison indicates a crash; and

receiving a second sensor input,

wherein when the second sensor input indicates that environmental conditions of the vehicle may lead to critical actual driving conditions after a certain period of time, then airbag deployment is suppressed.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the acts of:

modifying control of an active system when the second sensor input indicates that environmental conditions of the vehicle may lead to critical actual driving conditions after a certain period of time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the active system is an active braking intervention system, a wheel suspension system or a bearing characteristic control system.