METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECONSTRUCTING AN ACCIDENT USING SIDE SATELLITE LATERAL ACCELERATION SENSORS

• US 20070124048A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Clark, Todd, Reddy, Yeruva
• Granted Patent: US 7,536,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis
• 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

An automotive vehicle (10) includes a restraint control module (12) coupled to a memory (50). During an impact, data from various sensors including lateral acceleration sensors (30,32) are stored in the memory (50). A computing device (56) with a memory (58) is used to download the data from the lateral acceleration sensors (30,32) and various other sensors for reconstruction of an accident. From the lateral acceleration sensors (30), (32), a determination may be made as to the struck or unstruck side of the vehicle. The lateral acceleration from the unstruck side of the vehicle is used in the reconstruction.

Claims

1. A method for reconstructing an accident comprising:

determining a longitudinal struck side of the vehicle corresponding to an impact from a plurality of crash sensors;

utilizing lateral accelerometer data on the opposite side of the vehicle to the struck side.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the lateral accelerometer comprises a side satellite sensor.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the side satellite sensor is mounted in a door.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the side satellite sensor is mounted in a B-pillar.

5. A method of performing an accident reconstruction comprising:

storing data from a first side satellite sensor and data from a second side satellite sensor in a memory;

loading the data from the first side satellite and the data from the second side satellite onto a computing device;

determining a crash direction corresponding to the first side satellite sensor; and

using the data from the second side satellite sensor in a reconstruction.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein determining a crash direction comprises comparing the data from the first side satellite sensor and the second side sensor satellite.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising using other sensors in the reconstruction.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the other sensors comprise a longitudinal acceleration sensor.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the other sensors comprise a vehicle speed sensor.

10. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the other sensors comprise a system output.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the system output comprises a brake system output.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the system output comprises a camera output.

13. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the computing device is coupled to a vehicle connector.

14. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the first side sensor is mounted in a door.

15. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the first side satellite sensor is mounted in a B-pillar.

16. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein determining a crash direction comprises comparing the data from the first side satellite sensor and the second side sensor satellite.

17. A system for reconstructing an accident comprising:

a first side satellite lateral acceleration sensor generating a first data set;

a second side satellite lateral acceleration sensor generating a second data set;

a memory storing the first data set and the second data set; and

a computing device downloading the first data set and the second data set, said computing device determining a struck side of the vehicle corresponding to an impact from the first side satellite data and the second side satellite data and utilizing data from a non-struck side in a reconstruction.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 further comprising a longitudinal acceleration sensor.

19. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the side satellite sensor is mounted in a door.

20. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the side satellite sensor is mounted in a B-pillar.