Rollover Judgment Apparatus

• US 20080114509A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexgen Control Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ryoutaru, Tokunaga, Takashi, Inoue, Satoru, Yasui, Katsuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0233 Vehicle tilting, overturning or roll over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

A rollover judgment apparatus includes a threshold change functional unit 5 for changing a determination threshold on the basis of a roll angular velocity ω, a tilt angle θv of a vehicle which is acquired by integrating the roll angular velocity ω, a lateral direction acceleration Gy, and a steering wheel angle θs, an ω×θ map judging unit 6 for judging whether or not the vehicle will roll over on the basis of the determination threshold changed by the threshold change functional unit 5, and the tilt angle of the vehicle, a safing functional unit 7 for detecting a tip-up of the vehicle in relation to a motion of the vehicle, and a curtain air bag deploying unit 9 for controlling expansion of a curtain air bag on the basis of an output of the ω×θ map judging unit 6 and an output of the safing functional unit 7.

Claims

1. A rollover judgment apparatus for judging whether or not a vehicle will roll over by comparing each of an output of a roll angular velocity sensor and an output of either or both of a lateral direction acceleration sensor and a steering wheel angle sensor with a threshold, said device comprising:

a threshold change functional unit for changing the determination threshold on a basis of a roll angular velocity, a tilt angle of the vehicle which is acquired by integrating the roll angular velocity, and either or both of a lateral direction acceleration and a steering wheel angle;

a rollover judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle will roll over on a basis of the determination threshold changed by said threshold change functional unit, and said tilt angle of the vehicle;

a safing functional unit for detecting a tip-up of the vehicle in relation to a motion of the vehicle; and

a curtain air bag deploying unit for controlling expansion of a curtain air bag on a basis of an output of said rollover judging means and an output of said safing functional unit.

3. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said tilt angle of the vehicle has a direction opposite to that of said steering wheel angle, said roll angular velocity is larger than a first predetermined value, and said tilt angle of the vehicle is larger than a second predetermined value, said threshold change functional unit reduces the threshold of said map by a first predetermined amount, or reduces the threshold of said map by a second predetermined amount according to said steering wheel angle.

4. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said roll angular velocity is larger than a third predetermined value, and said lateral direction acceleration is larger than a fourth predetermined value, said threshold change functional unit reduces the threshold of said map by a second predetermined amount.

5. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said roll angular velocity is larger than a third predetermined amount, and a product of said lateral direction acceleration and said roll angular velocity is larger than a fifth predetermined value, said threshold change functional unit reduces the threshold of said map by a fourth predetermined amount.

6. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a product of said lateral direction acceleration and said roll angular velocity is larger than a sixth predetermined value, said threshold change functional unit reduces the threshold of said map by a third predetermined amount.

7. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said roll angular velocity and said tilt angle of the vehicle are larger than a seventh predetermined value, said threshold change functional unit reduces the threshold of said map by a fifth predetermined amount.

8. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said safing functional unit has a rollover safing function of monitoring pressures of all tires of the vehicle which are used when the vehicle is traveling, and, when the pressure of a tire becomes below a predetermined value, performing rollover safing.

9. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said safing functional unit has a rollover safing function of monitoring strokes of suspensions of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling, and, when the stroke of a suspension exceeds a predetermined threshold, judging that a tire of the vehicle has lifted off a ground.

10. The rollover judgment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said safing functional unit has a rollover safing function of, when a ratio between said lateral direction acceleration and an upward-or-downward direction acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold, judging that a tire of the vehicle has lifted off a ground.

2. A rollover judgment apparatus for judging whether or not a vehicle will roll over by comparing each of an output of a roll angular velocity sensor and an output of either or both of a lateral direction acceleration sensor and a steering wheel angle sensor with a threshold, said device comprising:

a threshold change functional unit for changing the determination threshold on a basis of a roll angular velocity, a tilt angle of the vehicle which is acquired by integrating the roll angular velocity, and either or both of a lateral direction acceleration and a steering acceleration which is acquired from a steering wheel angle;

a rollover judging means for judging whether or not the vehicle will roll over on a basis of the determination threshold changed by said threshold change functional unit, and said tilt angle of the vehicle;

a safing functional unit for detecting a tip-up of the vehicle in relation to a motion of the vehicle; and

a curtain air bag deploying unit for controlling expansion of a curtain air bag on a basis of an output of said rollover judging means and an output of said safing functional unit.