Control Method for Occupant Restraint Apparatus and Occupant Restraint Apparatus

• US 20080243343A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan GK
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Masayoshi, Abe, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/46
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01225 control of expansion volume
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling an occupant restraint apparatus are provided which allow the force applied to a nearby occupant to be optimized in response to collision conditions. In one form, a method for controlling an occupant restraint apparatus includes detecting an obstacle in a travelling direction of a vehicle that may potentially collide with the vehicle; predicting a type of collision between the obstacle detected and the vehicle; setting conditions for expanding an airbag of the vehicle based on the collision type predicted; and controlling the expansion of the airbag and/or gas discharge from the airbag according to the conditions set at the setting step. Detecting the obstacle preferably includes detecting the position and relative speed of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle based on images of views in the travelling direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an occupant restraint apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting an obstacle in a travelling direction of a vehicle that may potentially collide with the vehicle;

predicting a type of collision between the obstacle detected and the vehicle;

setting conditions for expanding an airbag of the vehicle based on the collision type predicted; and

controlling at least one of the expansion of the airbag and gas discharge from the airbag according to the conditions set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the obstacle comprises detecting the position and relative speed of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle based on images of views in the travelling direction of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the obstacle comprises detecting the position and relative speed of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle using a noncontact distance detecting device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the type of collision comprises predicting any one of a full-wrap frontal collision, an offset frontal collision, a diagonal collision, a pole frontal collision and a rollover.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the conditions for expanding the airbag comprises setting a threshold value of impact force for activating an inflator of the airbag.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the conditions for expanding the airbag comprises setting an area of an opening provided in the airbag and predetermined time to change the opening area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the conditions for expanding the airbag comprises setting a predetermined time to release a device for restricting the size of the expanded airbag.

8. The method for controlling an occupant restraint apparatus according of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting status of an occupant of the vehicle before the setting of the conditions for expanding the airbag, and wherein setting the conditions for expanding the airbag is based on both the collision type and the occupant status.

9. An occupant restraint apparatus comprising:

an obstacle detecting device for detecting a position and relative speed of an obstacle with respect to a vehicle with the obstacle being in a travelling direction of the vehicle and potentially coming into collision with the vehicle;

a collision predicting device for predicting a type of collision between the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting device and the vehicle;

a setting device for setting conditions for expanding an airbag of the vehicle based on the collision type predicted by the collision predicting device; and

an expansion controlling device for controlling at least of one of the expansion of the airbag and gas discharge from the airbag according to the conditions set by the setting device.

10. The occupant restraint apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an occupant detecting device for detecting status of an occupant of the vehicle, with the setting device setting the conditions for expanding the airbag based on both the collision type and the occupant status.

11. The occupant restraint apparatus of claim 9 wherein the object detecting device comprises a sensor that detects the object prior to contact between the object and vehicle.

12. The occupant restraint apparatus of claim 9 wherein the setting device sets a threshold level of impact force for deployment of the airbag based on the predicted collision type.

13. A method for controlling operation of an airbag for a vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying predetermined travel path parameters for the vehicle;

determining a vehicle travel path based on the predetermined vehicle travel path parameters;

detecting an object prior to a potential vehicle collision therewith;

determining if the detected object will be in the vehicle travel path for a potential collision with the vehicle;

predicting a type and strength of collision with the detected object if it is determined the detected object is or will be in the vehicle travel path; and

setting a threshold impact force at which the airbag is to be deployed based on the predicted collision type and strength.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining status of an occupant of the vehicle, and controlling an engagement force between the deployed airbag and the occupant based on the occupant status.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein determining if the detected object is or will be in the vehicle travel path comprises determining if the detected object is moving or stationary and, if stationary, determining if the detected stationary object is positioned in the vehicle path, or, if moving, determining travel conditions of the detected moving object including location of the object relative to the vehicle travel path.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein predicting the type of collision with the detected object includes predicting whether the collision is one of a pole front collision, a full-wrap frontal collision, an offset frontal collision, a diagonal collision, and a roll-over collision.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the offset frontal collision is predicted by determining that the angle between the detected object and the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold angle and determining that the distance between the respective centers of the detected object and the vehicle is greater than a predetermined threshold distance.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the pole frontal collision is predicted by determining that the angle between the detected object and the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold angle, determining that the distance between the respective centers of the detected object and the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold distance, and determining that the width of the detected object is less than a predetermined fraction of the width of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the full-wrap frontal collision is predicted by determining that the angle between the detected object and the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold angle, determining that the distance between the respective centers of the detected object and the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold distance, and determining that the width of the detected object is greater than a predetermined fraction of the width of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the roll-over collision is predicted by determining that the angle between the detected object and the vehicle is greater than a predetermined threshold angle, and determining that the height of the detected obstacle is less than a predetermined threshold height.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the diagonal collision is predicted by determining that the angle between the detected object and the vehicle is greater than the predetermined threshold angle, and determining that the height of the detected object is greater than a predetermined threshold height.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein predicting the strength of collision with the detected object comprises determining the size, relative speed, and relative acceleration of the detected object.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the predetermined travel path parameters for the vehicle include vehicle speed and vehicle steering angle.