Vehicle rollover prediction with occupant restraint system activation

• US 20090099735A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Le, Jialiang, McCoy, Robert William
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/46
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

An automobile rollover prediction and restraint device deployment system comprises a plurality of automobile data sensors to generate a plurality of data signals, and a controller to receive the data signals and configured to deploy resettable and non-resettable restraint devices. The controller is configured to activate at least one resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals exceed a first threshold, indicating that the vehicle is in a position or undergoing movement that indicates a potential for vehicle rollover, and to de-activate the at least one resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals fall below the first threshold.

Claims

1. A method for predicting vehicle rollover and activating an occupant restraint system, the method comprising:

receiving input signals for early detection of one or more of a vehicle position and vehicle movement that indicate a potential for vehicle rollover;

determining, based on at least some of the input signals, when a first pre-rollover stage threshold has been met;

activating at least a first resettable restraint device when the first pre-rollover stage threshold has been met;

determining, based on at least some of the input signals, when a second pre-rollover stage threshold has been met;

activating at least another resettable restraint device when the second pre-rollover stage threshold has been met;

determining, based on at least some of the input signals, when a first rollover stage threshold has been met;

activating at least a first non-resettable restraint device when the first rollover stage threshold has been met;

determining, based on at least some of the input signals, when a second rollover stage threshold has been met; and

activating at least another non-resettable restraint device when the second rollover stage threshold has been met.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the activated first resettable restraint device when the first pre-rollover stage threshold is no longer met.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising deactivating the activated other resettable restraint device when the second pre-rollover stage threshold is no longer met.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resettable restraint devices comprise one or more of a motorized electric or conventional load limiting retractor, an advanced rollover seat belt buckle, and a resettable seat bolster.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals comprise one or more of a roll rate, a roll angle, a yaw rate, a steering wheel rate, a steering wheel angle, a lateral acceleration, a vertical acceleration, a vehicle speed, a side slip angle, and a tire pressure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals used to determine the first pre-rollover stage comprise one or more of lateral speed and acceleration,

the input signals used to determine the second pre-rollover stage comprise one or more of lateral speed, vertical speed, yaw angle, yaw rate, and roll rate,

the input signals used to determine the first rollover stage comprise one or more of lateral speed, yaw rate, roll rate, yaw angle, and roll angle, and

the input signal used to determine the second rollover stage comprises roll angle.

7. A method for detecting one or more of a vehicle position and vehicle movement that indicate a potential for vehicle rollover, and activating an occupant restraint system, the method comprising:

receiving input signals for early detection of one or more of a vehicle position and vehicle movement that indicate a potential for vehicle rollover;

determining, based on at least some of the input signals, whether at least three thresholds are met prior to initiation of vehicle rollover; and

activating restraint devices as each of the at least three thresholds are met to keep vehicle occupants from moving within the vehicle to positions that are less suitable for inflatable restraint device deployment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein resettable restraint devices are activated when the first two thresholds of the at least three thresholds are met.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resettable restraint devices comprise one or more of a motorized electric or conventional load limiting retractor, an advanced rollover seat belt buckle, and a resettable seat bolster.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein activated resettable restraint devices are deactivated as the first two thresholds of the at least three thresholds are no longer met.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a non-resettable restraint devices is activated when the third thresholds of the at least three thresholds is met.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-resettable restraint device includes a buckle-mounted pyro-mechanical pretensioner.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the input signals comprise one or more of a roll rate, a roll angle, a yaw rate, a steering wheel rate, a steering wheel angle, a lateral acceleration, a vertical acceleration, a vehicle speed, a side slip angle, and a tire pressure.

14. An automobile rollover prediction and restraint device deployment system comprising:

a plurality of automobile data sensors to generate a plurality of data signals; and

a controller configured to receive the data signals and configured to deploy resettable and non-resettable restraint devices,

wherein the controller is configured to activate at least one resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals exceed a first threshold, indicating that the vehicle is in a position or undergoing movement that indicates a potential for vehicle rollover, and to de-activate the at least one resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals fall below the first threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data signals compared to the first threshold include one or more of lateral speed and acceleration.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to activate at least one additional resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals exceed a second threshold, and to de-activate the at least one additional resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals fall below the second threshold.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data signals compared to the first threshold include one or more of lateral speed, vertical speed, yaw angle, yaw rate, and roll rate.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to activate at least one non-resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals exceed a third threshold.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the data signals compared to the third threshold include one or more of lateral speed, yaw rate, roll rate, yaw angle, and roll angle.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to activate at least one additional non-resettable restraint device when one or more of the data signals exceed a fourth threshold.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein a data signal compared to the fourth threshold includes roll angle.