WEARABLE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090127835A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hsiu-Ping Lin
• Original Assignee: Hsiu-Ping Lin
• Inventors: LIN, HSIU-PING
• Application Number:
  US12/263,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20090127835A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.100
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/018 inflatable automatically
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2600/102 Motorcycling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• 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: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/1255 inflatable

Abstract

The present invention is related to a wearable airbag system applied for protecting a human on a vehicle. The wearable airbag system may include a wearable airbag module and a measurement module. The wearable airbag module may include an airbag configured to expand the volume of the airbag if the airbag is inflated and an inflator configured to be coupled with the airbag and generate a gas to inflate the airbag. The measurement module may be configured to measure a condition of the vehicle and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the condition achieves or exceeds a limitation.

Claims

1. A wearable airbag system applied for protecting a human on a vehicle, comprising:

a wearable airbag module comprising;

an airbag configured to expand the volume of the airbag if the airbag is inflated; and

an inflator configured to be coupled with the airbag and generate a gas to inflate the airbag; and

a measurement module configured to measure a condition of the vehicle, and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the condition achieves or exceeds a limitation.

2. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the measurement module comprises:

a tilt measurement module configured to measure a tilt condition of the vehicle as the condition,

wherein the limitation is a tilt limitation of the vehicle and the inflator inflates the airbag if the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the tilt limitation of the vehicle.

3. The wearable airbag system of claim 2, wherein the tilt measurement module comprises:

an accelerometer configured to measure the tilt condition of the vehicle; and

a compare module configured to compare the tilt condition of the vehicle with the tilt limitation of the vehicle,

wherein the inflator inflates the airbag if the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the tilt limitation of the vehicle.

4. The wearable airbag system of claim 2, wherein the tilt measurement module comprises:

a mercury switch configured to be turned off if the tilt condition of the vehicle does not achieve or exceed the tilt limitation of the vehicle and turned on if the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the tilt limitation of the vehicle; and

a control module configured to be coupled with the mercury switch and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the mercury switch is turned on.

5. The wearable airbag system of claim 2, wherein the tilt measurement module comprises:

a mercury switch configured to be turned on if the tilt condition of the vehicle does not achieve or exceed the tilt limitation of the vehicle and turned off if the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the tilt limitation of the vehicle; and

an inflator control module configured to be coupled with the mercury switch and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the mercury switch is turned off.

6. The wearable airbag system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle comprises a first tire and a second tire, the tilt measurement module comprising:

a tire pressure measurement module configured to measure a first tire pressure of the first tire and the second tire pressure of the second tire, and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the value of the first tire pressure and/or the second tire pressure varies from a range because that the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the tilt limitation of the vehicle.

7. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the measurement module comprises:

an impact measurement module disposed on the vehicle, the impact measurement module being configured to measure the value of impact force acting on the vehicle; and

a compare module configured to compare the intensity of the impact force with a intensity limitation value, and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the intensity of the impact force achieves or exceeds a intensity limitation value.

8. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the measurement module comprises:

an accelerometer configured to measure variation of a speed of the vehicle in a predetermined time interval; and

a compare module configured to compare the variation of the speed of the vehicle in the predetermined time interval with a speed variation limitation of the vehicle, and control the inflator to inflate the airbag if the variation of the speed of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the speed variation limitation of the vehicle.

9. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising:

a setup module configured to setup or change the limitation.

10. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the measurement module generate a inflation signal, the wearable airbag system further comprising:

a wireless transmission module, coupled with the measurement module, configured to transmit the inflation signal if the condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the limitation of the vehicle; and

a wireless receiver module, coupled with the inflator, configured to receive the inflation signal,

wherein the inflator inflates the airbag if the wireless receiver module receives the inflation signal.

11. The wearable airbag system of claim 10, wherein the wireless transmission module comprises at least one of a radio frequency transmitter configured to transmit the inflation signal at radio frequency, an RFID transmitter configured to transmit the inflation signal through radio frequency identification or other electromagnetic wave transmitter capable of transmitting the inflation signal through electromagnetic wave.

12. The wearable airbag system of claim 10, further comprising:

a encoder module configured to encode the inflation signal; and

a decoder module configured to decode the encoded inflation signal.

13. The wearable airbag system of claim 10, further comprising:

a encryption module configured to encrypt the inflation signal; and

a decryption module configured to decrypt the encrypted inflation signal.

14. The wearable airbag system of claim 10, further comprising:

a first sensor module configured to sense if the wireless transmission module is wirelessly coupled with the wireless receiver module.

15. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor module configured to sense if the vehicle is moving at a speed over a speed limitation or not,

wherein if the vehicle is moving at the speed over the speed limitation, the inflator is capable of inflating the airbag when the condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the limitation, and if the first switch is turned off, the airbag is never inflated no matter the condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the limitation or not.

16. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch, wherein if the first switch is turned on, the inflator is capable of inflating the airbag when the condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the limitation, and if the first switch is turned off, the airbag is never inflated no matter the condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds the limitation or not.

17. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second switch configured to make the inflator inflates the airbag no matter what condition of the vehicle if the second switch is turned on.

18. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises at least a bicycle, a motorcycle, a car, a train, a boat or an airplane.

19. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the wearable airbag module is configured to be worn in clothes or out of the clothes.

20. The wearable airbag system of claim 1, wherein the measurement module is configured to be attached on the vehicle and thus move according to the vehicle.

21. A method for protecting a human on a vehicle with wearable airbag, the method comprising:

measuring a condition of the vehicle;

deciding if the condition achieves or exceeds a limitation or not; and

inflating an airbag of a wearable airbag module if the condition achieves or exceeds a limitation,

wherein the wearable airbag module comprises an airbag and an inflator configured to inflate the airbag.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the condition of the vehicle comprises at least one of a tilt condition of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle and an impact force acting on the vehicle,

wherein the measuring a condition of the vehicle comprises measuring if the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds a tilt limitation, if variation of the speed of the vehicle in a predetermined time interval achieves or exceeds a speed variation limitation or if the intensity of impact force acting on the vehicle achieves or exceeds an intensity limitation, according to the measured condition of the vehicle, and

the inflating a wearable airbag module configured to be worn by the human if the condition achieves or exceeds the limitation comprising inflating the airbag of the wearable airbag module if the tilt condition of the vehicle achieves or exceeds a tilt limitation, if the variation of the speed of the vehicle in the predetermined time interval achieves or exceeds a speed variation limitation or if the intensity of the impact force acting on the vehicle achieves or exceeds the intensity limitation, accordingly,

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the vehicle comprises a first tire and a second tire, the measuring a condition of the vehicle comprising measuring first tire pressure of the first tire or measuring second tire pressure of the second tire,

wherein the inflating a wearable airbag module configured to be worn by the human if the condition achieves or exceeds the limitation comprising inflating the airbag of the wearable airbag module if the first tire pressure or the second tire pressure achieves or exceeds a first tire pressure limitation or a second tire pressure limitation, respectively.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising

setting up or changing the limitation.

25. A method for protecting a human on a vehicle with wearable airbag, the method comprising:

deciding if the vehicle is moving at a speed over a speed limitation or not;

deciding if a transmitter disposed on the vehicle works regularly to be capable of transmitting a link signal or not;

deciding if a receiver coupled with a wearable airbag module works regularly to be capable of receiving the link signal or not,

wherein the wearable airbag module comprises an airbag and an inflator coupled with the airbag and capable of inflating the airbag;

deciding if the intensity of the link signal received by the receiver coupled with the wearable airbag module is smaller than or equal to an signal intensity limitation or not; and

controlling the inflator of the wearable airbag module to inflate the airbag of the wearable airbag module if the vehicle is moving at a speed over the speed limitation, the transmitter works regularly to be capable of transmitting the link signal, the receiver works regularly to be capable of receiving the link signal, and the intensity of the link signal is smaller than or equal to an signal intensity limitation.