AUTOMOTIVE IMPACT SENSING SYSTEM

• US 20090306857A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Greene, Stephen, Sulkowski, Michael W., Katz, Beverly M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,374,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/48 combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
• 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

A motor vehicle impact sensing system for a vehicle that includes a controller that is connected to a pressure sensor that cooperates with a discrete deformable vessel. The pressure sensor is operatively positioned relative to the deformable vessel such that changes in the vessel generate a signal indicative of a pressure change. The signal associated with the pressure change is communicated from the pressure sensor to the controller. If the signal exceeds a threshold, such as where there is a rapid pressure increase in the vessel, the controller initiates one or more safety measures, such as deploying airbags or the like, to reduce the effects of an undesired impact. The deformable vessel and pressure sensor form a sensor assembly that can be located in one or more of various locations throughout the vehicle including its front end, its doors, quarter panels, side panels, and/or its rear end.

Claims

1. An impact sensing system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a deformable vessel enclosing a volume, the vessel being located between first and second portions of the motor vehicle;

a pressure sensor operatively connected to the deformable vessel; and

a controller configured to receive a signal from the pressure sensor and to determine a rate of change in relative position of the first portion of the motor vehicle relative to the second portion of the motor vehicle based on a rate of change of a pressure in the volume.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to differentiate between impact and non-impact events.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller detects a threshold pressure change such that values above the threshold are associated with impact events requiring safety measures and values below the threshold are associated with events not requiring safety measures.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to deploy safety measures during an impact event.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the safety measures include at least one of deploying an airbag, applying brakes, restraint interaction, altering engine performance, altering drive train performance, and altering suspension performance.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the motor vehicle is one of a bumper and a frame and the second portion of the motor vehicle is the other one of the bumper and the frame.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising another deformable vessel and pressure sensor connected to the motor vehicle at a location remote from the first deformable vessel and pressure sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an acceleration detector configured to communicate a signal indicative of a change in an acceleration condition to the controller.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the controller uses signals from the pressure sensor and signals from the acceleration detector to determine an impact condition.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a vessel located between a bumper and a frame member of the vehicle, the vessel shaped such that altering a shape of the vessel changes a pressure associated therewith;

a pressure sensor positioned proximate the vessel and configured to detect changes in the pressure of the vessel; and

a controller connected to the vehicle and configured to receive a signal from the pressure sensor, the controller being configured to detect changes in relative positions of the bumper and the frame member based on the signal received from the pressure sensor.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to determine a rate of change of the pressure in the volume of the vessel.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the controller utilizes the rate of pressure change to differentiate between events requiring safety measures and events not requiring safety measures.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 further comprising an accelerometer configured to communicate a signal to the controller that is indicative of a change in acceleration of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the vessel is defined by a deformable container.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 wherein the deformable container is replaceable.

16. The vehicle of claim 10 further comprising a bus linking the pressure sensor to the controller.

17. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein, if the signal received from the pressure sensor exceeds a threshold, the controller is configured to initiate at least one of an air bag deployment, a change in suspension performance, a change in engine operation, a change in transmission operation, or a change in braking.

18. A method for assessing automotive impact events of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

generating a signal associated with a change in pressure proximate an area of interest of a vehicle;

communicating the signal to a controller;

deploying a safety measure if the signal exceeds a desired value.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the signal is generated by a pressure sensor operatively associated with a deformable pressure vessel and the area of interest is proximate a bumper of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the safety measure is at least one of an airbag deployment and interfering with an operating system of the vehicle.