WIRELESS AIRBAG APPARATUS

• US 20130038045A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: KWON, Hyock In, Kwak, Dae Young, Oh, Jae Geun, Lee, Jae Yun
• Application Number:
  US13/303,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343

Abstract

A wireless airbag apparatus may include an airbag control unit (ACU) receiving a sensing signal from a collision sensor and having a first wireless communication unit, and an airbag module having a second wireless communication unit and a power supply circuit to transceive a signal with the wireless communication unit of the ACU, wherein the power supply circuit supplies operating power to an inflator in accordance with a deployment signal of the airbag module.

Claims

1. A wireless airbag apparatus, comprising:

an airbag control unit (ACU) receiving a sensing signal from a collision sensor and having a first wireless communication unit; and

an airbag module having a second wireless communication unit and a power supply circuit to transceive a signal with the wireless communication unit of the ACU,

wherein the power supply circuit supplies operating power to an inflator in accordance with a deployment signal of the airbag module.

2. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit includes:

the second wireless communication unit generating the deployment signal for the inflator to deploy an airbag cushion;

a CPU generating a deployment command for the inflator in response to the deployment signal of the second wireless communication unit;

a capacitor accumulating power required to operate the inflator and to supply the power to the CPU;

a regulator regulating voltage to deploy the airbag cushion in response to the deployment command of the CPU; and

an ignition circuit receiving a regulated voltage of the regulator and transmitting an ignition signal to the inflator.

3. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the power accumulated in the capacitor is produced using surplus energy generated from a vehicle by a self-power generator.

4. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the self-power generator is included in the power supply circuit.

5. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the power accumulated in the capacitor is wirelessly transmitted from an external power source.

6. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the inflator and the ignition circuit are connected to each other via a squib connector.

7. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first wireless communication unit of the ACU and the second wireless communication unit of the airbag module include a transmitting part and a receiving part respectively.

8. The wireless airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the transmitting part of the airbag module transmits a connection signal and a deployment record of the airbag cushion to the receiving part of the ACU.