Vehicle Side Impact Detection Using Vehicle Yaw
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- detecting a lateral impact on a motor vehicle;
detecting a yaw of the vehicle;
activating an occupant safety system if a) the impact has a magnitude above a first impact threshold and b) the vehicle yaw exceeds a yaw threshold; and
activating the occupant safety system if the impact magnitude is above a second impact threshold higher than the first impact threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety system for a motor vehicle includes a sensor suite detecting a lateral impact and a vehicle yaw, an occupant safety system, and a control module receiving signals from the sensor suite. The control module activates the occupant safety system if either: a) an impact magnitude detected by the sensor suite is greater than a first impact threshold and a vehicle yaw magnitude detected by the sensor suite is greater than a yaw threshold; or b) the impact magnitude is greater than a second impact threshold higher than the first impact threshold. The system may be operated to determine a longitudinal location of the impact on the vehicle by comparing a magnitude of the impact and a magnitude of the vehicle yaw. The occupant safety system may then be activated in a mode based upon the longitudinal location of the impact and/or appropriate for a spinning vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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detecting a lateral impact on a motor vehicle; detecting a yaw of the vehicle; activating an occupant safety system if a) the impact has a magnitude above a first impact threshold and b) the vehicle yaw exceeds a yaw threshold; and activating the occupant safety system if the impact magnitude is above a second impact threshold higher than the first impact threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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detecting a lateral impact on a motor vehicle; detecting a yaw of the vehicle after the impact; determining a longitudinal location of the impact by comparing a magnitude of the impact and a magnitude of the vehicle yaw; and activating an occupant safety system based upon the longitudinal location of the impact. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A safety system for a motor vehicle comprising:
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a sensor suite operative to detect a lateral impact and a vehicle yaw; an occupant safety system; and a control module receiving signals from the sensor suite and activating the occupant safety system if either; a) an impact magnitude detected by the sensor suite is greater than a first impact threshold and a vehicle yaw magnitude detected by the sensor suite is greater than a yaw threshold;
orb) the impact magnitude detected by the sensor suite is greater than a second threshold higher than the first threshold. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification