Vehicle Side Impact Detection Using Vehicle Yaw

• US 20130320654A1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Clark, Todd N., Le, Jialiang
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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: B60R 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis
• 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 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.

Claims

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.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the occupant safety system is activated in a first mode if the magnitude of the impact is above the first impact threshold and the vehicle yaw exceeds the yaw threshold, and the occupant safety system is activated in a second mode if the impact magnitude is above the second impact threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the first mode is adapted for a first collision type in which the vehicle experiences a relatively high level of yaw and the second mode is adapted for a second collision type in which the vehicle experiences a relatively low level of yaw.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining a longitudinal location of the impact on the vehicle by considering the impact magnitude and the vehicle yaw; and

activating the occupant safety system in a manner dependent upon the longitudinal location.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a first vehicle yaw prior to occurrence of the impact;

detecting a second vehicle yaw after occurrence of the impact;

determining a yaw impulse caused by the impact based upon a comparison of the first and second vehicle yaws; and

using the yaw impulse to determine an activation mode of the occupant safety system.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the vehicle yaw is detected by an accelerometer.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the lateral impact is detected by an accelerometer.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of activating an occupant restraint system comprises deploying a curtain airbag.

9. A method comprising:

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.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein step of activating the occupant safety system comprises:

activating the occupant safety system in a first mode if the longitudinal location is relatively far from a center-of-gravity of the vehicle; and

activating the occupant safety system in a second mode if the longitudinal location is relatively close to the center-of-gravity.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the first mode is adapted for a first collision type in which the vehicle experiences a relatively high level of yaw and the second mode is adapted for a second collision type in which the vehicle experiences a relatively low level of yaw.

12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

detecting a first vehicle yaw prior to occurrence of the impact;

detecting a second vehicle yaw after occurrence of the impact;

determining a yaw impulse caused by the impact based upon a comparison of the first and second vehicle yaws; and

using the yaw impulse to determine an activation mode of the occupant safety system.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein the vehicle yaw is detected by an accelerometer.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein the lateral impact is detected by an accelerometer.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of activating an occupant restraint system comprises deploying a curtain airbag.

16. A safety system for a motor vehicle comprising:

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;

or

b) the impact magnitude detected by the sensor suite is greater than a second threshold higher than the first threshold.

17. The safety system according to claim 16 wherein the control module activates the occupant safety system in a first mode if condition a) is met, and activates the occupant safety system in a second mode if condition b) is met.

18. The safety system according to claim 16 wherein the sensor suite comprises an accelerometer for detecting the impact magnitude.

19. The safety system according to claim 16 wherein the sensor suite comprises an accelerometer for detecting the vehicle yaw magnitude.

20. The safety system according to claim 16 wherein the occupant safety system comprises a side curtain airbag.