IMPACT DETECTING DEVICE

• US 20140285333A1
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamura, Yasuo, Takayama, Tateki, Otake, Yasuki, Nakashima, Tomoaki, Nagae, Norihiko, Kondo, Tsutomu, Miyata, Yujiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,261,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0007 Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence

Abstract

An impact detecting device includes a first impact detecting portion, a determining portion and an informing portion. The first impact detecting portion detects an impact applied to an object equipped to a vehicle. The determining portion determines that the object has received the impact when a detection result of the first impact detecting portion is greater than a first impact determination threshold. The informing portion informs that the object has received the impact, when the determining portion determines that the object has received the impact.

Claims

1. An impact detecting device comprising:

a first impact detecting portion detecting an impact applied to an object equipped to a vehicle;

a determining portion determining that the object has received the impact when a detection result of the first impact detecting portion is greater than a first impact determination threshold; and

an informing portion informing that the object has received the impact, when the determining portion determines that the object has received the impact.

2. The impact detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining portion determines that the object has received an impact, when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the first impact determination threshold and when a first integrated time that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a second impact determination threshold is greater than a first integrated time determination threshold, the second impact determination threshold being smaller than the first impact determination threshold.

3. The impact detecting device according to claim 2, wherein

the determining portion determines that the object has received an impact, when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the second impact determination threshold and when a second integrated time that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a third impact determination threshold is greater than a second integrated time determination threshold, the third impact determination threshold being smaller than the second impact determination threshold, and the second integrated time determination threshold being greater than the first integrated time determination threshold.

4. The impact detecting device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second impact detecting portion detecting an impact applied to the vehicle, wherein

the determining portion determines whether the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is greater than the first impact determination threshold, when a detection result of the second impact detecting portion is greater than a fourth impact determination threshold that is smaller than the third impact determination threshold.

5. The impact detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining portion determines that the object has received an impact, when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the first impact determination threshold and when a number of times that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a second impact determination threshold is greater than a first number determination threshold, the second impact determination threshold being smaller than the first impact determination threshold.

6. The impact detecting device according to claim 5, wherein

the determining portion determines that the object has received an impact, when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the second impact determination threshold and when a number of times that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a third impact determination threshold is greater than a second number determination threshold, the third impact determination threshold being smaller than the second impact determination threshold, and the second number determination threshold being greater than the first number determination threshold.

7. The impact detecting device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second impact detecting portion detecting an impact applied to the vehicle, wherein

the determining portion determines whether the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is greater than the first impact determination threshold, when a detection result of the second impact detecting portion is greater than a fourth impact determination threshold that is smaller than the third impact determination threshold.

8. The impact detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing portion storing information, wherein

when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the first impact determination threshold and when a first integrated time that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a second impact determination threshold is greater than a first integrated time determination threshold, the determining portion instructs the storing portion to store the first integrated time as the information, wherein the second impact determination threshold is smaller than the first impact determination threshold.

9. The impact detecting device according to claim 8, wherein

when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the second impact determination threshold and when a second integrated time that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a third impact determination threshold is greater than a second integrated time determination threshold, the determining portion instructs the storing portion to store the second integrated time as the information, wherein the third impact determination threshold is smaller than the second impact determination threshold, and the second integrated time determination threshold is greater than the first integrated time determination threshold.

10. The impact detecting device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second impact detecting portion detecting an impact applied to the vehicle, wherein

the determining portion determines whether the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is greater than the first impact determination threshold, when a detection result of the second impact detecting portion is greater than a fourth impact determination threshold that is smaller than the third impact determination threshold.

11. The impact detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing portion storing information, wherein

when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the first impact determination threshold and when a number of times that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a second determination threshold is greater than a first number determination threshold, the determining portion instructs the storing portion to store the number of times that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds the second determination threshold as the information, wherein the second impact determination threshold is smaller than the first impact determination threshold.

12. The impact detecting device according to claim 11, wherein

when the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is equal to or smaller than the second impact determination threshold and when a number of times that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds a third impact determination threshold is greater than a second number determination threshold, the determining portion instructs the storing portion to store the number of times that the detection result of the first impact detecting portion exceeds the third impact determination threshold as the information, wherein the third impact determination threshold is smaller than the second impact determination threshold, and the second number determination threshold is greater than the first number determination threshold.

13. The impact detecting device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a second impact detecting portion detecting an impact applied to the vehicle, wherein

the determining portion determines whether the detection result of the first impact detecting portion is greater than the first impact determination threshold, when a detection result of the second impact detecting portion is greater than a fourth impact determination threshold that is smaller than the third impact determination threshold.

14. The impact detecting device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining portion is provided by a control portion of an occupant protection control unit, the control portion controlling an operation of an occupant protection device of the vehicle based on an impact applied to the vehicle.

15. The impact detecting device according to claim 4, wherein

the second impact detecting portion is provided by an impact detecting sensor of an occupant protection control unit, and

the determining portion is provided by a control portion of the occupant protection control unit, the control portion controlling an operation of an occupant protection device of the vehicle based on a detection result of the impact detecting sensor.