PASSENGER PROTECTION SYSTEM

• US 20140358379A1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• 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, Nakazawa, Yuu, Mase, Yusuke, Hagiwara, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,126,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A passenger protection system includes: first and second sensors that detect an impact applied to a vehicle in a width direction; a determination device that determines a collision by comparing a first detection signal from the first sensor with a first determination condition, and by comparing a second detection signal from the second sensor with a second determination condition; and a boarding position detector that detects a boarding position of a passenger. The determination device sets the first determination condition and the second determination condition according to the boarding position in such a manner that the first determination condition is different from the second determination condition.

Claims

1. A passenger protection system for a vehicle comprising:

a first sensor that detects an impact, which is applied to the vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle;

a second sensor that detects the impact, which is applied to the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle;

a determination device that determines a collision of the vehicle by comparing a first detection signal from the first sensor with a first determination condition, which determines a collision of the vehicle, and by comparing a second detection signal from the second sensor with a second determination condition, which determines the collision of the vehicle; and

a boarding position detector that detects a boarding position of a passenger,

wherein the determination device sets the first determination condition and the second determination condition according to the boarding position in such a manner that the first determination condition is different from the second determination condition.

2. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the determination device has a near side determination condition and a far side determination condition,

wherein the near side determination condition is used for one of the first and second sensors, which is disposed near a collision portion of the vehicle,

wherein the far side determination condition is used for the other of the first and second sensors, which is disposed far from the collision portion of the vehicle, and

wherein the determination device sets the first determination condition and the second determination condition in such a manner that a distance between the boarding position and the one of the first and second sensors is shorter than a distance between the boarding position and the other of the first and second sensors.

3. The passenger protection system according to claim 2,

wherein the near side determination condition provides a detection of the collision, and

wherein the far side determination condition provides a redundancy of the near side determination condition.

4. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the first and second sensors are arranged on one side of the vehicle.

5. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the first sensor is arranged on a first position corresponding to the boarding position, which is disposed on an utmost front end of the vehicle in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the second sensor is arranged on a second position corresponding to the boarding position, which is disposed on an utmost rear end of the vehicle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

6. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein both of the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged on a side door of the vehicle.

7. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the boarding position detector includes a seat slide sensor for detecting a sliding amount of a seat of the vehicle.