VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20150375703A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: MODI, VIPUL A., DOLAN, JOHN R., CHURCHWELL, JAMES M., OTT, CHRISTIAN G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,776,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves

Abstract

A vehicle control system and a method for prolonging or extending the availability of certain safety-related features after an ignition unit has switched off or otherwise become inactive. The method can provide some safety-related features following an unintended ignition event, such as the type that can occur when the vehicle is involved in a multiple collision accident and the force of the initial impact unintentionally jars or switches the ignition unit off. In one example, the method uses a prolongation timer to temporarily power an airbag control module so that it is capable of sensing a crash and deploying an airbag for a period of time following the ignition being switched off.

Claims

1. A method of using a vehicle control system with an ignition unit, comprising the steps of:

determining if an ignition status is inactive;

determining if the vehicle is stationary; and

when the ignition status is inactive and the vehicle is stationary, temporarily extending the availability of one or more safety-related features offered by the vehicle control system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if an ignition status is inactive further comprises determining an ignition position of an ignition unit, and then determining if the ignition position corresponds to an active ignition status or an inactive ignition status.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if an ignition status is inactive further comprises detecting a change in an ignition status, and then determining if the ignition status after the change corresponds to an active ignition status or an inactive ignition status.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the vehicle is stationary further comprises comparing a vehicle speed reading to a speed threshold and concluding that the vehicle is stationary when the vehicle speed reading is less than the speed threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of temporarily extending the availability of one or more safety-related features further comprises starting a prolongation timer and enabling the safety-related features or maintaining the safety-related features in an enabled state so long as the prolongation timer has not expired.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the prolongation timer uses a predetermined static duration that is between about 3 and 10 seconds.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the prolongation timer uses a dynamic duration that is based on one or more inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of temporarily extending the availability of one or more safety-related features further comprises powering one or more control modules within the vehicle so that the control modules are capable of providing the safety-related features for a certain period of time after the ignition status becomes inactive.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of temporarily extending the availability of one or more safety-related features further comprises powering an airbag control module so that the airbag control module is capable of sensing a crash and deploying an airbag for a certain period of time after the ignition status becomes inactive.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of:

enabling one or more safety-related features or maintaining one or more safety-related features in an enabled state without a prolongation timer when it is determined that the ignition status is active.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of:

enabling one or more safety-related features or maintaining one or more safety-related features in an enabled state without a prolongation timer when it is determined that the ignition status is inactive and the vehicle is in motion.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of:

enabling one or more safety-related features or maintaining one or more safety-related features in an enabled state when it is determined that the ignition status is inactive, the vehicle in stationary, and the ignition status recently changed from active to inactive.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of:

enabling one or more safety-related features or maintaining one or more safety-related features in an enabled state when it is determined that the ignition status is inactive, the vehicle in stationary, and the shift lever position is in drive.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of:

enabling one or more safety-related features or maintaining one or more safety-related features in an enabled state when it is determined that the ignition status is inactive, the vehicle in stationary, and a sensor indicates that there are one or more occupants in the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprises the step of:

disabling one or more safety-related features or maintaining one or more safety-related features in a disabled state when it is determined that the ignition status is inactive, the vehicle in stationary, and a prolongation timer has expired.

16. A method of using a vehicle control system with an ignition unit, comprising the steps of:

determining if an ignition status is inactive;

determining if the vehicle is in motion; and

when the ignition status is inactive and the vehicle is in motion, extending the availability of one or more safety-related features offered by the vehicle control system so long as the vehicle stays in motion.

17. A method of using a vehicle control system with an ignition unit, comprising the steps of:

determining if an ignition status is inactive;

determining if the vehicle is stationary; and

when the ignition status is inactive and the vehicle is stationary, using a prolongation timer to temporarily enable an airbag control module so that the airbag control module is capable of sensing a crash and deploying an airbag for a certain period of time after the ignition status becomes inactive.