Control system for vehicle safety device

• US 5,363,301 A
• Filed: 02/20/1992
• Issued: 11/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bosch Electronics Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Zexel Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, COLLIN
• Application Number:
  US07/837,948
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.05, 180/271, 180/281, 180/282, 280/734, 280/735, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/46
• 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 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal

Abstract

In a control system for a vehicle safety device, when in addition to the condition that a total integral value of the acceleration and deceleration represented by a signal of an acceleration sensor exceeds a threshold level, the condition that the acceleration integral value becomes predetermined times greater than the deceleration integral value is satisfied, a trigger signal is outputted to the vehicle safety device.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle safety device comprising:

(a) an acceleration sensor for outputting a signal representative of acceleration of a vehicle when the vehicle is accelerated and for outputting a signal representative of deceleration of the vehicle when the vehicle is decelerated;

(b) total integral value calculation means for effecting an integral calculation in accordance with said signal from said acceleration sensor to produce a total integral value representative of a change in speed of the vehicle;

(c) first comparison means for comparing said total integral value with a threshold level;

(d) deceleration integrating means for integrating the deceleration component of said signal from said acceleration sensor to produce a deceleration integral value;

(e) acceleration integrating means for integrating the acceleration component of said signal from said acceleration sensor to produce an acceleration integral value;

(f) second comparison means for comparing said deceleration integral value with said acceleration integral value; and

(g) trigger signal outputting means for outputting a trigger signal to the vehicle safety device when said first comparison means judges that said total integral value increasing in the decelerating direction exceeds said threshold level, and said second comparison means judges that said deceleration integral value becomes predetermined times greater than said acceleration integral value.

2. A control system according to claim 1, in which said second comparison means comprises integral value ratio calculation means for producing an integral value ratio by dividing said deceleration integral value by said acceleration integral value, and integral value ratio comparison means for comparing said integral value ratio with a constant greater than 1.

3. A control system according to claim 1, in which said second comparison means comprises integral value ratio calculation means for producing an integral value ratio by dividing said acceleration integral value by said deceleration integral value, and integral value ratio comparison means for comparing said integral value ratio with a constant smaller than 1.

4. A control system according to claim 1, in which said total integral value calculation means comprises said acceleration integrating means, said deceleration integrating means, and auxiliary calculating means for obtaining said total integral value substantially in accordance with the difference between the absolute value of the deceleration integral value, obtained by said deceleration integrating means, and the absolute value of the acceleration integral value obtained by said acceleration integrating means.

5. A control system according to claim 1, in which said total integral value calculation means is independent of said acceleration integrating means and said deceleration integrating means, and integrates said signal of said acceleration sensor representing the acceleration and the deceleration, thereby producing the total integral value.