Hybrid vehicle crash discrimination system

• US 6,070,113 A
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: White, Craig W., Rice, Debra A., Bruce, Michael P., Bennett, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/878,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 180/268, 180/271, 180/282, 280/735, 280/728.1, 280/802, 340/436, 340/438, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over

Abstract

A vehicular crash discrimination system (10) incorporates first (12) and second (14) crash sensors operatively coupled to a logic AND gate (16), which activates a safety restraint system (2). The first crash sensor (12) is mounted in a location which for a preferred sensing characteristic causes susceptibility to activation by crashes which are so directed that the safety restraint system (2) should not otherwise be activated. The second crash sensor (14), having a lower detection threshold than the first crash sensor (12), is mounted at a distinct location and is responsive to crashes for which the safety restraint system (2) is preferably activated, but is not responsive to those crashes which cause false activation of the first crash sensor (12). The instant invention thus provides for a preferred sensing characteristic determined by a first crash sensor mounted in an inferior location without being subject to false activation of the safety restraint system (2). In another aspect, the first crash sensor (2) incorporates a plurality of crash sensing characteristics and the selection of the active sensing characteristic is dependent upon the operative state of the second crash sensor (14).

Claims

1. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system, comprising:

a. a first crash sensor which outputs a first signal responsive to a vehicle crash, wherein said first crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic, whereby the location of said first crash sensor is such that said first crash sensor is susceptible to being activated responsive to a first type of said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated;

b. a second crash sensor which outputs a second signal responsive to said vehicle crash, wherein said second crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and the restraint sensing axis of said first crash sensor is in substantially the same direction as the restraint sensing axis of said second crash sensor, said second crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic, and said second crash sensor is at a distinct location relative to said first crash sensor, whereby said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to said first type of said vehicle crash, and said second crash sensor is activated responsive to a second type of said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should be activated; and

c. a means operatively coupled to said first and second crash sensors for forming a third signal which controls the activation of the safety restraint system, whereby said third signal is a logical AND combination of said first and second signals, and responsive to said second type of said vehicle crash said first crash sensor controls the activation of the safety restraint system.

2. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensing characteristic of said first crash sensor has a higher threshold than said sensing characteristic of said second crash sensor for said second type of said vehicle crash.

3. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicular crash discrimination system is in a vehicle having a vehicle crush zone and said second crash sensor is proximal to said vehicle crush zone.

4. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 3, wherein said sensing characteristic of said first crash sensor has a higher threshold than said sensing characteristic of said second crash sensor for said second type of said vehicle crash.

5. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system, comprising:

a. sensing the vehicle crash with a first crash sensor to generate a first signal, wherein said first crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic, whereby the location of said first crash sensor is such that said first crash sensor is susceptible to being activated responsive to a first type of said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated;

b. sensing the vehicle crash with a second crash sensor to generate a second signal, wherein said second crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and the restraint sensing axis of said first crash sensor is in substantially the same direction as the restraint sensing axis of said second crash sensor and said second crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic, and said second crash sensor is at a distinct location relative to said first crash sensor, whereby said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to said first type of said vehicle crash, and said second crash sensor is activated responsive to a second type of said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should be activated; and

c. forming a third signal which controls the activation of the safety restraint system, whereby said third signal is a logical AND combination of said first and second signals, and responsive to said second type of said vehicle crash said first crash sensor controls the activation of the safety restraint system.

6. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 5, wherein said sensing characteristic of said first crash sensor has a higher threshold than said sensing characteristic of said second crash sensor for said second type of said vehicle crash.

7. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 5, wherein the method of detecting a vehicle crash is performed in a vehicle having a vehicle crush zone and said second crash sensor is proximal to said vehicle crush zone.

8. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 7, wherein said sensing characteristic of said first crash sensor has a higher threshold than said sensing characteristic of said second crash sensor for said second type of said vehicle crash.

9. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system, comprising:

a. a first crash sensor which outputs a first signal responsive to a vehicle crash, wherein said first crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis;

b. a second crash sensor which outputs a second signal responsive to said vehicle crash, wherein said second crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and the restraint sensing axis of said first crash sensor is in substantially the same direction as the restraint sensing axis of said second crash sensor, said second crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic and said second crash sensor is at a distinct location relative to said first crash sensor;

c. a means for sensing the operative state of said second crash sensor; and

d. a means operatively coupled to said first and second crash sensors for forming a third signal which controls the activation of the safety restraint system, whereby said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic dependent upon the operative state of said second crash sensor, said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a first sensing characteristic and said third signal is a logical AND combination of said first and second signals if said second crash sensor is operative, said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a second sensing characteristic and said third signal is set substantially equal to said first signal if said second crash sensor is inoperative, and said sensing characteristic of said first crash sensor has a higher threshold than said sensing characteristic of said second crash sensor for said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should be activated.

10. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 9, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

11. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicular crash discrimination system is in a vehicle having a vehicle crush zone and said second crash sensor is proximal to said vehicle crush zone.

12. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 11, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

13. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 9, wherein said second sensing characteristic has a higher threshold than said first sensing characteristic.

14. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 13, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

15. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 14, wherein the vehicular crash discrimination system is in a vehicle having a vehicle crush zone and said second crash sensor is proximal to said vehicle crush zone.

16. A vehicular crash discrimination system for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 15, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to said vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

17. A vehicular crash discrimination system which utilizes crash and diagnostic signals from a second crash sensor and generates a signal for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system, comprising:

a. a first crash sensor which outputs a first signal responsive to a vehicle crash, wherein said first crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis; and

b. a means operatively coupled to said first crash sensor and to the signal from the second crash sensor for forming a third signal which controls the activation of the safety restraint system, wherein the second crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and the restraint sensing axis of said first crash sensor is in substantially the same direction as the restraint sensing axis of said second crash sensor, whereby said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic dependent upon the operative state of the second crash sensor, said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a first sensing characteristic and said third signal is a logical AND combination of said first signal and the second signal if the second crash sensor is operative, and said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a second sensing characteristic and said third signal is set substantially equal to said first signal if the second crash sensor is inoperative.

18. A vehicular crash discrimination system which utilizes crash and diagnostic signals from a second crash sensor and generates a signal for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system, as recited in claim 17, wherein said second sensing characteristic has a higher threshold than said first sensing characteristic.

19. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for activating a safety restraint system, comprising:

a. sensing the vehicle crash with a first crash sensor to generate a first signal, wherein said first crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis;

b. sensing the vehicle crash with a second crash sensor to generate a second signal, wherein said second crash sensor has a restraint sensing axis and the restraint sensing axis of said first crash sensor is in substantially the same direction as the restraint sensing axis of said second crash sensor and said second crash sensor is at a distinct location relative to said first crash sensor;

c. sensing the operative state of said second crash sensor; and

d. forming a third signal which controls the activation of the safety restraint system, whereby said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a sensing characteristic dependent upon the operative state of said second crash sensor, said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a first sensing characteristic and said third signal is a logical AND combination of said first and second signals if said second crash sensor is operative, said first crash sensor operates in accordance with a second sensing characteristic and said third signal is set substantially equal to said first signal if said second crash sensor is inoperative, and said sensing characteristic of said first crash sensor has a higher threshold than said sensing characteristic of said second crash sensor for the vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should be activated.

20. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 19, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to the vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

21. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 19, wherein the method of detecting a vehicle crash is performed in a vehicle having a vehicle crush zone and said second crash sensor is proximal to said vehicle crush zone.

22. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 21, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to the vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

23. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 19, wherein said second sensing characteristic has a higher threshold than said first sensing characteristic.

24. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 23, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to the vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.

25. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 23, wherein the method of detecting a vehicle crash is performed in a vehicle having a vehicle crush zone and said second crash sensor is proximal to said vehicle crush zone.

26. A method of detecting a vehicle crash for controlling the activation of a safety restraint system as recited in claim 25, wherein said second crash sensor is not activated responsive to the vehicle crash having a direction for which the safety restraint system should remain inactivated.