Vehicle occupant restraining system

• US 6,082,764 A
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Nishida, Minoru, Seki, Makito
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTON, MICHAEL NMN
• Application Number:
  US09/084,450
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 704/45, 704/49
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01311 monitoring the braking system, e.g. ABS
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/46 Reels with means to tension the belt in an emergency by forced winding upelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 ; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraining system includes: a occupant restraining unit for restraining an occupant in a vehicle for his protection; a collision-recognition detecting unit for detecting whether or not the occupant recognizes an impending vehicle collision in advance; and a control unit for controlling the restraining operation of the occupant retraining unit depending on the result of the detection by the collision-recognition detecting unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant restraining system comprising:

occupant restraining means for restraining an occupant in a vehicle for his protection;

collision-recognition detecting means for detecting whether or not the occupant recognizes an impending vehicle collision in advance; and

control means for controlling the restraining operation of said occupant retraining means depending on the result of the detection by said collision-recognition detecting means.

2. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls a degree of the restraining.

3. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said occupant restraining means has a plural number of restraining means.

4. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 3, wherein said occupant restraining means includes first restraining means and second restraining means which is different from said first restraining means.

5. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 3, wherein said control means selects one of the occupant restraining means depending on the result of the detection by said collision-recognition detecting means.

6. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said occupant restraining means is an air bag.

7. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 6, wherein said control means controls an inflation of the air bag.

8. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 6, wherein said control means controls a direction in which said air bag inflates.

9. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said occupant restraining means is a seat belt.

10. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 9, wherein said control means controls a tension of said seat belt.

11. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, further comprising ambient-condition detecting means for detecting ambient conditions of a vehicle, and

wherein said collision-recognition detecting means detects whether or not the occupant recognizes an impending vehicle collision depending on the result of the detection by said ambient-condition detecting means.

12. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, further comprising:

ambient-condition detecting means for detecting ambient conditions of a vehicle, and

collision-anticipating means for anticipating an impending vehicle collision on the basis of the result of the detection by the ambient-condition detecting means, and

wherein said control means controls the restraining operation of said occupant restraining means on the basis of an anticipation made by said collision-anticipating means.

13. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 12, wherein said control means controls the restraining operation of said occupant restraining means on the basis of a time period ranging from an instant that said collision-anticipating means anticipates a vehicle collision till a vehicle collision actually occurs.

14. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 12, wherein said control means controls a time at which said occupant restraining means starts the operation of restraining an occupant.

15. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 6, wherein when said collision-recognition detecting means detects that an occupant fails to recognize a pressing vehicle collision, said control means performs such a control as to preferentially protect the head and/or the neck of the occupant against great impacts by collision.

16. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 10, wherein when said collision-recognition detecting means detects that an occupant fails to recognize a pressing vehicle collision, said control means controls a tension of the seat belt in response to a reactive motion of the vehicle body by its collision.

17. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said collision-recognition detecting means detects whether or not the occupant recognizes an impending vehicle collision on the basis of at least one of the direction in which the occupant turns his face, the direction of the sight line of the occupant and the keeping-awake state of the occupant.

18. A vehicle occupant restraining system according to claim 1, wherein said collision-recognition detecting means detects whether or not the occupant recognizes an impending vehicle collision on the basis of a condition of the braking operation by the occupant.