Ignition control method in passive safety device for vehicle

• US 6,218,738 B1
• Filed: 02/01/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujishima, Hiromichi
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/241,051
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 307/121, 280/735, 280/734, 280/728.1, 280/736, 340/436, 180/282
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• 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

An ignition control method in a passive safety device for a vehicle is provided which can achieve a sufficiently long back-up time achieved by a back-up condenser for power supply. The ignition control method includes a mode-shifting step of shifting the operation mode of an ignition control device from a normal mode to a low-power-consumption mode.

Claims

1. An ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device for a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a passive safety device including a high-response safety device which requires a relatively short time to determine a request of operation and a low-response safety device which requires a relatively long time to determine a request of operation;

detecting a predetermined state in which a request of operation to the low-response safety device is expected to occur; and

determining an establishment of a condition for shifting operation of the passive safety device from a normal mode to a low-power-consumption mode when at least one of a first condition that a predetermined time has elapsed after power supply is shut off and a second condition that the predetermined state is detected in said detecting step is established.

2. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

operating said passive safety device by using an on-board battery as power supply, and detecting shutoff of the power supply based on the voltage of the on-board battery.

3. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of determining comprises:

defining said predetermined time as a time required to positively operate said high-response safety device.

4. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of providing comprises:

providing a front air bag and/or a side air bag as said high-response safety device and providing a head-protecting air bag as said low-response safety device.

5. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 4, comprising:

performing at least one of the processes of shutting off power to a request-of-operation detecting part which detects a request of operation to said front and/or side air bags, shutting off an ignition signal to an ignition device for said front and/or side air bag, and lowering an operation clock frequency of said passive safety device when operation of said safety passive device is in said low-power-consumption mode.

6. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of detecting comprises:

defining said predetermined state as a state in which a roll over of a vehicle is expected to occur.

7. An ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device for a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a passive safety device including a front air bag and/or a side air bag which require a relatively short time to determine a request of operation and a head-protecting air bag which requires a relatively long time to determine a request of operation;

detecting a predetermined state in which a request of operation to the head-protecting air bag is expected to occur; and

determining an establishment of a condition for shifting operation of the passive safety device from a normal mode to a low-power-consumption mode when at least one of a first condition that a predetermined time has elapsed after power supply is shut off and a second condition that the predetermined state is detected in said detecting step is established.

8. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 7, comprising:

performing at least one of the processes of shutting off power to a request-of-operation detecting part which detects a request of operation to said front and/or side air bags, shutting off an ignition signal to an ignition device for said front and/or side air bag, and lowering an operation clock frequency of said passive safety device when operation of said safety passive device is in said low-power-consumption mode.

9. The ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said step of detecting comprises:

defining said predetermined state as a state in which a roll over of a vehicle is expected to occur.

10. An ignition control method for controlling an operation of a passive safety device for a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a power supply circuit in the passive safety device, the power supply circuit connected to a battery of the vehicle;

providing a switch circuit in the passive safety device, the power supply circuit being connected to an external power supply via the switch circuit, the switch circuit being constructed so that the connection between the power supply circuit and the external power supply is closed by the switch circuit when power supplied from the battery to the power supply circuit is shut off; and

supplying power from the external power supply to the power supply circuit of the passive safety device through the switch circuit when the power supply from the battery to the power supply circuit is shut off due to a collision of the vehicle.