Enhanced occupant spring mass model for use with an actuatable restraint system including compensating for monotonicity of misuse conditions

• US 6,439,007 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Weiss, Kevin Daniel, Delfino, Gustavo Andres, Foo, Chek-Peng, Sumner, Paul Leo, Wright, Timothy Chester
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/723,390
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 180/268, 180/274, 180/273, 180/282, 180/271, 280/735, 280/732, 280/806, 280/728.1, 242/379.1, 242/374, 242/376, 242/375.3, 297/483, 297/480, 177/144, 177/208, 200/61.53, 200/61.45 R, 442/203
• US Class Current: 70/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01315 monitoring occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 21/01336 using filtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/474 Swinging detent

Abstract

An apparatus for switching the value of a spring constant K used in a spring mass model (54, 56, 60, 70, 76) for modeling a vehicle occupant in an occupant restraint system (20) includes a sensor (22) for sensing a crash event and providing a crash signal (40) indicative thereof. The spring mass model adjusts the acceleration signal and determines a virtual velocity value (72) and a virtual displacement value (78). The spring value K of the spring mass model is controlled in response to the determined virtual velocity value and the determined virtual displacement value relative to associated switching quadrants defined by predetermined velocity and displacement thresholds.

Claims

1. A spring mass model for use in an actuatable occupant restraint system, said model comprising:

a switchable spring constant having a value responsive to a determined virtual crash velocity value.

2. The model of claim 1 wherein said switchable spring constant value is further responsive to a determined virtual crash displacement value.

3. An actuatable occupant restraint system comprising:

a crash sensor mountable to a vehicle and providing a crash signal in response to a vehicle crash event;

crash velocity determining means for determining a crash velocity value from said crash signal; and

,

crash determining means for determining the occurrence of a vehicle crash event in response to said determined crash velocity value, said crash determining means including a spring mass model for use in said crash determination, said spring mass model including a switchable spring constant switchable to a value responsive to said determined crash velocity value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

crash displacement determining means responsive to said crash signal for determining a crash displacement value, said switchable spring constant being further responsive to said determined crash displacement value.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

crash velocity comparing means for comparing said determined crash velocity value to a first predetermined crash velocity value;

crash displacement comparing means for comparing said determined crash displacement value to a first predetermined crash displacement value; and

wherein said spring mass model switches said spring constant value based upon the comparisons made by said crash velocity comparing means and said crash displacement comparing means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

flag means having a set condition only after

     1) said determined crash velocity value crosses said first predetermined crash velocity value and

     2) said determined crash displacement value crosses said first predetermined crash displacement value.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said spring mass model switches said spring constant value to a second value when said flag means is set and said determined crash velocity value crosses a second predetermined crash velocity value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said spring mass model switches said spring constant value to a third value when said determined crash displacement value crosses a second predetermined crash displacement value.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said spring mass model switches said spring constant value when (1) said determined crash velocity value crosses a first predetermined crash velocity value and said determined crash displacement value crosses a first predetermined crash displacement value and 2) said determined crash velocity value crosses a second predetermined crash velocity value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said spring mass model switches said spring constant value when said determined crash displacement value crosses a second predetermined crash displacement value.

11. An actuatable restraint system comprising:

accelerometer mounted to a vehicle for providing an electric signal indicative of crash acceleration;

spring mass model coupled to said crash acceleration signal for providing a modified crash acceleration signal indicative of the virtual acceleration of a vehicle occupant;

crash velocity determining means for determining a virtual crash velocity value from said virtual crash acceleration signal;

crash displacement determining means for determining virtual crash displacement value from said virtual crash acceleration signal;

crash determining means for monitoring said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value and determining the occurrence of a crash event in response thereto;

first quadrant switch boundary defined by a predetermined crash velocity value and a predetermined crash displacement value;

first determining means for determining when the value of said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value is within said first quadrant switch boundary;

second quadrant switch boundary defined by a predetermined crash velocity value and a predetermined crash displacement value;

second determining means for determining when the value of said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value is within said second quadrant switch boundary; and

,

means for controlling said spring value in response to said value of said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value being within said first and second quadrant switch boundaries.

12. A method for using a spring mass model in an actuatable occupant restraint system, said method comprising the steps of:

switching a spring constant value in response to a determined occupant crash velocity value.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of switching spring constant value is further responsive to a determined occupant crash displacement value.

14. A method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint system comprising the steps of:

mounting a crash sensor to a vehicle and providing a crash signal in response to a vehicle crash event;

determining a crash velocity value from said crash signal; and

,

determining the occurrence of a vehicle crash event in response to said determined crash velocity value, said step of determining including using a spring mass model and selecting a spring constant value responsive to said determined crash velocity value.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of determining a crash displacement value, and wherein said step of selecting a spring constant value is further responsive to said determined crash displacement value.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of comparing said determined crash velocity value to a first predetermined crash velocity value, comparing said determined crash displacement value to a first predetermined crash displacement value;

and switching said spring constant value based upon the comparisons.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of setting a flag when 1) said determined crash velocity value crosses said first predetermined crash velocity value and 2) said determined crash displacement value is crosses said first predetermined crash displacement value.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of switching said spring constant value to a second value when said flag means is set and said determined crash velocity value crosses a second predetermined crash velocity value.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of switching said spring constant value to a third value when said determined crash displacement value crosses a second predetermined crash displacement value.

20. A method for controlling an actuatable restraint system comprising the steps of:

mounting an accelerometer to the vehicle for providing an electric signal indicative of crash acceleration;

determining a spring mass model of said restraint system for providing a modified crash acceleration signal indicative of the virtual acceleration of a vehicle occupant;

determining a virtual crash velocity value from said virtual crash acceleration signal;

determining a virtual crash displacement value from said virtual crash acceleration signal;

determining the occurrence of a crash event in response to the determined virtual crash velocity value and said determined virtual crash displacement value;

determining when the value of said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value is within a first quadrant switch boundary defined by a predetermined crash velocity value and a predetermined crash displacement value;

determining when the value of said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value is within a second quadrant switch boundary defined by a predetermined crash velocity value and a predetermined crash displacement value; and

,

controlling said spring value in response to said value of said virtual crash velocity value and said virtual crash displacement value being within said first and second quadrant switch boundaries.