Vehicle crash determining apparatus

• US 6,480,772 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Toshiyuki, Ugusa, Aki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/987,056
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/36, 280/728.1, 280/734, 280/735, 307/9.1, 180/232, 180/271, 180/282, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/46
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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

A discrimination is made between a soft crashing in which a relatively low acceleration signal continues for a long period of time and a low-speed head-on crashing so that an air bag can be started at an appropriate timing. An occupant protecting apparatus for that purpose is made up of: a first comparator for comparing an output signal of an acceleration sensor which detects an impact at the time of crashing of a vehicle and a first threshold value; a second comparator for comparing an integrated value of an integrator which integrates an output of the first comparator within a predetermined section and a second threshold value while making a shift by a unit time within a predetermined section; and a starting device for controlling the starting of the air bag based on an output signal of the second comparator.

Claims

1. A vehicle crash determining apparatus comprising:

an acceleration sensor for detecting an impact at a time of crashing of a vehicle;

a first comparing means for comparing an output signal of said acceleration sensor and a first threshold value;

an integrating means for integrating an output of said first comparing means within a predetermined section while making a shift by a unit time;

a second comparing means for determining a necessity of starting an occupant protection means by comparing an integrated value of said integrating means with a second threshold value; and

a starting means for controlling a starting of said occupant protection means based on an output signal of said second comparing means.

3. The vehicle crash determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an attenuating means for attenuating a high-frequency component in the output signal from said acceleration sensor to thereby input a resultant product into said first comparing means.

2. A vehicle crash determining apparatus comprising:

an acceleration sensor for detecting an impact at a time of crashing of a vehicle;

a first comparing means for comparing an output signal of said acceleration sensor with a first threshold value;

a subtracting means for subtracting a predetermined constant value from an output of said first comparing means;

an integrating means with a reset function for integrating an output of said subtracting means to thereby forcibly reset an integrated value thus obtained to zero when the integrated value falls below zero;

a second comparing means for determining a necessity of starting an occupant protection means by comparing said integrated value of said integrating means and a second threshold value; and

a starting means for controlling a starting of said occupant protection means based on an output signal of said second comparing means.

4. The vehicle crash determining apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an attenuating means for attenuating a high-frequency component in the output signal from said acceleration sensor to thereby input a resultant product into said first comparing means.

5. A vehicle crash determining apparatus comprising:

an acceleration sensor for detecting an impact at a time of crashing of a vehicle;

a first comparing circuit that compares an output signal of the acceleration sensor and a first threshold value;

an integrating circuit that integrates an output of the first comparing circuit within a predetermined section while making a shift by a unit time;

a second comparing circuit that determines a necessity of starting an occupant protection device by comparing an integrated value of the integrating circuit with a second threshold value; and

a starting circuit that starts the occupant protection device based on an output signal of the second comparing circuit.