Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint device using a velocity/displacement based safing function with immunity box

• US 6,549,836 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Shields, Anne Marie, Yeh, Huahn Fern, Lee, Tien Hsiung, Foo, Chek-Peng, Sumner, Paul Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/589,444
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/45, 701/46, 280/734, 280/728.1, 280/735, 180/274, 180/282, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• 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 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device having a plurality of actuatable stages (24, 26), the apparatus including a crash sensor (14, 16) for sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (22) determines a velocity value (74) and a displacement value (80) from the crash acceleration signal. A safing function controls enabling and disabling of a deployment control circuit in response to the determined velocity (74) and displacement (80) values. A displacement based velocity threshold (133) and a displacement threshold value (125) define an immunity box. The velocity threshold value (133) varies as a step function of displacement. If the velocity/displacement values are within the immunity box, the safing function is in a disabling condition. If either value is outside of the immunity box, the safing function is in an enabling condition. A side impact sensor (28) and side impact crash event circuit (122) determine if a side impact crash event is occurring. If a side impact crash event is occurring, the threshold values (125, 133) of the immunity box are adjusted.

Claims

1. A safing apparatus for disabling and enabling an actuatable occupant restraint device, said safing apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value are within a threshold crash immunity box, wherein said immunity box is defined by a crash velocity threshold value having a displacement based function and a crash displacement threshold value.

2. The safing apparatus of claim 1 further including means for adjusting the crash velocity threshold value and the crash displacement threshold value in response to a sensed sideways crash event.

3. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

sensing means for sensing a crash event and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

velocity determining means responsive to said crash acceleration signal for determining a velocity value in response thereto;

displacement determining means responsive to said crash acceleration signal for determining a displacement value in response thereto; and

,

safing means for disabling and enabling the actuatable restraint device in response to the sensed crash event, said safing means having;

means for determining a velocity threshold value in response to the determined displacement value,

first comparing means for comparing the velocity threshold value with said determined velocity value,

means for determining a displacement threshold value,

second comparing means for comparing the displacement threshold value with said determined displacement value, and

means for controlling disabling and enabling of the actuatable restraint device in response to the comparison of the velocity threshold value with the determined velocity value and in response to the comparison of the displacement threshold value with the determined displacement value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further including:

side impact sensing means for sensing a sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto;

means for adjusting the value of the displacement threshold value in response to a determination of a sideways crash event; and

means for adjusting the value of the velocity threshold value in response to the determination of a sideways crash event.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further including:

side impact sensing means for sensing a sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto; and

means for adjusting the value of the displacement threshold value in response to a determined sideways crash event.

6. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

sensing means for sensing a crash event and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

velocity determining means responsive to said crash acceleration signal for determining a velocity value in response thereto;

displacement determining means responsive to said crash acceleration signal for determining a displacement value in response thereto;

safing means for disabling and enabling the actuatable restraint device in response to the sensed crash event, said safing means having;

means for determining a velocity threshold value in response to the determined displacement value,

means for comparing the velocity threshold value with said determined velocity value,

means for controlling disabling and enabling of the actuatable restraint device in response to the comparison of the velocity threshold value with the determined velocity value;

side impact sensing means for sensing a sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto; and

means for adjusting the value of the velocity threshold value in response to the determined sideways crash event.

7. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

sensing means for sensing a crash event and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

displacement determining means responsive to said crash acceleration signal for determining a displacement value in response thereto; and

,

side impact sensing means for sensing a sideways acceleration and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

means for determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto;

safing means for disabling and enabling the actuatable restraint device in response to the sensed crash event, said safing means having;

a displacement threshold value,

means for comparing the displacement threshold value with said determined displacement value,

means for adjusting the value of the displacement threshold value in response to a determined sideways crash event, and

means for controlling disabling and enabling of the actuatable restraint device in response to the comparison of the displacement threshold value with the determined displacement value.

8. A method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device comprising the steps of:

sensing a crash event and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining a velocity value responsive to said crash acceleration signal;

determining a displacement value responsive to said crash acceleration signal;

determining a velocity threshold value in response to the determined displacement value;

comparing the velocity threshold value with said determined velocity value;

determining a displacement threshold value;

comparing the displacement threshold value with said determined displacement value; and

controlling disabling and enabling of the actuatable restraint device in response to the step of comparing the velocity threshold value with the determined velocity value and in response to the step of comparing the displacement threshold value with the determined displacement value.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

sensing a sideways acceleration and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto;

adjusting the value of the displacement threshold value in response to a determined sideways crash event; and

adjusting the value of the velocity threshold value in response to the determined sideways crash event.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

sensing a sideways acceleration and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto; and

adjusting the value of the displacement threshold value in response to a determined sideways crash event.

11. A method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device comprising the steps of:

sensing a crash event and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining a velocity value responsive to said crash acceleration signal;

determining a displacement value responsive to said crash acceleration signal;

determining a velocity threshold value in response to the determined displacement value;

comparing the velocity threshold value with said determined velocity value;

controlling disabling and enabling of the actuatable restraint device in response to the step of comparing the velocity threshold value with the determined velocity value;

sensing a sideways acceleration and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto; and

adjusting the value of the velocity threshold value in response to the determined sideways crash event.

12. A method for controlling an actuatable occupant restrain device, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing a crash event and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining a displacement value responsive to said crash acceleration signal;

sensing a sideways acceleration and providing a sideways crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;

determining if a sideways crash event has occurred from said sideways crash acceleration signal and providing a sideways crash event signal in response thereto;

determining a displacement threshold value,

comparing the determined displacement threshold value with said determined displacement value,

adjusting the value of the displacement threshold value in response to a determined sideways crash event, and

controlling disabling and enabling of the actuatable restraint device in response to the comparison of the displacement threshold value with the determined displacement value.

13. A safing method for disabling and enabling an actuatable occupant restraint device, said safing method comprising the steps of:

defining a threshold crash immunity box by a crash velocity threshold value having a displacement based function and a crash displacement threshold value;

determining whether a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value are within the crash immunity box; and

enabling and disabling the actuatable occupant restraint device in response to the determination.

14. The safing method of claim 13 further including the steps of sensing a sideways crash event and adjusting the crash velocity threshold value and the crash displacement threshold value in response to the sensed sideways crash event.