Collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles

• US 6,561,301 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kisanuki, Yoshikatsu, Miki, Kazuo, Hattori, Katsuhiko, Inoue, Tetsuzo, Hayashi, Sadayuki, Kozato, Akio, Kato, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US09/256,209
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 180/274, 340/436, 280/734
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/483 with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis
• 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 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/38 using means for lifting bonnets

Abstract

A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles having a collision detection device mounted on a part of the vehicle to detect the deformed amount of a collided portion deformed by collision of a collision object against the vehicle, and a collision object presuming device for presuming what object collided against the vehicle on the basis of the deformed amount of the collided portion detected, and the vehicle speed when the vehicle collided.

Claims

1. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles comprising:

a collision detection means mounted on a part of a vehicle for detecting a deformed amount of a collided portion deformed by collision of a collision object against said vehicle; and

a collision object presuming means for presuming said collision object collided against the vehicle on the basis of the deformed amount of said collided portion detected, and a vehicle speed before or when the vehicle collided,

wherein said, collision object presuming means comprises

a means for detecting a first output of said collision detection means when a detected signal reaches a threshold level, for detecting a second output of said collision detection means when a first predetermined time has passed after the time when said first output is detected and for comparing a difference of the first and second outputs with reference levels.

2. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein

said collision object presuming means further comprises a means for detecting a third output of said collision detection means when a second predetermined time has passed after the time when said first output or said second output is detected and for comparing difference of the first output or second output and third output with a reference level.

3. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein

the first and second predetermined time is predetermined in response to the vehicle speed.

4. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein

said collision object presuming means comprises means for presuming said collision object based on a time variation of said deformed amount.

5. The collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said collision object presuming means comprises means for presuming said collision object by comparing a time variation of said deformed amount with judgement reference data stored in advance.

6. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 5, wherein

said collision detection means comprises a collision detection sensor mounted in a bumper, for integrating a deformation force per unit width generated by the collision with a width in which the collision object acted on the vehicle.

7. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 6, wherein

said collision object presuming means comprises a first memory means for storing an input signal obtained by sampling at predetermined time intervals, a second memory means for storing the judgement reference data for comparison prepared at every vehicle speed, a comparison means for ranking the strength of the collision in response to the vehicle speed ranks, and a judgement means for presuming the collision object and determining a protective device and its operating modes.

8. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 7, further comprising

an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of a vehicle body in order to correct the judgement result of said collision object presuming means by the detected acceleration.

9. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 8, further comprising

an acceleration memory means for storing the detected acceleration through a band pass filter, an acceleration comparison means for determining a deceleration rank of the vehicle from the filtered acceleration and a judgement correction means for correcting the judgement result by the acceleration.

10. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 5, wherein

said collision detection means comprises a first and second collision detection sensors respectively provided with detection portions in a bumper.

11. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 10, wherein

said object presuming means comprises means for comparing time variations of electric signals from said first and second collision detection sensors with the judgment reference data on the basis of a determination algorithm.

12. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 5, wherein

said collision detection means comprises a first collision detection sensor arranged on a lower side at a central portion in a bumper, a second collision detection sensor arranged on an upper side at a right hand portion in said bumper, and a third collision detection sensor arranged on an upper side at a left hand portion in said bumper.

13. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles comprising:

a collision detection device mounted on a part of a vehicle and configured to detect a deformed amount of a collided portion deformed by collision of a collision object against said vehicle; and

a collision object judging device configured to judge what type of collision object collided against the vehicle based on the deformed amount of said collided portion detected, and a vehicle speed before or when the vehicle collided with the object,

wherein said collision object judging device includes a detector configured to detect a first output of said collision detection device when a detected signal reaches a threshold level, to detect a second output of said collision detection device when a first predetermined time has passed after the time when said first output is detected and to compare a difference of the first and second outputs with reference levels.

14. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 13, wherein

said collision object judging device judges the type of said collision object based on a time variation of said deformed amount.

15. The collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 13, wherein said collision object judging device judges the type of said collision object by comparing a time variation of said deformed amount with judgement reference data stored in advance.

16. A collision discrimination apparatus for vehicles according to claim 15, wherein

said collision detection device comprises a collision detection sensor mounted in a bumper configured to integrate deformation force per unit width generated by the collision with a width in which the collision object acted on the vehicle.

17. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 16, wherein

said collision object judging device comprises a first memory configured to store an input signal obtained by sampling at predetermined time intervals, a second memory configured to store the judgement reference data for comparison prepared at every vehicle speed, a comparator configured to rank the strength of the collision in response to the vehicle speed ranks, and a judgement unit configured to judge the type of collision object and to determine a protective device and its operating modes.

18. A collision discrimination apparatus for vehicles according to claim 17, further comprising

an acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration of the vehicle body in order to correct the judgement result of said collision object judging device by the detected acceleration.

19. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 18, further comprising

an acceleration memory configured to store the detected acceleration through a band pass filter, an acceleration comparator configured to determine a deceleration rank of the vehicle from the filtered acceleration and a judgment correction unit configured to correct the judgement result by the acceleration.

20. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 15, wherein

said collision detection device comprises first and second collision detection sensors respectively provided with detection portions in a bumper.

21. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 20, wherein

said collision object judging device comprises a comparator configured to compare time variations of electric signals from said first and second collision detection sensor with the judgement reference data on the basis of a determination algorithm.

22. A collision discriminating apparatus for vehicles according to claim 15, wherein

said collision detection device comprises a first collision detection sensor arranged on a lower side at a central portion in a bumper, a second collision detection sensor arranged on an upper side at a right hand portion in said bumper, and a third collision detection sensor arranged on an upper side at a left hand portion in said bumper.