Occupant protection system for vehicle

• US 7,434,834 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ueno, Yukiyasu, Mihara, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth; Eric
• Application Number:
  US11/019,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/274, 180/282
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• 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 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide an occupant protection system for a vehicle, in which an erroneous determination for a rear crash can be avoided. An output signal from an acceleration sensor for a front crash as well as an output signal from a back sonar sensor is also inputted to an electronic control unit (ECU), in addition to an output signal from a main rear crash sensor. Then, the ECU finally determines that a rear crash has occurred, only when the ECU respectively determines the rear crash from each of output signals from the main rear crash sensor, the front crash acceleration sensor and the back sonar sensor.

Claims

1. An occupant protection system for a vehicle, comprising:

an occupant protection device provided in the vehicle;

a first acceleration sensor provided in the vehicle for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, to generate a first acceleration signal corresponding to detected acceleration;

a rear vehicle recognition means provided at a rear side of the vehicle for recognizing a rear vehicle, to generate a recognition signal corresponding to a recognized condition; and

an electronic control unit provided in the vehicle and having a rear crash detecting means for determining a rear crash,

wherein the electronic control unit comprises;

a first rear crash detection portion for receiving the first acceleration signal from the first acceleration sensor and outputting a first rear crash signal, when the first rear crash detection portion determines that a rear crash has occurred based on the first acceleration signal from the first acceleration sensor,

an obstacle detection portion for receiving the recognition signal from the rear vehicle recognition means and outputting a second rear crash signal, when the obstacle detection portion determines that a rear crash has occurred based on the recognition signal from the rear vehicle recognition means, and

a rear crash processing means for receiving the first and second rear crash signals and outputting a control signal to the occupant protection device, only when both of the first and second rear crash signals are outputted at the same time to the rear crash processing means, and

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means comprises a vehicle distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle and outputting an output signal indicating the detected distance.

2. An occupant protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means comprises:

an image recognition means for recognizing an image of the rear vehicle; and

an image processing means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle, by processing the images recognized by the image recognition means;

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means outputs an output signal indicating the detected distance based on the image processing.

3. An occupant protection system for a vehicle, comprising:

an occupant protection device provided in the vehicle;

a first acceleration sensor provided in the vehicle for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, to generate a first acceleration signal corresponding to detected acceleration;

a rear vehicle recognition means provided at a rear side of the vehicle for recognizing a rear vehicle, to generate a recognition signal corresponding to a recognized condition; and

an electronic control unit provided in the vehicle and having a rear crash detecting means for determining a rear crash,

wherein the electronic control unit comprises;

a first rear crash detection portion for receiving the first acceleration signal from the first acceleration sensor and outputting a first rear crash signal, when the first rear crash detection portion determines that a rear crash has occurred based on the first acceleration signal from the first acceleration sensor,

an obstacle detection portion for receiving the recognition signal from the rear vehicle recognition means and outputting a second rear crash signal, when the obstacle detection portion determines that a rear crash has occurred based on the recognition signal from the rear vehicle recognition means, and

a rear crash processing means for receiving the first and second rear crash signals and outputting a control signal to the occupant protection device, only when both of the first and second rear crash signals are outputted at the same time to the rear crash processing means,

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means comprises a back sonar sensor for detecting a distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle, by sending out a sonic wave in a backward direction of the vehicle and receiving a reflected sonic wave, and

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means outputs an output signal indicating the detected distance based on the reflected sonic wave.

4. An occupant protection system for a vehicle, comprising:

an occupant protection device provided in a vehicle;

a first sensor provided in the vehicle for generating a first detection signal corresponding to a first detected crash metric;

a second sensor provided in the vehicle for generating a second detection signal corresponding to a second detected crash metric;

a first rear crash detection portion for making a first determination whether a rear crash has occurred based on the first detection signal, and generating a first rear crash signal if the first determination is that the rear crash has occurred;

a second rear crash detection portion for making a second determination whether the rear crash has occurred based on the second detection signal, and generating a second rear crash signal if the second determination is that the rear crash has occurred; and

a rear crash processing means for receiving the first and second rear crash signals, and generating a control signal to the occupant protection device indicating that the rear crash has occurred based on the first and second rear crash signals,

wherein the rear crash processing means generates the control signal only when it receives both the first and second rear crash signals,

wherein the first sensor is an acceleration sensor,

wherein the first detected crash metric is a detected acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the second sensor is a rear vehicle recognition means,

wherein the second detected crash metric is a recognition signal corresponding to a recognized condition, and

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means comprises a vehicle distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle and outputting an output signal indicating the detected distance.

5. An occupant protection system for a vehicle, comprising:

an occupant protection device provided in a vehicle;

a first sensor provided in the vehicle for generating a first detection signal corresponding to a first detected crash metric;

a second sensor provided in the vehicle for generating a second detection signal corresponding to a second detected crash metric;

a first rear crash detection portion for making a first determination whether a rear crash has occurred based on the first detection signal, and generating a first rear crash signal if the first determination is that the rear crash has occurred;

a second rear crash detection portion for making a second determination whether the rear crash has occurred based on the second detection signal, and generating a second rear crash signal if the second determination is that the rear crash has occurred;

a rear crash processing means for receiving the first and second rear crash signals, and generating a control signal to the occupant protection device indicating that the rear crash has occurred based on the first and second rear crash signals;

a third sensor provided in the vehicle for generating a third detection signal corresponding to a third detected crash metric; and

a third rear crash detection portion for making a third determination whether the rear crash has occurred based on the third detection signal, and generating a third rear crash signal if the third determination is that the rear crash has occurred,

wherein the rear crash processing means generates the control signal only when it receives both the first and second rear crash signals,

wherein the rear crash processing means receives the first, second, and third rear crash signals, and generates the control signal based on the first, second, and third rear crash signals,

wherein the rear crash processing means generates the control signal only when it receives all of the first, second, and third rear crash signals,

wherein the first sensor is a first acceleration sensor,

wherein the first detected crash metric is a first detected acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the second sensor is a second acceleration sensor,

wherein the second detected crash metric is a second detected acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the third sensor is a rear vehicle recognition means,

wherein the third detected crash metric is a recognition signal corresponding to a recognized condition, and

wherein the rear vehicle recognition means comprises a vehicle distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle and outputting an output signal indicating the detected distance.