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Method of characterizing a vehicle crash event based on shear waves in the vehicle frame

  • US 7,675,820 B2
  • Filed: 04/17/2007
  • Issued: 03/09/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of characterizing an impact to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

  • sensing acoustic emission wave energy in a frame of the vehicle;

    isolating shear wave components of the sensed acoustic emission wave energy;

    characterizing a transmission of the isolated shear wave components through the frame to determine a direction of the impact;

    sensing the acoustic emission wave energy at first, second and third distributed locations on the frame;

    isolating the shear wave components of the sensed acoustic emission wave energy at each of the first, second and third locations;

    characterizing the transmission of the isolated shear wave components through the frame by identifying at time-of-arrival of the shear wave components at the first, second and third locations;

    determining the direction of the impact based on the identified times-of arrival;

    evaluating the identified times-of-arrival for plausibility; and

    issuing a diagnostic error report if the evaluation reveals that identified times-of-arrival are implausible.

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