Passenger protection apparatus

• US 7,761,206 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Sawahata, Toshikatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/384,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01325 Vertical acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

A passenger protection apparatus (1) includes a rollover angular speed detection device (10), which detects a rollover angular speed during vehicle rollover, a rollover determination device (14), which conducts a determination of the vehicle rollover based on the rollover angular speed detected by the rollover angular speed detection device (10) and a rollover angle obtained from the rollover angular speed, a passenger protector (2), which operates in accordance with a determination result of the rollover determination device (14) to protect a passenger, a vertical G sensor (11), which detects an acceleration of an up and down direction of the vehicle; a horizontal G sensor (12), which detects an acceleration of a right and left direction of the vehicle, and an angular speed sensor error determination device (16), which conducts a determination whether or not a zero-point drift of the rollover angular speed detection device (10) occurs based on a detected signal of the vertical G sensor (11) or the horizontal G sensor (12).

Claims

1. A passenger protection apparatus, comprising:

a rollover angular speed detection device, which detects a rollover angular speed during vehicle rollover;

a rollover determination device, which conducts a determination of the vehicle rollover based on the rollover angular speed detected by the rollover angular speed detection device and a rollover angle obtained from the rollover angular speed;

a passenger protector, which operates in accordance with a determination result of the rollover determination device to protect a passenger;

a vertical G sensor, which detects an acceleration of an up and down direction of the vehicle;

a horizontal G sensor, which detects an acceleration of a right and left direction of the vehicle; and

an angular speed sensor error determination device, which determines whether or not a zero-point drift of the rollover angular speed detection device is observed by comparing a previously set error determination threshold, based on a detected signal of the vertical G sensor or the horizontal G sensor, and said rollover angular speed from the rollover angular speed detection device.

2. A passenger protection apparatus, comprising:

a rollover angular speed detection device, which detects a rollover angular speed during vehicle rollover;

a rollover determination device, which conducts a determination of the vehicle rollover based on the rollover angular speed detected by the rollover angular speed detection device and a rollover angle obtained from the rollover angular speed;

a passenger protector, which operates in accordance with a determination result of the rollover determination device to protect a passenger;

a vertical G sensor, which detects an acceleration of an up and down direction of the vehicle;

a horizontal G sensor, which detects an acceleration of a right and left direction of the vehicle; and

an angular speed sensor error determination device, which determines whether or not a zero-point drift of the rollover angular speed detection device is observed by comparing a previously set error determination threshold, based on a detected signal of the vertical G sensor or the horizontal G sensor, and said rollover angular speed from the rollover angular speed detection device.

3. A passenger protection apparatus, comprising:

a rollover angular speed detection device, which detects a rollover angular speed during vehicle rollover;

a rollover determination device, which conducts a determination of the vehicle rollover based on the rollover angular speed detected by the rollover angular speed detection device and a rollover angle obtained from the rollover angular speed;

a passenger protector, which operates in accordance with a determination result of the rollover determination device to protect a passenger;

a vertical G sensor, which detects an acceleration of an up and down direction of the vehicle;

a horizontal G sensor, which detects an acceleration of a right and left direction of the vehicle; and

a G sensor error determination device, which determines whether or not a zero-point drift of the vertical G sensor or the horizontal G sensor occurs by comparing a previously set error determination threshold, based on a detected signal of the rollover angular speed detection device, and a vertical G signal input from said vertical G sensor or a horizontal G signal input from said horizontal G sensor.

4. A passenger protection apparatus, comprising:

a rollover angular speed detection device, which detects a rollover angular speed during vehicle rollover;

a rollover determination device, which conducts a determination of the vehicle rollover based on the rollover angular speed detected by the rollover angular speed detection device and a rollover angle obtained from the rollover angular speed;

a passenger protector, which operates in accordance with a determination result of the rollover determination device to protect a passenger;

a vertical G sensor, which detects an acceleration of an up and down direction of the vehicle;

a horizontal G sensor, which detects an acceleration of a right and left direction of the vehicle; and

a drift-correction device, which calculates a zero-point drift value of the rollover angular speed detection device based on the detected signal of the vertical G sensor or the horizontal G sensor and a detected signal of the rollover angular speed detection device, and corrects a detected signal of the rollover angular speed detection device by using the zero-point drift value.

5. A passenger protection apparatus, comprising:

a rollover angular speed detection device, which detects a rollover angular speed during vehicle rollover;

a rollover determination device, which conducts a determination of the vehicle rollover based on the rollover angular speed detected by the rollover angular speed detection device and a rollover angle obtained from the rollover angular speed;

a passenger protector, which operates in accordance with a determination result of the rollover determination device to protect a passenger;

a vertical G sensor, which detects an acceleration of an up and down direction of the vehicle;

a horizontal G sensor, which detects an acceleration of a right and left direction of the vehicle; and

a drift-correction device, which calculates a zero-point drift value of the rollover angular speed detection device based on detected signals of the vertical G sensor and the horizontal G sensor and a detected signal of the rollover angular speed detection device, and corrects the detected signal of the rollover angular speed detection device by using the zero-point drift value.