Sensor integration for airbag deployment

• US 7,922,196 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rao, Manoharprasad K., Le, Jialiang, Chou, Clifford C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILHELM, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US11/761,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/730.2, 280/734, 701/45, 340/438, 340/440, 340/441
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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
• 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

A system and method for deploying one or more airbags in a vehicle is provided. The system comprises a passive detection device, an active detection device and a controller. The passive detection device is configured to present one or more passive signals indicative of the motion of the vehicle after the vehicle has experienced an impact. The active detection device is configured to present suspension information related to the vehicle that is indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact. The controller is configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to the suspension information and the one or more passive signals.

Claims

1. A safety device comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive lateral momentum information and suspension information to assess vehicle movement prior to a vehicle experiencing a rollover event;

receive at least one passive signal indicating that the vehicle is experiencing the rollover event; and

detect that the vehicle is experiencing the rollover event based on the lateral momentum information, the suspension information, and the at least one passive signal,

wherein the lateral momentum information is determined by m*v_lateral,

where m is defined as an overall weight of the vehicle including all occupants positioned therein and v_lateral is defined as a lateral velocity of the vehicle.

2. The safety device of claim 1 wherein the suspension information corresponds to measured forces experienced at a suspension of the vehicle.

3. The safety device of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to execute a plausibility mode by comparing the at least one passive signal to at least one predefined threshold prior to deploying at least one airbag.

4. The safety device of claim 3 wherein the at least one passive signal comprises vehicle roll rate information, vehicle lateral acceleration and vehicle vertical acceleration.

5. The safety device of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to deploy the at least one airbag after determining that the at least one passive signal exceeds the at least one predefined threshold.

6. The safety device of claim 5 wherein the at least one airbag includes a curtain airbag and a side airbag.

7. A method for detecting a vehicle rollover event, the method comprising:

receiving lateral momentum information and suspension information to assess vehicle movement prior to a vehicle experiencing a rollover event;

receiving at least one passive signal indicating that the vehicle is experiencing the rollover event; and

detecting that the vehicle is experiencing the rollover event based on the lateral momentum information, the suspension information, and the at least one passive signal,

wherein the lateral momentum information corresponds to a product of vehicle mass including an overall weight of occupants positioned therein and lateral velocity of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the suspension information corresponds to measured forces experienced at a suspension of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising executing a plausibility mode by comparing the at least one passive signal to at least one predefined threshold prior to deploying at least one airbag.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising deploying the at least one airbag after determining that the at least one passive signal exceeds the at least one predefined threshold.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one passive signal comprises vehicle roll rate information, vehicle lateral acceleration, and vehicle vertical acceleration.

12. A safety device comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive lateral momentum information to assess vehicle movement prior to a vehicle experiencing a vehicle impact;

receive at least one first passive signal indicating that the vehicle is experiencing the vehicle impact;

detect that the vehicle is experiencing the vehicle impact based on the lateral momentum information and the at least one first passive signal; and

receive at least one second passive signal such that a plausibility mode is executed with the at least one second passive signal and the lateral momentum information prior to deploying at least one airbag,

wherein the lateral momentum information corresponds to a product of vehicle mass including an overall weight of occupants positioned within the vehicle and vehicle lateral velocity.

13. The safety device of claim 12 wherein the at least one first passive signal comprises first lateral acceleration information, second lateral acceleration information, and pressure information corresponding to a pressure change of a cavity in the vehicle.

14. The safety device of claim 12 wherein the at least one second passive signal comprises first lateral acceleration information and second lateral acceleration information.

15. The safety device of claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to execute the plausibility mode by comparing the at least one second passive signal and the lateral momentum information to a first predefined threshold and a second predefined threshold, respectively.

16. The safety device of claim 15 wherein the controller is further configured to deploy the at least one airbag after determining that the at least one second passive signal exceeds the first predefined threshold and the lateral momentum information exceeds the second predefined threshold.

17. A safety system comprising:

a passive detection device being configured to transmit at least one passive signal indicative of a vehicle experiencing a rollover event;

an active detection device being configured to transmit lateral momentum information and suspension information;

a controller being configured to;

receive the lateral momentum information and the suspension information to assess vehicle movement prior to the vehicle experiencing the rollover event;

receive the at least one passive signal indicating that the vehicle is experiencing the rollover event; and

detect that the vehicle is experiencing the rollover event based on the lateral momentum information, the suspension information, and the at least one passive signal,

wherein the lateral momentum information corresponds to a product of vehicle mass including an overall weight of at least one occupant positioned therein and lateral velocity of the vehicle.

18. A safety system comprising:

a passive detection device being configured to transmit a first passive signal indicative of a vehicle experiencing an impact and a second passive signal;

an active detection device being configured to transmit lateral momentum information;

a controller being configured to;

receive the lateral momentum information to assess vehicle movement prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact;

receive the first passive signal;

detect that the vehicle is experiencing the impact based on the lateral momentum information and the first passive signal; and

receive the second passive signal such that a plausibility mode is executed with the second passive signal and the lateral momentum information prior to deploying at least one airbag,

wherein the lateral momentum information corresponds to a product of vehicle mass including an overall weight of at least one occupant positioned within the vehicle and vehicle lateral velocity.