Collision detection device for vehicle

• US 8,181,730 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Higuchi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US12/660,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100212989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/274, 701/45
• US Class Current: 180/274
• 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 collision detection device for a vehicle includes an air chamber space, a pressure sensor and a collision determination portion. The air chamber space is arranged in the vehicle, and a pressure therein is changed in accordance with a collision with the vehicle. The pressure sensor detects a pressure change in the air chamber space. The collision determination portion determines the collision with the vehicle. An output value of the pressure sensor is integrated by time to calculate an integration value, and the collision with the vehicle is determined based on a threshold value set with respect to the integration value, and the output value of the pressure sensor. Therefore, when the collision with the vehicle occurs, whether an occupant protection device should be activated can be determined promptly.

Claims

1. A collision detection device for a vehicle, comprising:

an air chamber space arranged in the vehicle and configured so that a pressure in the air chamber space changes in accordance with a collision with the vehicle;

a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure change in the air chamber space; and

a collision determination portion configured to determine the collision with the vehicle based on an output value of the pressure sensor, wherein

the collision determination portion calculates an integration value by integrating the output value of the pressure sensor by a time, and calculates a pressure change amount based on the output value of the pressure sensor,

the collision determination portion determines the collision with the vehicle by comparing the pressure change amount with a threshold value set with respect to the integration value, in a relation of the pressure change amount with respect to the integration value.

2. The collision detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the integration value of the collision determination portion is calculated by adding a first integration value and a second integration value, the first integration value being based on a previous integration value, which has been calculated by integration using output values of the pressure sensor until a previous time prior to a set present time, and the second integration value being calculated by integrating a pressure change amount by a time period between the previous time and the set present time.

3. The collision detection device according to claim 2, wherein

the first integration value is calculated by multiplying the previous integration value and a coefficient that is set to one or a value less than one corresponding to an output value at the set present time.

4. The collision detection device according to claim 1, wherein

the threshold value is set to a plurality of different values with respect to the integration value, based on an output characteristic of the pressure sensor in the collision with the vehicle.

5. The collision detection device according to claim 4, wherein

the threshold value including the plurality of different values is set to a smaller value with a decrease in the corresponding integration value.