System and method for safing and monitoring a plurality of vehicle sensors
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a plurality of safety systems in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing a first safety system comprising;
a first airbag, and characterized by a first airbag deployment threshold and a first plausibility threshold; and
a high-G accelerometer configured to provide a high-G output and specified to measure at least about 20 Gs of acceleration and configured to act as a first-system primary sensor for the first safety system;
providing a second safety system comprising;
a second safety device selected from a group comprising a second airbag, a braking system, and a vehicle stability control system, the second safety device being characterized by a second deployment threshold; and
a low-G accelerometer configured to provide a low-G output, and specified to measure not more than about 20 Gs and configured to act as a second-system primary sensor for the second safety system and as a safing sensor for the first safety system;
monitoring a motion of the vehicle with the high-G accelerometer to determine whether the high-G output exceeds the airbag deployment threshold;
monitoring the same motion of the vehicle with the low-G accelerometer to determine whether the low-G output exceeds the first plausibility threshold; and
deploying the first airbag if the high-G output exceeds the first airbag deployment threshold and the low-G output exceeds the first plausibility threshold.
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Abstract
A system and method for safing vehicle sensors includes two safety systems, each with a primary sensor for monitoring vehicle motion and activating its corresponding safety system in response to certain vehicle motions. Each sensor may act as a safing sensor for the other in the event that activation of a safety system is indicated by the primary sensor. Each sensor may also monitor the other prior to such an event, to detect a sensor malfunction before that sensor is needed to active a safety system.
13 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of operating a plurality of safety systems in a vehicle, the method comprising:
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providing a first safety system comprising; a first airbag, and characterized by a first airbag deployment threshold and a first plausibility threshold; and a high-G accelerometer configured to provide a high-G output and specified to measure at least about 20 Gs of acceleration and configured to act as a first-system primary sensor for the first safety system; providing a second safety system comprising; a second safety device selected from a group comprising a second airbag, a braking system, and a vehicle stability control system, the second safety device being characterized by a second deployment threshold; and a low-G accelerometer configured to provide a low-G output, and specified to measure not more than about 20 Gs and configured to act as a second-system primary sensor for the second safety system and as a safing sensor for the first safety system; monitoring a motion of the vehicle with the high-G accelerometer to determine whether the high-G output exceeds the airbag deployment threshold; monitoring the same motion of the vehicle with the low-G accelerometer to determine whether the low-G output exceeds the first plausibility threshold; and deploying the first airbag if the high-G output exceeds the first airbag deployment threshold and the low-G output exceeds the first plausibility threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer program product for use with a computer processor for operating an airbag safety system and a second safety system on a vehicle, the airbag safety system characterized by an airbag deployment threshold and an airbag plausibility threshold, and comprising an airbag and a high-G accelerometer associated with the airbag deployment threshold, the high-G accelerometer specified to measure at least about 20 Gs of acceleration, the second safety system being characterized by a second deployment threshold and a second plausibility threshold, and comprising a low-G accelerometer associated with a second deployment threshold, the low-G accelerometer specified to measure not more than about 20 Gs and configured to act as a safing sensor for the airbag safety system, the computer program product comprising a tangible medium having a non-transient computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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computer code for monitoring an output of the high-G accelerometer in response to a vehicle motion event to determine whether the output of the high-G accelerometer exceeds the airbag deployment threshold; computer code for monitoring an output of the low-G accelerometer in response to the same vehicle motion event to determine whether the output of the low-G accelerometer exceeds the airbag plausibility threshold such that the low-G accelerometer is a safing sensor for the high-G accelerometer; and computer code for deploying the airbag if the output of the high-G accelerometer exceeds the airbag threshold and the output of the low-G accelerometer exceeds the airbag plausibility threshold. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vehicle safety apparatus comprising:
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a first safety system comprising; a first airbag, and characterized by a first airbag deployment threshold and a first plausibility threshold; and a high-G accelerometer having a high-G output, the high-G accelerometer specified to measure at least about 20 Gs of acceleration and configured to act as a first-system primary sensor for the first safety system; a second safety system comprising; a second safety device selected from a group comprising a second airbag, a braking system, and a vehicle stability control system, the second safety device being characterized by a second deployment threshold; and a low-G accelerometer having a low-G output, the low-G accelerometer specified to measure not more than about 20 Gs and configured to act as a second-system primary sensor for the second safety system and as a safing sensor for the first safety system; a comparison circuit, the comparison circuit configured; to determine whether the high-G output exceeds the airbag deployment threshold, and to determine whether the low-G output exceeds the airbag plausibility threshold, the comparison circuit producing a comparison signal including information relating to the determinations; and a deployment module operably coupled with the comparison circuit and configured to deploy the airbag system if the comparison signal indicates that the high-G output exceeds the airbag deployment threshold and the low-G output exceeds the airbag plausibility threshold. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a plurality of safety systems in a vehicle, the method comprising:
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providing a first safety system comprising; a first airbag, and characterized by a first airbag deployment threshold and a first plausibility threshold; and a high-G accelerometer configured to provide a high-G output and specified to measure at least about 20 Gs of acceleration and configured to act as a first-system primary sensor for the first safety system; providing a second safety system comprising; a second safety device selected from a group comprising a second airbag, a braking system, and a vehicle stability control system, the second safety device being characterized by a second deployment threshold; and a gyroscope configured to provide a gyro output, and configured to act as a second-system primary sensor for the second safety system and as a safing sensor for the first safety system; monitoring a motion of the vehicle with the high-G accelerometer to determine whether the high-G output exceeds the airbag deployment threshold; monitoring the same motion of the vehicle with the gyrosocope to determine whether the gyro output exceeds the first plausibility threshold; and deploying the first airbag if the high-G output exceeds the first airbag deployment threshold and the gyro output exceeds the first plausibility threshold, such that the gyroscope is configured to act as a safing sensor for the first safety system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification