Airbag control apparatus

• US 8,684,402 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Kazuo, Matsubara, Hirohito, Ohara, Daiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPISICH, GEORGE D
• Application Number:
  US13/290,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20120126519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 280/735, 701/45, 701/112, 701/113, 307/10.6
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors

Abstract

An airbag control apparatus of a vehicle includes an occupant determination device, a deployment determination device, a storage device, an airbag controller, and a voltage variation detector. The airbag controller is configured to control deployment of an airbag based on the deployment/non-deployment information. The voltage variation detector is configured to detect a variation in a voltage of an in-vehicle battery and configured to output voltage variation information to the airbag controller. If the voltage variation information indicates that the voltage detected by the voltage variation detector varies, the airbag controller controls the airbag based on deployment/non-deployment information stored in the storage device immediately before the airbag controller receives the voltage variation information indicating that the voltage detected by voltage variation detector varies.

Claims

1. An airbag control apparatus of a vehicle, comprising:

an occupant determination device configured to detect an occupant sitting on a seat in the vehicle, the occupant determination device including at least one antenna electrode and a weight sensor;

a deployment determination device configured to determine deployment/non-deployment of an airbag based on a detection result of the occupant determination device, the deployment determination device being configured to output a result of determination including one of deployment information and non-deployment information;

a storage device configured to store deployment/non-deployment information made by the deployment determination device, the deployment/non-deployment information including one of the deployment information and the non-deployment information;

an airbag controller configured to control deployment of the airbag based on the deployment/non-deployment information; and

a voltage variation detector configured to detect a variation in a voltage of an in-vehicle battery when the voltage of the in-vehicle battery decreases to a predetermined voltage value and configured to output voltage variation information to the airbag controller, the in-vehicle battery being configured to supply power to the deployment determination device, wherein

if the voltage variation information indicates that the voltage detected by the voltage variation detector varies, the airbag controller controls the airbag during occurrence of the voltage variation based on the deployment/non-deployment information stored in the storage device immediately before the airbag controller receives the voltage variation information indicating that the voltage detected by voltage variation detector varies,

if the voltage variation information indicates that the voltage detected by voltage variation detector varies, the airbag controller maintains one of a deployment control and a non-deployment control of the airbag until the deployment/non-deployment information is re-input from the deployment determination device to the airbag controller, and

the predetermined voltage value comprises a voltage value at which normal detection results from the at least one antenna electrode and the weight sensor cannot be retrieved and at which the occupant determination device is at least partially operable.

2. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if a variation in the voltage detected by the voltage variation detector disappears, the deployment determination device outputs one of the deployment information and non-deployment information indicating deployment/non-deployment of the airbag based on the detection result of the occupant determination device to the airbag controller, and

if a variation in the voltage detected by the voltage variation detector disappears, the airbag controller overwrites the deployment/non-deployment information which is input from the deployment determination device on previous deployment/non-deployment information stored in the storage device.

3. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if the voltage variation information indicates that the voltage detected by voltage variation detector varies, the deployment determination device stops determining deployment/non-deployment of the airbag.

4. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if the voltage variation information indicates that the voltage detected by voltage variation detector varies, the deployment determination device stops outputting the deployment/non-deployment information including one of the deployment information and the non-deployment information.

5. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if the voltage detected by voltage variation detector is lower than a predetermined voltage, the voltage variation detector outputs voltage variation information indicating that the voltage detected by voltage variation detector varies to the airbag controller.

6. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the in-vehicle battery of the vehicle is configured to supply power to the occupant determination device, and

the predetermined voltage is higher than a battery voltage at which the occupant determination device stops detecting the occupant.

7. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes an engine and an idle stop controller, and

the idle stop controller is configured to restart the engine if an automatic restart condition is satisfied when the engine is stopped.

8. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna electrode includes:

a plurality of first belt-shaped electrodes configured to extend longitudinally across a seat back of the seat; and

a second belt-shaped electrode configured to extend vertically along a side of the seat back.

9. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second belt-shaped electrode is configured to be located on an outer side of the seat back in the width direction of the vehicle.

10. The airbag control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second belt-shaped electrode is configured to be disposed so that a height of the second belt-shaped electrode is aligned with a height of a side airbag of the vehicle when inflated.