Passenger protection system

• US 9,126,552 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamura, Yasuo, Mase, Yusuke, Nakazawa, Yuu, Hagiwara, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/288,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 340/436
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A passenger protection system includes: first and second sensors that detect an impact applied to a vehicle in a width direction; a determination device that determines a collision by comparing a first detection signal from the first sensor with a first determination condition, and by comparing a second detection signal from the second sensor with a second determination condition; and a boarding position detector that detects a boarding position of a passenger. The determination device sets the first determination condition and the second determination condition according to the boarding position in such a manner that the first determination condition is different from the second determination condition.

Claims

1. A passenger protection system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensors arranged on one side of the vehicle that detect an impact, which is applied to the vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle;

a determination device that determines a collision of the vehicle by comparing a first detection signal from each of the plurality of sensors with a determination condition, which determines a collision of the vehicle; and

a boarding position detector that detects a boarding position in a front-rear direction of a slidable seat on which a passenger sits,

wherein the determination device;

determines a first sensor from the plurality of sensors such that the first sensor is adjacent to the boarding position;

determines a second sensor from the plurality of sensors such that the second sensor is not adjacent to the boarding position;

sets a first determination condition for comparison with a detection signal from the first sensor;

sets a second determination condition, which is different from the first determination condition, for comparison with a detection signal from the second sensor; and

determines the impact based on a comparison result between the detection signal from the first sensor and the first determination condition and a comparison result between the detection signal from the second sensor and the second determination condition.

2. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the first determination condition provides a detection of the collision, and

wherein the second determination condition provides a redundancy of the first determination condition.

3. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the first sensor is arranged on a first position corresponding to the boarding position, which is disposed on an utmost front end of the vehicle in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the second sensor is arranged on a second position corresponding to the boarding position, which is disposed on an utmost rear end of the vehicle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

4. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein both of the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged on a side door of the vehicle.

5. The passenger protection system according to claim 1,

wherein the boarding position detector includes a seat slide sensor for detecting a sliding amount of a seat of the vehicle.

6. The passenger protection system according to claim 2,

wherein the determination device determines the impact when the detection signal from the first sensor is greater than or equal to a first threshold value and when the detection signal from the second sensor is greater than or equal to a second threshold value, which is different from the first threshold value.