Apparatuses, system and process for the personal protection

• US 9,376,077 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dainese S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Dainese S.p.A.
• Inventors: Grotto, Matteo, Dallara, Giovanni, Brandolese, Carlo, Di Martino, Giuseppe, Previtali, Cristian
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/882,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 455/73, 455/41.1, 455/558, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/415, 455/41.2, 376/317, 376/402, 363/17, 711/113, 711/122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/018 inflatable automatically
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2600/102 Motorcycling
• 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 21/01336 using filtering
• 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: G05B 1/00 Comparing elements, i.e. elements for effecting comparison directly or indirectly between a desired value and existing or anticipated values

Abstract

An apparatus for the personal protection is described. The apparatus has at least one main control unit which is connected to one or more main sensors and to a first main transceiver for transmitting and receiving on a first radio channel control signals and/or activation signals, wherein the main control unit is also connected to a second main transceiver for transmitting and receiving on a second radio channel control signals and/or activation signals. Vehicles and a system which comprise the apparatus are also described. The vehicles and the system also include a secondary apparatus and a protective garment which can communicate with the apparatus. A process which can be carried out by the system is also described.

Claims

1. A main apparatus for personal protection, which comprises:

at least one main control unit which is connected to one or more main sensors and to a first main transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from at least one secondary apparatus, on a first radio channel, control signals and/or activation signals, wherein the at least one main control unit is also connected to a second main transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from said at least one secondary apparatus on a second radio channel said control signals and/or activation signals, which said main apparatus is suitable for communicating on at least two different radio channels with said at least one secondary apparatuses.

2. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more main sensors are adapted suitable for being to be mounted on a portion of a vehicle which can move with respect to seats for users of the vehicle.

3. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit is further connected also to one or more auxiliary sensors adapted suitable for being to be mounted on a portion of a vehicle which is fixed with respect to seats for users of the vehicle.

4. A motorcycle comprising:

a fork of a front wheel, and

a saddle, wherein the saddle comprises the main apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the one or more main sensors are mounted on the fork on two sides of the front wheel and the one or more auxiliary sensors are mounted under the saddle.

5. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more main sensors are acceleration sensors on one or more axes substantially perpendicular to each other and send axial acceleration signals.

6. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more main sensors are connected to the at least one main control unit through one or more anti-aliasing filters.

7. The main apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the one or more anti-aliasing filters are Sallen-Key low-pass filters with a cutoff frequency equal to 143 Hz±

10% and a Q factor equal to a 0.74±

10%.

8. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit is connected also to a speed sensor which sends longitudinal speed signals relating to a vehicle.

9. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit is connected to the one or more main sensors through self-test lines for transmitting self-test signals to the one or more main sensors.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of the first radio channel is comprised between 2400 MHz and 2483.5 MHz.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit comprises a dual core microcontroller, wherein a first core of the at least one main control unit is connected to the first main transceiver and a second core of the at least one main control unit is connected to the second main transceiver.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first core is a HCS12 core and the second core is a Xgate core.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one or both transceivers of the first and second main transceivers are connected to the first core or the second core, respectively, by means of interrupt lines for transmitting interrupt signals to the first and second cores of the at least one main control unit according to the control signals received from the first and second main transceivers.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first core and the second core of the at least one main control unit are connected to a firing controller through firing lines and a channel switch, wherein the first core and the second core are also connected to the channel switch for controlling switching between the firing lines.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit is connected through a CAN bus to a CAN interface for connection to another CAN interface of a vehicle and/or to CAN maintenance devices.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit is connected to a supervision device which can transmit reset signals to the first and second main transceivers and/or to the at least one main control unit through reset lines.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supervision device can transmit an enabling signal of a second core of the at least one main control unit through an enabling line according to control signals received from the at least one main control unit and processed by the supervision device.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supervision device is also connected to a channel switch for transmitting a switching signal to the channel switch.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supervision device is a reset circuit with an adjustable timeout delay.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main control unit is connected to a vibrating device.

21. A vehicle, comprising the main apparatus according to claim 1.

22. The main apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one main control unit is connected to the first main transceiver through a first line, and to the second main transceiver through a second line.

23. The main apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first line is a first interrupt line, and the second line is a second interrupt line.

24. The main apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the second main transceiver is a backup of the first main transceiver.

28. A system for personal protection, comprising a main apparatus comprising:

at least one main control unit which is connected to one or more main sensors and to a first main transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from at least one secondary apparatus, on a first radio channel, control signals and/or activation signals, wherein the at least one main control unit is also connected to a second main transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from said at least one secondary apparatus on a second radio channel said control signals and/or activation signals, which main apparatus is suitable for communicating on at least two different radio channels with one or more secondary apparatuses according to claim 9.

29. A process configured to be carried out by the system according to claim 28, wherein in a normal mode, the at least one main control units of the main apparatus and of the at least one secondary apparatuses transmit control signals through the main transceivers and secondary transceivers on two radio channels.

30. The process according to claim 29, wherein if a first main transceiver and/or a first secondary transceiver do not receive the control signals on a first radio channel, the at least one main control unit of the main apparatus and/or at least one secondary control unit of the at least one secondary apparatuses send on a second radio channel, a degraded mode signal from a second main transceiver and/or from a second secondary transceiver to the at least one secondary apparatuses and/or the main apparatus, respectively, so that the at least one main control unit of the main apparatus and of the at least one secondary apparatuses switch from the normal mode to a degraded mode, wherein the control signals are transmitted on the second radio channel from the second main transceiver of the main apparatus and/or from the second secondary transceiver of the at least one secondary apparatuses.

31. The process according to claim 30, wherein if the second main transceiver and/or the second secondary transceiver do not receive the control signals on the second radio channel, the at least one main control units of the main apparatus and of the at least one secondary apparatuses switch from the degraded mode to a system fault mode.

32. The process according to claim 29, wherein if a first main transceiver and a first secondary transceiver receive the control signals on a first radio channel, but a second main transceiver and/or a second secondary transceiver do not receive the control signals on a second radio channel, the at least one main control units of the main apparatus and/or the secondary control unit of the secondary apparatuses send on the first radio channel a degraded mode signal from the first main transceiver and/or from the first secondary transceiver to the secondary apparatuses and/or the main apparatus, respectively, so that the one or more control units of the main apparatus and of the secondary apparatuses switch from the normal mode to a degraded mode, wherein the control signals are transmitted on the first radio channel from the first main transceiver of the main apparatus and/or from the first secondary transceiver of the secondary apparatuses.

33. The process according to claim 32, wherein if also the first main transceiver and/or the first secondary transceiver do not receive the control signals on the first radio channel, the at least one control unit of the main apparatus and of the secondary apparatuses switch from the degraded mode to a system fault mode.

25. A secondary apparatus for personal protection, which comprises:

at least one secondary control unit which is connected to at least one firing controller and to a first secondary transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from a main apparatus on a first radio channel control signals and/or activation signals, wherein the at least one secondary control unit is also connected to a second secondary transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from said main apparatus on a second radio said channel control signals and/or activation signals, the at least one secondary control unit is connected to the first secondary transceiver through a first interrupt line, and to the second secondary transceiver through a second interrupt line.

26. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the at least one secondary control unit is connected to a smart-card reader for reading an identification code stored in a smart-card and transmitting this identification code from a secondary transceiver.

27. A protective garment, comprising the secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the at least one firing controller is connected to one or more gas generators connected to one or more airbags.

34. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a frequency of the first radio channel is comprised between 2400 MHz and 2483.5 MHz.

35. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the at least one secondary control unit comprises a dual core microcontroller, wherein a first core of the dual core microcontroller is connected to the first secondary transceiver and the second core of the dual core microcontroller is connected to the second secondary transceiver.

36. The secondary apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the first core is a HCS12 core and the second core is a Xgate core.

37. The secondary apparatus according to claim 35, wherein one or both of the secondary transceivers are connected to the first core or the second core, respectively, by means of interrupt lines for transmitting interrupt signals to the first and second cores of the at least one secondary control unit according to the control signals received from the secondary transceivers.

38. The secondary apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the first core and the second core of the at least one secondary control unit are connected to a firing controller through firing lines and a channel switch, wherein the first core and the second core are also connected to the channel switch for controlling switching between the firing lines.

39. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the at least one secondary control unit is connected through a CAN bus to a CAN interface for a connection to another CAN interface of a vehicle and/or to CAN maintenance devices.

40. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the at least one secondary control unit is connected to a supervision device which can transmit reset signals to the secondary transceivers and/or to the at least one secondary control unit through reset lines.

41. The secondary apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the supervision device can transmit an enabling signal of a second core of the at least one secondary control unit through an enabling line according to control signals received from the at least one secondary control unit and processed by the supervision device.

42. The secondary apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the supervision device is also connected to a channel switch for transmitting a switching signal to the channel switch.

43. The secondary apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the supervision device is a reset circuit with an adjustable timeout delay.

44. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the at least one secondary control unit is connected to a vibrating device.

45. The secondary apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the second secondary transceiver is a backup of the first secondary transceiver.

46. A secondary apparatus for personal protection, which comprises:

at least one secondary control unit which is connected to at least one firing controller and to a first secondary transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from a main apparatus on a first radio channel control signals and/or activation signals, wherein the at least one secondary control unit is also connected to a second secondary transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from said main apparatus on a second radio said channel control signals and/or activation signals, which said secondary apparatus is suitable for communicating on at least two different radio channels with said main apparatus.

47. A main apparatus for personal protection, which comprises:

at least one main control unit which is connected to one or more main sensors and to a first main transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from at least one secondary apparatus, on a first radio channel, control signals and/or activation signals, wherein the at least one main control unit is also connected to a second main transceiver for transmitting and receiving to or from said at least one secondary apparatus on a second radio channel said control signals and/or activation signals, the at least one main control unit is connected to the first main transceiver through a first interrupt line, and to the second main transceiver through a second interrupt line.