Pedestrian protection system for hood contact

• US 9,511,741 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power Hong Kong Limited (Thunder Power Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wu, Tai-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/981,962
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/205 inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/42 extending primarily along the sides of, or completely encircling, a vehicle ornamental or guard strips B60R13/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/138 using external airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a pedestrian protection system that includes a first sensor that generates a first signal indicating a hazard condition in front of a vehicle. The pedestrian protection system may also include an external airbag system that deploys an external airbag outside of the vehicle. In operation, a processor receives the first signal from the first sensor, processes the first signal to detect the hazard condition, and activates the external airbag system in response to the detected hazard condition to protect at least one of a pedestrian and the vehicle.

Claims

1. A pedestrian protection system, comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicating a hazard condition in a predicted tire path of movement of a vehicle tire;

an external airbag system comprising a first external airbag and a second external airbag coupled to a vehicle on opposite sides of a wheel well on a side of the vehicle between a front of the vehicle and a rear of the vehicle, wherein the external airbag system is configured to deploy the first external airbag and/or the second external airbag to block an object from entering the predicted tire path of movement between a surface below the vehicle tire and a bottom surface of the vehicle; and

a processor configured to receive the first signal from the first sensor, process the first signal to detect the hazard condition, and activate the external airbag system in response to the detected hazard condition to move an object out of the predicted tire path of movement or block an object from entering the predicted tire path of movement.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is at least one of an optical camera, infrared camera, motion detector, radar, laser, and ultrasonic sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a second sensor configured to generate a second signal indicating the hazard condition, wherein the processor cross-references the first signal and the second signal to verify the hazard condition.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second sensor is at least one of an optical camera, infrared camera, motion detector, radar, laser, and ultrasonic sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the external airbag system includes a first retraction system that retracts a deployed first external airbag for reuse.

6. A method for deploying a pedestrian protection system, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first sensor, the first signal indicating a hazard condition in a first predicted tire path of movement of a vehicle tire between a surface below the vehicle tire and a bottom surface of a vehicle;

detecting the hazard condition in response to the first signal; and

activating an external airbag system in response to the detected hazard condition to deploy a first external airbag and/or a second external airbag that moves an object out of the first predicted tire path of movement or blocks an object from entering the first predicted tire path of movement, wherein the first external airbag and the second external airbag are on opposing sides of a wheel well on a side of the vehicle between a front of the vehicle and a rear of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first predicted tire path of movement is in a forward direction of travel.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising receiving a second signal from a second sensor, the second signal indicating the hazard condition in the first predicted tire path of movement.

9. The method of claim 8, detecting the hazard condition in the first predicted tire path of movement in response to the second signal.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising cross-referencing the first signal and the second signal to verify the hazard condition.

11. The method of claim 6, comprising receiving the first signal from the first sensor, the first signal indicating the hazard condition is in a second predicted tire path of movement of the vehicle tire and detecting the hazard condition in response to the first signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second predicted tire path of movement is in a rearward direction of travel.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving a second signal from a second sensor, the second signal indicating the hazard condition is in the second predicted tire path of movement.

14. The method of claim 13, detecting the hazard condition in the second predicted tire path of movement in response to the second signal.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising cross-referencing the first signal and the second signal to verify the hazard condition in the second predicted tire path of movement.