Safety device for a motor vehicle and associated operating method

• US 9,725,087 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Frst, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US15/109,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20160325741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 701 48, 180275
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/20 Steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/12 Limiting control by the driver depending on vehicle state, e.g. interlocking means for the control input for preventing unsafe operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/085 Taking automatic action to adjust vehicle attitude or components thereof in preparation for collision, e.g. adjusting bumpers or wheels or braking for nose dropping

Abstract

Safety device for a motor vehicle, having at least one sensor which is configured to detect an impending impact or an impending collision and possibly to generate a triggering signal, and having a control device which is configured to trigger a protective device if a triggering signal is present, wherein the safety device is configured to check whether the predicted impact or the collision has taken place within a predicted time period, and to transfer the motor vehicle into a safe state in the case of erroneous triggering.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect an impending impact or an impending collision and produce an initiation signal if necessary;

a control device configured to initiate a protective device upon a presence of the initiation signal; and

a safety device configured to determine whether the detected impending impact or the detected impending collision took place within a predicted time frame, and move the motor vehicle into a safe state.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the safety device is further configured to detect a false initiation of the protective device based on sensor data from at least one of an acceleration sensor and a deformation sensor, wherein the protective device is an airbag or a seat belt tensioner.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein moving the motor vehicle into the safe state comprises performing a secure emergency stop maneuver.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 3, wherein the secure emergency stop maneuver comprises determining a minimal risk stopping position based on predictive stretch data of the motor vehicle, and approaching of the determined minimal risk stopping position.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the safety device is further configured to move the motor vehicle into the safe state, independently of a steering action or pedal activation by a driver.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the safety device is further configured to move the motor vehicle into the safe state after determining that the detected impending impact or the detected impending collision did not take place within the predicted time frame.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein moving the motor vehicle into the safe state comprises bringing the motor vehicle to a stop based on a position of the motor vehicle, a speed of the motor vehicle, and traffic surrounding the motor vehicle.

8. A method for operating a safety device for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting an impending impact or an impending collision using at least one sensor, wherein the sensor generates an initiation signal;

initiating a protective device based on a presence of the initiation signal from a control device;

determining whether the detected impending impact or the detected impending collision took place within a predicted time frame; and

moving the motor vehicle into a safe state based on a false initiation of the protective device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting the false initiation of the protective device based on sensor data from at least one of an acceleration sensor and a deformation sensor, wherein the protective device is an airbag or a seat belt tensioner.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the motor vehicle into the safe state further comprises performing a secure emergency stop maneuver.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the secure emergency stop maneuver comprises:

determining a minimal risk stopping position based on predictive stretch data of the motor vehicle, and approaching the determined minimal risk stopping position.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the motor vehicle into the safe state occurs independently of a steering action or pedal activation by a driver.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting the false initiation of the protective device based on the determining whether the detected impending impact or the detected impending collision took place within the predicted time frame.