Autonomous vehicle restraint selection

• US 9,731,628 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rao, Manoharprasad K., Cuddihy, Mark A., Barbat, Saeed David
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US15/005,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20170210248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0032 Position of passenger
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/142 using Hall-effect devices measuring magnetic variables using Hall-effect or other galvanomagnetic devices G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/3473 Circular or rotary encoders
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/36 Forming the light into pulses

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a base, a seat rotatably disposed on the base, a sensor, and a processor. The sensor is programmed to measure an angular displacement of the seat relative to the base and output a displacement signal representing the angular displacement. The processor is programmed to receive the displacement signal and deploy at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a base;

a seat rotatably disposed on the base;

a sensor programmed to measure an angular displacement of the seat relative to the base and output a displacement signal representing the angular displacement; and

a processor programmed to receive the displacement signal and select at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to receive a collision mode signal and deploy the at least one passive safety device selected in accordance with the displacement signal, wherein the at least one passive safety device is deployed in accordance with the collision mode signal.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the impact angle signal and a virtual zone where an impact occurs represents a collision mode of a host vehicle involved in a collision.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to associate the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal to a virtual zone defining an area of a host vehicle involved in a collision.

5. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein the processor is programmed to select at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the virtual zone associated with the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal and a collision mode signal.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5, wherein enabling at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the virtual zone includes querying a lookup table for the virtual zone.

7. A vehicle system comprising:

a base;

a seat rotatably disposed on the base;

a sensor programmed to measure an angular displacement of the seat relative to the base and output a displacement signal representing the angular displacement; and

a processor programmed to receive the displacement signal and select at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal,

wherein the processor is programmed to receive a collision mode signal representing an impact angle and a virtual zone representing an area of a host vehicle involved in a collision,

wherein the at least one passive safety device is selected and deployed in accordance with the virtual zone, the impact angle, and the displacement signal.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to associate the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal to a virtual zone.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the virtual zone is associated with the at least one passive safety device.

10. The vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the processor is programmed to select at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the impact angle and the virtual zones representing an area of a host vehicle involved in a collision and associated with the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10, wherein enabling at least one passive safety device based at least in part on the virtual zone includes querying a lookup table for the virtual zone.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11, wherein deploying the at least one passive safety device includes querying the lookup table for the virtual zone associated with the displacement signal and the collision mode signal.

13. The vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the at least one passive safety device is selected and deployed based at least in part on the querying the lookup table for the virtual zone.

14. A vehicle system comprising:

a base;

a seat rotatably disposed on the base;

a sensor programmed to measure an angular displacement of the seat relative to the base and output a displacement signal representing the angular displacement; and

a processor programmed to receive the displacement signal, associate the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal to one of a plurality of virtual zones and select at least one of a plurality of passive safety devices associated with the virtual zone associated with the angular displacement.

15. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the processor is programmed to receive a collision mode signal and deploy the at least one passive safety device associated with the collision mode.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15, wherein the impact angle signal and the virtual zone where an impact occurs represents a collision mode of a host vehicle involved in a collision.

17. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the processor is programmed to associate the angular displacement represented by the displacement signal to the virtual zone by querying a lookup table.

18. The vehicle system of claim 14, wherein the processor is programmed to select the at least one passive safety device by querying a lookup table.