Collision determining apparatus for a vehicle

• US 20060069509A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.), Keihln Corporation
• Original Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hayasaka, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01315 monitoring occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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 21/01542 detecting passenger motion

Abstract

A collision determining apparatus for a vehicle includes a first acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on the vehicle, a movement amount calculating device which calculates an amount of movement of an occupant, a change in movement speed calculating device which calculates a change in movement speed of the occupant, a first collision determining threshold value setting device which sets collision determining threshold values for a correlation between the amount of movement of the occupant and the change in movement speed of the occupant, a first collision determining device which determines whether or not the correlation exceeds the collision determining threshold value, and a first control signal generating device which generates a control signal which instructs that an occupant protection apparatus be operated slowly in multiple stages or be operated rapidly in multiple stages.

Claims

1. A collision determining apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on the vehicle;

a movement amount calculating device which calculates an amount of movement of an occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a change in movement speed calculating device which calculates a change in movement speed of the occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a first collision determining threshold value setting device which sets a collision determining threshold value for a correlation between the amount of movement of the occupant and the change in movement speed of the occupant;

a first collision determining device which determines whether or not the correlation exceeds the collision determining threshold value; and

a first control signal generating device which generates a control signal which instructs that an occupant protection apparatus be operated slowly in multiple stages or be operated rapidly in multiple stages, in accordance with a result of a determination by the first collision determining device.

2. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first collision determining threshold value setting device sets respective collision determining threshold values to correspond to each stage of the rapid operation in multiple stages, and

within a predetermined time from a point of time at which it was determined that the correlation has exceeded a collision determining threshold value which corresponds to an appropriate stage of the rapid operation, when it is determined that the correlation exceeds a collision determining threshold value which corresponds to a next stage after the appropriate stage, the first control signal generating device generates a control signal which instructs that an operation of the next stage be performed at a point of time at which it is determined that the correlation has exceeded the collision determining threshold value which corresponds to the next stage.

3. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first collision determining threshold value setting device sets respective collision determining threshold values to correspond to each stage of the rapid operation in multiple stages, and

within a predetermined time from a point of time at which it was determined that the correlation has exceeded a collision determining threshold value which corresponds to an appropriate stage of the rapid operation, when it is determined that the correlation exceeds a collision determining threshold value which corresponds to a next stage after the appropriate stage, the first control signal generating device generates a control signal which instructs that an operation of the next stage be performed after the predetermined time has lapsed.

4. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

after a predetermined delay time has lapsed since a control signal which instructs that an operation of an appropriate stage of the slow operation be performed, the first control signal generating device generates a control signal which instructs that an operation of the next stage after this appropriate stage of a slow operation be performed.

5. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

after a predetermined delay time has lapsed since a control signal which instructs that an operation of an appropriate stage of the slow operation be performed, the first control signal generating device generates a control signal which instructs that an operation of the next stage after this appropriate stage of a slow operation be performed.

6. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a second acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on a position further to an outer peripheral portion side of a vehicle than the first acceleration measuring device, wherein

the first collision determining threshold value setting device sets the collision determining threshold values based on the acceleration which is measured by the second acceleration measuring device.

7. A collision determining apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on the vehicle;

a movement amount calculating device which calculates an amount of movement of an occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a change in movement speed calculating device which calculates a change in movement speed of the occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a first collision determining threshold value setting device which sets a plurality of collision determining threshold values for a correlation between the amount of movement of the occupant and the change in movement speed of the occupant;

a first collision determining device which determines whether or not the correlation exceeds the collision determining threshold value; and

a second control signal generating device which generates a control signal which instructs that an occupant protection apparatus be operated slowly in multiple stages, or be operated rapidly in multiple stages, or be operated rapidly in a single stage, in accordance with a result of a determination by the first collision determining device.

8. A collision determining apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on the vehicle;

a movement amount calculating device which calculates an amount of movement of an occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a change in movement speed calculating device which calculates a change in movement speed of the occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

an engagement state detecting device which detects a state of engagement of a seatbelt of the occupant;

a seat position detecting device which detects a state of a seat position;

a second collision determining threshold value setting device which sets a collision determining threshold value for a correlation between the amount of movement of the occupant and the change in movement speed of the occupant based on respective detection results from the engagement state detecting device and the seat position detecting device;

a first collision determining device which determines whether or not the correlation exceeds the collision determining threshold value; and

a third control signal generating device which generates a control signal which controls an operation of an occupant protection apparatus, in accordance with a result of a determination by the first collision determining device.

9. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a second acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on a position further to an outer peripheral portion side of the vehicle than the first acceleration measuring device, wherein

the second collision determining threshold value setting device which sets the collision determining threshold value based on the acceleration which is measured by the second acceleration measuring device in addition to the respective detection results from the engagement state detecting device and the seat position detecting device.

10. A collision determining apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a first acceleration measuring device which measures an acceleration acting on the vehicle;

a movement amount calculating device which calculates an amount of movement of an occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a change in movement speed calculating device which calculates a change in movement speed of the occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a change in acceleration calculating device which calculates a change in acceleration based on acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device;

a third collision determining threshold value setting device which sets a collision determining threshold value for a correlation between the amount of movement of the occupant, the change in movement speed of the occupant, and the change in acceleration;

a second collision determining device which determines whether or not the correlation exceeds the collision determining threshold value; and

a fourth control signal generating device which generates a control signal which controls an operation of an occupant protection apparatus, in accordance with a result of a determination by the second collision determining device.

11. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a change quantity of state calculating device which calculates a quantity of state of change by adding the change in movement speed of the occupant which is calculated by the change in movement speed calculating device together with the change in acceleration which is calculated by the change in acceleration calculating device, wherein

the third collision determining threshold value setting device sets a collision determining threshold value for a correlation between the amount of movement and the quantity of state of change of the occupant, and

the second collision determining device determines whether or not the correlation between the amount of movement and the quantity of state of change of the occupant exceeds the collision determining threshold value for the correlation between the amount of movement and the quantity of state of change of the occupant.

12. The collision determining apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the third collision determining threshold value setting device sets collision determining threshold values, and

the fourth control signal generating device generate a control signal which instructs that an occupant protection apparatus be operated slowly in multiple stages, or be operated rapidly in multiple stages, or be operated rapidly in a single stage, in accordance with a result of a determination by the collision determining device.