SENSOR INTEGRATION FOR AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT

• US 20080303254A1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• 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., Le, Jialiang, Chou, Clifford C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,922,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• 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 21/0136 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

Abstract

A system and method for deploying one or more airbags in a vehicle is provided. The system comprises a passive detection device, an active detection device and a controller. The passive detection device is configured to present one or more passive signals indicative of the motion of the vehicle after the vehicle has experienced an impact. The active detection device is configured to present suspension information related to the vehicle that is indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact. The controller is configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to the suspension information and the one or more passive signals.

Claims

1. A system for deploying one or more airbags in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a passive detection device configured to present one or more passive signals indicative of the motion of the vehicle after the vehicle has experienced an impact;

an active detection device configured to present suspension information related to the vehicle that is indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact; and

a controller configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to the suspension information and the one or more passive signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the active detection device is further configured to present lateral momentum information of the vehicle that is indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact and the controller is further configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to the one or more passive signals and one or more of the lateral momentum and the suspension information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more passive signals comprise information related to a roll rate, a first lateral acceleration, and a vertical acceleration of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to one or more of the suspension information, the lateral momentum information, the roll rate, the first lateral acceleration, and the vertical acceleration of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to confirm vehicle impact prior to deploying the airbags in response to the one or more passive signals.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more passive signals comprise information related to a first lateral acceleration, a vertical acceleration and a roll rate of the vehicle, and the controller is further configured to confirm vehicle impact for a rollover event in response to one or more of the first lateral acceleration, the vertical acceleration and the roll rate.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the suspension information to predict vehicle rollover and deploy one or more of a curtain airbag and a side airbag in response to the one or more passive signals.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a satellite detection device configured to generate one or more satellite signals indicative of the vehicle experiencing an impact.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the satellite detection device comprises an accelerometer sensor adapted to measure the movement of a suspended structure in the vehicle and a pressure sensor adapted to measure the pressure change of a cavity in the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the satellite signals and the passive signals to deploy the airbag in response to one of the one or more satellite signals and the one or more passive signals.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the active detection device is further configured to present lateral momentum information of the vehicle and the controller is further configured to confirm vehicle impact prior to deploying the airbags in response to the lateral momentum information, the one or more satellite signals, and the one or more passive signals.

12. A system for deploying at least one airbag in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a passive detection device configured to present a one or more passive signal indicative of the motion of the vehicle after the vehicle has experienced an impact;

an active detection device configured to present lateral momentum information of the vehicle that is indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact; and

a controller configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to the lateral momentum information and the one or more passive signals.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the active detection device is further configured to present suspension information related to the vehicle that is indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact and the controller is further configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbags in response to the one or more passive signals and one or more of the suspension information and the lateral momentum information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one or more passive signals comprise information related to a roll rate, a first lateral acceleration, and a vertical acceleration of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to predict vehicle impact and deploy the airbag in response to one or more of the suspension information, the lateral momentum information, the roll rate, the first lateral acceleration, and the vertical acceleration of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to predict a vehicle rollover event and deploy one or more of a curtain airbag and a side airbag in response to the lateral momentum information and the one or more passive signals.

17. A method for deploying one or more airbags in a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating one or more passive signals indicative of the motion of the vehicle after the vehicle has experienced one or more of a rollover event and a side impact collision;

generating suspension information indicative of the motion of vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing an impact;

generating lateral momentum information indicative of the motion of the vehicle prior to the vehicle experiencing the impact;

predicting the rollover event based on one or more of the lateral momentum information and the suspension information;

deploying one or more airbags in response to the one or more passive signals and one or more of the lateral momentum information and the suspension information.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising generating one or more satellite signals indicative of the vehicle experiencing the side impact collision.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising confirming the side impact collision in response to the one or more satellite signals, the lateral momentum information and the one or more passive signals.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising confirming the rollover event in response to the one or more passive signals.