METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECORDING THE ROTATION ANGLE OF A VEHICLE

• US 20100023208A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veoneer Sweden Safety Systems AB
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Shinya, Oda, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An apparatus for recording the rotation angle of a vehicle comprises an angular velocity sensor adapted to measure an angular velocity ω of the vehicle, an integrator adapted to integrate the measured angular velocity ω across a predetermined unit of time Δt to calculate a differential rotation angle Δα in unit of time Δt, a ring buffer adapted to store the differential rotation angles Δαan acceleration sensor adapted to detect that an accident occurred with the vehicle, and a nonvolatile recording device adapted to record, when an accident is detected by the acceleration sensor, the differential rotation angles Δα_M . . . Δα_M+N−1 stored in the ring buffer, across a predetermined recording time T before and after the accident.

Claims

1. A method for recording the rotation angles of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

measuring an angular velocity of the vehicle;

integrating the measured angular velocity across a predetermined unit of time to calculate a differential rotation angle in unit of time;

storing the differential rotation angle in a buffer; and

when a vehicle accident is detected, recording in a recording device a plurality of differential rotation angles stored in the buffer across a predetermined recording time before and after the accident, the plurality of differential rotation angles including the differential rotation angle.

2. The method for recording rotation angles of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading the plurality of differential rotation angles recorded in the recording device; and

subsequently integrating the plurality of differential rotation angles to calculate a total rotation angle at an arbitrary point in time within the recording time.

3. The method for recording the rotation angles of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting whether or not an airbag of the vehicle has been deployed; and

disabling replacement of the plurality of differential rotation angles recorded in the recording device if the airbag has been deployed.

4. An apparatus for recording rotation angles of a vehicle comprising:

an angular velocity sensor for measuring an angular velocity of the vehicle;

an integrator for integrating the measured angular velocity across a predetermined unit of time to calculate a differential rotation angle in unit of time;

a buffer for storing a plurality of differential rotation angles, the plurality of differential rotation angles including the differential rotation angle;

an accident sensor for detecting vehicle accidents; and

a recording device for recording, when an accident is detected by the accident sensor, the plurality of differential rotation angles stored in the buffer across a predetermined recording time before and after the accident.

5. The apparatus for recording rotation angles of a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a reader for reading the plurality of differential rotation angles recorded in the recording device; and

an integrator for subsequently integrating the plurality of differential rotation angles to calculate a total rotation angle at an arbitrary point in time within the recording time.