Method and control device for the activation of a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle

• US 20120256404A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo), Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation (AB Volvo), Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rauh, Christian, Becker, Jens, Axelson, Anders, Doerr, Alfons, Rittler, Stephan, Wogel, Anders, Korn, Christian, Nilsson, Paer, Harda, Peter, Hild, Hansjoerg Markus, Koerner, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01306 monitoring vehicle inclination
• 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

Abstract

A method of activating a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle, the method including reading in a roll rate of the vehicle and triggering the passenger safety arrangement when, at a first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a positive sign and is larger than a roll rate positive threshold value and when, at a second time after the first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a negative sign and is smaller than a roll rate negative threshold value.

Claims

1. A method of activating a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle, the method comprising:

reading in a roll rate of the vehicle; and

triggering the passenger safety arrangement when, at a first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a positive sign and is larger than a roll rate positive threshold value, and when, at a second time after the first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a negative sign and is smaller than a roll rate negative threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering of the passenger safety arrangement is effected when a change of values of the roll rate is present and lasts at least for a predefined time span.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reading and the triggering are executed repeatedly at least twice in a consecutive manner.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the roll rate with a roll rate threshold value dependent on the roll rate, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered when the roll rate exceeds the roll rate threshold value dependent on the roll rate, and wherein the reading includes reading in a roll angle of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparing uses a roll rate threshold value, which exhibits a lower value at a larger roll angle than at a smaller roll angle, and wherein the roll rate threshold value exhibits a hyperbolic shape.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered when a read-in roll rate is larger than an absolute roll rate value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered or activated to protect an occupant'"'"'s head from impacting on a lateral vehicle structure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying a triggering of the passenger safety arrangement, wherein the triggering of the passenger safety arrangement is verified at least one of (i) when the yaw rate or a quantity derived therefrom is larger than a yaw threshold value, and (ii) when an acceleration in a vertical or lateral driving direction is larger than an acceleration threshold value.

9. An apparatus for activating a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle, comprising:

a reading arrangement to read in a roll rate; and

a triggering arrangement to trigger the passenger safety arrangement when, at a first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a positive sign and is larger than a roll rate positive threshold value, and when, at a second time after the first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a negative sign and is smaller than a roll rate negative threshold value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the triggering of the passenger safety arrangement is effected when a change of values of the roll rate is present and lasts at least for a predefined time span.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reading and the triggering are executed repeatedly at least twice in a consecutive manner.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a comparing arrangement to compare the roll rate with a roll rate threshold value dependent on the roll rate, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered when the roll rate exceeds the roll rate threshold value dependent on the roll rate, and wherein the reading includes reading in a roll angle of the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the comparing uses a roll rate threshold value, which exhibits a lower value at a larger roll angle than at a smaller roll angle, and wherein the roll rate threshold value exhibits a hyperbolic shape.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered when a read-in roll rate is larger than an absolute roll rate value.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered or activated to protect an occupant'"'"'s head from impacting on a lateral vehicle structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a verifying arrangement to verify a triggering of the passenger safety arrangement, wherein the triggering of the passenger safety arrangement is verified at least one of (i) when the yaw rate or a quantity derived therefrom is larger than a yaw threshold value, and (ii) when an acceleration in a vertical or lateral driving direction is larger than an acceleration threshold value.

17. A computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor of a control apparatus, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for activating a passenger safety arrangement of a vehicle by performing the following;

reading in a roll rate of the vehicle; and

triggering the passenger safety arrangement when, at a first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a positive sign and is larger than a roll rate positive threshold value, and when, at a second time after the first time, at least one roll rate value is present, which exhibits a negative sign and is smaller than a roll rate negative threshold value.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the triggering of the passenger safety arrangement is effected when a change of values of the roll rate is present and lasts at least for a predefined time span, and wherein the reading and the triggering are executed repeatedly at least twice in a consecutive manner.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

comparing the roll rate with a roll rate threshold value dependent on the roll rate, wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered when the roll rate exceeds the roll rate threshold value dependent on the roll rate, wherein the reading includes reading in a roll angle of the vehicle, and wherein the comparing uses a roll rate threshold value, which exhibits a lower value at a larger roll angle than at a smaller roll angle, and wherein the roll rate threshold value exhibits a hyperbolic shape.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

verifying a triggering of the passenger safety arrangement;

wherein the triggering of the passenger safety arrangement is verified at least one of (i) when the yaw rate or a quantity derived therefrom is larger than a yaw threshold value, and (ii) when an acceleration in a vertical or lateral driving direction is larger than an acceleration threshold value,

wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered when a read-in roll rate is larger than an absolute roll rate value, and

wherein the passenger safety arrangement is triggered or activated to protect an occupant'"'"'s head from impacting on a lateral vehicle structure.