APPARATUS FOR ESTIMATING BODILY INJURY LEVEL OF VEHICLE OCCUPANT

• US 20140195169A1
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Wanami, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury of occupants at an accident of a vehicle. The apparatus has an occupancy detecting block which determines occupied seat. The apparatus has a deformation estimating block which estimates a deformation amount which is reduction of space around the seat. The apparatus has a bodily injury estimating block which estimates bodily injury level based on the occupied seat and estimated deformation amount.

Claims

1. An apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury of occupants at an accident of a vehicle, comprising:

an occupancy detecting block which determines at least one of occupied seat in the vehicle;

at least one acceleration sensor disposed around the seat;

a deformation estimating block which estimates deformation amount a vehicle body based on a detection result of the acceleration sensor; and

a bodily injury estimating block which estimates injury level of occupants based on the result of the occupancy detecting block and the estimated result of the deformation estimating block.

2. The apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication device which reports accident information including the estimated result of bodily injury level to a predetermined entity when the bodily injury estimating block estimates bodily injury level.

3. The apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury claimed in claim 1, wherein the occupancy detecting block detects whether corresponding one of seat belts disposed on the seats is used or not.

4. The apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury claimed in claim 1, wherein the occupancy detecting block detects whether a child restraint seat is installed in corresponding one of the seats or not.

5. The apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is disposed in a portion which defines an occupancy space corresponding to the seats.

6. The apparatus for estimating level of bodily injury claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary acceleration sensor disposed on a center of the vehicle, and wherein

the deformation estimating block estimates the deformation amount based on detection results of the acceleration sensor and the auxiliary acceleration sensor.