Passenger out-of-position sensor

• US 5,071,160 A
• Filed: 08/27/1990
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: White, Craig W., Behr, Leonard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/573,537
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730, 280/734, 280/735, 280/731, 180/268, 180/282
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0051 Knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0226 mounted on fire wall
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839

Abstract

A circuit for a actuating a vehicle passenger safety restraint such as an air bag includes pyroelectric sensors, pressure transducers, and ultrasonic acoustic sensors for sensing the presence, weight, and relative position of the passenger within a vehicle, respectively, which information is supplied to a control module controlling operation of the restraint. The control module, which includes processor means, calculates the likely effectiveness of the restraint in preventing or otherwise mitigating injury to the vehicle passenger in the event of subsequent operation of the restraint. A signal lamp is illuminated by the control module in the event that the passenger assumes a position which reduces the calculated likely effectiveness of the restraint below a threshold level therefor, thereby warning the passenger of the heightened risk of injury. Preferably, the control module uses the information generated by the sensors to supplement or otherwise corroborate other information received from inertia-type "crash" sensors or frangible "crush" sensors, thereby ensuring operation of the restraint only in those instances where the passenger is indeed placed as risk. Most preferably, the restraint is capable of providing a variable response, and the control module adjusts the response of the restraint prior to triggering the operation thereof so as to provide maximum protection to the passenger against injury.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle, a circuit for actuating a passenger restraint operative to prevent injurious contact between a vehicle passenger and a fixed interior structure of said vehicle, said circuit comprising:

first means for sensing a condition requiring operation of said restraint;

trigger means responsive to said first sensing means for actuating said restraint;

second means for sensing the position assumed by said passenger within said vehicle relative to a fixed interior structure thereof;

processor means responsive to said second sensing means for calculating the likely effectiveness of said restraint in preventing injury to said passenger in the event of subsequent operation thereof, given the position assumed by said passenger within said vehicle; and

indicator means responsive to said processor means for warning said passenger when said calculated likely effectiveness of said restraint falls below a threshold value therefor.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said second sensing means includes an ultrasonic sensor.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said second sensing means comprises an pyroelectric sensor.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said second sensing means includes a pressure transducer mounted in said vehicle at a location therein nominally beneath said passenger when said passenger is situated therein.

5. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said restraint is capable of a plurality of response levels, said trigger means being responsive to said processor means so as to select one of said plurality of restraint response levels to maximize said calculated likely effectiveness of said restraint.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein said restraint includes a plurality of independently-triggerable gas-generating cartridges, said trigger means selecting said one of said plurality of restraint response levels by selectively triggering said cartridges.

7. The control circuit of claim 6 wherein said cartridges are sequentially triggered by said trigger means, said trigger means selecting said one of said plurality of restraint response levels by varying the time interval between the sequential triggering of at least two of said cartridges.

8. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein said processor means calculates the velocity of said passenger relative to said fixed interior structures, said trigger means being further responsive to said processor means to actuate said restraint when said calculated passenger velocity exceeds a threshold level therefor.

9. The control circuit of claim 1 wherein said processor means prevents operation of said restraint when said processor means calculates the likely injury to said passenger attendant to such operation of said restraint exceeds the likely injury to said passenger attendant to unimpeded passenger contact with said fixed interior structure, given said position assumed by said passenger within said vehicle relative to said fixed interior structure.

10. In a motor vehicle, a circuit for actuating a passenger restraint operative to decelerate the movement of a passenger within said vehicle relative to a fixed interior structure thereof, said circuit comprising:

first means for sensing deceleration of said vehicle exceeding a threshold value therefor;

trigger means responsive to said first sensing means for actuating said restraint;

second means for sensing the position assumed by said passenger within said vehicle relative to said fixed interior structure thereof; and

indicator means responsive to said second sensing means for warning said passenger when said assumed position significantly reduces the likely effectiveness of said restraint in decelerating the movement of said passenger relative to said fixed interior structure upon subsequent operation thereof.

11. The circuit of claim 10 wherein said restraint is capable of decelerating the movement of said passenger relative to said fixed interior structure at two or more different deceleration rates, said trigger means selecting one of said deceleration rates in response to said second sensing means prior to actuating said restraint.

12. The circuit of claim 10 including means responsive to said second sensing means for inhibiting operation of said restraint when the likely injury to said passenger attendant to operating said restraint is greater than the likely injury to said passenger attendant to unimpeded passenger contact with said fixed interior structure, given said assumed position of said passenger within said vehicle.

13. A system for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle against injurious contact with fixed interior structures of said vehicle, said system comprising:

first means for sensing deceleration of said vehicle exceeding a threshold value therefor;

second means for sensing the position assumed by said passenger within said vehicle relative to said fixed interior structures;

passenger restraint means mounted on one of said fixed interior structures operative to decelerate the movement of said passenger relative thereto at one of a plurality of different deceleration rates; and

trigger means responsive to said first sensing means for triggering operation of said restraint, said trigger means selecting said one of said restraint'"'"'s operative passenger-deceleration rates in response to said second sensing means prior to triggering operation of said restraint.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said restraint means comprises a plurality of individually-triggerable gas-generating cartridges, said cartridges being selectively triggered by said trigger means to provide said plurality of said restraint'"'"'s operative passenger-deceleration rates.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said cartridges of said restraint are sequentially triggered at predetermined time intervals by said trigger means, said trigger means selecting said one of said restraint'"'"'s operative passenger-deceleration rates by varying said time intervals.

16. The system of claim 13 including third means for sensing the weight of said passenger, said trigger means further responding to said third sensing means in selecting said one of said restraint'"'"'s operative passenger-deceleration rates prior to triggering operation of said restraint.

17. The system of claim 13 including indicator means responsive to said second sensing means for indicating when the position assumed by said passenger significantly reduces the likely effectiveness of said restraint in decelerating the movement of said passenger relative to said fixed interior structures upon operation thereof at said selected one of said restraint'"'"'s operative passenger-deceleration rates.

18. The control circuit of claim 13 including processor means responsive to said second sensing means for calculating the velocity of said passenger relative to said fixed interior structures, said trigger means actuating said restraint when said calculated relative passenger velocity exceeds a threshold value therefor.

19. The control circuit of claim 13 wherein said trigger means prevents operation of said restraint when the likely injury to said passenger attendant to the actuation of said restraint is greater than the likely injury to said passenger due to unimpeded contact with said fixed interior structures, given said position assumed by said passenger within said vehicle relative to said fixed interior structure.