Method for damping crash-discrimination measures

• US 5,606,501 A
• Filed: 08/10/1994
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Tabar, Daniel N., Piskie, Michael A., Gioutsos, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Trans, Vincent N.
• Application Number:
  US08/288,597
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.05, 280/728.1, 280/734, 280/735, 180/274, 180/282, 340/436, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use

Abstract

In a system and method for controlling actuation of a vehicle passenger safety device, wherein a first time-varying measure m₁ (t), itself a function of received vehicle acceleration information, is accumulated to obtain a second time-varying measure m₂ (t) for subsequent comparison with a threshold value therefor, the first measure m₁ (t) is "damped" prior to accumulation by subtracting therefrom a correction value or "damping factor f_d." The damping factor f_d may be either a constant or a time-varying function f_d (t) of one or more other time-varying measures, themselves based on received vehicle acceleration information.

Claims

1. In a system for controlling actuation of a vehicle passenger safety device, said system including:

means for receiving information from the group consisting of vehicle acceleration information and vehicle passenger position information;

means for calculating a first time-varying measure based on said received information as a function of time;

accumulating means for accumulating said first measure over time to obtain a second time-varying measure; and

actuating means responsive to said second measure for actuating said safety device when said second measure exceeds a first threshold value therefor,

the improvement comprising;

means for generating a first time-varying damping factor based on said received information; and

damping means for damping said first measure prior to accumulation thereof by subtracting said first damping factor from said first measure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for generating said first damping factor includes a feedback loop for feeding a scaled value for said second measure back to said damping means.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for generating said first damping factor includes means for generating a third time-varying measure based on said received information.

4. The system of claim 3, including means for generating a second damping factor, a second damping means for damping said third measure with said second damping factor by subtracting said second damping factor from said third measure to obtain a damped third measure, and second accumulating means for accumulating said damped third measure to obtain a fourth time-varying measure.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said second damping factor is a function of said received information over time.

6. In a method for controlling actuation of a vehicle passenger safety device, said method including the steps of:

receiving information from the group consisting of vehicle acceleration information and vehicle passenger position information;

calculating a first time-varying measure based on said received information as a function of time;

accumulating said first measure over time to obtain a second time-varying measure;

comparing said second measure to a first threshold value; and

actuating said safety device when said second measure exceeds said first threshold value,

the improvement comprising;

generating a time-varying damping factor based on said received information; and

damping said first measure prior to accumulation thereof by subtracting said damping factor from said first measure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of generating said first damping factor includes the steps of scaling said second measure using a scaling factor;

and feeding said scaled second measure back to said damping means as said first damping factor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of generating said first damping factor includes the step of generating a third time-varying measure based on said received information, said third measure being used as said first damping factor.

9. The method of claim 8, further including the steps of generating a second damping factor, damping said third measure with said second damping factor by subtracting said second damping factor from said third measure to obtain a damped third measure, and accumulating said damped third measure to obtain a fourth time-varying measure, said fourth measure being used as said first damping factor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said second damping factor is a function of said received information over time.