Starting device for a passenger protecting device

• US 5,742,506 A
• Filed: 03/13/1995
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Furui, Takashi, Kinoshita, Hidehiko, Maruyama, Mitsunori, Okimoto, Yukihiro, Kura, Nobuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walker, Tyrone V.
• Application Number:
  US08/402,357
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.05, 340/436, 340/669, 280/734, 280/735, 307/10.1, 180/282, 180/274
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/002 Underrun collision
• 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 21/0133 by integrating the amplitude of the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01336 using filtering

Abstract

A starting device integrates an output signal of an acceleration sensor by a band-pass integrating means while restricting an upper limit of the output signal in a specified frequency range by an upper limit restricting means, and is provided with a comparing means for outputting a starting signal when the integrated value is larger than a predetermined threshold value. In this way, the starting device is certainly started by an acceleration waveform of collision that must start the device. Further, the device is not influenced by vibration components caused immediately after the beginning of collision with respect to a low-speed collision such as 8 mile/hour frontal collision that must not start the device.

Claims

1. A starting device for a passenger protecting device outputting a starting signal based on an output signal of an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration in collision comprising:

a band-pass filter for filtering a component of the output signal of the acceleration sensor in a specified frequency domain;

an absolute value calculating means for calculating an absolute value of an output signal of the band-pass filter;

an upper limit restricting means for restricting an output signal of the absolute value calculating means by a predetermined upper limit value;

a band-pass integrating means for integrating an output signal of the upper limit restricting means; and

a comparing means for comparing an output of the band-pass integrating means with a predetermined threshold value and outputting the starting signal.

2. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an acceleration integrating means for integrating the output signal of the acceleration sensor; and

a threshold value determining means for determining a threshold value in accordance with an output signal of the acceleration integrating means.

3. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 2, wherein the threshold determining means determines a threshold value which linearly increases in accordance with an increase in the output of the acceleration integrating means.

4. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 2, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and the output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is denoted by an ordinate, the threshold value is expressed by a first straight line having a positive intercept and linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is smaller than a predetermined value V_a, a second straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of the output V_g of the first straight line when the output V_g is V_a in case wherein the output V_g is not smaller than V_a and smaller than V_b predetermined to a value larger than V_a, and a third straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of 0 when the output V_g is not smaller than V_b.

5. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 2, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and an output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is denoted by an ordinate, the threshold value is expressed by a first straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a predetermined positive value V_p when the output V_g is not larger than a predetermined value V_a, a second straight line passing through (V_a, V_p) and linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is not less than V_a and is smaller than V_b predetermined to a value larger than V_a, a third straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of the output V_BPF of the second straight line when the output V_g is V_b in case wherein the output V_g is not smaller than V_b and smaller than V_c predetermined to a value larger than V_b, and a fourth straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of 0 when the output V_g is larger than V_c.

6. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 2, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and the output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is expressed by an ordinate, the threshold value is provided with a value sufficiently large and larger than any one of the output V_BPF when the output V_g is smaller than a predetermined value V_a, and is expressed by a straight line linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is larger than V_a.

7. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 2, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and the output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is expressed by an ordinate, the threshold value is provided with a value sufficiently large and larger than any one the output V_BPF when the output V_g is smaller than a predetermined value V_a, end is expressed by a straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a predetermined positive value V_p when the output V_g is not smaller than V_a and smaller than V_b predetermined to a value larger than V_a, a second straight line passing through (V_b, V_p) and linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is not smaller than V_b and smaller than V_c predetermined to a value larger than V_b, a third straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of the output V_BPF of the second straight line when the output V_g is V_c in case wherein the output V_g is not smaller than V_c and smaller than V_d predetermined to a value larger than V_c, a fourth straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of 0 when the output V_g is not smaller than V_d.

8. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 1, wherein the band-pass integrating means integrates the output of the upper limit restricting means when the output of the acceleration sensor is an acceleration in a decelerating direction.

9. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 2, wherein the band-pass integrating means integrates the output of the upper limit restricting means when the output of the acceleration sensor is an acceleration in a decelerating direction and the acceleration integrating means integrates the output signal of the acceleration sensor when the output of the acceleration sensor is the acceleration in the decelerating direction.

10. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 9, wherein the threshold value determining means determines a threshold value which linearly increases in accordance with an increase in the output of the acceleration integrating means.

11. A starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 9, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and the output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is denoted by an ordinate, the threshold value is expressed by a first straight line having a positive intercept and linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is smaller than a predetermined value V_a, a second straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of the output V_BPF of the first straight line when the output V_g is V_a in case wherein the output V_g is not smaller than V_a and smaller than V_b predetermined to a value larger than V_a, and a third straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of 0 when the output V_g is not smaller than V_b.

12. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 9, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and an output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is denoted by an ordinate, the threshold value is expressed by a first straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a predetermined positive value V_p when the output V_g is not larger than a predetermined value V_a, a second straight line passing through (V_a, V_p) and linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is not less than V_a and is smaller than V_b predetermined to a value larger than V_a, a third straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of the output V_BPF of the second straight line when the output V_g is V_b in case wherein the output V_g is not smaller than V_b and smaller than V_c predetermined to a value larger than V_b, and a fourth straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of 0 when the output V_g is larger than V_c.

13. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 9, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and the output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is expressed by an ordinate, the threshold value is provided with a value sufficiently large and larger than any one of the output V_BPF when the output V_g is smaller than a predetermined value V_a, and is expressed by a straight line linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is larger than V_a.

14. The starting device for a passenger protecting device according to claim 9, wherein, when the threshold value determined by the threshold value determining means is expressed by a coordinate system wherein the output V_g of the acceleration integrating means is denoted by an abscissa and the output V_BPF of the band-pass integrating means is expressed by an ordinate, the threshold value is provided with a value sufficiently large and larger than any one of the output V_BPF when the output V_g is smaller than a predetermined value V_a, and is expressed by a straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a predetermined positive value V_p when the output V_g is not smaller than V_a and smaller than V_b predetermined to a value larger than V_a, a second straight line passing through (V_b, V_p) and linearly increasing in accordance with an increase in the output V_g by a positive inclination when the output V_g is not smaller than V_b and smaller than V_c predetermined to a value larger than V_b, a third straight line being parallel with the abscissa and having a value of he output V_BPF of the second straight line when the output V_g is V_c in case wherein the output V_g is not smaller than V_c and smaller than V_d predetermined to a value larger than V_c, a fourth straight line being parallel with the abscissa having a value of 0 when the output V_g is not smaller V_d.