Vehicle collision control system

• US 5,748,477 A
• Filed: 12/19/1995
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Katoh, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/574,553
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 364/460, 364/461, 364/426.01, 364/426.015, 364/424.055, 364/426.028, 364/426.041, 364/424.056, 364/424.057, 240/903, 240/901, 240/435, 240/436, 280/735, 180/169, 180/271
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/024 Collision mitigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle collision control system has a distance measuring sensor, a collision predictive device for outputting a collision predictive signal, a deceleration calculating device for calculating a first limit deceleration allowing the vehicle to run while braking without losing its stability and a second limit deceleration for making the collision speed lower than a survival space ensuring speed, an arithmetic processing device for outputting a braking start signal upon comparing the aforementioned limit decelerations which change according to the running of the vehicle after the collision predictive signal is outputted, a braking command device for commanding a predetermined braking force to a braking device upon receiving the braking start signal, an impact sensor for sensing, and a collision signal generating device for outputting a collision occurrence signal to the logic circuit when the impact sensor senses the collision, so that an ignition signal is outputted to the inflator of the air bag device according to a logical product between the collision predictive signal and collision occurrence signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle collision control system comprising:

a distance measuring sensor for sensing a distance between a vehicle and an object existing in the running direction;

collision predictive means for predicting a collision based on a rate of distance change between the vehicle and the object and then outputting a collision predictive signal to a logic circuit when the collision is predicted;

deceleration calculating means for calculating a first limit deceleration as a maximum deceleration within a range allowing the vehicle to run while braking without losing its stability, and a second limit deceleration for making a speed at the collision lower than a survival space ensuring speed;

arithmetic processing means for successively comparing said first limit deceleration to said second limit deceleration which change according to the running of the vehicle after said collision predictive signal is outputted and then outputting a braking start signal when a predetermined comparative value is obtained;

braking command means for commanding a predetermined braking force to braking means upon receiving the braking start signal from said arithmetic processing means;

an impact sensor; and

collision signal generating means for outputting a collision occurrence signal to said logic circuit when said impact sensor senses the collision, wherein

when the collision predictive signal and the collision occurrence signal both are inputted to said logic circuit, said logic circuit outputs an ignition signal to an inflator of an air bag device.

2. A vehicle collision control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first limit deceleration is successively calculated considering a road condition obtained from the vehicle speed and a rotational speed of each wheel.

3. A vehicle collision control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second limit deceleration is successively calculated based on a relation between the distance between the vehicle and the object and the vehicle speed after said collision predictive signal is outputted and is used for reducing the vehicle speed to said survival space ensuring speed before the collision.

4. A vehicle collision control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined comparative value is a threshold allowing said braking start signal to be outputted at least before the second limit deceleration exceeds said first limit deceleration.

5. A vehicle collision control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said second limit deceleration already exceeds said first limit declaration at the time said collision predictive signal is outputted, said braking start signal is immediately outputted.