Method and apparatus for crash sensing using anticipatory sensor inputs
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a vehicle occupant restraint system having a pre-impact obstacle detection sensor for detecting an obstacle prior to an impact between the vehicle and the obstacle, and an accelerometer for detecting acceleration of the vehicle due to the impact between the vehicle and the obstacle, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining a relative speed between the vehicle and the obstacle prior to said impact based on a signal produced by said pre-impact obstacle detection sensor;
determining an acceleration value due to said impact based on a signal produced by said accelerometer;
modifying the determined acceleration value as a function of the determined relative speed to produce a modified acceleration value;
applying the modified acceleration value as an acceleration input to a crash sensing algorithm; and
controlling activation of an occupant restraint in accordance with the crash sensing algorithm.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Anticipatory crash sensors mounted on the front of a vehicle or optionally on the sides sense the speed of approach to an obstacle. A signal processing algorithm determines the ratio of the speed to a threshold and multiplies the output of an accelerometer with the ratio. This enhanced acceleration signal is input to a single point crash sensor algorithm to reduce the time to generate a trigger signal.
81 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a vehicle occupant restraint system having a pre-impact obstacle detection sensor for detecting an obstacle prior to an impact between the vehicle and the obstacle, and an accelerometer for detecting acceleration of the vehicle due to the impact between the vehicle and the obstacle, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining a relative speed between the vehicle and the obstacle prior to said impact based on a signal produced by said pre-impact obstacle detection sensor; determining an acceleration value due to said impact based on a signal produced by said accelerometer; modifying the determined acceleration value as a function of the determined relative speed to produce a modified acceleration value; applying the modified acceleration value as an acceleration input to a crash sensing algorithm; and controlling activation of an occupant restraint in accordance with the crash sensing algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A restraint system in a vehicle for activating a restraint in the event of a severe crash between the vehicle and an obstacle, comprising:
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a pre-impact obstacle detection sensor for detecting an obstacle in a path of the vehicle prior to an impact between the vehicle and the obstacle; an accelerometer for producing acceleration data based on a detected acceleration of the vehicle due to the impact between the vehicle and the obstacle; restraint activation means including a crash algorithm for determining whether to activate said restraint based on an analysis of an acceleration signal supplied thereto; means for determining a relative speed between the vehicle and the obstacle prior to said impact based on a signal produced by said pre-impact obstacle detection sensor; means for modifying the acceleration data produced by said accelerometer as a function of the determined relative speed to produce a modified acceleration signal, and for supplying said modified acceleration signal to said crash sensing algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification