Process for controlling occupant safety devices corresponding to the requirements

• US 6,169,945 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Bachmaier, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/092,993
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/36, 180/271, 180/272, 280/734, 280/735, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0102 the monitored value being used for calculating occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01315 monitoring occupant displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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

A process is provided for controlling occupant safety devices corresponding to specific requirements while taking into account the occupant'"'"'s expected movement relative to the vehicle. The expected movement of the vehicle occupant is determined on the basis of the expected acceleration profile of the vehicle during the accident and on the basis of the actual parameters of the individual vehicle occupant. The expected acceleration profile of the vehicle is extrapolated on the basis of the acceleration profile which took place up to the respective point in time.

Claims

1. A process for controlling occupant safety devices taking into account an occupant'"'"'s expected movement relative to a vehicle, comprising

determining an initial expected acceleration profile for the vehicle during an accident;

determining an occupant'"'"'s individual parameters;

measuring an actual acceleration profile of the vehicle which occurs up to a respective point in time during an accident;

Generating a modified expected acceleration profile of the vehicle, based on a comparison of the initial expected acceleration profile and measured actual acceleration data;

determining an expected movement of a vehicle occupant relative to the vehicle based on the modified expected acceleration profile of the vehicle and on the occupant'"'"'s individual parameters; and

controlling operating parameters of said safety devices based on the expected movement of the vehicle occupant.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the initial and modified expected acceleration profiles of the vehicle are selected from stored acceleration profiles.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein selection of the initial expected acceleration profile is made based on information detected by a pre-crash sensor system.

4. The process according to claim 2, wherein modification of the initial expected acceleration profile to determine a modified expected acceleration profile is made based on data furnished by an internal acceleration sensor system.

5. The process according to claim 3, wherein modification of the initial expected acceleration profile to determine a modified expected acceleration profile is made based on data furnished by an internal acceleration sensor system.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a selection and a change of the acceleration profile is made based on via data representing an external object.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the occupant'"'"'s individual parameters are determined in real-time.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the occupant'"'"'s individual parameters are retrieved from a memory device.

9. A process for controlling occupant safety devices in a vehicle, comprising:

determining individual parameters of a vehicle occupant;

determining an initial expected acceleration profile of the vehicle during an accident;

measuring in real time an acceleration profile of the vehicle during an accident;

modifying the initial expected acceleration profile of the vehicle to generate a further expected acceleration profile, based on the measured real-time acceleration profile during an accident;

calculating expected movement of a vehicle occupant based on the further expected acceleration profile of the vehicle, and the occupant'"'"'s individual parameters; and

controlling operation of said occupant safety devices, based on the expected movement of said vehicle occupant.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein the initial and second expected acceleration profiles of the vehicle are selected from stored acceleration profiles.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein selection of the initial expected acceleration profile is made based on information detected by a pre-crash sensor system.

12. The process according to claim 10, wherein a change from the initial expected acceleration profile to the second expected acceleration profile is made based on data furnished by an internal acceleration sensor system.

13. The process according to claim 11, wherein a change from a first selected acceleration profile to a second acceleration profile is made based on data furnished by an internal acceleration sensor system.

14. The process according to claim 9, wherein at least one of a selection and a change of the acceleration profile is made based on data concerning an external object.

15. The process according to claim 9, wherein the individual parameters of the vehicle occupant are determined in real-time.

16. The process according to claim 9, wherein the individual parameters of the vehicle occupant are retrieved from a memory device.

17. An apparatus for controlling occupant safety devices in a vehicle;

comprising;

means for determining individual parameters of a vehicle occupant;

means for determining an initial acceleration profile of the vehicle during an accident;

means for measuring in real time an acceleration profile of the vehicle during an accident;

means for modifying the initial expected acceleration profile of the vehicle to generate a further expected acceleration profile, based on the measured real-time acceleration profile during an accident;

means for calculating an expected movement of a vehicle occupant based on the further expected acceleration profile of the vehicle and the occupant'"'"'s individual parameters; and

means for controlling operation of said occupant safety devices, based on the expected movement of said vehicle occupant.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the initial and second expected acceleration profiles of the vehicle are selected from stored acceleration profiles.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein selection of the initial expected acceleration profile is made based on information detected by a pre-crash sensor system.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a change from a first selected acceleration profile to a second acceleration profile is made based on data furnished by an internal acceleration sensor system.

21. A method for controlling occupant safety devices of a vehicle, comprising:

vehicle pre-crash sensors detecting pre-crash data when a collision of the vehicle is imminent;

selecting an initial expected acceleration profile for the vehicle during the accident based on detected pre-crash data;

measuring an actual acceleration profile of the vehicle in real time during a crash;

modifying the initial expected acceleration profile based on a measured actual acceleration profile of the vehicle during an initial phase of a crash; and

adjusting operating parameters of the safety devices based on the modified expected acceleration profile and on actual parameters of a vehicle occupant.