Side impact airbag system with anticipatory sensor

• US 6,343,810 B1
• Filed: 05/10/1999
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/307,883
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/730.2, 180/271, 180/282, 701/45, 701/47
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/205 inflatable in the direction of an obstacle upon impending impact, e.g. using air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/42 extending primarily along the sides of, or completely encircling, a vehicle ornamental or guard strips B60R13/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23332 using independent bags, one within the other
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26058 using a combination of inflators
• 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 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/321 using electric means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 : Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 : Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 : Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 : Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/417 : involving the use of neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/48 : of systems according to group G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 : using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/487 : Extracting wanted echo signals , e.g. pulse detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 : using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 : Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

An airbag passive restraint system for protecting an occupant adjacent the door in a side impact including an airbag arranged in the door to inflate inward from the door and a side impact anticipatory sensor determining that an accident requiring deployment of the airbag is about to occur prior to the accident. The sensor is arranged to receive waves generated by, modified by or reflected from an object about to impact the vehicle resulting in the accident and is designed to identify the object based on a pattern of the received waves and determining whether the identified object will cause an accident requiring deployment of the airbag. The system also includes an inflator coupled to the sensor for inflating the airbag if the sensor determines that an accident requiring deployment of the airbag is about to occur.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle having a side door, an airbag passive restraint system for protecting an occupant adjacent the door in a side impact comprising:

an airbag arranged to inflate between the occupant and the door,

a side impact anticipatory sensor for determining that an accident requiring deployment of said airbag is about to occur prior to the accident, said sensor being structured and arranged to receive waves generated by, modified by, or reflected from an object about to impact the vehicle resulting in the accident and comprising identifying and determining means for ascertaining the identity of the object based on a pattern of the received waves obtained over a set period of time by said sensor and determining whether the identified object will cause an accident requiring deployment of said airbag; and

an inflator coupled to said sensor for inflating said airbag if said sensor determines that an accident requiring deployment of said airbag is about to occur.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said identifying and determining means comprise a neural network trained on data of possible patterns of received waves in conjunction with an identification of the object the received waves have been generated by, modified by or reflected from.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said identifying and determining means comprise a fuzzy logic algorithm or a rule based pattern recognition algorithm.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sensor is arranged to receive electromagnetic waves.

5. In a motor vehicle, a system for triggering deployment of an airbag passive restraint system in anticipation of an accident between the vehicle and an object approaching the vehicle, said system comprising:

transmitter means arranged on the vehicle for sending waves toward the object;

receiver means arranged on the vehicle for receiving modified or reflected waves from the object and producing a signal representative of the received waves;

identifying and determining means for ascertaining the identity of the object based on a pattern of the received waves obtained over a set period of time by said receiver means and determining whether the identified object will cause an accident requiring deployment of the passive restraint system; and

triggering means responsive to said identifying and determining means for initiating deployment of the passive restraint system if said identifying and determining means determines that an accident requiring deployment of the passive restraint system is about to occur.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 5, wherein said transmitter means are arranged to transmit electromagnetic waves.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 5, wherein said transmitter means are arranged to transmit ultrasonic waves.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 5, wherein said identifying and determining means comprise a neural network trained on data of possible patterns of received waves from objects in conjunction with an identification of the object.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 5, wherein said identifying and determining means comprise a fuzzy logic algorithm or a rule based pattern recognition algorithm.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 5, wherein said transmitter means comprise a laser transmitter and said receiver means comprise a charge-coupled device.

11. In a motor vehicle, a system for triggering deployment of an airbag passive restraint system in anticipation of an accident between the vehicle and an object approaching the vehicle, said system comprising:

receiver means for receiving electromagnetic waves generated by, modified by or reflected from the object;

identifying and determining means for ascertaining the identity of the object based on a pattern of the received waves obtained over a set period of time by said receiver means and determining whether the identified object will cause an accident requiring deployment of the passive restraint system; and

triggering means responsive to said identifying and determining means for initiating deployment of the passive restraint system if said identifying and determining means determines that an accident requiring deployment of the passive restraint system is about to occur.

12. The invention in accordance with claim 11, wherein said receiver means are arranged to receive light waves.

13. The invention in accordance with claim 11, wherein said receiver means are arranged to receive infrared waves.

14. The invention in accordance with claim 11, wherein said identifying and determining means comprise a neural network trained on data of possible patterns of received waves from objects in conjunction with an identification of the object.

15. The invention in accordance with claim 11, wherein said identifying and determining means comprise a fuzzy logic algorithm or a rule based pattern recognition algorithm.

16. The invention in accordance with claim 11, wherein said receiver means comprises a charge coupled device.

17. In a motor vehicle having a side door, a method for deploying an airbag passive restraint system for protecting an occupant adjacent the door in a side impact comprising the steps of:

arranging an airbag to inflate between the occupant and the door,

arranging a sensor to receive waves in a plurality of discrete periods of time generated by, modified by, or reflected from an object about to impact the vehicle resulting in the accident,

recognizing the object based on the received waves,

determining whether the recognized object will cause an accident requiring deployment of said airbag; and

inflating said airbag if the recognized object will cause an accident requiring deployment of said airbag.