Externally deployed airbag system

• US 6,749,218 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• 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
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rosenberg, Laura B.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: B60/R 2.134, 180/274, 180/282, 280/730.1, 280/734, 280/735, 280/762, 280/770, 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 701/301, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 293/107, 293/110, 293/133
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• 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

Externally deployed airbag system for a vehicle including one or more inflatable airbags deployable outside of the vehicle, an anticipatory sensor system for assessing the probable severity of an impact involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiating inflation of the airbag(s) in the event an impact above a threshold severity is assessed, and an inflator coupled to the anticipatory sensor system and the airbag for inflating the airbag when initiated by the anticipatory sensor system. The airbag may be housed in a module mounted along a side of the vehicle, in a side door of the vehicle (both for side impact protection), at a front of the vehicle (for frontal impact protection) or at a rear of the vehicle (for rear impact protection). Also, the externally deployed airbag can be deployed to cushion a pedestrian'"'"'s impact against the vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an inflatable airbag deployable outside of the vehicle;

an anticipatory sensor system for assessing the probable severity of an impact involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiating inflation of said airbag in the event an impact above a threshold severity is assessed; and

an inflator coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said airbag for inflating said airbag when initiated by said anticipatory sensor system,

said anticipatory sensor system comprising at least one receiver for receiving waves or energy and pattern recognition means for analyzing the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy to assess the probable severity of the impact,

said pattern recognition means being arranged to ascertain the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated, the assessment of the probable severity of the impact being at least partially based on the identification of the object, said pattern recognition means comprising a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm trained to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a front, a rear, a left side and a right side, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted along one of the right and left sides of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted in a side door of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said pattern recognition means are further arranged to determine at least one property of the object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated, the assessment of the probable severity of the impact being at least partially based on the determined at least one property of the object.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the at least one property is the size of the object.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said anticipatory sensor system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting waves away from the vehicle, said at least one receiver receiving waves transmitted by said transmitter which have been reflected from objects exterior of the vehicle, the received waves being analyzed to enable assessment of the probable severity of the impact.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional, internally deployable airbag, said anticipatory sensor system being arranged to initiate inflation of said additional airbag in the event an impact above a threshold severity is assessed; and

an additional inflator coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said additional airbag for inflating said additional airbag when initiated by said anticipatory sensor system.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted at a front of the vehicle for use in frontal impact protection.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted at a rear of the vehicle for use in rear impact protection.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when said pattern recognition means ascertains the identity of the object as being a pedestrian, said anticipatory sensor system is arranged to assess the probable severity of an impact between the pedestrian and the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impact, said airbag being deployable to cushion impact of the pedestrian against the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising additional airbags deployable outside of the vehicle, said anticipatory sensor system being arranged to determine which of said airbags is to be deployed to provide for protection of any occupants of the vehicle.

12. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an inflatable airbag deployable outside of the vehicle;

an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur based on data obtained prior to the impact and determining whether the impact requires deployment of said airbag; and

an inflator coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said airbag for inflating said airbag in response to the determinations by said anticipatory sensor system that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur and that the impact requires deployment of said airbag,

said anticipatory sensor system comprising at least one receiver for receiving waves or energy and pattern recognition means for analyzing the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy to determine that an impact is about to occur and to determine whether the impact requires deployment of said airbag,

said pattern recognition means being arranged to ascertain the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated, the determination whether the impact requires deployment of said airbag being at least partially based on the identification of the object, said pattern recognition means comprising a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm trained to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the vehicle has a front, a rear, a left side and a right side, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted along one of the right and left sides of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted in a side door of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted at a front of the vehicle for use in frontal impact protection.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein when said pattern recognition system ascertains the identity of the object as being a pedestrian, said anticipatory sensor system is arranged to determine that an impact between the pedestrian and the vehicle is about to occur based on data obtained prior to the impact, said airbag being deployable to cushion impact of the pedestrian against the vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising additional airbags deployable outside of the vehicle, said anticipatory sensor system being arranged to determine which of said airbags is to be deployed to provide for protection of any occupants of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising an airbag module for housing said airbag, said airbag module being mounted at a rear of the vehicle for use in rear impact protection.

19. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said pattern recognition means are further arranged to determine at least one property of the object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated, the determination whether the impact requires deployment of said airbag being at least partially based on the determined at least one property of the object.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the at least one property is the size of the object.

21. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said anticipatory sensor system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting waves away from the vehicle, said at least one receiver receiving waves transmitted by said transmitter which have been reflected from objects exterior of the vehicle, the received waves being analyzed to enable the determinations that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur and that the impact requires deployment of said airbag.

22. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising:

an additional, internally deployable airbag, said anticipatory sensor system being arranged to initiate inflation of said additional airbag in the event an impact above a threshold severity is assessed; and

an additional inflator coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said additional airbag for inflating said additional airbag when initiated by said anticipatory sensor system.

23. A method for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an impact between the vehicle and an object, comprising the steps of:

detecting an impending impact between the vehicle and the object prior to the impact;

determining the probable severity of the impending impact prior to the impact; and

inflating an airbag exterior of the vehicle between the vehicle and the object in the event the impending impact is determined to be above a threshold severity,

the step of determining the probable severity of the impact comprising the steps of receiving waves or energy from the object and ascertaining the identity of the object based on the received waves or energy by inputting the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy into a pattern recognition algorithm which ascertains the identity of the object based thereon, the pattern recognition algorithm being trained to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the vehicle has a front, a rear, a left side and a right side, further comprising the step of housing the airbag along one of the right and left sides of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of housing the airbag in a side door of the vehicle.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of housing the airbag at a front of the vehicle.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of housing the airbag at a rear of the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of determining the probable severity of the impact further comprises the step of determining at least one property of the object based on the received waves or energy.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one property is the size of the object.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of detecting an impending impact comprises the steps of transmitting waves away from the vehicle, receiving the transmitted waves after the waves have been reflected from the object and analyzing the received waves.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of detecting an impending impact between the vehicle and the object prior to the impact comprises the step of detecting an impending impact between a pedestrian and the vehicle, the airbag being inflated to cushion impact of the pedestrian against the vehicle.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

arranging additional airbags on the vehicle for deployment outside of the vehicle; and

determining which of the airbags is to be deployed to provide for protection of any occupants of the vehicle prior to the impact and inflating those airbags prior to the impact.

33. A method for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an impact between the vehicle and an object, comprising the steps of:

determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur prior to the impact;

determining whether the impact requires deployment of an externally mounted airbag arranged to inflate between the vehicle and an object involved in the impact; and

inflating the airbag between the vehicle and the object,

the step of determining whether the impact requires deployment of the airbag comprises the steps of receiving waves or energy from the object and ascertaining the identity of the object based on the received waves or energy by inputting the received waves or energy or data representative of the received waves or energy into a pattern recognition algorithm which ascertains the identity of the object based thereon, the pattern recognition algorithm being trained to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the vehicle has a front, a rear, a left side and a right side, further comprising the step of housing the airbag along one of the right and left sides of the vehicle.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of housing the airbag in a side door of the vehicle.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of housing the airbag at a front of the vehicle.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of housing the airbag at a rear of the vehicle.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of determining whether the impact requires deployment of the airbag further comprises the step of determining at least one property of the object based on the received waves or energy.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the at least one property is the size of the object.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur comprises the steps of transmitting waves away from the vehicle, receiving the transmitted waves after the waves have been reflected from the abject and analyzing the received waves.

41. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of airbags deployable outside of the vehicle;

an anticipatory sensor system for assessing the probable severity of an impact involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiating inflation of at least one of said airbags in the event an impact above a threshold severity is assessed, said anticipatory sensor system being arranged to determine which of said airbags is to be deployed to provide for protection of any occupants of the vehicle; and

an inflator system coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said airbags for inflating said at least one airbag when initiated by said anticipatory sensor system.

42. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of inflatable airbags deployable outside of the vehicle;

an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur based on data obtained prior to the impact and determining whether the impact requires deployment of at least one of said airbags, said anticipatory sensor system being arranged to determine which of said airbags is to be deployed to provide for protection of any occupants of the vehicle; and

an inflator system coupled to said anticipatory sensor system and said airbags for inflating said at least one airbag in response to the determinations by said anticipatory sensor system that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur and that the impact requires deployment of said airbag.

43. A method for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during an impact between the vehicle and an object, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of airbags on the vehicle for deployment outside of the vehicle;

detecting an impending impact between the vehicle and the object prior to the impact;

determining the probable severity of the impending impact prior to the impact;

determining which of the airbags is to be deployed to provide for protection of any occupants of the vehicle prior to the impact; and

then

inflating those airbags exterior of the vehicle between the vehicle and the object prior to impact in the event the impending impact is determined to be above a threshold severity.