Vehicle with crash sensor coupled to data bus

• US 7,527,288 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• 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): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/470,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/271
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01109 power and data signal using transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01184 Fault detection or diagnostic circuits in power circuits B60R2021/01129
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01302 monitoring vehicle body vibrations or noise
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• 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 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves

Abstract

Vehicle including sensors one of which is a motion-detecting crash sensor, a processing module for processing data generated by the sensors, the module being separate from most if not all of the sensors, and a data bus coupling the sensors and the module together and enabling transfer of data from the sensors to the module. Each sensor may be mounted at a different location on the vehicle and arranged to provide a measurement related to a time-varying state of the sensor or a measurement related to a time-varying state of the mounting location. A deployable occupant restraint may be arranged to deploy to protect an occupant of the vehicle during a crash involving the vehicle. The module determines deployment of the occupant restraint based on the diagnosed state of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensors including a plurality of accelerometers;

a processing module for processing data generated by said sensors, said module being separate from at least some of said sensors, said module being arranged to diagnose a state of the vehicle itself including its dynamic motion based on the data generated by said sensors; and

a data bus coupling said sensors and said module together and enabling transfer of data from said sensors to said module.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least some of said sensors are mounted at different locations on the vehicle and each is arranged to provide a measurement related to a time-varying state of said sensor or a measurement related to a time-varying state of the mounting location of said sensor.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein one of said sensors is a crash sensor arranged to measure vibrations.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said module is separate from all of said sensors.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a deployable occupant restraint arranged to deploy to protect an occupant of the vehicle during a crash involving the vehicle, said module being arranged to determine deployment of said occupant restraint based on the diagnosed state of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said sensors include at least one occupant sensor for sensing a characteristic of an occupant of the vehicle to be protected by said occupant restraint, said at least one occupant sensor providing data about the sensed characteristic to said module which determines deployment of said occupant restraint based on the diagnosed state of the vehicle and the sensed characteristic.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein said at least one occupant sensor is a weight sensor arranged to sense weight of the occupant.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a seat upon which the occupant sits, said weight sensor comprising at least one strain gage weight sensor arranged in connection with said seat.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a seat upon which the occupant sits, said weight sensor comprising a bladder weight sensor arranged in said seat.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said occupant restraint is a frontal airbag.

11. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said occupant restraint is a side airbag.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein one of said sensors is a capacitance sensor or other electromagnetic wave-based sensor.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein one of said sensors is a magnetic field sensor.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensors including an acceleration-detecting crash sensor and at least one occupant sensor arranged to obtain information about a human occupant of a compartment of the vehicle;

a processing module for processing data generated by said sensors, said module being separate from at least some of said sensors;

an actuatable occupant protection system arranged to actuate in order to protect an occupant of the vehicle in the event of an accident involving the vehicle, said module being arranged to control actuation of said occupant protection system based on the data generated by said sensors and being processed by said module; and

a data bus coupling said sensors and said module together and enabling transfer of data from said sensors to said module,

at least some of said sensors being mounted at different locations on the vehicle and each such sensor providing a measurement related to a time-varying state of said sensor or a measurement related to a time-varying state of the mounting location of said sensor.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said sensors include a plurality of accelerometers and said module is arranged to diagnose a state of the vehicle itself including its dynamic motion based on the data generated by said sensors, said module being arranged to control actuation of said occupant protection system based on the diagnosed state of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein said at least one occupant sensor is arranged to sense a characteristic of an occupant of the vehicle to be protected by said occupant protection system, said at least one occupant sensor providing data about the sensed characteristic to said module which controls actuation of said occupant protection system based on the diagnosed state of the vehicle and the sensed characteristic.

17. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said occupant protection system includes a frontal airbag or a side airbag.

18. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said at least one occupant sensor is a capacitance sensor or other electromagnetic wave-based sensor.

19. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said at least one occupant sensor is a magnetic field sensor.