Passive safety system and determination device

• US 7,606,646 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Higuchi, Hiroshi, Ide, Seiya
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US11/016,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 701/37
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• 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 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis
• 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 21/0156 by deceleration

Abstract

A determination device includes a single acceleration sensor that measures an acceleration of a vehicle and a determination circuit that is electrically connected with the acceleration sensor. The determination circuit has a plastic deformation pulse detection section and a severity determination section. The plastic deformation pulse detection section detects a plastic deformation pulse by separating the plastic deformation pulse from an acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor. The severity determination section determines severity of a collision in a vehicle accident based on the detected plastic deformation pulse. A passive safety device is operated according to the determined severity.

Claims

1. A passive safety system comprising:

a single acceleration sensor that measures an acceleration of a vehicle;

a determination device that includes a determination circuit having a plastic deformation pulse detection section and a severity determination section;

a passive safety device that protects an occupant from injury in a vehicle accident; and

an elastic deformation pulse detection section that detects an elastic deformation pulse by separating the elastic deformation pulse from an acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor, the acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor containing an elastic deformation pulse and a plastic deformation pulse having a high frequency higher than a frequency of the elastic deformation pulse, wherein

the determination device and the passive safety device are electrically connected with the acceleration sensor and the determination device, respectively,

the plastic deformation pulse detection section detects a plastic deformation pulse by separating the plastic deformation pulse from the acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor,

the severity determination section determines the severity of a collision based on the plastic deformation pulse detected by the plastic deformation pulse section,

the passive safety device operates according to the severity,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section includes a low pass filter,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section separates the elastic deformation pulse by filtering the acceleration waveform with the low pass filter,

the passive safety device is an airbag system having multiple inflators and one airbag that is inflated by the multiple inflators for reducing an impact of a collision on the occupant, the number of the multiple inflators to be actuated for the one airbag being determined based on the determined severity; and

the determination device determines actuation of each inflator based on the severity, wherein

a first inflator of the multiple inflators is actuated and then a second inflator of the multiple inflators is actuated when a predetermined period has elapsed, when the determined severity is low,

the first inflator and the second inflator are simultaneously actuated to inflate the airbag when the determined severity is high,

an actuation signal that actuates the first inflator is further transmitted to the second inflator by routing through an AND gate, whereby the second inflator will not be actuated before the actuation of the first inflator.

2. The passive safety system according to claim 1, wherein the plastic deformation pulse detection section includes a high pass filter;

and

the plastic deformation pulse detection section separates the plastic deformation pulse by filtering the acceleration waveform with the high pass filter.

3. The passive safety system of claim 1,

wherein the plastic deformation pulse detection section further detects the plastic deformation pulse by removing an elastic deformation pulse component corresponding to the elastic deformation pulse detected by the elastic deformation pulse detecting section from the acceleration waveform.

4. The passive safety system according to claim 1, further includes an electronic control unit for controlling operation of the passive safety device, wherein the acceleration sensor and the determination device are modularized and arranged inside the electronic control unit.

5. The passive safety system according to claim 4, wherein the electronic control unit is arranged in about a middle of a side-to-side line of the vehicle.

6. The passive safety system according to claim 1, the plastic deformation pulse being caused by damage of individual parts of the vehicle.

7. The passive safety system according to claim 1,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section receiving the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor, and outputting the elastic deformation pulse separated from the acceleration waveform;

the plastic deformation pulse detection section receiving the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor, and the separated elastic deformation pulse from the elastic deformation pulse detection section; and

being configured to remove, from the acceleration waveform, an elastic deformation pulse component that corresponds to the elastic deformation pulse received from the elastic deformation pulse detection section so as to separate out the plastic deformation pulse; and

outputting, to the severity determination section, the plastic deformation pulse separated from the acceleration waveform;

the determination circuit receiving the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor.

8. The passive safety system according to claim 7,

the determination circuit receiving:

the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor, the elastic deformation pulse from the elastic deformation pulse detection section, and the plastic deformation pulse from the plastic deformation pulse detection section;

the determination circuit being configured to correct the acceleration waveform with the received elastic deformation pulse and the received plastic deformation pulse, and to compare the corrected acceleration waveform to a collision determination threshold.

9. The passive safety system according to claim 1,

the severity determination section receives, from the plastic deformation pulse detection section, the plastic deformation pulse separated from the acceleration waveform, and is configured to determine the severity on which the actuation of each inflator is based by comparing the received plastic deformation pulse to a severity threshold.

10. A passive safety system comprising:

a single acceleration sensor that measures an acceleration of a vehicle;

a determination device that includes a determination circuit having a plastic deformation pulse detection section and a severity determination section;

a passive safety device that protects an occupant from injury in a vehicle accident; and

an elastic deformation pulse detection section that detects an elastic deformation pulse by separating the elastic deformation pulse from an acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor, the acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor containing an elastic deformation pulse and a plastic deformation pulse having a high frequency higher than a frequency of the elastic deformation pulse, wherein

the determination device and the passive safety device are electrically connected with the acceleration sensor and the determination device, respectively,

the plastic deformation pulse detection section detects a plastic deformation pulse by separating the plastic deformation pulse from the acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor,

the severity determination section determines the severity of a collision based on the plastic deformation pulse detected by the plastic deformation pulse section,

the passive safety device operates according to the severity,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section includes a low pass filter,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section separates the elastic deformation pulse by filtering the acceleration waveform with the low sass filter,

the passive safety device is an airbags system having multiple inflators and one airbag that is inflated by the multiple inflators for reducing an impact of a collision on the occupant, the number of the multiple inflators to be actuated for the one airbag being determined based on die determined severity; and

the determination device determines actuation of each inflator based on the severity,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section receiving the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor, and outputting the elastic deformation pulse separated from the acceleration waveform;

the plastic deformation pulse detection section receiving the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor, and the separated elastic deformation pulse from the elastic deformation pulse detection section; and

being configured to remove, from the acceleration waveform, an elastic deformation pulse component that corresponds to the elastic deformation pulse received from the elastic deformation pulse detection section so as to separate out the plastic deformation pulse; and

outputting, to the severity determination section, the plastic deformation pulse separated from the acceleration waveform;

the determination circuit receiving the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor,

the multiple inflators including a first inflator and a second inflator;

the determination circuit being configured to determine when the acceleration waveform reaches a collision determination threshold so that actuation of the first inflator is necessary, the determination circuit outputting a first actuation request signal to an AND gate and to the first inflator when the collision threshold is reached;

the severity determination section inputting the plastic deformation pulse from the plastic deformation pulse detection section, and being configured to determine when the plastic deformation pulse reaches a severity threshold so that actuation of the second inflator is necessary, the severity determination section outputting a second actuation request signal to the AND gate when the severity threshold is reached; and

the AND gate being configured to receive the first actuation request signal and the second actuation request signal, and to transmit a signal to actuate the second inflator when the AND gate receives both the first actuation request signal and the second actuation request signal.

11. A passive safety system comprising:

a single acceleration sensor that measures an acceleration of a vehicle;

a determination device that includes a determination circuit having a plastic deformation pulse detection section and a severity determination section;

a passive safety device that protects an occupant from injury in a vehicle accident; and

an elastic deformation pulse detection section that detects an elastic deformation pulse by separating the elastic deformation pulse from an acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor, the acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor containing an elastic deformation pulse and a plastic deformation pulse having a high frequency higher than a frequency of the elastic deformation pulse, wherein

the determination device and the passive safety device are electrically connected with the acceleration sensor and the determination device, respectively,

the plastic deformation pulse detection section detects a plastic deformation pulse by separating the plastic deformation pulse from the acceleration waveform produced by the acceleration sensor,

the severity determination section determines the severity of a collision based on the plastic deformation pulse detected by the plastic deformation pulse section,

the passive safety device operates according to the severity,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section includes a low pass filter,

the elastic deformation pulse detection section separates the elastic deformation pulse by filtering the acceleration waveform with the low pass filter,

the passive safety device is an airbag system having multiple inflators and one airbag that is inflated by the multiple inflators for reducing an impact of a collision on the occupant, the number of the multiple inflators to be actuated for the one airbag being determined based on the determined severity; and

the determination device determines actuation of each inflator based on the severity,

the multiple inflators including a first inflator and a second inflator;

the determination circuit inputting the acceleration waveform from the single acceleration sensor, and being configured to determine when the acceleration waveform reaches a collision determination threshold so that actuation of the first inflator is necessary, the determination circuit outputting a first actuation request signal to an AND gate and to the first inflator when the collision threshold is reached;

the severity determination section inputting the plastic deformation pulse from the plastic deformation pulse detection section, and being configured to determine when the plastic deformation pulse reaches a severity threshold so that actuation of the second inflator is necessary, the severity determination section outputting a second actuation request signal to the AND gate when the severity threshold is reached; and

the AND gate being configured to receive the first actuation request signal and the second actuation request signal, and to transmit a signal to actuate the second inflator when the AND gate receives both the first actuation request signal and the second actuation request signal.