Enhanced discrimination method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable protection device

A method for controlling an actuatable safety device for helping to protect a vehicle occupant, the method comprising:

• sensing a plurality of multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters comprising a longitudinal vehicle acceleration parameter and a lateral vehicle acceleration parameter;
• executing one or more metrics that evaluate the multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters to determine whether vehicle crash thresholds are exceeded and producing crash event indications in response thereto;
• evaluating the crash event indications to identify a pole side impact crash event, wherein identifying a pole side impact crash event comprises discriminating the pole side impact crash event from a barrier side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event comprises evaluating crash event indications determined from multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters measured from a non-impact side of the vehicle;
• and
• controlling deployment of the actuatable safety device in response to identifying the pole side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event further comprises:
• measuring via an airbag control unit (ACU) a vehicle X-axis acceleration (ACU_X) and a vehicle Y-axis acceleration (ACU_Y);
• determining from the ACU_X a vehicle X-axis relative velocity (ACU_X_Rel_Vel);
• determining from the ACU_Y a vehicle Y-axis relative velocity (ACU_Y_Rel_Vel);
• and
• comparing the ACU_X_Rel_Vel to the ACU_Y_Rel_Vel to discriminate the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event.

A method for controlling an actuatable safety device for helping to protect a vehicle occupant, the method comprising:

• sensing a plurality of multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters comprising a longitudinal vehicle acceleration parameter and a lateral vehicle acceleration parameter;
• executing one or more metrics that evaluate the multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters to determine whether vehicle crash thresholds are exceeded and producing crash event indications in response thereto;
• evaluating the crash event indications to identify a pole side impact crash event, wherein identifying a pole side impact crash event comprises discriminating the pole side impact crash event from a barrier side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event comprises evaluating crash event indications determined from multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters measured from a non-impact side of the vehicle;
• and
• controlling deployment of the actuatable safety device in response to identifying the pole side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event comprises:
• measuring via an impact side sensor (LBP_SIS) an impact side X-axis acceleration (LBP_SIS_X) and an impact side Y-axis acceleration (LBP_SIS_Y);
• determining from the LBP_SIS_X an impact side X-axis relative displacement (LBP_X_Rel_Displ);
• determining from the LBP_SIS_Y an impact side Y-axis relative velocity (LBP_Y_Rel_Vel);
• and
• comparing the LBP_X_Rel_Displ to the LBP_Y_Rel_Vel to classify a side impact crash event as a pole side impact crash event or a barrier side impact crash event on the impact side of the vehicle.

A method for controlling an actuatable safety device for helping to protect a vehicle occupant, the method comprising:

• sensing a plurality of multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters comprising a longitudinal vehicle acceleration parameter and a lateral vehicle acceleration parameter;
• executing one or more metrics that evaluate the multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters to determine whether vehicle crash thresholds are exceeded and producing crash event indications in response thereto;
• evaluating the crash event indications to identify a pole side impact crash event, wherein identifying a pole side impact crash event comprises discriminating the pole side impact crash event from a barrier side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event comprises evaluating crash event indications determined from multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters measured from a non-impact side of the vehicle;
• and
• controlling deployment of the actuatable safety device in response to identifying the pole side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event comprises:
• measuring via an non-impact side sensor (RBP_SIS) an non-impact side X-axis acceleration (RBP_SIS_X) and an non-impact side Y-axis acceleration (RBP_SIS_Y);
• determining from the RBP_SIS_X a non-impact side X-axis relative displacement (RBP_X_Rel_Displ);
• determining from the RBP_SIS_Y a non-impact side Y-axis relative velocity (RBP_Y_Rel_Vel);
• and
• comparing the RBP_X_Rel_Displ to the RBP_Y_Rel_Vel to classify a side impact crash event as a pole side impact crash event or a barrier side impact crash event on the impact side of the vehicle.

A method for controlling an actuatable safety device for helping to protect a vehicle occupant, the method comprising:

• sensing a plurality of multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters comprising a longitudinal vehicle acceleration parameter and a lateral vehicle acceleration parameter;
• executing one or more metrics that evaluate the multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters to determine whether vehicle crash thresholds are exceeded and producing crash event indications in response thereto;
• evaluating the crash event indications to identify a pole side impact crash event, wherein identifying a pole side impact crash event comprises discriminating the pole side impact crash event from a barrier side impact crash event, wherein discriminating the pole side impact crash event from the barrier side impact crash event comprises evaluating crash event indications determined from multi-axis vehicle acceleration parameters measured from a non-impact side of the vehicle;
• and
• controlling deployment of the actuatable safety device in response to identifying the pole side impact crash event, wherein identifying the pole side impact crash event comprises discriminating a rear pole side impact crash event from a front side pole impact crash event and a barrier side impact crash event;
• wherein discriminating the rear pole side impact crash event from a front side pole impact crash event and a barrier side impact crash event comprises:
• measuring via a satellite safety sensor (SSS) a vehicle Y-axis acceleration (SSS_Y);
• measuring via an airbag ECU (ACU) a vehicle Y-axis acceleration (ACU_Y);
• determining from the SSS_Y a vehicle Y-axis relative velocity (SSS_Y_Rel_Vel);
• determining from the ACU_Y a vehicle Y-axis relative velocity (ACU_Y_Rel_Vel);
• and
• comparing the SSS_Y_Rel_Vel to the ACU_Y_Rel_Vel to classify a side impact crash event as rear pole side impact crash or a front side impact crash event;
• and wherein comparing the SSS_Y_Rel_Vel to the ACU_Y_Rel_Vel to classify a side impact crash event as rear pole side impact crash or a front side impact crash event comprises:
• classifying the side impact crash event as a rear pole side impact crash event in response to determining a comparatively high SSS_Y_Rel_Vel in relation to the ACU_Y_Rel_Vel;
• and
• classifying the side impact crash event as a front pole side impact crash event in response to determining a comparatively low SSS_Y_Rel_Vel in relation to the ACU_Y_Rel_Vel.