# US 2014/0156147 A1 · External airbag deployment method and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156147 A1 - Document ID: US20140156147A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/846,544 - Filed: 2013-03-18 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company - Inventors: Han Sung Lee; Seoung Hoon Lee; Yong Sun Kim; Sang Min Jo; Jin Ho Bae - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156147A1 ## CPC - 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)} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Disclosed herein is an external airbag deployment system and method. The method includes determining, by a controller, whether to deploy an external airbag. The controller may be configured to set a detection area having a predetermined range and track physical characteristics of objects entering the detection area to update the physical characteristics at intervals of a measurement period of a front sensor. In addition, the controller may be configured to calculate predicted physical characteristics at intervals of a unit time during each measurement period. Based on the calculated physical characteristics, the controller may be configured to determine whether to deploy the external airbag at intervals of the unit time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An external airbag deployment method comprising: setting, by a controller, a detection area located in front of a vehicle; updating, by the controller, physical characteristics of a plurality of objects detected in the detection area at intervals of a measurement period of a front sensor; calculating, by the controller, predicted physical characteristics at intervals of a unit time during each measurement period; selecting, by the controller, a target object from the plurality of objects detected in the detection area by comparing a relative velocity, an overlap, and a Time To External Airbag (EAB)(TTE) calculated as the physical characteristics, wherein the TTE is a remaining time until each object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed; and deploying, by the controller, the external airbag when a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The external airbag deployment method of claim 1, wherein setting the detection area includes: assigning, by the controller, Identifications (IDs) to respective detected objects; and managing, by the controller, the detected objects. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The external airbag deployment method of claim 1, wherein the unit time is 1 ms. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The external airbag deployment method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, by the controller, a physical characteristic at time i+1 using a tracking filter when measurement is performed at time i by the front sensor; and calculating, by the controller, physical characteristics using previous physical characteristics during an interval from the time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The external airbag deployment method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating, by the controller, a displacement by adding a value, obtained by multiplying a unit time by a velocity previously obtained, to displacement previously obtained, upon calculating physical characteristics during an interval from time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The external airbag deployment method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating, by the controller, a velocity from a velocity previously obtained using an acceleration at time i, upon calculating physical characteristics during an interval from time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The external airbag deployment method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating, by the controller, a TTE, which is a remaining time until an object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed, by dividing a value, obtained by subtracting a thickness of the airbag cushion from a relative distance at a corresponding time point, by a relative velocity at the corresponding time point, upon calculating physical characteristics during the interval from the time i+1 to the subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 8 An external airbag deployment system, comprising: a controller configured to: set a detection area located in front of a vehicle; update physical characteristics of a plurality of objects detected in the detection area at intervals of a measurement period of a front sensor; calculate predicted physical characteristics at intervals of a unit time during each measurement period; select a target object from the plurality of objects detected in the detection area by comparing a relative velocity, an overlap, and a Time To External Airbag (EAB)(TTE) calculated as the physical characteristics, wherein the TTE is a remaining time until each object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed; and deploy the external airbag when a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: assign Identifications (IDs) to respective detected objects; and manage the detected objects. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: calculate a physical characteristic at time i+1 using a tracking filter when measurement is performed at time i by the front sensor; and calculate physical characteristics using previous physical characteristics during an interval from the time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: calculate a displacement by adding a value, obtained by multiplying a unit time by a velocity previously obtained, to displacement previously obtained, upon calculating physical characteristics during an interval from time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: calculate a velocity from a velocity previously obtained using an acceleration at time i, upon calculating physical characteristics during an interval from time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: calculate a TIE, which is a remaining time until an object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed, by dividing a value, obtained by subtracting a thickness of the airbag cushion from a relative distance at a corresponding time point, by a relative velocity at the corresponding time point, upon calculating physical characteristics during the interval from the time i+1 to the subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the unit time is 1 ms. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising: program instructions that set a detection area located in front of a vehicle; program instructions that update physical characteristics of a plurality of objects detected in the detection area at intervals of a measurement period of a front sensor; program instructions that calculate predicted physical characteristics at intervals of a unit time during each measurement period; program instructions that select a target object from the plurality of objects detected in the detection area by comparing a relative velocity, an overlap, and a Time To External Airbag (EAB)(TTE) calculated as the physical characteristics, wherein the TIE is a remaining time until each object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed; and program instructions that deploy the external airbag when a relative velocity and an overlap, predicted at a time when the target object is predicted to collide with the vehicle, are greater than predetermined levels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising: program instructions that calculate a physical characteristic at time i+1 using a tracking filter when measurement is performed at time i by the front sensor; and program instructions that calculate physical characteristics using previous physical characteristics during an interval from the time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising: program instructions that calculate a displacement by adding a value, obtained by multiplying a unit time by a velocity previously obtained, to displacement previously obtained, upon calculating physical characteristics during an interval from time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising: program instructions that calculate a velocity from a velocity previously obtained using an acceleration at time i, upon calculating physical characteristics during an interval from time i+1 to a subsequent measurement period. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising: program instructions that calculate a TTE, which is a remaining time until an object collides with an airbag cushion when the external airbag is predicted to be deployed, by dividing a value, obtained by subtracting a thickness of the airbag cushion from a relative distance at a corresponding time point, by a relative velocity at the corresponding time point, upon calculating physical characteristics during the interval from the time i+1 to the subsequent measurement period.