Vehicle collision detecting method employing an acceleration sensor

A method for detecting a collision of a vehicle on the basis of an acceleration signal produced by an acceleration sensor and for starting a collision safety device based on a detected collision of said vehicle body, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting said acceleration signal by said acceleration sensor;
• integrating in an integrator said acceleration signal over a first period of time, and outputting an integration value;
• comparing in a first comparing means said integration value with a first predetermined value;
• detecting when said first integration value resulting from integration of the acceleration signal over said first period of time to a time point exceeds the first predetermined value and outputting a first resulting signal;
• differentiating in a differentiation said acceleration signal, and outputting a differentiation value;
• comparing in a second comparing means said differentiation value with a second predetermined value;
• detecting when a differentiating value of the acceleration signal at said time point exceeds said second predetermined value and outputting a second resulting signal;
• detecting said collision of said vehicle by detecting both first and second resulting signals;
• and
• starting a safety collision device based on the detected collision.

A method for detecting a collision of a vehicle body on the basis of an acceleration signal produced by an acceleration sensor and for starting a collision safety device based on a detected collision of said vehicle body, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) detecting said acceleration signal by said acceleration sensor;
• (2) determining the collision of the vehicle body, said determining step including the steps of:
• integrating in a first integrator the acceleration signal over a first period of time, comparing in a first comparator a first integration value with a first predetermined value, and determining whether said first integration value resulting therefrom exceeds said first predetermined value, and outputting a first resulting signal;
• (3) predicting the collision of the vehicle body, said predicting step includes the steps of:
• (a) integrating in a second integrator the acceleration signal over a second period of time, comparing in second comparator a second integration value with a second predetermined value, and determining whether said second integration value resulting therefrom exceeds said second predetermined value and outputting a second resulting signal, and
• (b) filtering with a band pass filter the acceleration signal, differentiating in a differentiator the filtered acceleration signal, comparing in a third comparator a differentiation value with a third predetermined value, and determining whether the differentiated value resulting therefrom exceeds the third predetermined value,
• wherein detecting of said collision of said vehicle body is dependent on at least one of:
• (a) said first resulting signal and (b) said second and third resulting signals;
• and
• (4) starting a safety collision device based on the detected collision.