Process for determining lateral overturning of vehicle and occupant protecting system in vehicle

An occupant protecting system comprising:

• a plurality of occupant restraint mechanisms;
• a mechanism which defines a two-dimensional map made using a rolling angle and a rolling angular speed of a vehicle as parameters;
• a mechanism which establishes a threshold value line separating a lateral overturning region farther from an origin and a lateral non-overturning region closer to the origin on the two-dimensional map;
• and
• a controller which determines that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle when a hysteresis line for actual rolling angles and actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle traverses said threshold line from the lateral non-overturning region to the lateral overturning region, and which operates said plurality of occupant restraint mechanisms when it is determined that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, and
• wherein said plurality of occupant restraint mechanisms are operated selectively based on the vehicle's rolling angular speed at a time when it is determined that there is the possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle.

An occupant protecting system comprising:

• an occupant restraint mechanism;
• a mechanism which defines a two-dimensional map made using a rolling angle and a rolling angular speed of a vehicle as parameters;
• a mechanism which establishes a threshold value line separating a lateral overturning region farther from an origin and a lateral non-overturning region closer to the origin on said two-dimensional map;
• and
• a controller which determines that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the when a hysteresis line for actual rolling angles and actual rolling angular speeds of the vehicle traverses said threshold line from the lateral non-overturning region to the lateral overturning region, and which operates said occupant restraint mechanism when it is determined that there is a possibility of lateral overturning of the vehicle, and
• wherein said controller further controls timing of deployment of said occupant restraint mechanism based on a condition of the occupant within a vehicle compartment relative to a lateral direction of a vehicle body, attendant on the lateral overturning of the vehicle.