US 7,243,944 B2 · Activating device for occupant protection device and controlling method therefor

Abstract

The activating device (20) for an occupant protection device includes a first deceleration detecting means (22) for detecting a first deceleration G in vehicle front/rear direction and an activation judging means (37) for judging whether the activation of the occupant protection device is necessary or not by comparing the first deceleration G detected by the first deceleration detecting means (22) with a first threshold value. The device further includes a second deceleration detecting means (24, 26) for detecting a deceleration LG, RG at a position further front side of the vehicle than the position detecting the first deceleration, a collision condition detecting means (35) for detecting a vehicle collision condition based on a second threshold value by the deceleration LG and RG and a first threshold changing means (36) for changing the first threshold value of an activation judging means (37) based on the detected result of the collision condition detecting means (35).

Claims28

Dependent claims

An activating device for an occupant protection device comprising:

a first deceleration detecting means for detecting a first deceleration which is the deceleration in a front/rear direction of a vehicle;
an activation judging means for judging the activation of the occupant protection device by comparing the first deceleration with a predetermined first threshold value;
a second deceleration detecting means for detecting a second deceleration which is the deceleration in the front/rear direction of the vehicle, the second deceleration detecting means being arranged further forward in the vehicle than the first deceleration detecting means;
a collision condition detecting means for detecting a collision condition of the vehicle by using the second deceleration;
and
a first threshold value setting means for setting the first threshold value of the activation judging means for judging the activation of the occupant protection device based on the condition detected by the collision condition detecting means,
wherein said collision condition detecting means includes a collision condition detecting map for detecting a vehicle collision condition by comparing the second deceleration with a predetermined second threshold value which is set on said map beforehand such that the second threshold value changes so as to form a predetermined pattern, and
wherein the collision condition detecting map is formed by the second deceleration and a second deceleration integration value, wherein the collision condition detecting means judges the possibility of collision if the second deceleration integration value exceeds the second threshold value.

5 more elements

An activating device for an occupant protection device comprising:

a first deceleration detecting means for detecting a first deceleration which is the deceleration in a front/rear direction of a vehicle;
an activation judging means for judging the activation of the occupant protection device by comparing the first deceleration with a predetermined first threshold value;
a second deceleration detecting means for detecting a second deceleration which is the deceleration on the front/rear direction of the vehicle, the second deceleration detecting means being arranged further forward in the vehicle than the first deceleration detecting means;
a collision condition detecting means for detecting a collision condition of the vehicle by using the second deceleration;
and
a first threshold value setting means for setting the first threshold value of the activation judging means for judging the activation of the occupant protection device based on the condition detected by the collision condition detecting means,
wherein said collision condition detecting means includes a collision condition detecting map for detecting a vehicle collision condition by comparing the second deceleration with a predetermined second threshold value which is set on said map beforehand such taht the second threshold value changes so as to form a predetermined pattern,
wherein the first threshold value is selected from pretermined plural number of values, and
wherein as an initial value for the first threshold value, the highest threshold value is set.

6 more elements

A method for controlling an activating device for an occupant protection device comprising the steps of:

detecting a first deceleration which is the deceleration in a front/rear direction of a vehicle;
judging the activation of the occupant protection device by comparing the first deceleration with a predetermined first threshold value;
detecting a second deceleration which is the deceleration in the front/rear direction of the vehicle and which is detected at a position further forward in the vehicle than the position where the first deceleration is detected;
detecting a collision condition of the vehicle by using the second deceleration;
and
setting the first threshold value used for judging the activation of the occupant protection device based on the detected vehicle collision condition, wherein
the vehicle collision condition is detected by comparing the second deceleration with a predetermined second threshold value which is set on a collision condition detecting map beforehand such that the second threshold value changes so as to form a predetermined pattern,
wherein the collision condition detecting map is formed by the second deceleration and a second deceleration integration value, wherein the possibility of collision is judged if the second deceleration integration value exceeds the second threshold value.