Method and apparatus for sensing a vehicle crash

A method for controlling inflation of an inflatable occupant protection device in a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle;
• measuring acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions via the IMU;
• measuring angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes via the IMU, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• and
• determining whether inflation of the occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured acceleration and angular velocity of the vehicle;
• and
• when inflation of the occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, generating a signal to initiate inflation of the occupant protection device.

A vehicle with an occupant safety system for use in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:

• a seat;
• an inflatable occupant protection device for protecting an occupant of said seat;
• an inertial measurement unit (IMU) arranged to measure acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions and measure angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• an occupant weight sensor for measuring pressure applied by the occupant to said seat and providing a value representative of the measured pressure applied by the occupant to said seat;
• and
• a processor coupled to said IMU, said occupant weight sensor and said occupant protection device for receiving the measured angular velocity and the value representative of the measured pressure applied by the occupant to said seat and determining whether the measured angular velocity is indicative of a crash involving the vehicle, said processor also being arranged to determine whether inflation of said occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and the value representative of the measured pressure applied by the occupant to said seat, and when inflation of said occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, said processor generating a signal to initiate inflation of said occupant protection device.

A method for controlling inflation of an inflatable occupant protection device in a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle;
• measuring acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions via the IMU;
• measuring angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes via the IMU, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• measuring pressure applied by an occupant to be protected by the occupant protection device to a seat on which the occupant is present and providing a value representative of the measured pressure applied by the occupant to the seat,
• determining whether the measured angular velocity is indicative of an accident involving the vehicle;
• if it is determined that the measured angular velocity is indicative of an accident, determining whether inflation of the occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and the value representative of the measured pressure applied by the occupant to the seat;
• and
• when inflation of the occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, generating a signal to initiate inflation of the occupant protection device.

A vehicle with an occupant safety system for use in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:

• an inflatable occupant protection device;
• an inertial measurement unit (IMU) arranged to measure acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions and measure angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• and
• a processor coupled to said IMU and said occupant protection device for receiving the measured angular velocity about the three axes and determining whether the angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of a crash involving the vehicle and whether inflation of said occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity, and when deployment of said occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, said processor generating a signal to initiate inflation of said occupant protection device,
• said processor embodying a pattern recognition technique which analyzes the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and determines whether the angular velocity is indicative of a crash involving the vehicle and whether inflation of said occupant protection device is beneficial based therein.

A vehicle with an occupant safety system for use in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:

• an inflatable occupant protection device;
• an occupant position sensor for monitoring position of an occupant to be protected by said occupant protection device;
• an inertial measurement unit (IMU) arranged to measure acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions and measure angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• and
• a processor coupled to said IMU, said occupant position sensor and said occupant protection device and affanged to receive the measured angular velocity about the three axes, determine whether the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of a crash involving the vehicle and determine whether inflation of said occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and the position of the occupant, and when inflation of said occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, said processor generating a signal to initiate inflation of said occupant protection device.

A vehicle with an occupant safety system for use in a crash involving the vehicle, comprising:

• an inflatable occupant protection device;
• an inertial measurement unit (IMU) arranged to measure acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions and measure angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• a sensor for providing data about the vehicle and being selected from a group consisting of a wheel speed sensor arranged to measure the speed of a wheel of the vehicle and an engine speed sensor arranged to measure the speed of an engine of the vehicle;
• and
• a processor coupled to said IMU, said sensor and said occupant protection device and arranged to receive the measured angular velocity about the three axes, determine whether the angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of a crash involving the vehicle and determine whether inflation of said occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and the data about the vehicle obtained by said sensor, and when inflation of said occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, said processor generating a signal to initiate inflation of said occupant protection device.

A method for controlling inflation of an inflatable occupant protection device in a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle;
• measuring acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions via the IMU;
• measuring angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes via the IMU, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• determining whether the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of an accident involving the vehicle;
• if it is determined that the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of an accident, determining whether inflation of the occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle;
• and
• when inflation of the occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, generating a signal to initiate inflation of the occupant protection device,
• the step of determining whether inflation of the occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle comprising inputting the measured angular velocity into a pattern recognition algorithm or a trained neural network.

A method for controlling inflation of an inflatable occupant protection device in a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle;
• measuring acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions via the IMU;
• measuring angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes via the IMU, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• monitoring position of an occupant to be protected by the occupant protection device;
• determining whether the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of an accident involving the vehicle;
• if it is determined that the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of an accident, determining whether inflation of the occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and the position of the occupant;
• and
• when inflation of the occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, generating a signal to initiate inflation of the occupant protection device.

A method for controlling inflation of an inflatable occupant protection device in a vehicle, comprising:

• arranging an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle;
• measuring acceleration of the vehicle in three orthogonal directions via the IMU;
• measuring angular velocity of the vehicle about three orthogonal axes via the IMU, the accelerations and angular velocities being measured at a substantially common location;
• measuring speed of a wheel or an engine of the vehicle;
• determining whether the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of an accident involving the vehicle;
• if it is determined that the measured angular velocity about any single axis or the angular velocity about a combination of any of the three axes is indicative of an accident, determining whether inflation of the occupant protection device is beneficial based on the measured angular velocity of the vehicle and the measured speed of the wheel or engine;
• and
• when inflation of the occupant protection device is determined to be beneficial, generating a signal to initiate inflation of the occupant protection device.