Back to results
US 7,890,263 B2Granted
System and method for sensing and deployment control supervision of a safety device
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsKwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Manoharprasad K. Rao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of controlling deployment of a safety device for a vehicle. The system may include a pre-impact collision assessment system, an impact detection system, and an inflatable safety device. The safety device may be partially inflated when a collision threat is detected based on a signal from the pre-impact collision assessment system. The inflatable device may be subsequently either more fully inflated or deflated.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- detecting a target object with a pre-impact collision assessment system;
- determining a predicted time to collision;
- initiating measurement of an elapsed time value;
- and
- generating a collision signal when a threshold value is exceeded, wherein the threshold value is based on a product of a selectivity value indicative of variability of sensor measurements provided by an impact detection system, a ratio of a constant threshold velocity value and a relative velocity value indicative of velocity of the target object relative to a vehicle, and a calibrated accelerometer constant;
- wherein the safety device is inflated at a first rate when a potential collision is detected by the pre-impact collision assessment system, and then inflated at a second rate when the collision signal from the impact detection system is indicative of a collision;
- and
- wherein the safety device is deflated when the elapsed time value exceeds the predicted time to collision and the collision signal is not indicative of a collision.
5 more elements
A method of controlling deployment of a safety device for a vehicle having a pre-impact collision assessment system and an impact detection system, the method comprising:
- detecting a target object with the pre-impact collision assessment system;
- determining a potential for collision between the target object and the vehicle;
- determining a predicted time to collision;
- determining a degree of confidence of a collision threat with the target object;
- and
- generating a collision signal with the impact detection system representing vehicle collision characteristics;
- wherein the safety device is at least partially inflated when the degree of confidence of the collision threat exceeds a threshold value and the predicted time to collision is less than a safety device deployment time value;
- and
- wherein the threshold value is based on a product of a selectivity value indicative of variability of sensor measurements provided by the impact detection system, a ratio of a constant threshold velocity value and a relative velocity value indicative of the velocity of a target object relative to the vehicle, and a calibrated accelerometer constant.
6 more elements
A system for controlling deployment of a safety device for a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a pre-impact collision assessment system adapted to generate a first signal indicative of potential collision characteristics between a target object and the vehicle;
- an impact detection system that generates a second signal indicative of actual collision characteristics;
- an occupant protection system including a safety device having a vent, and an inflator adapted to provide an inflation gas to inflate the safety device;
- and
- a controller adapted to receive the first and second signals and control operation of the occupant protection system;
- wherein the safety device is inflated at a first rate when the first signal is indicative of a potential collision and the second signal is not indicative of an actual collision and (1) inflation gas is provided at a second rate when the second signal exceeds a severity threshold value within a predicted collision time wherein the severity threshold value is based on a product of a selectivity value indicative of variability of sensor measurements provided by the impact detection system, a ratio of a constant threshold velocity value and a relative velocity value indicative of the velocity of a target object relative to the vehicle, and a calibrated accelerometer constant and (2) the vent is opened to deflate the safety device if the second signal is not indicative of a collision having a severity that exceeds a severity threshold value within the predicted collision time.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.