Vehicle safety system implementing integrated active-passive front impact control algorithm

US12083985B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG · DE

Inventors

• Kiran Balasubramanian · Canton, US
• Harald Pfriender · Friedrichshafen, DE
• Charles A. Bartlett · Oakley Park, US
• Andreas Fleckner · Mühlhausen-Ehingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 11, 2020
• Grant date: Sep 10, 2024
• Expiry date: Oct 29, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/01322
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle safety system for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a frontal collision includes a controller, one or more crash sensors for sensing a frontal collision, and an active sensor for detecting objects in the path of the vehicle. The controller is configured to implement crash discrimination metrics that detect the occurrence of a frontal collision in response to signals received from the crash sensors. The crash discrimination metrics implement thresholds for determining whether the signals received from the crash sensors indicate the occurrence of a frontal collision. The controller is configured to implement an algorithm that uses information obtained from the active sensor to detect an object in the path of the vehicle and to select the thresholds implemented in the crash discrimination metrics in response to detecting the object.