Patent · US Expired

Vehicle occupant restraint control system using a crash severity model

US6424898B1 · kind B1 · utility

10Cited by
2References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 22, 2001
Grant dateJul 23, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 22, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60R21/0136
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle restraint control system provides sophisticated, adaptable control of occupant restraints through the use of a system level architecture to predict the nature of a crash event at the earliest possible time and an occupant injury model to tailor the restraint deployment in an adaptable way to characteristics of the protected vehicle occupant(s) and the nature of the crash event. The occupant injury model derives the potential for injury in a particular vehicle crash in real time as a function of occupant mass, vehicle interior stiffness and occupant impact velocity with respect to the vehicle interior. Peak vehicle crush zone velocity is used as a predictor of occupant impact velocity with the vehicle interior. Predicted occupant impact velocity is preferably adjusted in response to derived impact angle factor, which is derived from orthogonal lateral and longitudinal accelerometers in the vehicle occupant compartment. Vehicle longitudinal velocity may be integrated to predict occupant displacement, relative to the vehicle, as an additional factor used in the control system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.