By Integrating The Amplitude Of The Input Signal Patents (Class 701/46)
  • Patent number: 7996131
    Abstract: A tilt angle detecting apparatus removes an unnecessary component included in an angular velocity detecting signal (an input ?) inputted from an angular velocity sensor 1 with the deadband (??o to +?o) of an unnecessary component removing means 2, performs integration processing on the angular velocity detecting signal (an output ?) which is allowed to pass through the passband (input ?>?o or input ?<??o) of the unnecessary component removing means 2 and which is outputted from the unnecessary component removing means by using an arithmetic processing means 3, performs a process of resetting the integral value to zero using a fixed integral value resetting value which is determined in such a way as to be suited to the above-mentioned deadband by using an integral value resetting means 4 after the integration processing, and outputs a signal showing the roll angle ?v of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7994906
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pressure-responsive vehicle alarm pad for a vehicle seat to remind a presence of an object inside a vehicle to an occupant of the vehicle seat. The pressure-responsive vehicle alarm pad comprises a pressure sensor pad, a control circuitry, and alarm speakers. The pressure sensor pad disposed on the vehicle seat to detect a pressure of the occupant. The control circuitry electrically coupled to the pressure sensor pad to receive the detected pressure from the pressure sensor pad. The control circuitry generate a first electrical signal when the detected pressure is greater than a threshold pressure, and generates a second electrical signal when the detected pressure is less than the threshold pressure. The alarm speakers electrically coupled to the control circuitry to generate a first audible sound in response to the first electrical signal, and generate a second audible sound in response to the second electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Inventor: Kelly Salazar
  • Patent number: 7996133
    Abstract: An algorithm that is part of a collision preparation system that provides selective and limited vehicle braking to avoid undesirable intrusive high-G braking while still giving the system adequate time to activate collision mitigation devices on the vehicle before impact with an object. If a predicted time to collision between the vehicle and the object is less than a required time to collision, which is determined by how much time is necessary for a certain collision mitigation device to be activated, the algorithm calculates a time dilation deceleration. The system causes the vehicle to automatically brake to decelerate the vehicle at the time dilation deceleration until the time dilation deceleration reaches a predetermined decelerating threshold so that more time is available for the collision preparation system to determine whether to activate the collision mitigation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jenne-Tai Wang
  • Patent number: 7996132
    Abstract: A method and a system of controlling a restraint device in a vehicle during a crash. The method includes sensing a lateral acceleration without using other vehicle dynamic information. The method also includes integrating the sensed lateral acceleration to determine a change in (or delta of) lateral velocity, low-pass filtering the sensed lateral acceleration, and extrapolating the delta lateral velocity and the filtered acceleration to estimate a vehicle lateral velocity. The method also includes sensing a vertical acceleration, integrating the sensed vertical acceleration, combining the integrated vertical acceleration and the predicted vehicle lateral velocity to give an indication of how severely the vehicle laterally hits an obstacle, and generating a deployment signal to activate the restraint device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Seo-Wook Park
  • Publication number: 20110190989
    Abstract: A method for determining a criterion of the severity of an accident by means of an acceleration signal and a solid-borne sound signal. The signal edge direction of the absolute value of the acceleration signal is detected. If the signal edge of the absolute value of the acceleration signal drops, the solid-borne sound signal which occurs in the process is evaluated. The solid-borne sound signal may be integrated and the criterion of the severity of the accident is derived therefrom. This criterion of the severity of the accident can be used directly, or as a function of criteria, to trigger the protection devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Feser, Christian Smykalla, Andreas Forster, Udo Geissler
  • Publication number: 20110187546
    Abstract: A system and method for safing vehicle sensors includes two safety systems, each with a primary sensor for monitoring vehicle motion and activating its corresponding safety system in response to certain vehicle motions. Each sensor may act as a safing sensor for the other in the event that activation of a safety system is indicated by the primary sensor. Each sensor may also monitor the other prior to such an event, to detect a sensor malfunction before that sensor is needed to active a safety system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Maxim Liberman
  • Publication number: 20110190988
    Abstract: In a method for activating a passenger protection unit for a vehicle, features are generated from at least one sensor signal of a crash sensor system. Furthermore, a difference of a feature vector with a first threshold value is formed. This difference is weighted as a function of at least one of the features. The passenger protection unit is subsequently activated as a function of a comparison of a variable, derived from the weighted difference, with a second threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Christof Kaerner, Vincent Judalet, Alfons Doerr, Josef Kolatschek, Marcus Hiemer, Olaf Koerner
  • Patent number: 7973505
    Abstract: When an electric vehicle outputs a torque instruction, firstly, a request torque is acquired and a judged whether the acquired request torque is positive or negative (S10) Regardless of the sign of the request torque, it is judged whether the eco-switch is ON (S12, S14) If the request torque has a positive sign and the eco-switch is OFF, a map A is selected (S20). If the eco-switch is ON, a map B which limits the maximum torque to a low value for the map A is selected (S22). If the request torque has a negative sign, a map C is selected regardless of the eco-switch ON/OFF state and the maximum torque is not limited (S24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Suhama, Hideto Hanada, Masaki Okamura, Hiroaki Kioka, Ken Iwatsuki
  • Publication number: 20110118943
    Abstract: A security system is described, comprising a sensor module (15) which accommodates a laser sensor (10) working with self-mixing interference. The laser sensor (10) generates measurement data which are related to the velocity of an object such as the body of a human being and, optionally, the distance between the laser sensor (10) and the object. Dependent on the measurement data assembled by the laser sensor (10) and supplied to a control circuit (30) such as an airbag computer, the airbag computer activate security means such as an airbag (35)in order to prevent injuries of the human body. Furthermore, a method of driving such a security system is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Meng Han, Albrecht Kraus, Holger Monch
  • Publication number: 20110112726
    Abstract: A control device and a method for triggering a passenger protection arrangement for a vehicle are provided, at least two acceleration signals being provided by at least two acceleration sensors oriented in different spatial directions. The orientations are angled in relation to a coordinate system oriented toward the vehicle longitudinal direction. The at least two acceleration signals are transformed on at least two axes of the coordinate system. The triggering signal is generated as a function of the comparison of the at least two acceleration signals and the transformed acceleration signals. The passenger protection arrangement is triggered as a function of the triggering signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventor: Marcus Hiemer
  • Publication number: 20110098893
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device that smoothly operates a seat and a seatbelt. When a collision is predicted, if the time to the collision reaches a preset time t1, a seat control ECU starts operation of a seat actuator, and if a time to the collision reaches a preset time t2 (t1>t2), the seat control ECU starts operation of a seatbelt actuator. Further, when the time t2 to the collision is reached or when the time t3 (t1>t2>t3) is reached at which time the seatbelt actuator is activated to start application of a predetermined tensile force to the seatbelt, the seat control ECU stops operation of the seatbelt actuator. Seat adjustment and seatbelt adjustment may be adapted such that both the adjustments are not performed at the same time or, alternatively, such that both the adjustments are operated at the same time only during a time period in which application of the predetermined tensile force to the seatbelt starts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventor: Syuzo Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7933702
    Abstract: A method for activating a restraint system in a vehicle, in which the restraint system is activated as a function of a speed, an activation characteristic, and at least one quantity derived from an acceleration signal, and in which the at least one quantity exceeds a threshold function that is set as a function of the impact speed and a required activation time. The activation characteristic of a particular accident type runs linearly to a first impact speed value. The activation characteristic runs with a second slope between the first impact speed and a second impact speed value, the first and the second impact speed value depending on the particular vehicle type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Marc Theisen
  • Patent number: 7930082
    Abstract: A method for disposing of a pyrotechnic safety device includes providing an electronic control unit having a primary control unit and an auxiliary control unit. The auxiliary control unit includes a safing mode and a scrap mode, and operates in the safing mode in an initial state. The auxiliary control unit is switched from the safing mode to the scrap mode when the primary control unit sends a first predetermined signal. The auxiliary control unit is armed only if it receives a second predetermined signal from the primary control unit while the auxiliary control unit is operating in the scrap mode. The primary control unit sends the first and second predetermined signals to the auxiliary control unit based on signals the primary control unit receives from an external source. The primary control unit then disposes of a pyrotechnic safety device (PSD) by sending a deployment signal to the PSD based on another signal received from the external source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David Eiswerth, Ganesh Ram Venkatraman, Jorgen Ingvar Carlsson, Colm Boran
  • Patent number: 7925402
    Abstract: A vehicle air bag control system includes an impact detector for detecting impact on a vehicle and for outputting an impact detection signal, an air bag deployment determination unit for outputting a deployment command when the impact detection signal is more than a predetermined value, a state estimation unit for estimating whether a vehicle engine is stopped during an idling stop, and a power control unit for driving the impact detector, the air bag deployment determination unit and the state estimation unit when the vehicle engine is stopped during an idling stop as indicated by the state estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Fujimoto, Masaki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110082626
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a pitch-over condition of a vehicle comprises a first accelerometer for sensing acceleration in a Z-axis direction substantially perpendicular to both a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and for providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. A second accelerometer for senses acceleration in an X-axis direction substantially parallel to said front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and provides a second acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller determines a Z-axis velocity value from the first acceleration signal and a pitch-over condition of the vehicle in response to both the determined Z-axis velocity value and the second acceleration signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Javier Backmann, Timur Uenlu, Harald Pfriender
  • Publication number: 20110071719
    Abstract: A system and method of activating a restraint system of a vehicle is described. The method includes generating a vehicle speed signal that represents a longitudinal speed of a vehicle, generating a lateral acceleration signal that represents a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, filtering the lateral acceleration signal to generate a filtered lateral acceleration signal, comparing the filtered lateral acceleration signal to a predetermined lateral acceleration enable threshold, estimating a lateral speed of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed signal when the filtered lateral acceleration exceeds the predetermined lateral acceleration enable threshold, and activating a restraint system of the vehicle based in part on the estimated lateral velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Robert Andres, Patrick Messi, Eric Martz, Holger Faisst
  • Publication number: 20110071732
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system comprising: at least one occupant safety device (6) for protecting an occupant of the vehicle (1) in the event of a side impact; and a control unit (7) operable to receive information from one or more vehicle sensors (2, 3, 4, 5) and to provide a trigger signal to activate the occupant safety device (6). Under normal driving conditions, a default deployment algorithm is used by the control unit (7) to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated; and if it is determined that loss of control of the vehicle (1) is occurring, or is expected to occur, and the longitudinal speed of the vehicle (1) exceeds a first threshold, the control unit (7) employs a first further deployment algorithm to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated. The first further deployment algorithm being adapted to cause the trigger signal to be generated a shorter time after the initiation of a side impact than is the case for the default deployment algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Yannick Erb, Yann Le Merrer, Peter Hardå, Andreas Wallin
  • Patent number: 7911361
    Abstract: A vehicle recommendation speed display system includes a vehicle speed sensor, a recommendation speed processing unit that calculates a recommended speed based on a vehicle speed and a display unit that is usually mounted in a speedometer. The recommendation speed processing unit is configured to send information on the vehicle recommended speed to the display unit to display the recommended speed regardless of whether an actual vehicle speed is higher than the recommended speed or not in order to prevent a driver from being irritated by a difference between the actual vehicle speed and a vehicle speed intended by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Hajime Kumabe
  • Publication number: 20110066334
    Abstract: A method and a control device for triggering a passenger protection arrangement for a vehicle are provided, at least one sensor signal from an accident sensor system being provided. A characteristic is derived from this at least one sensor signal, and a flatness is determined from this first characteristic in relation to at least one second characteristic. The crash type is then determined as a function of this flatness. The triggering the passenger protection arrangement (PS) takes place as a function of this crash type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Christof Kaerner, Josef Kolatschek, Marcus Hiemer
  • Patent number: 7904223
    Abstract: A system for providing post-impact signals in a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes at least one impact zone with a passive safety sensor positioned at designated sections of the vehicle. The system comprises a plurality of passive safety sensors, a passive safety controller, and an active safety controller. The passive safety controller determines the impact location, impact direction and intensity. The passive safety controller transmits a passive output signal indicative of the impact intensity, impact direction and impact location. The active safety controller stabilizes the vehicle post-impact in response to the passive output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jialiang Le, Manoharprasad K. Rao, Clifford C. Chou, Joseph Robert Brown
  • Patent number: 7894959
    Abstract: In a method for actuating a vehicle occupant protection system, a sensor senses driving state data, and a reversible vehicle occupant protection device can be triggered to move into an effective position, prior to an imminent collision. A setpoint braking deceleration, which triggers the vehicle occupant protection device when a threshold value is exceeded, is determined by a predictive surroundings sensing unit in advance of an imminent collision. A check is made to determine whether the setpoint braking deceleration exceeds a threshold value, by referring to a deceleration characteristic curve that is dependent on the vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Werner Bernzen, Dominic Reutter
  • Patent number: 7890263
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Manoharprasad K. Rao
  • Patent number: 7881843
    Abstract: An object struck discrimination system for a vehicle is provided which is effective in increasing the discrimination accuracy for discriminating an object struck by the vehicle. In one form, an object struck discrimination system to be installed in a vehicle includes an impact receiving member for receiving an impact from an object struck which extends lengthwise along the width of the vehicle, a detection sensor for detecting the moving speed or the acceleration of the impact receiving member during a vehicle collision, and a control unit for discriminating the object struck based on the rate of change in the moving speed per unit time or the acceleration introduced from information detected by the detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Murakami, Hiroshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 7853381
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant protection device comprising a headrest configured to be movable forward with respect to a vehicle, and an actuator configured to implement the forward movement is disclosed. The device is configured to protect a vehicle occupant by operating the actuator to move the headrest forward in a pre-crash stage in the course of an object crashing into the vehicle from backside of the vehicle. The headrest is provided with an electrical capacitance sensor. The device is configured to control an amount of the forward movement of the headrest according to a variation manner of electrical capacitance, which electrical capacitance is detected by the electrical capacitance sensor when the headrest moves forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Motomi Iyoda
  • Publication number: 20100312435
    Abstract: A collision detection apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle and that determines whether an object has collided with a side surface of the vehicle from outside the vehicle includes: an acceleration detection portion that detects acceleration in a transverse direction of the vehicle which is applied to a door portion of the vehicle from outside; an integration execution portion that starts integration of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection portion and finds velocity by integrating the acceleration if the detected acceleration is greater than or equal to a pre-set positive first threshold value, or is less than or equal to a pre-set negative second threshold value; and a collision determination portion that determines whether an object has collided with a side surface of the vehicle based on the detected acceleration and the velocity found by the integration execution portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventors: Yusuke Mase, Motomi Iyoda, Tomoki Nagao, Hiroyoshi Takeuchi, Suguru Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20100305818
    Abstract: A control unit and a method for activating an occupant protection arrangement are described, a feature vector having at least two features being formed from at least one signal of a crash sensor system. The occupant protection arrangement is activated by a kernel algorithm as a function of the feature vector or a first partial feature vector. The feature vector or a second partial feature vector is classified by a support vector machine (SVM) and the kernel algorithm is influenced by the classification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Alfons Doerr, Marcus Hiemer
  • Patent number: 7831361
    Abstract: A control unit for personal protection having a polarity reversal protection between an external battery voltage and an internal voltage, to prevent an energy discharge from the control unit. The control unit also has a bidirectional DC/DC converter between an energy reserve and the internal voltage, the DC/DC converter determining its direction of conversion as a function of the internal voltage. The control unit is configured so that the control unit, after a switching-off process, records at least one measured value and generates a signal as a function of this measured value which characterizes an autarchy behavior of the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmut Schumacher, Gernod Heilmann
  • Publication number: 20100280719
    Abstract: A control unit and a method for activating an occupant protection unit for a vehicle are provided, the occupant protection unit being activated as a function of a first signal of a first sensor system. The activation is validated as a function of an additional sensor signal, which validation is performed by gating at least one acceleration signal and at least one structure-borne noise signal as the sensor signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventor: Hoang Trinh
  • Publication number: 20100256872
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for deploying a safety system when a vehicle involved in a front crash may be experiencing rotational velocity. The vehicle may include a number of acceleration and rotational sensors. The vehicle may further include a controller that may be configured to determine if the vehicle is involved in a frontal crash using a combination of the acceleration and rotational sensors. The controller may also be configured to determine if the vehicle experiences rotational energy during the frontal crash using a combination of the acceleration and rotational sensors. The controller may also be configured to deploy vehicle safety systems, including at least one side safety system, if it is determined that the vehicle is involved in a frontal crash and the vehicle is experiencing rotational energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jialiang Le, Todd Clark, Manoharprasad K. Rao
  • Publication number: 20100256873
    Abstract: A method and a control unit for triggering occupant protection means as a function of a structure-borne noise signal are proposed. The occupant protection means are triggered as a function of the crash signal and the structure-borne noise signal, the structure-borne noise signal being evaluated beforehand as a function of at least one friction process which takes place in the vehicle structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Hoang Trinh, Ralf Walther
  • Patent number: 7804416
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking users and providing services are provided. The system comprises a plurality of pressure sensors, a storage unit, at least one service providing unit having a service, and a signal processing unit. The pressure sensors detect pressure applied thereon at a specific time point, and correspondingly generate sensed signals. The signal processing unit receives the sensed signals from the pressure sensors, and stores the sensed signals to the storage unit. The signal processing unit calculates a current state of an object according to the sensed signals and historical sensed signals and historical states of the object in the storage unit, and determines one of the at least one service providing unit according to the current state to activate service thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Chao-Lin Wu, Li-Chen Fu
  • Patent number: 7805231
    Abstract: A vehicle crash sensing system and method are provided for sensing a vehicle crash event. The system includes a linear acceleration sensor located on a vehicle for sensing linear acceleration along a first sensing axis and generating a linear acceleration signal. The system has linear crash sensing logic for determining a crash event along the first sensing axis as a function of the sensed linear acceleration. The system also has signal processing circuitry for processing the linear acceleration signal and generating a processed linear acceleration signal. The system has an angular rate sensor located on the vehicle for sensing an angular roll rate of the vehicle about a second sensing axis and generating a roll rate signal. The system further includes rollover crash sensing logic for determining a rollover event of the vehicle about the second sensing axis as a function of the processed linear acceleration signal and the roll rate signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles A. Cluff, Robert K Constable, Brian M. Stavroff, Robert R. McConnell
  • Publication number: 20100241318
    Abstract: A control device and a method for triggering passenger protection arrangement for a vehicle are described, in which the triggering occurs as a function of at least one signal from a rear crash sensor system monitoring a rear region of the vehicle. The triggering of the passive passenger protection arrangement takes place as a function of at least one threshold comparison of the at least one signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Alfred Kuttenberger, Bastian Reckziegel
  • Publication number: 20100241317
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor module is provided with sensor chips, first and second collision check sections and an OR circuit so that accelerations in different detection directions can be detected. The sensor chips of the acceleration sensor module can thus be used as a redundancy sensor in an activation device for a passenger protection system. The passenger protection system is thus prevented form being erroneously activated by only an output signal of a microcomputer, because the first switch section is controlled by both outputs of the acceleration sensor module and the microcomputer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Mihara, Yukiyasu Ueno
  • Patent number: 7793754
    Abstract: An electric steering system includes a device for measuring a steering input into a steering system; a device for measuring a steering speed; a section for computing a target current based on the steering input; and a control section for applying a steering power to the steering system by driving a motor according to the target current, and applying damping to the steering system based on the steering speed. A rate of increase in a damper gain defined when the steering speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is higher than that defined when the steering speed is less than the predetermined value, or the damper gain defined when the steering speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value has a constant value increased in a step form from values of the damper gain defined when the steering speed is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Shimizu, Shigeru Yamawaki, Kazushige Sugamata
  • Patent number: 7778755
    Abstract: A deployment decision for a vehicle restraint system is reached as a function of vehicle dynamics data, at least one vehicle transverse acceleration and one yaw rate about the longitudinal axis of the vehicle being linked to one another as the vehicle dynamics data to reach the deployment decision. The vehicle transverse acceleration is then additionally subjected to a threshold value decision for reaching the deployment decision, the threshold value being set as a function of the integrated vehicle transverse acceleration and the integrated yaw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lich, Robert Lahmann, Michael Schmid, Mario Kroeninger
  • Patent number: 7778742
    Abstract: An intention estimation and operation assistance system for estimating an operator's intention and providing assistance to operation of a machine. Reference data, such as the operation of a plurality of hypothetical operators, is provided for comparison with the operation of a real operator, to determine an estimated intention of the operator. The estimated operator is utilized to alter the operation of the machine, to provide a safer and/or smoother operation experience in operating the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Drexel University
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Tomohiro Yamamura, Dario Salvucci
  • Patent number: 7774115
    Abstract: An airbag deployment system including at least one module housing, at least one deployable airbag associated with each housing, an inflator associated with each housing for inflating the airbag(s) to deploy into the passenger compartment, an airbag inflation determination unit for determining that deployment of the airbag(s) is/are desired, and respective electronic control units arranged within or proximate each housing and coupled to a respective inflator and the airbag inflation determination unit for initiating the inflator to inflate the airbag(s) in the respective housing upon receiving a signal from the airbag inflation determination unit. The control units include a power supply for enabling initiation of the inflator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Publication number: 20100198446
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system for detecting a side impact, the system comprising at least one sensor operable to detect one or more parameters relating to the rate of yaw of the vehicle, and to provide an output that is dependent upon the longitudinal position along the vehicle of the side impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Yannick Erb, Yann Le Merrer, Sylvain Triquigneaux, Andreas Wallin, Peter Hardå
  • Patent number: 7739012
    Abstract: To achieve an air bag system in which a safing determination processing circuit can be implemented on one integrated circuit, the air bag system, which is equipped with first and second sensors (101, 103) for detecting a vehicle crash, and which outputs a signal for expanding an air bag when it is determined that a vehicle crash has occurred based on the outputs of the first and second sensors, comprises: a processing unit (3) for processing an output signal of the first sensor (101) by software; and a processing circuit (2) for processing an output signal of the second sensor (103) by hardware, wherein the processing unit (3) includes a non-activation fault diagnosis section (33) which, based on the output signal of the second sensor (103), detects a failure that can lead to non-activation of the air bag, and the processing circuit (2) includes an erroneous-activation fault diagnosis section (240) which, based on the output signal of the second sensor (103), detects a failure that can lead to erroneous activ
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Komaki, Kenichi Inoue, Yasushi Tani, Tsutomu Kondou
  • Patent number: 7734393
    Abstract: An object struck discrimination system for a vehicle is provided which is effective in increasing the discrimination accuracy for discriminating an object struck by the vehicle. In one form, an object struck discrimination system to be installed in a vehicle includes an impact receiving member for receiving an impact from an object struck which extends lengthwise along the width of the vehicle, a detection sensor for detecting the moving speed and/or the acceleration of the impact receiving member during a vehicle collision, and a control unit for deriving the maximum moving speed and the maximum acceleration based on the information detected by the detection sensor and discriminating the object struck based on the correlation between the maximum moving speed and the maximum acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Murakami, Hiroshi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20100138115
    Abstract: A lane marker recognition apparatus which recognizes a lane marker based on a captured image of a road surface in the direction in which a vehicle is traveling includes a lane identifying portion that identifies the type of lane that the vehicle is traveling in based on the image, and a timing changing portion which outputs a change command to change the start timing of an operation of an assist system provided in the vehicle to the assist system when the type of lane identified by the lane identifying portion is a predetermined type of lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shioya KAGEYAMA, Tomoyasu Tamaoki
  • Publication number: 20100138114
    Abstract: An apparatus to control an airbag for a side collision includes a vehicle inclination detecting unit which detects an inclination of a vehicle relative to a horizontal direction, and a threshold value changing unit which changes a threshold value to operate the airbag for the side collision corresponding to the inclination of the vehicle relative to the horizontal direction detected by the vehicle inclination detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masatada Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20100138101
    Abstract: A driver assistance device for a vehicle having a plurality of safety functions, such as in particular an LDW function and an LKS function, in which system-related boundary values are provided for the safety functions such that when they are undershot the safety function is activated and when they are exceeded the safety function is deactivated. The boundary values are developed to be variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: Lutz Buerkle, Tobias Rentschler, Thomas App
  • Patent number: 7729859
    Abstract: A driving assistance system for regulating an operation of a vehicle in a discrete manner according to different ranges of risk potentials associated with the vehicle, such that different risk potentials in different ranges are conveyed to the driver in a different and discrete manner. The system includes a device for calculating a risk potential associated with the vehicle, and a data processor for regulating an operation of the vehicle, such as a reaction force applied to the acceleration pedal, based on a control parameter assuming one of a plurality of values according to the calculated risk potential associated with the vehicle, wherein each of the values is assigned to one of a plurality of predetermined ranges of risk potentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kimura, Genpei Naito
  • Patent number: 7720585
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a passenger protection device that includes, a brake pedal sensor configured to detect the amount by which a brake pedal of a vehicle is operated, a webbing, one end of the webbing fixed to the vehicle, configured to restrain a passenger seated on a seat of the vehicle, a retractor connected to the other end of the webbing, the rector configured to retract the webbing and inhibit of the webbing extraction, and an ECU electrically coupled to the brake pedal sensor, the ECU configured to detect that the brake pedal operation amount detected by the pedal sensor exceeds a first threshold value, the ECU configured to revise the threshold value based on safety related information of the vehicle to control the inhibition of the webbing extraction of the retractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Nisson Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Fukuda, Kazunori Tomimatsu
  • Patent number: 7693628
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for synchronous communication in a control system is disclosed. Within a first time interval, a first source task is executed to broadcast a first destination task, within a second sequential time interval, the first destination task is communicated over a channel to a first destination, and within a third sequential time interval, the first destination task is consumed. Within the first time interval, a second source task may be executed to broadcast a second destination task, within the second sequential time interval, the second destination task may be communicated over the channel to a second destination, and within the third sequential time interval, the second destination task may be consumed. The first source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the second source task, and the second source task is allowed to be scheduled ahead of the first source task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Fuhrman, Miroslawa A. Supal, Arnold W. Millsap
  • Patent number: 7689359
    Abstract: There is provided a running support system for a vehicle, which supports running of a vehicle by using a radar and image recognition means as obstacle detecting means, and in which appropriate support control based on a result of detection performed by each control means is set. A result of obstacle detection performed by a millimeter wave radar (21) is checked against a result of obstacle detection performed by image recognition means (22). Then, a starting condition for the running support control is changed depending on whether an obstacle has been detected by both the millimeter wave radar (21) and the image recognition means (22), or an obstacle has been detected by only one of the millimeter wave radar (21) and the image recognition means (22). Thus, the control support is performed based on an inattentive condition of a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Setsuo Tokoro, Kyoichi Abe, Koji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7684914
    Abstract: A collision determining apparatus for a vehicle includes: a first acceleration measuring device; a second acceleration measuring device; a movement amount calculating device; a change in movement speed calculating device; a first collision determining threshold value setting device which sets a collision determining threshold value for a correlation between the amount of movement of the occupant and the change in movement speed of the occupant based on the acceleration which is measured by the first acceleration measuring device; a first collision determining device which determines whether or not the correlation exceeds the collision determining threshold value; and a control signal generating device which generates a control signal which controls operations of an occupant protection apparatus, in accordance with a result of a determination by the first collision determining device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Hayasaka, Fang Yuan, Tatsuji Oosaki
  • Publication number: 20100063687
    Abstract: This present disclosure provides a global positioning system (GPS) device, and a method of safe driving. The GPS device includes a storage unit, the storage unit configured to store map data and speed limit information of each speed limit section. Each speed limit information includes a speed limit start position, a speed limit end position, and a first predetermined speed value, the method includes steps of: receiving GPS satellite navigation signals in real time; detecting current location of a vehicle and determine whether the vehicle is in a speed limit section; detecting current speed value of the vehicle when the vehicle is in a speed limit section; generating and sending a control signal to control a safety protection unit to perform a safety protection operation, when the current speed value is greater than the first predetermined speed value in the speed limit section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicants: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSIN-NAN HU, QING-LONG MA, KUAN-HONG HSIEH, XIAO-GUANG LI