Vehicle and control method thereof

Abstract

A vehicle and a control method thereof include detecting a rotation angle of a seat. The vehicle and method include: when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a first reference angle and less than or equal to a second reference angle, controlling the activation of a first type of roof airbag module disposed in a central portion of a roof lining and located on a side of the seat. The vehicle and method include: when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a second reference angle and less than or equal to a third reference angle, controlling the activation of a first type of roof airbag module and a second type of roof airbag module disposed in a central portion of the roof lining and disposed at a rear of the seat. The vehicle and method include determining whether a collision with an obstacle has occurred during driving. The vehicle and method include deploying and inflating the activated airbag module when it is determined that a collision with an obstacle has occurred.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle for controlling actuation of an air bag in response to a position of an occupant and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A vehicle refers to a machine that travels on the road by driving wheels. The vehicle is equipped with various safety devices to protect the occupants, assist driving, ensure the safety of the occupants and improve riding comfort.

[0003] The safety device may include an airbag device that improves the safety of passengers, such as the driver, in the event of a vehicle collision. The safety device may also include an electronic stability control (ESC) that controls the vehicle's attitude during vehicle acceleration or cornering. The safety device may also include a traction control system (TCS) that controls the vehicle's driving force to prevent the tires from spinning due to excessive driving force when starting or accelerating the vehicle on slippery roads such as rainy days or snowy ground. The safety device may also include an anti-lock braking system (ABS) that prevents the tires from being locked when the vehicle brakes suddenly. The safety device may also include a tire pressure monitoring device (TPMS) that provides information such as tire pressure and temperature through an automatic detection sensor attached to the tire.

[0004] Recently, a lot of research has been conducted on autonomous vehicles, which automatically drive to a destination by recognizing the road environment by themselves, determining the driving conditions, and controlling the driving of the vehicle according to the selected route.

[0005] Such an autonomous driving vehicle includes various sensors that collect various types of information for controlling autonomous driving. Therefore, in terms of autonomous driving, the autonomous driving vehicle needs to use various sensors to control safety devices.

[0006] For example, since the driver does not need to manually steer the vehicle, an autonomous vehicle can freely rotate all seats including the driver's seat. This allows the driver to have a face-to-face conversation with the occupants in the rear seats. In this case, a frontal collision may occur when the driver does not look forward. Therefore, even if the airbag device set on the driver's seat side works, the autonomous vehicle may not be able to protect the driver. This is because the airbag device set on the driver's seat side is designed to protect the driver based on the driver's posture of sitting or facing forward. Summary of the invention

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle for controlling the position of an airbag module adjacent to a seat and the deployment of an airbag based on a rotation angle of the seat. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method of controlling the vehicle.

[0008] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle for acquiring a rotation angle of a seat based on an image acquired by an image acquirer for acquiring an interior image when a detector for detecting the rotation angle of the seat fails. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method of controlling the vehicle.

[0009] Other aspects of the disclosure are set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned in part by practice of the disclosure.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes: a seat; a first type of roof airbag module disposed in a roof lining and adjacent to a side of the seat; and a second type of roof airbag module disposed in the roof lining and adjacent to a rear portion of the seat. The vehicle also includes an angle detector configured to detect a rotation angle of the seat. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to control activation of the first type of roof airbag module when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a first reference angle and less than or equal to a second reference angle. The controller is also configured to control activation of the first type of roof airbag module and the second type of roof airbag module when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than the second reference angle and less than or equal to a third reference angle.

[0011] The vehicle may further include a rail member disposed in the roof lining and movably mounting a roof airbag module for the second type.

[0012] When the detected seat rotation angle is greater than the third reference angle and less than or equal to the fourth reference angle, the controller may control activation of the first type of roof airbag module and the second type of roof airbag module. The controller may control rotation of the second type of roof airbag module based on the detected seat rotation angle. The controller may control movement of the second type of roof airbag module based on the detected seat rotation angle and the rotation radius of the seat.

[0013] The vehicle may further include an image acquirer configured to acquire an image of the seat. The controller may diagnose whether the angle detector fails. When the controller determines that the angle detector fails, the controller may acquire a rotation angle of the seat based on the image of the seat acquired by the image acquirer.

[0014] The vehicle may further include an image acquirer configured to acquire an image of the seat. The controller may determine whether an infant or a child is sitting on the seat based on the image of the seat acquired by the image acquirer. When the controller determines that an infant or a child is sitting on the seat, the controller may control deactivation of the first type of roof airbag module and the second type of roof airbag module.

[0015] The vehicle may further include a front airbag module disposed in front of the seat and a side airbag module disposed between the seat and the door. When the controller determines that the detected rotation angle of the seat is less than the first reference angle, the controller may control activation of the front airbag module and the side airbag module.

[0016] The vehicle may further include a front airbag module disposed in front of the seat. When the controller determines that the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a first reference angle and less than or equal to a second reference angle, the controller may control activation of the front airbag module.

[0017] The vehicle may further include: a front airbag module disposed in front of the seat, and a side airbag module disposed between the seat and the door. When the controller determines that the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a fourth reference angle, the controller may control activation of the front airbag module, the side airbag module, and the second type of roof airbag module.

[0018] The second reference angle may be an angle greater than the first reference angle. The third reference angle may be an angle greater than the second reference angle. The fourth reference angle may be an angle greater than the third reference angle.

[0019] The vehicle may further include a collision detector configured to detect a collision with an obstacle. The controller may control the deployment and inflation of the activated airbag module based on the collision information detected by the collision detector.

[0020] The deployment direction of the second type roof airbag module may be opposite to a direction in which the seat is rotated 180 degrees relative to a forward traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0021] The vehicle may further include an external image acquirer configured to acquire an image of a road, and a road detector configured to detect a distance to an obstacle. The controller may control the automatic driving based on the image of the road acquired by the external image acquirer and the distance to the obstacle detected by the road detector.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle includes detecting a rotation angle of a seat. The method also includes controlling activation of a first type of roof airbag module disposed in a central portion of a roof lining and located on a side of the seat when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a first reference angle and less than or equal to a second reference angle. The method also includes controlling activation of a first type of roof airbag module and a second type of roof airbag module disposed in a central portion of the roof lining and disposed at a rear portion of the seat when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than the second reference angle and less than or equal to a third reference angle. The method also includes determining whether a collision with an obstacle has occurred during driving. The method also includes deploying and inflating the activated airbag module when it is determined that a collision with an obstacle has occurred.

[0023] The first type of roof airbag module may be a fixed roof airbag module fixed into the roof lining. The second type of roof airbag module is a movable roof airbag module which is mounted on a guide rail on the roof lining and is movable along the guide rail and is rotatable.

[0024] The method may further include: when the detected rotation angle of the seat is greater than a third reference angle and less than or equal to a fourth reference angle, controlling activation of the first type of roof airbag module and the second type of roof airbag module. The method may further include controlling rotation of the second type of roof airbag module based on the detected rotation angle of the seat. The method may further include controlling movement of the second type of roof airbag module based on the detected rotation angle of the seat and the rotation radius of the seat.

[0025] The detecting of the rotation angle of the seat may include detecting the rotation angle of the seat using an angle detector provided on the seat.

[0026] The detecting of the rotation angle of the seat may include detecting the rotation angle of the seat based on an image acquired by an image acquirer in the vehicle.

[0027] The detecting of the rotation angle of the seat based on the image may include diagnosing a failure of the angle detector, and when it is determined that the angle detector is failed, acquiring the rotation angle of the seat based on the image acquired by the image acquirer.

[0028] The method may further include: acquiring an image of the seat by an image acquirer; determining whether an infant or a child is sitting on the seat based on the image acquired by the image acquirer; and when it is determined that an infant or a child is sitting on the seat, controlling deactivation of a first type of roof airbag module and a second type of roof airbag module.

[0029] The method may further include controlling activation of a front airbag module disposed in front of the seat and a side airbag module disposed between or near the seat and a door when it is determined that the detected rotation angle of the seat is less than a first reference angle.

[0030] The method may further include controlling activation of a front airbag module disposed in front of the seat, a side airbag module disposed between or near the seat and a door, and a second type of roof airbag module when the detected seat rotation angle is greater than a fourth reference angle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] These and / or other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent and more easily understood through the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a plurality of seats and a plurality of airbag devices provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0034] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a seat provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0035] Figure 4 is a control block diagram showing an automatic driving control device provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0036] Figure 5 is a control block diagram showing an airbag device provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0037] Figure 6 is a control flow chart of a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0038] Figure 7 is a view showing a rotation angle of a seat provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0039] Figures 8 to 10 2 is a view illustrating movement and rotation of a movable roof airbag in response to rotation of a seat provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Throughout the specification, the same numbers represent the same or equivalent elements. All elements of the embodiments of the present disclosure are not described. The description of features known in the art or features repeated with other embodiments has been omitted. The terms used throughout the specification, such as "~part", "~module", "~member", "~block", etc., can be implemented with software and / or hardware. Multiple "~parts", "~modules", "~members" or "~blocks" can be implemented in a single element, or a single "~part", "~module", "~member" or "~block" can include multiple elements.

[0041] It should be further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections, and that indirect connections include connections via wireless communication networks.

[0042] It should be further understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "include" when used in this specification specify the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or components. When a component, device or element of the present disclosure is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device or element should be considered herein as "configured to" meet the purpose or perform the operation, function, etc.

[0043] Although terms “first,” “second,” “A,” “B,” etc. may be used to describe various components, these terms do not limit the corresponding components but are used merely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0044] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0045] Reference numbers used for method steps are only for convenience of explanation and do not limit the order of the steps. Therefore, written instructions may be executed in written form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0046] Hereinafter, operation principles and embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a plurality of seats and a plurality of airbag devices provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a seat provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0048] The vehicle 1 includes a body having an interior, an exterior, and a chassis, which is a part of the vehicle 1 other than the body. Mechanical devices required for traveling are mounted on the chassis.

[0049] The exterior of the vehicle body includes a front panel, a bonnet, a roof panel, a rear panel, and a luggage compartment. The exterior of the vehicle body also includes front doors, rear doors, left doors, and right doors 101 (101a and 101b). Window glasses are provided on the front doors, rear doors, left doors, and right doors 101 (101a and 101b) and are configured to be openable and closable.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 , the interior of the vehicle body includes seats 102 (102a and 102b) on which passengers can sit, an instrument panel 103, and an instrument panel (i.e., an instrument panel or panel 104) disposed on the instrument panel 103 and providing guidance on driving functions and vehicle information. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle speed, engine revolutions per minute (RPM), fuel quantity, coolant, etc. The interior of the vehicle body also includes a head unit 105 disposed adjacent to the instrument panel 103 and used to control an audio device, an air conditioner, a Bluetooth device, and a heating line for the seat. The interior of the vehicle body further includes a roof lining 106 disposed on the upper side of each door 101 and forming the interior of the roof or ceiling. The interior of the vehicle body also includes an overhead console 107 disposed on the roof lining 106.

[0051] The overhead console 107 may be provided with an interior lighting that performs an interior lighting function, and an on / off button for receiving an on / off command of the interior lighting.

[0052] In addition, the vehicle may further include an image acquisition device 108, which is disposed adjacent to the overhead console 107 and at least one of the rearview mirror or the interior rearview mirror, and is configured to acquire images of the seats 102 and the occupants in the interior of the vehicle. The image acquisition device 108 may include at least one camera. In this embodiment, the image acquisition device 108 includes two or more cameras 108a and 108b. In addition, the two or more cameras 108a and 108b may acquire images of different areas of the interior area of ​​the vehicle.

[0053] The vehicle may further include a terminal 109 embedded in or mounted on the dashboard 103 .

[0054] Terminal 109 displays an image about at least one function selected by the user from among an audio function, a video function, a navigation function, a broadcasting function (digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) function), a radio function, a content playback function, an Internet search function, and an autonomous driving information display function.

[0055] The terminal 109 may include a display and may further include an input.

[0056] The terminal 109 may include a display panel as a display and a touch panel as an input section.

[0057] When the terminal 109 is implemented using only a display panel, the terminal 109 may use an input unit (not shown) provided in the vehicle to receive a selection of a button displayed on the display panel. The input unit receives a switch command of at least one of the plurality of functions, receives an operation command of at least one input function, and receives information about setting values ​​for changing the operation states of the plurality of functions. For example, the input unit may receive an execution command of at least one of a radio function, an audio function, a video function, a map display function, a navigation function, an automatic driving function, a DMB function, a content playback function, and an Internet search function.

[0058] The input unit may be implemented using at least one of a physical button, a key, a switch, and a joystick. The input unit may be implemented by a jog dial (not shown) or a touch pad (not shown) for inputting a movement command and a selection command of a cursor displayed on the vehicle terminal (audio video navigation, i.e., "AVN").

[0059] The terminal's display shows operating information for the function being executed.

[0060] For example, the display may display information related to a phone call, display information related to content output through the terminal 109, display information related to music playback, or display external broadcast information.

[0061] When the navigation mode is executed, the display of the terminal shows the route from the current location to the destination and displays road guidance information.

[0062] When the autonomous driving mode is executed, the terminal's display can display the route from the current location to the destination, and can display road environment information of the vehicle's surroundings.

[0063] refer to Figure 2 , each seat 102 is a chair on which an occupant can sit. The seats 102 include a driver seat 102a on which a driver sits, and a passenger seat 102b provided beside the driver seat and on which a passenger occupant sits. The seats 102 may also include rear seats 102c and 102d provided at the rear of the driver seat and the passenger seat 102b, on which additional occupants can sit.

[0064] Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d can rotate around an axis (ie, a vertical axis). Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d can rotate 360 ​​degrees to the left and 360 degrees to the right.

[0065] Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d can automatically rotate in response to a user command. In addition, each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d can be manually rotated by an external force of the user.

[0066] Reference Figure 3 , each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d includes a seat plate member a1 that contacts the buttocks of the seat occupant. Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d also includes a back plate member a2 that is disposed on one side of the seat plate member a1 and contacts the back of the occupant. Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d also includes a connecting member a3 that is fixedly disposed on the lower side of the seat plate member a1. Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d also includes a rotating member a4 that is connected to the connecting member a3 and is configured to rotate the seat plate member a1 and the back plate member a2. The rotating member a4 may include a motor.

[0067] Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d may further include an angle detector 110 that detects the rotation angle of the rotating member a4. In other words, the angle detector 110 can detect the rotation angle of each motor. Therefore, the angle detector 110 can detect the rotation direction and rotation amount of the seat 102 corresponding to the rotation direction and rotation amount of the motor. In addition, the rotation angle detected by the angle detector 110 may be an angle corresponding to the rotation angle of the back plate member a2 of the seat 102 or the rotation angle of the seat plate member a1 of the seat 102.

[0068] The angle detector 110 may include at least one of an encoder, a hall sensor, a resolver, a current sensor, and a voltage sensor.

[0069] Each of the seats 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may also include an input configured to receive a rotation command of the seat 102 as a user input.

[0070] refer to Figure 2 , the vehicle may include an airbag device 120 .

[0071] The airbag device 120 includes a plurality of front airbag modules 121 disposed in the instrument panel 103 or in an area adjacent to the instrument panel 103 , and a plurality of side airbag modules 122 disposed in an area adjacent to the door 101 .

[0072] The plurality of front airbag modules 121 may include a first front airbag module 121a disposed in an area adjacent to the driver's seat 102a of the instrument panel 103. The plurality of front airbag modules 121 may further include a second front airbag module 121b disposed in an area adjacent to the passenger seat 102b of the instrument panel 103. In this embodiment, the first front airbag module 121a may be disposed in the steering wheel.

[0073] The first front airbag module 121 a and the second front airbag module 121 b may each include a fixed type airbag that is fixedly disposed.

[0074] The plurality of side airbag modules 122 include a first side airbag module 122a disposed on a panel between a door 101a of a driver's seat 102a and a rear seat 102c behind the driver's seat 102a. The plurality of side airbag modules 122 also include a second side airbag module 122b disposed in a panel between a door 101b of a passenger seat 102b and a rear seat 102d behind the passenger seat 102b.

[0075] The first side airbag module 122a is disposed in a side region of the roof lining 106 and extends from an upper side of a door 101a of a driver's seat 102a to an upper side of a door of a rear seat 102c behind the driver's seat 102a.

[0076] The second side air bag module 122b is provided in a side region of the roof lining 106 and extends from an upper side of a door 101b of a passenger seat 102b to an upper side of a door of a rear seat 102d behind the passenger seat 102b.

[0077] The first side airbag module 122a and the second side airbag module 122b may be curtain airbags.

[0078] The first side airbag module 122a and the second side airbag module 122b may each include a fixed type airbag that is fixedly disposed.

[0079] The airbag device 120 also includes a plurality of roof airbag modules 123 and 124 disposed in a central region of the roof lining 106 .

[0080] The plurality of roof air bag modules 123 and 124 include a fixed roof air bag module 123 fixedly disposed at a central region of the roof lining 106 , and a movable roof air bag module 124 movably disposed at a central region of the roof lining 106 .

[0081] The fixed roof airbag module 123 includes a first fixed roof airbag module 123a disposed in a fixed manner in an area corresponding to an area between the driver seat 102a and the passenger seat 102b (an area of ​​the central area of ​​the roof lining 106). The fixed roof airbag module 123 also includes a second fixed roof airbag module 123b disposed in a fixed manner in an area corresponding to an area between the two rear seats 102c and 102d (an area of ​​the central area of ​​the roof lining 106).

[0082] One or two first fixed roof airbag modules 123a may be provided.

[0083] When two first fixed roof airbag modules 123a are provided, one of the first fixed roof airbag modules 123a may be an airbag module deployed toward the driver's seat 102a, and the other may be an airbag module deployed toward the passenger seat 102b.

[0084] One or two second fixed roof airbag modules 123b may be provided.

[0085] When two second fixed roof airbag modules 123b are provided, one of the second fixed roof airbag modules 123b may be an airbag module deployed toward the left rear seat 102c, and the other may be an airbag module deployed toward the right rear seat 102d.

[0086] The first fixed roof airbag module 123a is an airbag module that is deployed when at least one of a state in which the driver's seat 102a is rotated 90 degrees in a first direction and a state in which the passenger seat 102b is rotated 90 degrees in a second direction occurs in a collision.

[0087] The second fixed roof airbag module 123b is an airbag module that is deployed when at least one of a state in which the left rear seat 102c is rotated 90 degrees in a first direction and a state in which the right rear seat 102d is rotated 90 degrees in a second direction occurs in a collision.

[0088] The movable roof airbag module 124 includes a first movable roof airbag module 124a and a second movable roof airbag module 124b, which are provided in an area corresponding to the area between the front seats including the driver's seat 102a and the passenger seat 102b and the rear seats 102c and 102d (an area of ​​the central area of ​​the roof lining 106). The movable roof airbag module 124 also includes a third movable roof airbag module 124c and a fourth movable roof airbag module 124d, which are provided in an area corresponding to the area between the rear seats 102c and 102d and the luggage box 102e (an area of ​​the central area of ​​the roof lining 106).

[0089] The first and second movable roof airbag modules 124a and 124b and the third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124c and 124d are rotatably provided.

[0090] The first and second movable roof airbag modules 124a and 124b and the third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124c and 124d are movable in the left and right directions.

[0091] The first and second movable roof air bag modules 124a and 124b and the third and fourth movable roof air bag modules 124c and 124d are air bag modules that deploy when a collision occurs and the seat 102 is rotated at an angle between 30 degrees and 150 degrees.

[0092] The vehicle's headliner 106 may be provided with a plurality of track members 125 .

[0093] The plurality of rail members 125 include a first rail member 125a provided in an area corresponding to the area between the front seats including the driver's seat 102a and the passenger seat 102b and the rear seats 102c and 102d (an area of ​​the central area of ​​the roof lining 106). The plurality of rail members 125 also include a second rail member 125b provided in an area corresponding to the area between the rear seats 102c and 102d and the luggage box 102e (an area of ​​the central area of ​​the roof lining 106).

[0094] The first and second movable roof airbag modules 124a and 124b may be disposed in the first rail member 125a so as to be movable in the left and right directions. The third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124c and 124d may be disposed in the second rail member 125b so as to be movable in the left and right directions.

[0095] The left-right direction may be a direction corresponding to a moving direction between the driver seat 102 a and the passenger seat 102 b .

[0096] Figure 4 is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment. Figure 4 Control of automated driving is described.

[0097] The vehicle according to the present embodiment is an autonomous driving vehicle. The vehicle recognizes the road environment while traveling, determines the traveling condition, and controls the traveling based on the information about the recognized road environment, the information about the traveling condition, and the selected route.

[0098] The vehicle according to the present embodiment may include an external image acquirer 131 , a distance detector 132 , a speed detector 133 , a communicator 134 , a controller 140 , a memory 141 , a driving driver 135 for controlling automatic driving, and a terminal 109 .

[0099] The external image acquirer 131 is a device for acquiring an image of an object and converting the acquired image into an electrical image signal. The external image acquirer 131 operates to acquire an image of the external environment of the vehicle at the current position of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the external image acquirer 131 acquires an image of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The external image acquirer 131 also acquires images of objects in front of, behind, on the left and on the right sides of the vehicle. The external image acquirer 131 sends an image signal of information related to the acquired image to the controller 140.

[0100] The road image may be a road image in a forward direction based on the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

[0101] The external image acquirer 131 may include a front camera that acquires an image in front of the vehicle. The external image acquirer 131 may further include at least one of a left camera and a right camera that acquire images of the left and right sides of the vehicle. The external image acquirer 131 may further include a rear camera that acquires an image behind the vehicle.

[0102] The image acquirer 131 is a camera, and may include a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

[0103] The image acquirer 131 may be provided on a window glass of the front surface of the vehicle inside the vehicle, may be provided on a rearview mirror or an interior mirror inside the vehicle, or may be provided on a roof panel exposed to the outside.

[0104] The distance detector 132 detects a signal for detecting an object outside the vehicle. In one embodiment, the object may be a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle, a stationary object (such as a structure installed around the road), or a vehicle approaching the vehicle in the opposite lane.

[0105] In other words, the distance detector 132 outputs a signal corresponding to the detection of an object in front of, to the left of, or to the right of the host vehicle at the current position of the host vehicle. The distance detector 132 transmits a signal corresponding to the relative distance to the detected object to the controller 140 .

[0106] The speed detector 133 detects the traveling speed of the host vehicle.

[0107] The speed detector 133 includes a plurality of wheel speed sensors provided on the front wheels, rear wheels, left wheels, and right wheels of the host vehicle. The plurality of wheel speed sensors are configured to output detection information corresponding to the rotation speed of the wheels (in other words, wheel speed information).

[0108] The speed detector 133 may further include an acceleration sensor that outputs detection information corresponding to the acceleration of the host vehicle (in other words, acceleration information).

[0109] The speed detector 133 may include both a plurality of wheel speed sensors and an acceleration sensor.

[0110] The communicator 134 transmits and receives information between various electronic devices and sensors provided in the vehicle. The communicator 134 communicates with an external server, infrastructure on the road, and other vehicles.

[0111] The communicator 134 may perform vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication between the host vehicle and the infrastructure. The communicator 134 may perform vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication with at least one other vehicle among a plurality of other vehicles.

[0112] The communicator 134 may include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

[0113] The GPS receiver receives location information provided from a plurality of satellites to obtain the current location information of the host vehicle. In this embodiment, the GPS receiver includes an antenna for receiving signals from a plurality of GPS satellites. The GPS receiver also includes software for obtaining the location of the host vehicle using distance and time information corresponding to the location signals of the plurality of GPS satellites. The GPS receiver also includes an output for outputting the obtained current location information of the host vehicle.

[0114] The travel driver 135 operates at least one of a power device, a brake device, a steering device, a transmission device, and a suspension device in response to a command of the controller 140. Therefore, when traveling along a selected route, the vehicle may accelerate, decelerate, brake, and turn.

[0115] The vehicle may further include a terminal 109. The terminal 109 may further include an input unit and a display.

[0116] The input unit of the terminal 109 may receive input of the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode (in which the driver directly drives the vehicle). The input unit may receive destination information or may receive information about a route selected in the automatic driving mode.

[0117] The display of the terminal 109 may display image information generated during program execution, such as various types of menu image information, digital broadcast image information, or navigation image information, under the control of the controller 140. The display of the terminal 109 may display map information matching the selected route information. The display of the terminal 109 may display external image information related to the front of the host vehicle.

[0118] The display of the terminal 109 can display information about the currently executed mode, and can display current location information and destination information. The destination information can include address information, total distance information, total required time information, remaining distance information, remaining time information, etc.

[0119] When the destination information is received through the terminal 109, the controller 140 identifies the current location information. The controller 140 searches for multiple routes from the current location to the destination based on the identified current location information and the destination information. The controller 140 identifies the route selected by the user among the multiple routes found. The controller 140 plans driving based on the road information of the identified route.

[0120] When image information of a road is received during autonomous driving control, the controller 140 performs image processing to identify lane lines of the road, and identifies the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on position information of the identified lane lines.

[0121] The controller 140 acquires position information of the obstacle based on the detection information transmitted from the distance detector 132 during the automatic driving control. In this embodiment, the position information of the obstacle includes distance information about the relative distance to the obstacle.

[0122] The controller 140 identifies the distances to other vehicles traveling in lanes on the left and right sides of the own lane based on the detection information received from the distance detector 132 during the automatic driving control. The controller 140 identifies the speeds of the other vehicles corresponding to the identified distances to the other vehicles. The controller 140 controls the automatic driving along the selected route based on the information about the identified speeds of the other vehicles and the identified distances to the other vehicles while controlling the avoidance driving.

[0123] During the automatic driving control, the controller 140 may change the selected route based on the road environment information, traffic information, weather information, etc. received through the communicator 134. The controller 140 may enable the terminal 109 to display the received road environment information, traffic information, weather information, etc. through the display 109.

[0124] The controller 140 may allow a map image matching a selected route, received road environment information, or obstacle information around the host vehicle to be displayed through the vehicle terminal 109 during autonomous driving control.

[0125] The controller 140 may be a controller of an autonomous driving control device for autonomous driving control, may be one of a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) provided in a vehicle, or may be a controller provided in the airbag device 120 .

[0126] Figure 5 is a control block diagram of the vehicle according to the embodiment, in other words, a control block diagram for controlling the airbag device 120 .

[0127] The vehicle includes an image acquirer 108 , an input portion 109 a , an angle detector 110 , a collision detector 115 , an airbag device 120 , a controller 142 , a storage device 143 , and a seat driver 150 .

[0128] The image acquirer 108 is an internal image acquirer configured to acquire images of objects inside the vehicle. The image acquirer 108 may include one camera or multiple cameras. Multiple cameras may acquire images of different areas inside the vehicle.

[0129] The input unit 109 a receives a rotation command of one of the plurality of seats 102 .

[0130] The input 109 a may also receive a rotation angle of one of the plurality of seats 102 .

[0131] The input unit 109a may also receive posture information of one of the plurality of seats 102. In this embodiment, the posture information of the seat may be information about a direction that the occupant faces when the occupant sits on one of the plurality of seats 102.

[0132] The input portion 109a may be an input portion provided in the vehicle terminal 109, an input portion provided on the head unit 105 or the center instrument panel, or an input portion provided in each of the plurality of seats 102. The input portion 109a may be implemented as at least one of a touch panel, a button, a key, a switch, and an operation lever.

[0133] The angle detector 110 may be provided in each of the plurality of seats 102 .

[0134] The angle detector 110 provided in each of the plurality of seats 102 may detect the angle of rotation of each of the plurality of seats 102. The angle detector 110 may transmit the detected information to the controller 142.

[0135] The angle detector 110 may be a current sensor detecting current flowing in the rotating member (a4, ie, the motor), a voltage sensor detecting voltage flowing in the motor, or an encoder, a resolver, or a Hall sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the motor.

[0136] The collision detector 115 detects the occurrence of a collision of the host vehicle and the intensity of the collision (in other words, the amount of collision).

[0137] The collision detector 115 may include a plurality of collision detection sensors installed at the front, rear and both sides of the vehicle. Examples of the collision detection sensors may include micro switches, limit switches, acceleration sensors, pressure sensors, force sensors, and other various sensors for converting physical information into electrical signals.

[0138] Each of the airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124 of the airbag device 120 includes an airbag member that is deployed and expanded toward the interior space in the event of a collision of the vehicle. Each of the airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124 also includes a housing in which the airbag member is accommodated in a folded or rolled state. Each of the airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124 also includes an inflator that is operated by an operation signal of the controller 142 to generate gas and supply the generated gas to the airbag member.

[0139] Some of the plurality of airbag modules 121 , 122 , 123 , and 124 include a deployment driver 126 as an airbag driver that deploys an airbag matching a control command of the controller 142 .

[0140] For example, in the event of a collision of the vehicle, each of the airbag modules 121, 122 and 123 can deploy and inflate the airbag member in response to the drive of the deployment driver 126. Therefore, when the occupant sits on the seat 102, the front and both sides of the occupant leaning on the back plate member a2 can be protected.

[0141] The movable roof airbag module 124 includes an airbag driver 127 for driving the movable roof airbag module 124. The airbag driver 127 includes a deployment driver 127a electrically and mechanically connected to each of the first, second, third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b, 124c and 124d. The deployment driver 127a deploys the movable airbag matching the control command of the controller 142. The airbag driver 127 also includes a rotation driver 127b, which is provided in each of the plurality of movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b, 124c and 124d and electrically and mechanically connected thereto. The rotation driver 127b rotates the movable roof airbag matching the control command of the controller 142. The movable airbag driver 127 further includes a translation driver 127c, which is provided in each of the plurality of movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b, 124c and 124d and mechanically and electrically connected thereto. The translation driver 127c moves the movable roof airbag matching the control command of the controller 142 in the left-right direction along the track member.

[0142] For example, in the event of a collision of the vehicle, each roof airbag module 124 can deploy and inflate the airbag member in response to the drive of the deployment driver 127a. Therefore, when the occupant sits in the seat 102, the front and both sides of the occupant leaning on the back panel member a2 can be protected.

[0143] The movable roof airbag module 124 can move and rotate along the corresponding track member (125: 125a and 125b) based on the deployment direction in response to the driving of the rotation driver 127b and the translation driver 127c. Therefore, in the event of a collision of the present vehicle, the plurality of movable roof airbag modules 124 can protect the occupants by deploying and inflating the airbag members in the lower direction toward the front and both sides of the occupants.

[0144] The rotation driver 127b can adjust the deployment angle of the movable airbag module 124. For example, the rotation driver 127b uses the driving force generated by the motor to rotate the housing of the movable airbag module 124. In another embodiment, the rotation driver 127b uses the pressure of the fluid to rotate the housing to the outside or inside relative to the track member 125. Therefore, the deployment angle of the movable airbag module 124 can be adjusted.

[0145] The translation driver 127 c may include a motor that generates a driving force according to a control signal of the controller 142 , and a moving module that receives the driving force generated by the motor to move the airbag module along the rail member 125 .

[0146] When the input part 109a is provided for each seat 102, the controller 142 can control the rotation of the seat 102 having the input part 109a when receiving a rotation command through the input part 109a. The input part 109a sends a rotation command to rotate a predetermined angle at a predetermined time interval from the start time to the end time of receiving the rotation command.

[0147] When the input portion 109 a is provided for each seat 102 , the controller 142 , upon receiving angle information of the seat 102 from the input portion 109 a , may rotate the seat 102 based on the received angle information.

[0148] When the input part 109 a is provided for each seat 102 , the controller 142 , upon receiving a rotation command from the input part 109 a , may check the identification information of the seat 102 that matches the input part 109 a that has transmitted the rotation command.

[0149] When the input portion 109 a for rotating the plurality of seats 102 is provided as a single unit, the controller 142 may control the rotation of one of the plurality of seats 102 in response to the identification information and the angle information of the seat 102 input to the input portion 109 a .

[0150] When the input portion 109 a for rotating each seat is provided as a single unit, the controller 142 may control the rotation of the seat 102 in response to the posture information of the seat 102 and the identification information of the seat 102 input to the input portion 109 a .

[0151] The controller 142 receives the image signal detected by the image acquirer 108 and performs signal processing on the received image signal. In this embodiment, the controller 142 may change the size and format to improve the speed of signal processing and perform image quality improvement processing.

[0152] The controller 142 performs cleaning processing and noise removal processing on the image signal to generate image information. The controller 142 applies the vision technology to the image information so that the object is extracted from the image information. Therefore, as a result, the object is extracted from the image information.

[0153] The controller 142 may determine whether an occupant is seated in any of the seats 102 based on image information acquired by one or more image acquirers ( 108 : 108 a and 108 b ).

[0154] When an occupant detector is provided in each seat 102 , the controller 142 may determine whether an occupant is seated on any seat 102 based on detection information detected by the occupant detector of each seat 102 .

[0155] When the controller 142 identifies a seat 102 where an occupant is not seated, the controller 142 checks and stores identification information of an airbag module provided at a position corresponding to the identified seat 102. In the event of a vehicle collision, the controller 142 controls non-deployment of the airbag module having the stored identification information.

[0156] The controller 142 may acquire the rotation angle of each seat 102 based on image information acquired by one or two or more, ie, a plurality of image acquirers ( 108 : 108 a and 108 b ).

[0157] The controller 142 diagnoses a malfunction of the plurality of angle detectors 110. If the controller 142 determines that at least one of the plurality of angle detectors 110 is malfunctioning, the controller 142 checks identification information of the seat 102 provided with the malfunctioning angle detector 110. The controller 142 checks a rotation angle of the seat 102 having the checked identification information based on the image information.

[0158] If the controller 142 determines that at least one of the plurality of angle detectors 110 fails, the controller 142 checks the identification information of the seat 102 provided with the failed angle detector 110. The controller 142 checks the arrangement position of the seat 102 based on the identification information of the seat 102. The controller 142 checks the image acquirer 108 that has acquired an image of an area corresponding to the checked position. The controller 142 acquires the rotation angle of the seat 102 having the checked identification information based on the image information acquired by the checked image acquirer 108.

[0159] The controller 142 determines whether an infant or a child is riding in the vehicle based on the image information. If the controller 142 determines that an infant or a child is riding in the vehicle, the controller 142 checks an airbag module adjacent to the position of the infant or the child among the plurality of airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124. The controller 142 stores identification information of the checked airbag module. In the event of a vehicle collision, the controller 142 controls the non-deployment of the checked airbag module having the stored identification information.

[0160] The controller 142 determines whether an infant car seat (i.e., a child seat) is installed based on the image information. If the controller 142 determines that the infant car seat is installed, the controller 142 checks the airbag modules disposed adjacent to the installation position of the infant car seat among the plurality of airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124. The controller 142 stores identification information of the checked airbag modules. In the event of a vehicle collision, the controller controls the non-deployment of the checked airbag modules having the stored identification information.

[0161] The controller 142 may receive the installation information of the infant car seat and the identification information of the seat 102 corresponding to the installation position of the car seat through the input part 109a. The controller 142 may store the received identification information. In the event of a vehicle collision, the controller 142 may control the non-deployment of the airbag module corresponding to the stored identification information.

[0162] The controller 142 determines whether a collision has occurred based on the detection information output from the collision detector 115. If the controller 142 determines that a collision has occurred, the controller 142 checks the collision position and the collision amount. If the collision amount is greater than or equal to the reference amount, the controller 142 controls the deployment driver of the airbag module disposed at the collision position.

[0163] The controller 142 determines whether the infant car seat is installed on the rear seats 102c and 102d based on the image information acquired by the image acquirer 108. If the controller 142 determines that the infant car seat is installed on the rear seats 102c and 102d, the controller 142 controls the deactivation of the roof air bag modules 123b, 124c, and 124d provided in the roof lining 106 at the sides of the rear seats 102c and 102d. The controller 142 also restricts the rotation and movement of the movable roof air bag modules 124c and 124d. This prevents the infant or child in the infant safety seat from being injured in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0164] The controller 142 controls activation of deployment drivers of the first and second front airbag modules 121a and 121b, the first and second side airbag modules 122a and 122b, the first and second fixed roof airbag modules 123a and 123b, and the first to fourth movable roof airbag modules 124a to 124d. If the controller 142 determines that a collision has occurred in at least one of the front, rear, and side of the vehicle, the controller 142 controls deployment of at least one of the first and second front airbag modules 121a and 121b, the first and second side airbag modules 122a and 122b, the first and second fixed roof airbag modules 123a and 123b, and the first to fourth movable roof airbag modules 124a to 124d.

[0165] When only the driver rides in the vehicle without any passengers, the controller 142 may control activation of at least one of the deployment actuators of the first front airbag module 121a, the first side airbag module 122a, the first fixed roof airbag module 123a, and the first movable roof airbag module 124a. If the controller 142 determines that a collision has occurred, the controller 142 controls at least one activated deployment actuator to control deployment of at least one airbag module.

[0166] If the controller 142 determines that at least one occupant is seated in at least one of the rear seats, the controller 142 may control activation of at least one of the deployment actuators of the first and second side airbag modules 122a and 122b, the second fixed roof airbag module 123b, and the third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124c and 124d. If the controller 142 determines that a collision has occurred, the controller 142 controls at least one activated deployment actuator to deploy at least one airbag module.

[0167] The controller 142 can maintain the initial state of movement and rotation of the first, second, third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b, 124c and 124d. In another embodiment, the controller 142 can control the movement and rotation of the first, second, third and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b, 124c and 124d based on the rotation angle of the seat 102.

[0168] Specifically, when the rotation angle of the seat 102 is less than or equal to the first reference angle, the controller 142 controls the activation of the deployment drivers of the front airbag modules 121a and 121b and the side airbag modules 122a and 122b. When only the driver's seat 102a is occupied by an occupant and the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is less than or equal to the first reference angle, the controller 142 controls the activation of the deployment drivers of the first front airbag module 121a and the first side airbag module 122a.

[0169] When only the passenger seat 102b is occupied by an occupant and the rotation angle of the passenger seat 102b is less than or equal to the first reference angle, the controller 142 controls activation of the deployment actuators of the second front airbag module 121b and the second side airbag module 122b. In this embodiment, when the rotation angle of the passenger seat 102b is detected, the rotation direction of the passenger seat 102b may be opposite to the rotation direction of the driver seat 102a when the rotation angle of the driver seat 102a is detected.

[0170] If the rotation angle of the seat 102 is greater than the first reference angle and less than or equal to the second reference angle, the controller 142 controls activation of deployment drivers of the front airbag module 121 and the fixed roof airbag module 123. If the rotation angle of the seat 102 is greater than the second reference angle and less than or equal to the third reference angle, the controller 142 controls activation of deployment drivers of the front airbag module 121, the fixed roof airbag module 123, and the movable roof airbag module 124.

[0171] If the rotation angle of the seat 102 is greater than the third reference angle and less than or equal to the fourth reference angle, the controller 142 controls activation of deployment drivers of the front airbag module 121, the fixed roof airbag module 123, and the movable roof airbag module 124. The controller 142 controls rotation and movement of the movable roof airbag module 124 based on the rotation angle of the seat 102.

[0172] If the rotation angle of the seat 102 is greater than the fourth reference angle, the controller 142 controls activation of deployment drivers of the front airbag module 121 , the side airbag module 122 , and the movable roof airbag module 124 .

[0173] In one embodiment, when the seats 102a and 102c are disposed on the left side of the vehicle, the detected rotation angle of the seat 102 refers to the angle at which the seat 102 rotates clockwise relative to the forward direction (ie, the driving direction of the vehicle).

[0174] In another embodiment, when the seats 102b and 102d are disposed on the right side of the vehicle, the detected rotation angle of the seat 102 refers to the angle at which the seat 102 rotates counterclockwise relative to the forward direction (ie, the driving direction of the vehicle).

[0175] In other words, the controller 142 checks the rotation angles of the driver seat 102a and the passenger seat 102b based on the detection information outputted from the angle detectors 110 respectively provided in the driver seat 102a and the passenger seat 102b. The controller 42 controls activation of the deployment driver of the fixed roof airbag module 123a, controls activation of the deployment drivers of the movable roof airbag modules 124a and 124b, and controls movement and rotation of the movable roof airbag modules 124a and 124b based on the rotation angles of the driver seat 102a and the passenger seat 102b.

[0176] For example, upon determining at least one of a state in which the driver's seat 102a is rotated 90 degrees in the first direction and a state in which the passenger seat 102b is rotated 90 degrees in the second direction, the controller 142 controls activation of the deployment driver 126 connected to the first fixed roof airbag module 123a. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, the first fixed roof airbag module 123a is deployed.

[0177] The state where the driver's seat 102a is rotated 90 degrees in the first direction means that the driver faces the passenger seat 102b. The state where the passenger seat 102b is rotated 90 degrees in the second direction means that the passenger faces the driver's seat 102a.

[0178] When determining a state in which the left seat 102c of the rear row of seats behind the driver's seat 102a is rotated 90 degrees in the first direction and a state in which the right seat 102d of the rear row of seats is rotated 90 degrees in the second direction, the controller 142 controls activation of the deployment driver 126 connected to the second fixed roof airbag module 123b. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, the second fixed roof airbag module 123b is deployed.

[0179] The state where the left seat 102c of the rear row behind the driver's seat 102a or the left seat 102c of the rear row is rotated 90 degrees in the first direction refers to a state where the occupant of the left seat 102c of the rear row faces the right seat 102d of the rear row. The state where the right seat 102d of the rear row is rotated 90 degrees in the second direction refers to a state where the occupant of the right seat 102d of the rear row faces the left seat 102c of the rear row.

[0180] When the controller 142 controls the movement and rotation of the first and second movable roof air bag modules 124a and 124b, the controller 142 controls the movement and rotation of the first and second movable roof air bag modules 124a and 124b so that the direction facing the seat panel component a1 of the seat 102 is opposite to the deployment direction of the first and second movable roof air bag modules 124a and 124b.

[0181] If the controller 142 determines that the infant car seat is not installed on the rear seats 102c and 102d, the controller 142 checks the rotation angles of the rear seats 102c and 102d based on the detection information output from the angle detector 110 provided in the rear seats 102c and 102d. Based on the checked rotation angles of the rear seats 102c and 102d, the controller 142 controls the activation of the second fixed roof air bag module 123b, and controls the activation, movement, and rotation of the third and fourth movable roof air bag modules 124c and 124d.

[0182] The controller 142 outputs a control signal for controlling at least one of a deployment driver, a translation driver, and a rotation driver as an airbag driver of each airbag module based on the rotation angle of each seat 102, the seating of each seat 102, and the installation of an infant car seat.

[0183] The seat drive 150 may be provided in each of the plurality of seats 102 .

[0184] In addition, the seat driver 150 may be connected to the plurality of seats 102 and selectively transmit a rotational driving signal to at least one seat 102 based on a control command of the controller 142 .

[0185] The seat driver 150 rotates at least one seat 102 in response to a control command of the controller 142 .

[0186] In response to receiving the rotation angle information through the controller 142 , the seat driver 150 may rotate the seat 102 based on the received rotation angle information.

[0187] The seat driver 160 may also rotate the seat 102 from a start time when a rotation command is input through the input portion 109 a to an end time when the input of the rotation command ends.

[0188] As described above, the present disclosure can determine the direction and posture of each occupant according to the rotation of each seat 102 provided in the autonomous driving vehicle. The present disclosure can control the adjustment of the position of the airbag module and the deployment angle of the airbag according to the determination result. Therefore, the present disclosure can protect the safety of the occupant by preventing the impact caused by the collision from being transmitted to the occupant in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0189] Figure 6 is a control flow chart of a vehicle according to an embodiment, which is combined with Figure 7 and Figure 8 Give a description.

[0190] Figure 7 2 is a view illustrating a rotation angle of a seat provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment. Figures 8 to 10 2 is a view illustrating movement and rotation of a movable roof airbag in response to rotation of a seat provided in a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0191] When the automatic driving mode is selected, the vehicle supplies power to the airbag device 120 through a battery (not shown) provided in the vehicle. The vehicle initializes various components in the airbag device 120 and prepares to deploy various airbag modules of the airbag device 120 according to the posture and direction of the occupant when a vehicle collision occurs.

[0192] The vehicle rotates at least one seat 102 based on a rotation command input through at least one of the input parts 109 a provided in the plurality of seats 102 .

[0193] The vehicle detects the rotation angle of the plurality of seats 102 using the angle detectors 110 provided in the plurality of seats 102. The vehicle acquires the rotation angle information of each seat 102 based on the detection information detected by each angle detector 110.

[0194] The vehicle checks the rotation angle of each seat 102 based on the rotation angle information of each seat 102 to drive a plurality of airbag modules of an airbag device (201). In this embodiment, checking the rotation angle of each seat 102 includes checking the posture and direction of an occupant sitting in each seat 102. When the seat 102 faces forward in the driving direction of the vehicle, the rotation angle of the seat 102 is detected relative to the angle (0 degrees).

[0195] Before detecting the rotation angle of each seat 102 using the plurality of angle detectors 110, the vehicle diagnoses that the plurality of angle detectors 110 are faulty. If the vehicle detects that at least one of the plurality of angle detectors 110 is faulty, the vehicle checks the identification information of the seat 102 provided with the faulty angle detector 110. Based on the image information acquired by the image acquirer 108, the vehicle acquires the rotation angle of the seat 102 having the checked identification information.

[0196] In addition, when the seat 102 is not provided with the angle detector 110 , the vehicle may acquire the rotation angle of the seat 102 having the checked identification information based on the image information acquired by the image acquirer 108 .

[0197] In addition, when the vehicle receives the information about the rotation angle and the identification information of the seat 102 through the input unit 109a, the seat with the received identification information can be rotated based on the received rotation angle information. In this embodiment, the vehicle can identify the rotation angle of each seat 102 by checking the rotation angle information input for each seat 102.

[0198] The vehicle acquires image information of the image acquirer 108 (202). The vehicle determines whether a child car seat (i.e., a car seat for a child) is installed based on the acquired image information (203). If the vehicle determines that a child car seat is installed, the vehicle checks the seat 102 set at the position where the child car seat is installed (204). The vehicle checks the fixed roof airbag module 123 and the movable roof airbag module 124 set at the position corresponding to the inspected seat 102, and controls the deactivation of the deployment drivers of the inspected fixed roof airbag module 123 and the inspected movable roof airbag module 124 (205). In addition, the vehicle maintains the position of the movable roof airbag module 124 set at the position corresponding to the inspected seat 102. In other words, the vehicle does not move or rotate the movable roof airbag module 124 set at the position corresponding to the inspected seat 102.

[0199] The vehicle checks at least one seat 102 without a child car seat installed. The vehicle controls activation of some deployment actuators of at least one airbag module provided at a position corresponding to the at least one seat 102 based on the rotation angle of the checked seat.

[0200] For example, if the vehicle determines that a child car seat is installed on the left seat 102c of the rear seat row, the vehicle can control the activation of the deployment actuators of at least one of the first and second front airbag modules 121a and 121b, the second side airbag module 122b, the first fixed roof airbag module 123a, and the first, second and fourth movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b and 124d.

[0201] If the vehicle determines that the child car seat is not installed on any of the seats 102, the vehicle may control activation of deployment actuators of some or all of the plurality of airbag modules based on the rotation angles of the plurality of seats 102 (206). In this embodiment, the plurality of airbag modules may include first and second front airbag modules 121a and 121b, first and second side airbag modules 122a and 122b, a first type of roof airbag module, and a second type of roof airbag module.

[0202] The first type of roof airbag module is a fixed roof airbag module 123. The fixed roof airbag module 123 may be a first or second fixed roof airbag module 123a or 123b. The second type of roof airbag module is a movable roof airbag module 124. The movable roof airbag module 124 may be a first, second, third or fourth movable roof airbag module 124a, 124b, 124c or 124d.

[0203] The vehicle may control the movement and rotation of the movable roof airbag module 124 provided at a position corresponding to the at least one seat 102 based on the rotation angle of the at least one seat 102 (207). In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the at least one seat 102 may be an angle when the front seat 102a or 102b is turned toward the rear seat 102c or 102d. In addition, the rotation angle of the at least one seat 102 may be an angle when the rear seat 102c or 102d is turned toward the trunk.

[0204] Next, the vehicle determines whether a collision has occurred based on the detection information detected by the collision detector 115 (208). If the vehicle determines that a collision has occurred, the vehicle checks the collision position and the collision amount. If the collision amount is greater than the reference amount, the vehicle controls the activated deployment driver to deploy at least one airbag module (209).

[0205] In this embodiment, a configuration for deploying an airbag is described. The vehicle generates an ignition signal to ignite an inflator provided in an airbag module having an activated deployment driver. At this time, the inflator is ignited by the ignition signal to generate gas and supply the generated gas to the airbag member. Thus, the airbag module is deployed and inflated by receiving the generated gas from the inflator, thereby protecting the occupant.

[0206] Hereinafter, the configuration of activation control of the deployment drivers 126 of the plurality of airbag modules and movement and rotation control of the plurality of movable roof airbag modules 124a, 124b, 124c, and 124d will be described in more detail.

[0207] Furthermore, a configuration in which the operation of the airbag device is controlled based on the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102 a among the plurality of seats 102 is described.

[0208] The seat can rotate 360 ​​degrees clockwise and counterclockwise. In the case of the driver's seat 102a, the driver's seat 102a can rotate toward the passenger seat side or the rear seat side, but hardly rotates toward the door 101a adjacent to the driver's seat 102a.

[0209] The driver's seat 102a can rotate between a zero (0) degree position (in which the driver's seat 102a faces forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle) and an approximately 240 degree position.

[0210] refer to Figure 7 The reference angle is used as information for switching activation and deactivation of the deployment driver 126 of the plurality of airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124 disposed adjacent to the driver seat 102a. The reference angle is also used as information for changing the moving distance and the rotation angle of the movable roof airbag module 124 among the airbag modules 121, 122, 123, and 124. The reference angle may include a first reference angle RA1, a second reference angle RA2, a third reference angle RA3, and a fourth reference angle RA4.

[0211] In the case of the driver's seat 102a, each reference angle may be an angle when the driver's seat 102a is rotated clockwise relative to a zero (0) degree position (the driver's seat 102a faces the traveling direction of the vehicle).

[0212] The second reference angle RA2 is an angle greater than the first reference angle RA1. The third reference angle RA3 is an angle greater than the second reference angle RA2. The fourth reference angle RA4 is an angle greater than the third reference angle RA3. For example, the first reference angle RA1 may be about 30 degrees, the second reference angle RA2 may be about 60 degrees, the third reference angle RA3 may be about 120 degrees, and the fourth reference angle RA4 may be about 240 degrees.

[0213] Furthermore, in the case of the passenger seat 102b, each reference angle may be an angle when the passenger seat 102b is rotated counterclockwise relative to a zero (0) degree position (the passenger seat 102b faces the traveling direction of the vehicle).

[0214] When the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102 a is less than or equal to the first reference angle RA1 , the vehicle controls activation of the deployment drivers 126 of the first front airbag module 121 a and the first side airbag module 122 a .

[0215] In addition, when only the passenger seat 102b is occupied by an occupant and the rotation angle of the passenger seat 102b is less than or equal to the first reference angle, the vehicle controls activation of the deployment driver 126 of the second front airbag module 121b and the second side airbag module 122b. In this embodiment, when the rotation angle of the passenger seat 102b is detected, the rotation direction of the passenger seat 102b may be opposite to the rotation direction of the driver seat 102a when the rotation angle of the driver seat 102a is detected.

[0216] If the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is greater than the first reference angle RA1 and less than or equal to the second reference angle RA2, the vehicle controls activation of the deployment drivers 126 of the first front airbag module 121a and the first fixed roof airbag module 123a. If the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is greater than the second reference angle RA2 and less than or equal to the third reference angle RA3, the vehicle controls activation of the deployment drivers 126 and 127 of the first front airbag module 121a, the fixed roof airbag module 123a, and the first movable roof airbag module 124a.

[0217] If the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is greater than the third reference angle RA3 and less than or equal to the fourth reference angle RA4, the vehicle controls activation of the deployment drivers 126 and 127 of the front airbag module 121, the first fixed roof airbag module 123a, and the first movable roof airbag module 124a. The vehicle controls rotation and movement of the movable roof airbag module 124 based on the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a.

[0218] If the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is greater than the fourth reference angle RA4, the vehicle controls activation of the deployment drivers 126 and 127 of the first front airbag module 121a, the first side airbag module 122a, and the first movable roof airbag module 124a.

[0219] Hereinafter, a configuration for controlling rotation and movement of the movable roof airbag module 124 based on the rotation angle of the driver seat 102a when the rotation angle of the driver seat 102a is greater than the third reference angle RA3 and less than or equal to the fourth reference angle RA4 will be described in more detail.

[0220] When controlling the rotation of the first and second movable roof air bag modules 124a and 124b, the vehicle controls the left and right moving distance and the rotation angle of the first movable roof air bag module 124a based on the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a. Therefore, the direction in which the seat plate member a1 of the driver's seat 102a faces is opposite to the direction in which the first and second movable roof air bag modules 124a and 124b are deployed.

[0221] Reference Figure 8 , when the driver's seat 102a is rotated 180 degrees to face the left seat 102c of the rear seat, the deployment direction of the first movable roof airbag module 124a faces the seat plate member a1 of the driver's seat 102a. In this embodiment, the direction in which the first movable roof airbag module 124a faces forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle may be set to zero (0) degrees, i.e., a reference point for left-right movement.

[0222] When the driver's seat 102a is rotated 180 degrees, the rotation angle of the first movable roof airbag module 124a facing the seat panel member a1 of the driver's seat 102a is zero, and the left-right moving distance is zero.

[0223] The first movable roof airbag module 124a rotates in a state relative to the seat panel member a1 facing the driver's seat 102a, at a rotation angle at which the driver's seat 102a rotates, and in a direction opposite to the direction in which the driver's seat 102a rotates.

[0224] The vehicle checks the length between the rotation axis of the driver's seat 102 and the end of the seat plate member a1 of the driver's seat 102. The vehicle acquires the left-right moving distance based on the checked length and the rotation angle of the first movable roof airbag module 124a. The vehicle moves the first movable roof airbag module 124a based on the acquired left-right moving distance.

[0225] The length between the rotation axis of the driver's seat 102a and the end of the seat plate member a1 of the driver's seat 102a corresponds to the turning radius r of the driver's seat 102a. The turning radius r is preset information.

[0226] Reference Fig. 9 The vehicle obtains a deviation angle (b=90-a) from the 180 degree position based on the rotation angle (90+a) of the driver's seat 102a. The vehicle obtains a deviation angle (b=90-a) by rotating the first movable roof airbag module 124a counterclockwise.

[0227] The vehicle obtains a left-right moving distance according to a preset turning radius r and a deviation angle of the driver's seat 102a. The vehicle moves the first movable roof airbag module 124a based on the obtained left-right moving distance. In this embodiment, when the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is less than 180 degrees, the vehicle moves the first movable roof airbag module 124a in the right direction by a distance L1.

[0228] L1=r*(90-a)

[0229] Reference Fig.10 The vehicle obtains a deviation angle (b=90-a) from the 180 degree position based on the rotation angle (90+a) of the driver's seat 102a. The vehicle obtains a deviation angle (b=90-a) by rotating the first movable roof airbag module 124a in a clockwise direction.

[0230] The vehicle obtains a left-right moving distance according to a preset turning radius r and a deviation angle of the driver's seat 102a. The vehicle moves the first movable roof airbag module 124a based on the obtained left-right moving distance. In this embodiment, when the rotation angle of the driver's seat 102a is greater than 180 degrees, the vehicle moves the first movable roof airbag module 124a in the left direction by a distance L2.

[0231] In other words, the vehicle checks the rotation angles of the respective seats based on the detection information output from the angle detectors 110 respectively provided in the seats 102. The vehicle controls the activation of the deployment driver 126 of the fixed roof airbag module 123. The vehicle controls the activation of the deployment driver 127 of the movable roof airbag module 124. The vehicle also controls the movement and rotation of the movable roof airbag module 124 based on the rotation angle of the seat 102.

[0232] As described above, the vehicle determines the direction and posture of each occupant based on the rotation angle of each seat 102 provided in the autonomous vehicle. The vehicle controls the position of the airbag module, the distance between the deployed airbag and the occupant, and the deployment angle of the airbag based on the determination result. Therefore, in the event that the vehicle collides with an obstacle, the vehicle can protect the occupant by preventing the impact of the collision from being transmitted to the occupant.

[0233] Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be embodied in the form of a recording medium storing instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program codes, and when executed by a processor, a program module may be generated to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be embodied as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0234] The computer-readable recording medium includes various recording media in which instructions that can be decoded by a computer are stored, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tapes and disks, flash memories, optical data storage devices, and the like.

[0235] As described above, the direction in which each occupant faces (in other words, the direction in which the occupant is seated) is determined according to the rotation angle of each seat provided in the autonomous driving vehicle. The position and rotation of the airbag device are controlled according to the determination result. The deployment of the airbag device is controlled in the event of a collision with an obstacle. Therefore, the impact caused by the collision is minimized and not transmitted to the occupant, thereby safely protecting the occupant.

[0236] As described above, the present disclosure can improve the quality and marketability of a vehicle provided with an airbag device, further improve user satisfaction, improve user convenience, vehicle safety, and ensure vehicle competitiveness.

[0237] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described for illustrative purposes, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications, additions and substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not described for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: A front row of seats, the front row of seats comprising a first seat and a second seat, the first seat being arranged at a first side in front of an interior of a body of the vehicle, and the second seat being arranged at a second side in front of the interior; a rear seat disposed in a rearward direction of the interior, wherein the rearward direction is relative to the first seat and the second seat; a fixed type roof airbag module disposed in a first area of ​​the roof lining and having a fixed position in the first area, wherein the first area of ​​the roof lining is an area of ​​the roof lining between an area corresponding to the first seat and an area corresponding to the second seat when the front seat and the rear seat face forward; a rail member disposed in a second region of the roof lining and arranged in a direction from left to right of the vehicle body, wherein the second region is a region of the roof lining between a region corresponding to the front seats and a region corresponding to the rear seats when the front seats and the rear seats face forward; a movable type roof airbag module disposed in the rail member and configured to be movable in the left-right direction along the rail member; a first angle detector disposed on the first seat and configured to detect a first rotation angle in a first direction relative to the first seat, wherein the first direction is a clockwise direction based on a zero-degree position of the first seat, and wherein the zero-degree position of the first seat is a position when the first seat faces forward; a second angle detector disposed on the second seat and configured to detect a second rotation angle in a second direction relative to the second seat, wherein the second direction is a counterclockwise direction based on a zero-degree position of the second seat, and wherein the zero-degree position of the second seat is a position when the second seat faces forward; and The controller is configured as: controlling activation of the fixed-type roof airbag module when the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector is greater than a first reference angle and less than or equal to a second reference angle, controlling activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module when the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector is greater than the second reference angle and less than or equal to a third reference angle, controlling activation of the fixed-type roof airbag module when the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector is greater than the first reference angle and less than or equal to the second reference angle, and When the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector is greater than the second reference angle and less than or equal to the third reference angle, activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module is controlled.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: controlling activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module when the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector is greater than the third reference angle and less than or equal to a fourth reference angle, controlling rotation of the movable type roof airbag module based on the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector, controlling movement of the movable type roof airbag module based on the first rotation angle detected by the second angle detector and a rotation radius of the first seat, controlling activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module when the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector is greater than the third reference angle and less than or equal to a fourth reference angle, controlling the rotation of the movable type roof airbag module based on the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector, Movement of the movable type roof airbag module is controlled based on the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector and a rotation radius of the second seat.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an image acquirer configured to acquire an image of the seat, in, The controller is configured to diagnose whether the angle detector fails, and when the controller determines that the angle detector fails, acquire a rotation angle of the seat based on the image of the seat acquired by the image acquirer.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an image acquirer configured to acquire an image of the seat, in, The controller is configured to determine whether an infant or a child is seated on the seat based on the image of the seat acquired by the image acquirer, and control deactivation of the fixed-type roof airbag module and the movable-type roof airbag module when the controller determines that the infant or the child is seated on the seat.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The second reference angle is an angle greater than the first reference angle, the third reference angle is an angle greater than the second reference angle, and the fourth reference angle is an angle greater than the third reference angle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a collision detector configured to detect a collision with an obstacle, The controller is configured to control the deployment and inflation of the activated airbag module based on the collision information detected by the collision detector.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: an external image acquirer configured to acquire an image of a road; as well as a road detector configured to detect a distance to an obstacle, The controller is configured to control automatic driving based on the image of the road acquired by the external image acquirer and the distance to the obstacle detected by the road detector.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method comprising: Detecting, by a first angle detector, a first rotation angle of a first seat arranged in front of the rear seat; Detecting, by a second angle detector, a second rotation angle of a second seat disposed in front of the rear seat; When the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector is greater than a first reference angle and less than or equal to a second reference angle, the controller controls activation of a fixed type roof airbag module; When the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector is greater than the second reference angle and less than or equal to a third reference angle, the controller controls activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module; The controller determines whether a collision with an obstacle occurs during driving; as well as The controller, when determining that a collision with the obstacle occurs, deploys and inflates the activated airbag module, wherein the first seat is disposed on a first side of the front of the interior of the vehicle body, the second seat is disposed on a second side of the front of the interior, and the first seat and the second seat are front seats; wherein the rear seats are arranged in the rear of the interior; The fixed type roof airbag module is arranged in a first area of ​​the roof lining and has a fixed position in the first area. wherein, when the front seats and the rear seats face forward, the first area of ​​the roof lining is an area of ​​the roof lining between an area corresponding to the first seat and an area corresponding to the second seat; Wherein, the movable type roof airbag module is disposed in a track member and is configured to be movable in a left-right direction along the track member; wherein the rail member is disposed in the second region of the roof lining and in a direction from left to right of the vehicle body, wherein, when the front seats and the rear seats face forward, the second area is an area between an area corresponding to the front seats and an area corresponding to the rear seats in the area of ​​the roof lining; The first angle detector is disposed on the first seat and is configured to detect a first rotation angle relative to the first seat in a first direction. The first direction is a clockwise direction based on the zero degree position of the first seat, wherein the zero degree position of the first seat is the position when the first seat faces forward; The second angle detector is disposed on the second seat and is configured to detect a second rotation angle relative to the second seat in a second direction. wherein the second direction is a counterclockwise direction based on the zero degree position of the second seat, and The zero degree position of the second seat is the position when the second seat faces forward.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: controlling activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module when the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector is greater than the third reference angle and less than or equal to a fourth reference angle; controlling rotation of the movable type roof air bag module based on the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector, and controlling movement of the movable type roof air bag module based on the first rotation angle detected by the first angle detector and a rotation radius of the first seat; controlling activation of the fixed type roof airbag module and the movable type roof airbag module when the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector is greater than the third reference angle and less than or equal to a fourth reference angle; as well as The rotation of the movable type roof airbag module is controlled based on the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector, and the movement of the movable type roof airbag module is controlled based on the second rotation angle detected by the second angle detector and a rotation radius of the second seat.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Detecting the rotation angle of the seat includes detecting the rotation angle of the seat based on an image acquired by an image acquirer in the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Detecting the rotation angle of the seat based on the image includes: diagnosing a fault in the angle detector; and When it is determined that the angle detector has failed, the rotation angle of the seat is acquired based on the image acquired by the image acquirer.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Acquiring an image of the seat by an image acquirer; determining whether an infant or child is seated in the seat based on the image acquired by the image acquirer; as well as When it is determined that the infant or the child is seated on the seat, deactivation of the fixed-type roof airbag module and the movable-type roof airbag module is controlled.

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