Method for protecting a passenger in a motor vehicle

Abstract

A method for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle comprises the steps of: detecting (21) that the motor vehicle is stationary; detecting (23) the arrival at the rear of the vehicle of a moving object whose speed of movement is such that a collision of the object with the rear of the vehicle is imminent; triggering (27) a passenger protection device before the collision. A system for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising the system are also described. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method for protecting a passenger in a motor vehicle Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle, a computer program product, a system for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle comprising such a system. State of the art

[0002] Currently, a motor vehicle includes several passenger protection devices.

[0003] There are passive protections which are linked to the structure of the vehicle such as a non-deformable passenger compartment associated with a deformable engine compartment and rear area to absorb part of the collision energy.

[0004] And there are active protections such as the seat belt and the airbag. In particular, the seat belt includes a tightening device that is triggered during an impact to stick the passenger to the seat. The triggering is caused by an accelerometer that detects the sudden acceleration created by the impact. This, however, has the disadvantage of creating a slight time delay between the instant of production of the impact and the tightening of the belt.

[0005] This disadvantage is also found on airbag triggering devices and, more generally, on all active protection devices: the triggering being caused by the impact, there is a latency period before they move into the protection position.

[0006] There is therefore a real need for a method and a system for protecting a passenger in a motor vehicle which resolves all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks. Description of the invention

[0007] To resolve one or more of the drawbacks cited above, according to a first embodiment, a method for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle comprises the steps of: • detection that the motor vehicle is stationary; • detection of the arrival at the rear of the vehicle of a moving object whose speed of movement is such that a collision of the object with the rear of the vehicle is imminent; • triggering of a passenger protection device before the collision.

[0008] Thus, the protection device being triggered before the collision, the passenger is better protected.

[0009] Particular characteristics or embodiments, usable alone or in combination, are: • triggering of the protective device includes tightening of the passenger's seat belt; • the triggering of the protective device includes a reduction in the braking pressure of the motor vehicle; • the method further comprises a step of increasing the braking pressure to its maximum after the collision; • the triggering of the protective device includes the inflation of an air bag; and / or • the detection of the arrival at the rear of the vehicle is carried out by an ultrasonic sensor, or by a radar, located at the rear of the vehicle.

[0010] In a second embodiment, a computer program product comprises program code instructions for implementing the above method when the program product is executed on a computer.

[0011] In a third embodiment, a system for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle comprises: • a first sensor adapted to detect that the motor vehicle is stationary; and • a second sensor adapted to detect the arrival at the rear of the vehicle of a moving object whose speed of movement is such that a collision of the object with the rear of the vehicle is imminent; connected to • a passenger protection device adapted to be triggered before the collision.

[0012] In a fourth embodiment, a motor vehicle comprises a system according to the third embodiment. Brief description of the figures

[0013] The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the appended figures in which: • [Fig.l] represents a top view of a vehicle comprising a passenger protection system according to one embodiment; and • [Fig.2] represents a flowchart of a passenger protection process according to one embodiment. Methods of implementation

[0014] The embodiments presented below refer to a motor vehicle, a car. However, those skilled in the art will understand that these are also usable with other types of vehicles such as vans, vans, etc.

[0015] The terms “front”, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “transverse” are understood in relation to the vehicle.

[0016] With reference to [Fig.l], a motor vehicle 1 comprises a system 3 for protecting a passenger of the vehicle.

[0017] The system 3 comprises at least one sensor 5 adapted to detect that the motor vehicle is stationary. For example, the sensor 5 detects the rotation of the wheels or, more precisely, the absence of rotation. It is not necessarily specific to the system 3 and may be part of the sensors used by the driving aids.

[0018] The system 3 also comprises a sensor 7 adapted to detect the arrival at the rear of the vehicle of a moving object whose speed of movement is such that a collision of the object with the rear of the vehicle 1 is imminent. The sensor 7 may comprise one or more radars or ultrasonic sensors facing towards the rear. Like the sensor 5, the sensor 7 may be part of the sensors used by the driving aids.

[0019] These two sensors 5, 7 are connected to a passenger protection device 9 adapted to be triggered before the collision. The device 9 comprises a seat belt tightening tensioner and / or a brake manager which reduces the braking pressure of the motor vehicle 1 and / or an air bag inflator associated with a controller 11.

[0020] The controller 11 can, for example, be integrated into the vehicle control system 1, such as an advanced driver assistance system, commonly called AD AS (for "Advanced driver-assistance Systems" according to English terminology) which makes all driving decisions based on the environment and the programmed destination. The motor vehicle is then referred to as an autonomous motor vehicle. But it can also be a centralized vehicle management system including, or not, driving aids.

[0021] The transfer of data between the different elements is preferably carried out by a CAN (for “Controller Area Network” in English) or LIN (for “Local Interconnect Network” in English) type data bus.

[0022] The operation of system 3 is as follows, [Fig.2].

[0023] In step 21, the sensor 5 detects that the vehicle is stationary and, in step 23, the sensor 7 detects the arrival of an object, typically a vehicle, at the rear of the vehicle 1 and at a speed such that a collision with the vehicle 1 is imminent. By “imminent” is meant a time at least sufficient to allow the safety device to engage. This may correspond, for example, to an interval of one second.

[0024] These two sensors send, step 25, a signal to the controller 11. The latter then triggers, step 27, the protection device.

[0025] Thus, when the collision occurs, step 29, the passenger is blocked in his seat and the motor vehicle can dissipate part of the energy of the collision in the form of kinetic energy of movement of the vehicle.

[0026] Also, in step 31, the braking pressure is then increased so that this kinetic energy is absorbed by the braking.

[0027] The use of braking as described above advantageously makes it possible to dissipate the collision energy over an extended period of time, which reduces the accelerations absorbed by the passenger.

[0028] [Fig.l] illustrates a system according to certain embodiments. The breakdown presented has an educational purpose to highlight the different functions. However, it is understood that each block can be implemented using different means or their combinations, such as hardware components, software, one or more computers and / or electronic circuits. Each of the components can include at least one computer or a control-command unit. At least one memory can be included in each component. The memory can include computer program instructions or software code.

[0029] The computers can be implemented by any type of data processing device, such as a central computing unit, a signal processing processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, etc. The computers can be implemented as a single controller, or a plurality of controllers or computers.

[0030] The different modules are connected to each other by data links adapted to the environment. These can be wired or wireless.

[0031] For software, the implementation may include modules or units distributed in the form of procedures, functions, etc. The memories may be any type of storage circuit. They may be part of the processor circuit, or separate from it and connected via electrical data links. These may be non-volatile type memories, hard disks, random access memories, flash memories, etc.

[0032] The program product may be downloadable from a communications network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium. It may be directly executable by a processor or be in the form of a high-level language requiring one or more intermediate operations to be executable.

[0033] Thus the program instructions stored in the memory and processed by the computers can be any type of program code, for example, a compiled or interpreted program written in a suitable programming language.

[0034] The computer program instructions stored in the memory are such that, when executed by the computer, the latter carries out one or more of the steps of the methods described above.

[0035] The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description. This should be considered as illustrative and given by way of example and not as limiting the invention to this description alone. Numerous alternative embodiments are possible.

[0036] It is understood that the belt tensioner, the air bag and the brake manager operate independently and that therefore, a motor vehicle can receive one or the other of the protection devices or two of the three or all three.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle comprising the steps of: • detecting (21) that the motor vehicle is stationary; • detecting (23) the arrival at the rear of the vehicle of a moving object whose speed of movement is such that a collision of the object with the rear of the vehicle is imminent; • triggering (27) a passenger protection device before the collision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein triggering the protection device comprises tightening the passenger's seat belt.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein triggering the protection device comprises reducing the braking pressure of the motor vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising a step of increasing the braking pressure to its maximum after the collision.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein triggering the protection device comprises inflating an air bag.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the detection of the arrival at the rear of the vehicle is carried out by an ultrasonic sensor, or by a radar, located at the rear of the vehicle.

7. Computer program product characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when the program product is executed on a computer.

8. System (3) for protecting a passenger of a motor vehicle (1) comprising: • a first sensor (5) adapted to detect that the vehicle is stationary; and • a second sensor (7) adapted to detect the arrival at the rear of the vehicle of a moving object whose speed of movement is such that a collision of the object on the rear of the vehicle is imminent; connected to • a passenger protection device (9) adapted to be triggered before the collision.

9. Motor vehicle (1) comprising a system according to claim 8.

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