Airflow Sensing for Vehicle Impact Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impact detection systems in motor vehicles struggle to detect crashes quickly and reliably, often producing false alarms during non-crash events and failing to provide early detection of crash events.
Innovation Solution
Measuring airflow inboard of a vehicle body panel using sensors like heated element, Pitot tube, or venturi sensors to detect crash events, with multiple sensors distributed across the vehicle to determine impact location and severity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If alternative sensing approaches (pressure sensors, plunger-type sensors) are used to detect body panel deformation, then early impact detection capability is improved, but false alarm rate increases during non-crash events
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the vehicle body into multiple monitored zones with separate sensors (frontal impact sensors behind bumper, side impact sensors in doors/pillars). Each sensor independently monitors its specific zone, allowing the system to detect multiple impact locations and differentiate between genuine crash patterns and isolated non-crash events through spatial segmentation of impact data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors multiple parameters simultaneously including airflow changes, pressure variations, and acceleration data. By analyzing the combination and temporal sequence of these parameters rather than relying on a single parameter, the system can distinguish between crash events (which produce characteristic multi-parameter patterns) and non-crash events (which produce different parameter signatures), thereby reducing false alarms while maintaining early detection.
2Reliability
If traditional accelerometers are used for impact detection, then reliability in discriminating crash events is maintained, but detection time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow and pressure sensors are positioned to detect changes that occur immediately upon impact, before the full force of the collision transmits through the vehicle structure to traditional accelerometers. This preliminary detection capability allows the system to trigger earlier while maintaining reliability through subsequent verification using accelerometer data and pattern recognition algorithms that confirm genuine crash events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces airflow sensors and pressure sensors as intermediary detection elements between the impact source and the main control system. These intermediaries detect the initial disturbance (airflow displacement, pressure wave) caused by body panel deformation, providing an early warning signal that is then verified and processed by the control module using multiple sensor inputs to confirm crash authenticity before triggering safety systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and reliable detection of crash events, minimizing false alarms and ensuring timely deployment of supplemental restraints by using airflow sensors that are insensitive to non-crash events.
Implementation Method 1
The airflow can be measured by heated element sensor
Implementation Method 2
The airflow can be measured by heated element sensor, a Pitot tube sensor
Implementation Method 3
The airflow can be measured by heated element sensor, a Pitot tube sensor, a venturi sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Impacts with a vehicle body panel are detected by sensing airflow inboard of the vehicle body panel. The airflow can be measured by heated element sensor, a Pitot tube sensor, a venturi sensor or other airflow-responsive sensor. For side impact detection, the sensor is located in a door or pillar on the side of the vehicle; for frontal impact detection, the sensor may be located behind the front bumper. Multiple sensors mounted in distributed locations can be used to determine the location and extent of an impact.