Occupant Protection Control Device Using Model-Based Restraint Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing occupant protection systems in vehicles lack a precise and adaptive method to determine personalized accident severity levels during collisions, leading to suboptimal control of restraint devices and increased occupant load.
Innovation Solution
A method and control device that utilize model-based combinations of measurement values, including airbag ignition time, collision angular frequency, occupant displacement, mass, and airbag inflation time, to calculate a restraint force that minimizes occupant energy, allowing for precise and adaptive control of occupant protection devices without relying on pre-crash sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If pre-crash sensor systems and predictive sensor systems are used to determine accident severity, then the determination can start earlier, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential parameters needed for accident severity determination (crash pulse, delta-v, occupant characteristics) from complex pre-crash and predictive sensor systems, using only the minimum necessary sensors (acceleration sensors and weight sensors) to achieve the same goal without the added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses model-based calculations to create a virtual representation of the collision physics, calculating accident severity parameters through mathematical models rather than direct physical measurement, thereby reducing sensor requirements while maintaining determination accuracy
2Adaptability or versatility
If universally applicable fundamental physical relationships are used, then adaptability to different vehicles is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fundamental physical relationships (conservation of momentum, energy balance equations) that are universally applicable across different vehicle types and collision scenarios, allowing the same calculation methodology to be used for all vehicles without vehicle-specific calibration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses measurable parameters (acceleration, mass, displacement) that can be directly obtained from standard sensors, avoiding the need for precise manufacturing specifications or complex calibration procedures, thereby reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining universality
3Measurement precision
If model-based combination of measurement values is used, then measurement precision and robustness are improved, but calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical measurement systems with mathematical modeling, using fundamental physics equations to calculate accident severity from basic sensor inputs, thereby achieving high precision without corresponding increases in physical system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces model-based calculations as an intermediary between raw sensor measurements and final accident severity determination, using physical laws as the mediating framework to transform simple measurements into precise severity assessments
4Device complexity
If determination of accident severity is delayed until occupant protection device activation, then information processing is simplified, but the quality of determination decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculations of accident severity parameters during the collision event itself, using real-time sensor data from acceleration sensors and weight sensors to determine severity before the protection device fully activates, enabling early intervention without requiring complex post-collision analysis
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling at least one occupant protection device for a vehicle in the case of a collision, including determining input data which represent an ignition time of an airbag of the vehicle, an angular frequency of the collision, an available displacement path of a vehicle occupant relative to the vehicle, a mass of the vehicle occupant of the vehicle, a distance of the vehicle occupant from the airbag, and an inflation time duration of the airbag; ascertaining a restraint force using the input data. The restraint force represents a force that can be provided by the at least one occupant protection device and that is suitable to minimize an occupant energy of the vehicle occupant up until the end of the collision; and providing a control signal for controlling the at least one occupant protection device, the control signal being produced using the restraint force.