Vehicle Safety System Dynamic Deployment Algorithm Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety systems face challenges in activating side impact safety devices swiftly enough during potential crashes while avoiding false deployments, particularly in situations where the risk of harm to occupants is low, such as during door slamming or low-impact events.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle safety system that employs multiple deployment algorithms based on vehicle sensors' data, adjusting the trigger threshold for side impact safety devices according to conditions like loss of control, speed, and maneuvering, to ensure earlier activation in high-risk situations while minimizing false positives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a default deployment algorithm is used to determine whether to activate the side impact safety system, then false positive determinations are reduced, but the system response time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between a default deployment algorithm and a first further deployment algorithm based on detected driving conditions. When loss of control is detected (through sensors monitoring understeer, oversteer, lateral skid, avoidance maneuvering, emergency braking, or road departure), the system transitions to the first further deployment algorithm which generates trigger signals faster, reducing deployment time while maintaining reliability through condition-based activation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the deployment algorithm parameters based on vehicle speed and loss of control detection. When longitudinal speed exceeds a first threshold and loss of control is detected, the system switches to the first further deployment algorithm with adjusted parameters that prioritize faster response, effectively changing the operational parameters to resolve the time-reliability contradiction
2Loss of time
If the trigger signal is generated a shorter time after side impact initiation, then occupant safety is improved, but false positive deployments increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of loss of control conditions using vehicle sensors before the side impact occurs. By detecting understeer, oversteer, lateral skid, avoidance maneuvering, emergency braking, or road departure in advance, the system prepares to use the first further deployment algorithm, ensuring fast response without false positives because the algorithm is only activated when preliminary conditions indicate genuine high-risk scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from vehicle sensors to continuously monitor driving conditions and determine when loss of control is occurring or expected. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust which deployment algorithm is used based on real-time conditions, ensuring fast deployment when needed while preventing false positives by only activating the faster algorithm under confirmed high-risk conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle safety system comprising: at least one occupant safety device (6) for protecting an occupant of the vehicle (1) in the event of a side impact; and a control unit (7) operable to receive information from one or more vehicle sensors (2, 3, 4, 5) and to provide a trigger signal to activate the occupant safety device (6). Under normal driving conditions, a default deployment algorithm is used by the control unit (7) to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated; and if it is determined that loss of control of the vehicle (1) is occurring, or is expected to occur, and the longitudinal speed of the vehicle (1) exceeds a first threshold, the control unit (7) employs a first further deployment algorithm to determine whether the trigger signal should be generated. The first further deployment algorithm being adapted to cause the trigger signal to be generated a shorter time after the initiation of a side impact than is the case for the default deployment algorithm.