Vehicle Side Impact Position Control via Braking and Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing accident mitigation systems are ineffective in reducing the medical severity of side impacts in motor vehicle collisions, as they primarily focus on reducing impact energy without considering the impact position, which can lead to increased injury severity when the passenger compartment is involved.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that detect an unavoidable side impact and intervene by adjusting the impact position to direct the force onto the front or rear axle of the colliding vehicle, using braking and steering interventions to avoid impacting the passenger compartment, thereby reducing the medical severity of the accident.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If braking is applied to reduce impact energy before a side collision, then the impact speed and impact energy are reduced, but the impact position shifts to the passenger compartment area, significantly aggravating the consequences for occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between different impact zones on the vehicle side. The system identifies that the front area (engine compartment) and rear area (trunk) are safer impact zones, while the passenger compartment area is dangerous. The control unit selectively applies braking and steering interventions to redirect the impact to the safer front or rear areas, making the impact position have different quality characteristics based on the desired outcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting an unavoidable side impact scenario and applying braking and/or steering interventions before the collision occurs. The control unit calculates the impact position based on current vehicle state and applies corrective actions in advance to shift the impact position away from the passenger compartment to the front or rear areas, preventing the harmful effect before it materializes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If no braking is applied and the vehicle continues at current speed, then the impact position remains in the front or rear area (safer zones), but the impact energy and force are significantly higher
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the braking force and steering angle based on the calculated impact position and vehicle state. The control unit modifies these parameters in real-time to achieve the optimal balance: applying just enough braking to shift the impact position to a safer area while minimizing the reduction in impact speed, thereby maintaining lower impact energy without compromising the beneficial impact position.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If steering intervention is applied to shift impact position, then the impact location is redirected to safer areas, but the system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the control unit to perform multiple functions: detecting the side impact scenario, calculating the impact position based on vehicle state, determining the appropriate intervention strategy, and controlling both braking and steering systems. This multi-functional approach consolidates the complexity into a single control unit that can handle various impact scenarios and select the most appropriate response, rather than requiring separate dedicated systems for each function.
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
This approach significantly reduces the likelihood and severity of personal injury in side impacts by shifting the impact position to areas outside the passenger compartment, minimizing the force on the vehicle's occupants.
Implementation Method 1
The motor vehicle is braked before an impact and the impact energy for the colliding motor vehicles is thus reduced
Implementation Method 2
a steering intervention takes place. In this way, such an impact area is to be achieved in a targeted manner
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves determining a lateral incidence position on a motor vehicle during unbraked driving of another motor vehicle (1), and executing driving intervention into the operation of the latter motor vehicle based on the determined lateral incidence position on the former motor vehicle. The incidence position is determined by using information about transverse movement of the former motor vehicle, and braking intervention of a driver of the latter motor vehicle is inhibited when an incidence area lies in a front area of the former motor vehicle. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a device for operating a motor vehicle (2) a motor vehicle (3) a computer program product with program code for executing a method for operating a motor vehicle.