Positional-dependent deployment of vehicle airbags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926736-B2
Application number	US-201916404459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2019
Priority date	May 6, 2019
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A positional-dependent airbag deployment system is provided. A plurality of tether cutters are configured to cut at least one of a plurality of tethers affixed to an airbag. An image sensor is configured to monitor the position of an occupant's head within a vehicle. In response to detecting a collision event, an airbag controller determines a trajectory of the occupant's head based on the image sensor data and other data and determines a cutting sequence of the tethers such the airbag will be deployed in a trajectory to intercept the occupant's head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A positional-dependent airbag deployment system, comprising:
an airbag;
a plurality of tethers affixed to the airbag;
a plurality of tether cutters, each tether cutter configured to cut at least one tether of the plurality of tethers;
an image sensor configured to monitor a position of a head of an occupant of a vehicle;
an airbag controller circuit communicatively coupled to the plurality of tether cutters and the image sensor, the airbag controller circuit comprising a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that cause the processor to:
detect a collision;
determine a trajectory of the head of the occupant of the vehicle based on the monitoring by the image sensor;
determine a cutting sequence based on the trajectory of the head of the occupant, the cutting sequence comprising an order for cutting one or more tethers of the airbag configured to reduce risk of injury of the occupant; and
execute the cutting sequence by sending a signal to one or more tether cutters according to the cutting sequence,

wherein the cutting sequence causes the airbag to deploy at a second trajectory based on the trajectory of the head of the occupant.

2. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tethers are affixed to an interior of the airbag, an exterior of the airbag, or a combination thereof.

3. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to monitor the position of the head of the occupant by tracking an eye position of the occupant.

4. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein detecting the collision comprises receiving an indication of the collision from an electronic control unit of the vehicle.

5. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the airbag controller circuit is incorporated into an electronic control unit of the vehicle.

6. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , further comprising an inflator communicatively coupled to the airbag controller circuit, and wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that cause the processor to activate the inflator in response to detecting a collision.

7. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 6 , the processor configured to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that cause the processor to execute the cutting sequence and activate the inflator simultaneously.

8. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , the airbag comprising one of: a frontal airbag; a side panel airbag; a side curtain airbag.

9. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of airbags, the plurality of airbags comprising one or more of a frontal airbag, a side panel airbag, a side curtain airbag, or a combination thereof.

10. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of image sensors, a first subset of the plurality of image sensors configured to monitor a position of a head of a first occupant of the vehicle, and a second subset of the plurality of image sensors configured to monitor a position of a head of a second occupant of the vehicle.

11. The positional-dependent airbag deployment system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication circuit, the communication circuit providing an interface between the airbag controller circuit, the image sensor, and the plurality of tether cutters.

12. A method, comprising:
monitoring, by an image sensor, a position of an occupant of a vehicle;
determining, by an airbag controller circuit, a trajectory of a head of the occupant in response to detecting a collision;
determining, by the airbag controller circuit, a cutting sequence based on the trajectory of the head of the occupant, the cutting sequence comprising an order for cutting one or more tethers affixed to an airbag; and
executing, by one or more tether cutters, the cutting sequence during deployment of the airbag,
wherein the cutting sequence causes the airbag to deploy at a second trajectory based on the trajectory of the head of the occupant.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of tethers are affixed to an interior of the airbag, an exterior of the airbag, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the image sensor is configured to monitor the position of the head of the occupant by tracking an eye position of the occupant.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising activating, by the airbag controller circuit, an inflator in response to detecting the collision.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein a plurality of occupants are in the vehicle, the method further comprising determining, by the airbag controller circuit, a plurality of cutting sequences, each cutting sequence comprising an order for cutting one or more tethers of the airbag configured to reduce risk of injury of each of the plurality of occupants.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
detect a collision;
determine a trajectory of a head of an occupant of a vehicle based on monitoring data collected by an image sensor;
determine a cutting sequence based on the trajectory of the head of the occupant, the cutting sequence comprising an order for cutting one or more tethers of an airbag configured to reduce risk of injury of the occupant; and
execute the cutting sequence by sending a signal to one or more tether cutters according to the cutting sequence,
wherein the cutting sequence causes the airbag to deploy at a second trajectory based on the trajectory of the head of the occupant.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to activate an inflator associated with the airbag in response to detecting the collision.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions to execute the cutting sequence and to activate the inflator occur simultaneously.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to communicate a plurality of crash data to an emergency service entity, an electronic control unit of the vehicle, a database, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Robertson Winston
• Garrett William Patrick
• Evans George

Classifications

• B60R2021/01238

  control of expansion shape · CPC title

• B60R21/01542

  detecting passenger motion · CPC title

• B60R2021/0048

  Head · CPC title

• B60R2021/161

  characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory · CPC title

• B60R21/2338 Primary

  Tethers · CPC title