Airbag controller and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018015897-A1
Application number	US-201615207818-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2016
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Jan 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A controller for a vehicle includes a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions. The processor of the controller is programmed to receive a side-impact signal representing a collision to a side of the vehicle, receive an occupancy signal indicating that a first rear seat of the vehicle is occupied, and send an output control signal to deploy an airbag between a front seat adjacent the side of the vehicle and a second rear seat adjacent the side of the vehicle in response to the side-impact signal and the occupancy signal only when the second rear seat is unoccupied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving a side-impact signal representing a collision to a side of a vehicle; receiving an occupancy signal indicating that a first rear seat of the vehicle is occupied; and sending an output control signal to deploy an airbag between a front seat adjacent the side of the vehicle and a second rear seat adjacent the side of the vehicle in response to the side-impact signal and the occupancy signal only when the second rear seat is unoccupied.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the second rear seat is unoccupied based on a lack of a signal indicating that the second rear seat is occupied.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airbag is disposed in a seatback of the front seat.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the airbag is disposed in a ceiling above the front seat.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an occupancy signal representing occupancy of a third rear seat between the first and second rear seats, and sending an output control signal to deploy the airbag in response to the side-impact signal only when the third rear seat is occupied and the second rear seat is unoccupied.

6 . A controller comprising a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor is programmed to:
receive a side-impact signal representing a collision to a side of the vehicle; receive an occupancy signal indicating that a first rear seat of the vehicle is occupied; and send an output control signal to deploy an airbag between a front seat adjacent the side of the vehicle and a second rear seat adjacent the side of the vehicle in response to the side-impact signal and the occupancy signal only when the second rear seat is unoccupied.

7 . The controller of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed to determine that the second rear seat is unoccupied based on a lack of a signal indicating that the second rear seat is occupied.

8 . The controller of claim 6 , the processor is further programmed to receive a front-impact signal representing a collision to a front of the vehicle; receive a second occupancy signal indicating that the second rear seat is occupied; and send an output control signal to deploy the airbag in response to the front-impact signal and the second occupancy signal.

9 . The controller of claim 8 , the processor is further programmed to send an output control signal to deploy the airbag to a first deployed state in response to the side-impact signal and the occupancy signal only when the second rear seat is unoccupied; and send an output control signal to deploy the airbag to a second deployed state in response to the front-impact signal and the second occupancy signal.

10 . The controller of claim 9 , wherein a distance the airbag extends away from the front seat is longer for the airbag in the first deployed state than the airbag in the second deployed state.

11 . The controller of claim 6 , wherein the airbag is disposed in a seatback of the front seat.

12 . The controller of claim 6 , wherein the airbag is disposed in a ceiling above the front seat.

13 . A vehicle comprising:
a side; a first rear seat; a second rear seat adjacent the side; a front seat adjacent the side; an airbag configured to deploy between the front seat and the second rear seat; and a controller including a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions in communication with the airbag; wherein the processor is programmed to receive a side-impact signal representing a collision to the side, receive an occupancy signal indicating that the first rear seat is occupied, and send an output control signal to deploy the airbag in response to the side-impact signal and the occupancy signal only when the second rear seat is unoccupied.

14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the processor is programmed to determine that the second rear seat is unoccupied based on a lack of a signal indicating that the second rear seat is occupied.

15 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a front of the vehicle; wherein the processor is programmed to receive a front-impact signal representing a collision to the front, receive a second occupancy signal indicating that the second rear seat is occupied, and send an output control signal to deploy the airbag in response to the front-impact signal and the second occupancy signal.

16 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the airbag has a first deployed state and a second deployed state; and the processor is programmed to send an output control signal to deploy the airbag to the first deployed state in response to the side-impact signal and the occupancy signal only when the second rear seat is unoccupied, and send an output control signal to deploy the airbag to the second deployed state in response to the front-impact signal and the second occupancy signal.

17 . The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein a distance the airbag extends away from the front seat is longer for the airbag in the first deployed state than the airbag in the second deployed state.

18 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the front seat includes a seatback, and the airbag is disposed in the seatback.

19 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a ceiling, wherein the airbag is disposed in the ceiling above the front seat.

20 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a third rear seat between the first and second rear seats; wherein the processor is programmed to receive an occupancy signal representing occupancy of the third rear seat, and send an output control signal to deploy the airbag in response to the side-impact signal only when the third rear seat is occupied and the second rear seat is unoccupied.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Rao Manoharprasad K
• Le Jialiang
• Mccoy Robert William
• Szawarski Hubert

Classifications

• B60R2021/01286

  Electronic control units · CPC title

• B60R2021/0032

  Position of passenger · CPC title

• B60R2021/0006

  Lateral collision · CPC title

• B60R21/01512 Primary

  Passenger detection systems · CPC title

• B60R2021/23153

  specially adapted for rear seat passengers · CPC title