Predictor/check crash discriminator

Claim 1

A method for triggering deployment or actuation of a vehicle safety device, said method comprising the steps of: sampling data representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; storing consecutive values of said acceleration data in a buffer; correcting said consecutive values of said acceleration data by subtracting a correction value therefrom; integrating said corrected acceleration data to determine a modified vehicle velocity value; calculating a transitory jerk value based on said stored values of said acceleration data; multiplying said modified vehicle velocity value and said transitory jerk value to obtain a modified, transitory velocity-jerk product; comparing said velocity-jerk product with a first threshold value; and triggering deployment or actuation of said safety device when said velocity-jerk product exceeds said threshold value.

Claim 2

A method for triggering deployment or actuation of a vehicle safety device, said method comprising the steps of: sampling data representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; storing consecutive values of said acceleration data in a buffer; correcting said consecutive values of said acceleration data by subtracting a correction value therefrom; integrating said corrected acceleration data to determine a modified vehicle velocity value; calculating a transitory jerk value based on said stored values of said acceleration data; multiplying said modified vehicle velocity value and said transitory jerk value to obtain a modified, transitory velocity-jerk product; comparing said velocity-jerk product with a first threshold value; and triggering deployment or actuation of said safety device when said velocity-jerk product exceeds said threshold value.

Claim 4

A method for determining if an event requires actuation of a vehicle safety device, said method comprising the steps of: receiving information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; determining a first measure which is evaluative of said received instantaneous vehicle acceleration information in relation to time; determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event based on said received acceleration information; determining an estimated vehicle acceleration value based on said first measure and said second measure, wherein said second measure is used as a time value; comparing said first measure with a first predetermined threshold value; comparing said estimated acceleration value with a second predetermined threshold value; comparing said estimated acceleration value with a second predetermined threshold value; and actuating said vehicle safety device if said first measure has exceeded said first predetermined threshold value and said estimated acceleration value has exceeded said second predetermined threshold value.

Claim 5

A method for determining if an event requires actuation of a vehicle safety device, said method comprising the steps of: receiving information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; determining a first measure which is evaluative of said received instantaneous vehicle acceleration information in relation to time; determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event based on said received acceleration information; determining an estimated vehicle acceleration value based on said first measure and said second measure, wherein said second measure is used as a time value; comparing said first measure with a first predetermined threshold value; comparing said estimated acceleration value with a second predetermined threshold value; comparing said estimated acceleration value with a second predetermined threshold value; and actuating said vehicle safety device if said first measure has exceeded said first predetermined threshold value and said estimated acceleration value has exceeded said second predetermined threshold value.

Claim 13

A system for determining if an event requires actuation of a vehicle safety device comprising: sampling means for sampling raw information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; first determining means responsive to said received acceleration information for determining a first measure evaluative of said received acceleration information in relation to time; second determining means responsive to said received acceleration information for determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event; second determining means responsive to said received acceleration information for determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event; third determining means responsive to said first measure and said second measure for determining an estimated vehicle acceleration value, wherein said second measure is used as a time value; first comparing means responsive to said first measure for generating a first output signal if said first measure has exceeded a first predetermined threshold value; second comparing means responsive to said estimated vehicle acceleration value for generating a second output signal if said estimated acceleration value has exceeded a second predetermined threshold value; and means for actuating said vehicle safety device in response to the generation of said first and said second output signals.

Claim 14

A system for determining if an event requires actuation of a vehicle safety device comprising: sampling means for sampling raw information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; first determining means responsive to said received acceleration information for determining a first measure evaluative of said received acceleration information in relation to time; second determining means responsive to said received acceleration information for determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event; second determining means responsive to said received acceleration information for determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event; third determining means responsive to said first measure and said second measure for determining an estimated vehicle acceleration value, wherein said second measure is used as a time value; first comparing means responsive to said first measure for generating a first output signal if said first measure has exceeded a first predetermined threshold value; second comparing means responsive to said estimated vehicle acceleration value for generating a second output signal if said estimated acceleration value has exceeded a second predetermined threshold value; and means for actuating said vehicle safety device in response to the generation of said first and said second output signals.

Claim 19

A method of predicting vehicle acceleration information for determining if an event requires actuation of a vehicle safety device, said method comprising the steps of: sampling raw information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; damping said sampled acceleration information with a predetermined scale factor; determining a first measure evaluative of said sampled acceleration information in relation to time; determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event; determining an estimated acceleration value by multiplying said first measure with said second measure; comparing said estimated acceleration value of a predetermined threshold value; and actuating said vehicle safety device if said estimated acceleration exceeds said predetermined threshold value.

Claim 20

A method of predicting vehicle acceleration information for determining if an event requires actuation of a vehicle safety device, said method comprising the steps of: sampling raw information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; damping said sampled acceleration information with a predetermined scale factor; determining a first measure evaluative of said sampled acceleration information in relation to time; determining a second measure correlated with the progress of said event; determining an estimated acceleration value by multiplying said first measure with said second measure; comparing said estimated acceleration value of a predetermined threshold value; and actuating said vehicle safety device if said estimated acceleration exceeds said predetermined threshold value.