Control apparatus of an airbag on a vehicle

44 Pages·2013·1.94 MB·English

US006123357A
Ulllted States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 6,123,357
Hosoda et al. [45] Date of Patent: *Sep. 26, 2000
[54] CONTROL APPARATUS OF AN AIRBAG ON 5,468,014 11/1995 Gimbel et a1. .
A VEHICLE 5,474,327 12/1995 Schousek .............................. .. 280/735
5,482,314 1/1996 Corrado et al. ....................... .. 280/735
[75] Inventors: Koji Hosoda, Hiroshima-ken; flamiiettal~l~
gaff???- asjkakl- da’ Hl~g ashl~h l~ roshl~ ma’ 5,, 618,, 056 4/1997 Scehioso esr eet 6a1 .. . .
p 5,668,528 9/1997 K1180 et al. ........................... .. 340/436
_ _ 5,683,103 11/1997 Blackburn et al. .
[73] AsslgneeZ Mazda Motor Corporatlom 5,690,356 11/1997 Lane, Jr. ............................... .. 280/735
Hlroshlmmlapan 5,851,026 12/1998 Schoos ..
5,882,035 3/1999 Munro ................................... .. 280/735
[*] Notice: This patent issued on a continued pros
ecution application ?led under 37 CFR FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
1.53(d), and is subject to the tWenty year
7-165011 6/1995 Japan .
patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C.
10-194076 7/1998 Japan .
154(a)(2).
10-194080 7/1998 Japan .
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
[21] Appl. No.: 09/013,216
US. application No. 09/003,819, Hosoda, ?led Jan. 7, 1998.
[22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1998
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner—Peter C. English
[57] ABSTRACT
Jan. 30, 1997 [JP] Japan .................................. .. 9016722
[51] Int. Cl.7 .......................... .. B60R 21/01; B60R 21/22 In an airbag system for a vehicle, a seat sensor unit deter
mines the placement state of a child seat on the basis of the
[52] US. Cl. ..................... .. 280/730.2; 280/735; 280/806;
701/45 radio communication state made betWeen a transponder
equipped in the child seat and antennas in a front passenger
[58] Field of Search ............................... .. 280/735, 730.2,
280/806, 730.1; 180/273; 701/45 seat, and the output state of a passenger detection sensor in
the front passenger seat, and transmits the determination
[56] References Cited result to a control unit. The control unit controls the neces
sity of in?ation of a passenger-side airbag and side airbag on
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS the basis of the obtained communication result.
5,172,790 12/1992 Ishikawa ............................... .. 280/735
5,454,591 10/1995 MaZur et al. . 9 Claims, 32 Drawing Sheets
33
15 4,53
SEPT
0 O DRIVE UNIT
152 151 DRIVE UNIT
A34
16
18
PASSENGER \ 131, 132
SIDE SEAT SENSOR UNIT
INFLATOR
17
CONTROL
DRIVER-SIDE UNIT
INFLATOR IIIIII
14
FRONT SHOCK
DETECTION SENSOR
DRIVER-SEAT
SIDE-AIRBAG N35
INFLATOR RIGHT-SIDE SHOCK
DETECTION SENSOR
32
PASSENGER
SEAT LEFT-SIDE SHOCK
SIDE-AIRBAG DETECTION SENSOR
INFLATOR

U.S. Patent Sep. 26,2000 Sheet 2 0f 32 6,123,357
FIG. 2
14
14
153
161
U.S. Patent Sep. 26,2000 Sheet 3 0f 32 6,123,357
FIG. 3
[1101
CPU
105 102
/
ROM COMMUNICATION
UP
106 10s
/ H
RAM SENSOR INPUT
l/F
107
104
H /
OUTPUT OPERATION
l/F INPUT l/F
108
109
N
STATUS
NOTIFYING
U.S. Patent Sep. 26, 2000 Sheet 4 0f 32 6,123,357
N201
CPU
132
204 209 202 Z
r/ A/ /"
TRANSMISSION
ROM CIRCUIT 131 F
205 203E
/~/ //
RECEPTION
RAM
CIRCUIT 131 R
206 203R
/
COMMUNICATION RECEPTION
I/F CIRCUIT

U.S. Patent Sep. 26,2000 Sheet 6 0f 32 6,123,357
FIG. 7
FIG. 8
12
121
U.S. Patent Sep. 26, 2000 Sheet 7 0f 32 6,123,357
FIG. 9A FIG. 9B
(WHEN CHILD SEAT FACES FRONT) (WHEN CHILD SEAT FACES REAR)
13 13
131R 131R
131F ‘21 131F
121
FIG. 9C FIG. 9D
131R 131R
121
131F 131F
121