JP2016141192A - Collision determination system of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a collision determination system of a vehicle for upgrading precision in determining a collision form.SOLUTION: Included are a hollow cylindrical outer cylinder part 5 that is fixed to one end in a fore-and-aft direction of a door disposed on a vehicle side, and an inner cylinder part 6 that is fixed to the other end in the fore-and-aft direction of the door and is inserted into the outer cylinder part 5 to form an airtight space 9 inside the outer cylinder part 5. Further, a pressure sensor 2 that detects a pressure inside the space 9 is included. Further included is a determination unit 10 that determines a colliding direction of a vehicle on the basis of an increase or decrease of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a collision determination apparatus that performs vehicle collision determination.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for detecting a side collision (side collision) using a pressure sensor attached to a vehicle door is known. For example, there is a technique in which a side impact bar (impact beam) serving as a reinforcing material disposed inside a door has a sealed structure, and it is determined that a side collision has occurred due to a change in the internal pressure (see Patent Document 1). .

JP 2010-058663 A

  However, the internal pressure change due to the deformation of the side impact bar may be caused not only by a collision from the side of the vehicle but also by a collision from the front. Therefore, there are cases where the conventional technology cannot identify the direction of the collision.

  It should be noted that improving the accuracy of collision type determination is important in operating an emergency call system that is being developed in recent years. The emergency call system is a system that reports and communicates information on the accident situation and the occupant status to a police station, fire department, hospital, etc. by radio communication when a vehicle accident occurs. Information on the occurrence of an accident reported through the emergency call system is used for subsequent accident response and occupant relief. Therefore, by improving the determination accuracy of the collision mode, it is possible to select a more appropriate accident response, and it is possible to take an optimal rescue measure for the passenger.

  The present case has been invented in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle collision determination device capable of improving the determination accuracy of a collision mode. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this purpose, and is an operational effect that is derived from each configuration shown in “Mode for Carrying Out the Invention” to be described later. Can be positioned as a purpose.

  (1) A vehicle collision determination device disclosed herein is fixed to a hollow cylindrical outer cylinder portion fixed to one end portion in the front-rear direction of a door disposed on a side surface of the vehicle and to the other end portion in the front-rear direction of the door. And an inner cylinder part that is inserted into the outer cylinder part to form an airtight space between the outer cylinder part and the outer cylinder part. A pressure sensor that detects a pressure inside the space; and a determination device that determines a collision direction of the vehicle based on an increase or decrease in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

(2) Preferably, the determination device determines that the primary collision in which the pressure has increased is a front collision, and determines that the primary collision in which the pressure has decreased is a side collision.
(3) It is preferable to provide a damper member that is interposed between the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion and suppresses relative movement between the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion.

  (4) Moreover, it is preferable that each of the said outer cylinder part, the said inner cylinder part, and the said pressure sensor is provided in both of a pair of doors adjacent to the left-right direction. In this case, it is preferable that the determination device determines a left side collision and a right side collision by comparing a pressure change amount at the left side door and a pressure change amount at the right side door.

  The outer cylinder part and the inner cylinder part preferably extend in the horizontal direction, but do not have to be strictly horizontal, depending on the shape of the door, the structure inside the door, the arrangement of the door accessory, etc. May be inclined. The fixing position of the outer cylinder part and the inner cylinder part and the door is, for example, in the vicinity of a lower structure of the front pillar (front pillar lower), a center pillar, a rear pillar, a lower structure of the rear pillar (rear pillar lower), and the like. It is preferable.

  According to the disclosed collision determination device for a vehicle, the increase / decrease direction of the pressure can correspond to the deformation state of the door, and the determination accuracy of the collision mode can be further improved.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which a vehicle collision determination device of an embodiment is applied. It is a typical perspective view of a pressure detection bar. It is a typical sectional view of a pressure detection bar. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the deformation | transformation shape of a pressure detection bar, (A) shows normal time, (B) shows the time of a front collision, (C) shows the time of a side collision. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the function of emergency call ECU. It is a graph which illustrates the time-dependent fluctuation | variation of the pressure detected with a pressure detection bar. It is a flowchart for discriminating a side collision and a front collision. It is a flowchart for determining the collision mode of a side collision. It is a flowchart for determining the collision type of a front collision. It is a determination map used for determination of the collision type of a front collision.

  A vehicle collision determination device as an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention of excluding various modifications and technical applications that are not explicitly described in the following embodiment. Each configuration of the present embodiment can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present embodiment, and can be selected or combined as necessary.

[1. Device configuration]
The collision determination apparatus of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle 20 (automobile) that is compatible with an emergency call system. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 20 is equipped with an emergency call ECU 10 (determination device) and a radio communication antenna 18. The emergency call ECU 10 has a function to notify the police station, fire department, hospital, etc. by radio communication of the accident situation and information about the occupant when a traffic accident, vehicle failure occurs, or when the occupant's health condition changes suddenly. It is an electronic control device. The emergency call ECU 10 is formed as an electronic device (computer) in which a processor device and a memory device are integrated. The emergency call ECU 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit, a memory device, an interface device, and the like, which are connected via an internal bus. The emergency call ECU 10 operates by receiving power supply from an arbitrary power source (for example, an in-vehicle battery or a button battery).

  Specific examples of information transmitted from the emergency call ECU 10 include information on the position of the vehicle 20, the degree of impact (acceleration, angular acceleration), the collision mode of the vehicle 20, the number of passengers, the health condition of the passengers, and the like. Such information is acquired by, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System), an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a human sensor, a weight sensor, a vital sensor (biological information sensor), and the like. In the present embodiment, a control configuration for detecting and determining a collision mode mainly in the primary collision of the vehicle 20 will be described in detail.

  A side impact bar 3 and a pressure detection bar 4 are attached to the inside of the side door 1 disposed on the front side surface of the vehicle 20. The side impact bar 3 is a pipe-shaped reinforcing material that suppresses deformation of the side door 1. The side impact bar 3 is disposed in the vehicle front-rear direction along the inner surface of the outer panel 1A in a hollow portion sandwiched between the outer panel 1A and the inner panel 1B of the side door 1. The left and right end portions of the side impact bar 3 are fixed to the front end portion and the rear end portion of the side door 1, respectively. Thereby, the rigidity of the side door 1 is improved and deformation is suppressed. A door trim 1C for beautification is attached to the passenger compartment side of the inner panel 1B. An armrest and an accessory case are integrally formed on the door trim 1C.

  The pressure detection bar 4 (hollow member) is a device for detecting and determining the deformation state of the side door 1, and is a hollow member arranged in the side door 1 of the vehicle 20. The pressure detection bar 4 is fixed in the side door 1 so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the pressure detection bar 4 is formed so as to expand and contract according to the direction of action of the impact load input to the side door 1. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the position where the pressure detection bar 4 is attached is in the hollow portion sandwiched between the outer panel 1A and the inner panel 1B, similar to the side impact bar 3, and on the inner surface of the outer panel 1A. Along the vehicle longitudinal direction.

  On the other hand, the shape of the pressure detection bar 4 is formed, for example, in a telescopic cylinder shape in which a piston rod is slidably inserted inside the cylinder tube, and has a structure different from that of the side impact bar 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the side impact bar 3 is provided with an outer cylinder 5 (outer cylinder part), an inner cylinder 6 (inner cylinder part), and a bracket 7. Both the outer cylinder 5 and the inner cylinder 6 are cylindrical members, and the inner cylinder 6 is slidably inserted along the inner cylinder surface of the outer cylinder 5. The cylindrical part 5A of the outer cylinder 5 is cylindrical, and the cylindrical part 6A of the inner cylinder 6 is cylindrical with an outer diameter that allows sliding movement inside the cylindrical part 5A. The outer cylinder 5 is a part corresponding to the cylinder tube of the telescopic cylinder, and the inner cylinder 6 is a part corresponding to the piston rod.

  Of the both ends of the outer cylinder 5, the other end opposite to the one end into which the inner cylinder 6 is inserted is closed by the closing member 5 </ b> B and fixed and supported by the bracket 7. On the other hand, one end of the inner cylinder 6 inserted into the outer cylinder 5 is closed by the closing member 6B and the other end is closed by the bracket 7 and fixed and supported. These two brackets 7 are fixed to the front end portion and the rear end portion of the side door 1, respectively. Accordingly, the pressure detection bar 4 is disposed in the vehicle front-rear direction along the inner surface of the outer panel 1 </ b> A, similarly to the side impact bar 3.

  The pressure detection bar 4 shown in FIG. 3 is built in the right front door (driver's seat door) of the vehicle 20, and the front end portion is disposed in the vicinity of the front pillar lower 16 and the rear end portion is the center pillar. 17 is arranged in the vicinity. The same applies to the pressure detection bar 4 built in the left front door (passenger seat door). When the pressure detection bar 4 is built in the right rear door and the left rear door of the vehicle, the front end portion may be disposed in the vicinity of the center pillar 17 and the rear end portion may be disposed in the vicinity of the rear pillar or the rear pillar lower. .

  A sealed airtight space 9 is formed between the outer cylinder 5 and the inner cylinder 6. A damper member 8 is provided in the space 9. The damper member 8 is an elastic member (a spring member, a rubber member, or the like) that is interposed between the two closing members 5B and 6B in the vehicle front-rear direction and serves to suppress relative movement of the outer cylinder 5 and the inner cylinder 6. is there. As a result, a restoring force against expansion / contraction deformation of the pressure detection bar 4 is applied, and the inner cylinder 6 is prevented from falling out of the outer cylinder 5. If the expansion / contraction deformation of the pressure detection bar 4 is not suppressed, the damper member 8 may be omitted. Further, when the other end of the outer cylinder 5 is closed by the bracket 7, the closing member 5B may be omitted.

  A pressure sensor 2 that detects a pressure P (internal pressure) inside the space 9 is attached to an arbitrary portion facing the space 9. The pressure sensor 2 is a sensor capable of detecting not only positive pressure (pressure higher than atmospheric pressure) but also negative pressure (pressure lower than atmospheric pressure). The increase / decrease amount of the pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 2 corresponds to the deformation amount of the side door 1, and the increase / decrease direction of the pressure P (whether the pressure P has increased or decreased) corresponds to the deformation state of the side door 1. To do. Here, in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the pressure detection bar 4 is indicated by a bold line, and both end portions (brackets 7) of the pressure detection bar 4 are indicated by black circles.

  FIG. 4A shows a normal state where the side door 1 is not deformed. At the time of the front collision of the vehicle 20, as shown in FIG. 4B, a load acts on the side door 1 in the direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle, so the total length of the pressure detection bar 4 is reduced and the pressure P is reduced. To rise. The same applies to the rear collision of the vehicle 20. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the vehicle 20 collides, a load is applied to the side door 1 in the direction from the outside of the vehicle to the vehicle interior, so that the entire length of the pressure detection bar 4 is extended. Pressure P decreases.

Thus, by using the pressure P detected by at least one pressure detection bar 4, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle 20 has collided in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, one pressure detection bar 4 is provided on each of the side doors 1 of the driver seat and the passenger seat, and the deformation state of the vehicle 20 is determined based on the information on the pressure P detected by each pressure detection bar 4. Detected and judged. Hereinafter, the pressure sensors 2 provided on the right front door and the left front door are referred to as a right front door pressure sensor 2A and a left front door pressure sensor 2B, respectively. Moreover, when distinguishing each pressure P detected by these pressure sensors 2A and 2B, each pressure is described as P _R and P _L.

[2. Control configuration]
As shown in FIG. 5, two pressure sensors 2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B, a radio communication antenna 18, and an occupant protection device 19 are connected to the emergency call ECU 10. The emergency notification ECU 10 detects and determines the collision and deformation state of the vehicle 20 based on the information of the pressures P _R and P _L detected by the pressure sensors 2A and 2B, operates the occupant protection device 19, and wirelessly communicates. Implement control to report information about collision and deformation to the outside. Specific examples of the occupant protection device 19 include a front airbag device, a side airbag device, a curtain airbag device, and a seat belt pretensioner device. In this embodiment, the description about the specific control content of the passenger protection device 19 is omitted.

  The contents of control by the emergency call ECU 10 are recorded in a long-term storage memory as an application program, for example, or recorded on a removable medium that can be read by a computer. The application program is expanded and executed in the memory space of the short-term storage memory. The program executed by the emergency call ECU 10 includes a collision determination unit 11, a protection device control unit 12, and a communication control unit 13.

  The collision determination unit 11 (determination unit) determines the collision mode and deformation state of the primary collision. Here, the presence or absence of a collision is determined based on the pressure P detected by each pressure sensor 2. For example, when the pressure P is within a predetermined pressure range near atmospheric pressure, it is determined that the vehicle 20 has not collided, and when the pressure P is outside the predetermined pressure range, it is determined that the vehicle has collided. At this time, it is determined that the greater the difference between the pressure P and the atmospheric pressure, the greater the door deformation amount of the vehicle 20.

Further, the collision determination unit 11 determines the collision direction of the primary collision based on the increase / decrease direction of the pressure P. For example, if the pressure P is positive, it is determined that a front collision has occurred because the pressure P has increased. On the other hand, if the pressure P is negative, it is determined that a side collision (left-side collision or right-side collision) has occurred because the pressure P has decreased. Thus, the collision determination unit 11 determines the collision direction of the vehicle 20 based on the increase / decrease direction of the pressure P. The relationship between the pressure P and the determination content is illustrated in the following Table 1 and FIG. Also, P _a in Table 1, P _b, P _c, the P _d, respectively, the first threshold value, second threshold value, the third threshold value, referred to as a fourth threshold. These magnitude relationships are P _d <P _c <P _ATM <P _a <P _b, where atmospheric pressure is P _ATM . Note that the inequality sign (<) in Table 1 can be replaced with a symbol (≦) including a threshold value.

The collision determination unit 11 according to the present embodiment determines the collision direction based on the information of the two pressures P _R and P _L detected by the pressure sensors 2A and 2B. For example, the pressure P _R, if any of the P _L exceeds the first threshold value P _a, determines that before that collision has occurred, the pressure P _R, either the P _L is less than the third threshold value P _c If it becomes, it is determined that a side collision has occurred. That is, the front collision and the side collision are distinguished based on the increasing / decreasing direction of one of the two pressures P _R and P _L that has changed before the other. Thus, at the earliest timing after the occurrence of a primary collision, to an extent that exceeds the first threshold value P _a, or pressure value change in increase and decrease to the extent that less than a third threshold value P _c is, front collision, to distinguish side collision This is the value to be referenced. In addition, since the collision used as the determination target in this embodiment is a primary collision, it is assumed that the determination is not reversed after any of the front collision and the side collision is determined once.

When a side collision occurs, the collision determination unit 11 determines the collision mode based on the one pressure that has changed previously. Here, to the extent exceeding a first threshold value P _a first or one pressure was increased or decreased change to the extent that less than a third threshold value P _c is referred to as a reference pressure P _x, is called the other pressure between the reference pressure P _y. Collision determination unit 11 determines the pressure P _x is below atmospheric pressure P _ATM (negative pressure), and is larger than the fourth threshold value P _d, the amount of door deformation is relatively small MDB (Moving Deformable Barrier) side It is determined to be a collision. Further, when the reference pressure P _x is equal to or less than the fourth threshold value P _d determines that the amount of door deformation is relatively large pole side collision. In any case, it is determined that the direction in which the side collision has occurred is the side where the determination pressure _Px is detected.

When a front collision occurs, the collision determination unit 11 determines the collision mode by using the determination pressure P _x and the determination pressure P _y together. At this time, the determination pressure P _x is used to determine the degree of offset in the primary collision. On the other hand, the determination pressure _Py is used to distinguish between frontal collision and offset collision. By using the two judgment pressures P _x and P _y in combination, various collision modes such as frontal collision, right SOI (Small Overlap Impact) collision, left SOI collision, right ODB (Offset Deformable Barrier) collision, and left ODB collision are possible. Discrimination becomes easy.

  In the present embodiment, a front collision in which the ratio of the collision width dimension to the front vehicle width dimension of the vehicle 20 (front collision ratio) is a predetermined value (for example, 20 to 25%) or less is defined as “SOI collision”. A front collision in which the front collision rate exceeds a predetermined value and is equal to or less than a second predetermined value (for example, 40 to 50%) is defined as “ODB collision”. Further, a frontal collision in which the frontal collision rate exceeds the second predetermined value is defined as “frontal collision”. Note that the frontal collision ratio decreases as the collision offset degree increases (the collision part is biased to the left or right) and increases as the offset degree decreases.

First, when the reference pressure P _y is less than or equal the first threshold value P _a, the collision determination unit 11, when determining the pressure P _x is greater than the second threshold value P _b, the stronger the degree of relatively large offset door deformation amount SOI Judged as a collision. On the other hand, when the reference pressure P _x is equal to or less than the second threshold value P _b determines that the degree of the amount of door deformation is relatively small offset is rather weak ODB collision. Any of the collision modes is a collision mode classified as an offset collision. In any case, it is determined that the position in the vehicle width direction where the offset collision has occurred is on the side where the determination pressure _Px is detected.

Further, when the reference pressure P _y exceeds the first threshold value P _a, the collision determination unit 11, regardless of the reference pressure P _x, it determines that the frontal collision has occurred. At this time, if the reference pressure P _y is less than or equal the second threshold value P _b, it determines that the amount of door deformation is a front collision of the medium. On the other hand, if the reference pressure P _y exceeds the second threshold value P _b, it determines that the amount of door deformation is relatively large frontal collision. Any of the collision modes is a collision mode classified as a frontal collision.
The determination result as described above is transmitted to the protection device control unit 12 and the communication control unit 13.

  The protection device control unit 12 operates the occupant protection device 19 corresponding to the collision direction when a collision is detected by the collision determination unit 11. For example, when a front collision is detected, a front airbag device or a seat belt pretensioner device is operated. Further, when a side collision is detected, a side airbag device, a curtain airbag device, or the like is operated. Thus, occupant protection is further improved by operating the occupant protection device 19 according to the collision mode.

  When a collision is detected by the collision determination unit 11, the communication control unit 13 transmits and reports information about the collision mode to the outside. Information on the collision mode is transmitted to a police station, a fire station, a medical institution, or the like via the wireless communication antenna 18. For example, information such as whether the type of collision is a side collision or a front collision, which direction the collision is, and whether the door deformation amount of the vehicle body due to the collision is large or small is transmitted. Information on the degree of impact (acceleration, angular acceleration), the health condition of the occupant, and the like are also transmitted. In this manner, the communication control unit 13 can function as a transmission unit that transmits information related to the collision direction determined by the collision determination unit 11 to the outside of the vehicle 20 (for example, a police, a medical institution, a road manager, or the like).

[3. flowchart]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart regarding collision determination in the emergency call ECU 10. This flow is repeatedly performed at a predetermined cycle in the collision determination unit 11 of the emergency call ECU 10 in a state where the main switch of the vehicle 20 is on. In step A1, information on the pressures P _R and P _L detected by the pressure sensors 2A and 2B is input to the collision determination unit 11. In step A2, the respective pressure P _R, the P _L, or increased to more than a first threshold value P _a, or it has reduced to less than the third threshold value P _c is determined. If these conditions are not satisfied, it is determined that no collision has occurred, and the control in the current calculation cycle ends. On the other hand, if the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step A3.

In step A3, that satisfies the condition in the previous step, whether the pressure P _R detected by the right front door pressure sensor 2A is determined. In this step, it is determined which of the left and right the first large pressure fluctuation has occurred. If the right side of the pressure P _R is changed earlier advances to step A4, set with the value of the pressure P _R is set as the reference pressure P _x, the value of the pressure P _L on the opposite side as the reference pressure P _y Is done. In step A5, it is stored that the direction (deformation direction) in which the pressure has changed first is the right side.

On the other hand, in step A3, if the left side of the pressure P _L is changed earlier proceeds to step A6, together with the values of the pressure P _L is set as the reference pressure P _x, the value of the pressure P _R of the opposite It is set as the reference pressure P _y. In Step A7, it is stored that the direction (deformation direction) in which the pressure has changed first is the left side. In step A5, followed A7 step A8, whether the reference pressure P _x is less than the first threshold value P _a is determined. If this condition is satisfied, it is determined that a side collision has occurred, and the process proceeds to the side collision determination flow shown in FIG. Further, the reference pressure P _x in step A8 in the case of the above first threshold value P _a is is determined that the front collision occurs, the process proceeds to collision determination flow before shown in Fig.

In Step B1 of side collision determination flow shown in FIG. 8, whether or not the reference pressure P _x is less than the fourth threshold value P _d it is determined. When this condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step B2, and it is determined that a pole-side collision on the deformation direction side determined in any of steps A5 and A7 has occurred. On the other hand, if the condition of step B1 is not satisfied, the determination pressure P _x is equal to or higher than the fourth threshold value P _{d and} lower than the third threshold value P _c , and the process proceeds to step B3 where the MDB side collision on the deformation direction side It is determined that it has occurred. In these steps B2 and B3, the collision mode (side collision mode) and the collision direction (deformation direction) related to the side collision are determined.

  In Step B4 following Steps B2 and B3, information on the side collision form and the deformation direction is transmitted from the communication control unit 13 to a police station, a fire department, a medical institution, and the like. Moreover, in step B5, the protective device control part 12 operates the passenger | crew protective device 19 corresponding to a side collision, and control is complete | finished. For example, if the deformation direction is the right side, a side airbag device, a curtain airbag device, and the like on the right side surface of the vehicle 20 operate.

  In the front collision determination flow shown in FIG. 9, two variables x and y are used in determining the collision mode (front collision mode) related to the front collision. The variable x is a parameter for determining the degree of offset in the primary collision. The variable y is a parameter for discriminating between frontal collision and offset collision. These variables x and y are used only when a front collision occurs.

In Step C1, it is determined whether or not the determination pressure P _x exceeds the second threshold value P _b . If this condition is satisfied, it is determined that the door deformation amount is relatively large, the process proceeds to step C2, and the value of the variable x is set to x = 2. On the other hand, if this condition is not satisfied, it is determined that the door deformation amount is relatively small, the process proceeds to step C3, and the value of the variable x is set to x = 1.

In step C2, C3 continues to step C4, whether the reference pressure P _y is equal to or less than the first threshold value P _a is determined. When this condition is satisfied, it is determined that a collision with a high degree of offset (biased in any of the left and right directions of the vehicle 20) has occurred, the process proceeds to step C6, and the value of the variable y is set to y = 0. . Further, when the reference pressure P _y exceeds the first threshold value P _a, the process proceeds to step C5.

In Step C5, whether the reference pressure P _y exceeds the second threshold value P _b is determined. When this condition is satisfied, it is determined that a frontal collision in which the degree of offset is weak and the entire front surface of the vehicle 20 is greatly deformed has occurred, the process proceeds to step C7, and the value of the variable y is set to y = 2. On the other hand, the reference pressure P _y in each case less than the second threshold value P _b, weak degree of offset, the frontal collision entire front is deformed moderately vehicle 20 is determined to have occurred proceeds to step C8, The value of variable y is set to y = 1.

  In step C9 following steps C6 to C8, the front collision form is determined based on the two variables x and y, for example, according to the front collision determination map as shown in FIG. When the pressure change direction (deformation direction) of the left and right pressure sensors 2A and 2B is the left side, the left map in FIG. 10 is used, and when the deformation direction is the right side, the right map is used. Is used. Here, when the variable y is y = 0, if the variable x is x = 1, it is determined that an ODB collision has occurred, and if x = 2, it is determined that an SOI collision has occurred.

  When the variable y is y = 1, it is determined that a moderate frontal collision has occurred regardless of the size of the variable x. Further, when the variable y is y = 2, it is determined that a frontal collision having a larger door deformation amount than that in the case of y = 1 has occurred regardless of the size of the variable x. In step C10, the information on the front collision form as described above is transmitted from the communication control unit 13 to the outside. In Step C11, protection device control part 12 operates crew member protection device 19 corresponding to a front collision, and control is completed.

[4. effect]
[4-1. Effects derived from device configuration]
(1) In the vehicle 20 described above, the outer cylinder 5 is fixed to one end portion in the front-rear direction of the side door 1, and the inner cylinder 6 is fixed to the other end portion in the front-rear direction of the side door 1. Further, the pressure P of the airtight space 9 sandwiched between the outer cylinder 5 and the inner cylinder 6 is detected by the pressure sensor 2. With such a structure, the increasing / decreasing direction of the pressure P corresponds to the deformation state of the side door 1, and the collision direction of the vehicle 20 can be estimated. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of collision type determination.

  (2) As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the pressure P increases if the side door 1 is compressed and deformed, and the pressure P decreases if the side door 1 is extended and deformed. Based on this characteristic, the collision determination unit 11 of the emergency notification ECU 10 determines that the collision with the increased pressure P is a front collision, and determines that the collision with the decreased pressure P is a side collision (a collision in the left-right direction). With such a determination method, it is possible to accurately and easily determine a collision in the vehicle longitudinal direction (front collision) and a collision in the vehicle width direction (side collision). Therefore, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of collision type determination.

  (3) Since the damper member 8 is provided inside the space 9, the relative movement of the outer cylinder 5 and the inner cylinder 6 can be suppressed. Thereby, the rigidity of pressure detection bar 4 itself can be improved, and it can be made to function like the side impact bar 3 (as a 2nd reinforcement material). That is, the side door 1 can be reinforced and passenger protection can be further improved. Further, by providing the damper member 8, even if the vehicle body vibration or load that may occur during normal travel is applied to the pressure detection bar 4, the change in the pressure P is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress erroneous detection of the collision mode and improve the determination accuracy of the collision mode.

  (4) The pressure detection bar 4 is provided on both the left side door and the right side door of the vehicle 20, and the left side collision and the right side collision are distinguished by comparing the two pressures. Thus, by arranging the pressure detection bar 4 in each of the doors adjacent in the left-right direction, the determination accuracy of the left-side collision and the right-side collision can be further improved, that is, the determination accuracy of the collision direction is further improved. be able to.

[4-2. Effect derived from control configuration]
(1) In the emergency notification ECU 10 described above, the collision direction is determined based on the increase / decrease direction of the pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 2. For example, when the pressure P increases, it is determined that a front collision has occurred, and when the pressure P decreases, it is determined that a side collision (lateral collision) has occurred. Thus, by referring to the direction of increase / decrease change of the pressure P, it is possible to more accurately and easily discriminate the primary collision (front collision) in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the primary collision (side collision) in the vehicle width direction. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of collision type determination.

(2) In the above vehicle 20, right front door, the pressure sensor 2A to the respective front left door, 2B are provided, and the body internal pressure P _L of the vehicle body interior of the pressure P _R and the left face of the right side is detected . Further, the emergency notification ECU 10 determines a front collision and a side collision based on one of the pressures P _R and P _L that has changed first. Thereby, the collision mode of the primary collision can be accurately determined, and the determination accuracy can be improved. Incidentally, after one pressure exceeds the first threshold value P _a increases, conceivable cases as below a third threshold value P _c decreases. However, since the above-described collision determination unit 11 refers to one of the pressures that has changed previously, the collision mode can be determined in a short time immediately after the occurrence of the primary collision.

(3) As shown in FIG. 8, the collision determination unit 11 determines the collision mode (side collision mode) based on the determination pressure P _x when determining the side collision. Thus, the determination accuracy of the side collision form can be improved by using one pressure value having the greatest influence of the side collision.
(4) On the other hand, in the determination of the front collision, not only the determination pressure P _x but also the determination pressure P _y is used in combination to determine the collision mode (front collision mode). In the case of a front collision, it is possible to further improve the determination accuracy of the front collision form by using the pressure values detected on the left and right side surfaces.

(5) In the above collision determination unit 11, as shown in FIG. 9, FIG. 10, as a parameter for determining the offset degree of the primary collision, the variable x is set based on the determined pressure P _x is used. That is, the degree of offset is determined based on one of the pressures that has been changed (determination pressure P _x ). Thereby, the pressure change in the initial stage of the collision can be appropriately observed, and the front collision form (offset collision) such as the SOI collision or the ODB collision can be determined with higher accuracy.

(6) In addition, the parameters for determining the head-on collision and offset collision, the variable y is set based on the determined pressure P _y is used. That is, when distinguishing a frontal collision and an offset collision, the other pressure (determination pressure _Py ) which changed later is used. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately observe the pressure change on the side that is caused by the influence of the collision, and it is possible to more accurately discriminate between the frontal collision and the offset collision.

[5. Modified example]
Regardless of the embodiment described above, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each structure of this embodiment can be selected as needed, or may be combined appropriately. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the outer cylinder 5 and the inner cylinder 6 are illustrated as being cylindrical. However, these specific shapes are arbitrary, and may be, for example, a quadrangular prism or a triangular prism.

  In order to detect the pressure P, for example, the outer cylinder 5 may have a cylindrical shape and the inner cylinder 6 may have a rod shape that is not hollow. Further, instead of the inner cylinder 6, it is also possible to use a piston member that slides on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 5 and a piston rod connected thereto. In addition, the position of the pressure sensor 2 should just be a position which can detect the pressure P inside the space 9 at least, and may be attached not only to the cylinder surface of the outer cylinder 5, but to the obstruction | occlusion surface by obstruction | occlusion members 5B and 6B.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example of determining the front collision form using the front collision determination map as illustrated in FIG. 10 is illustrated, but the front collision form is determined using a more detailed front collision determination map. Alternatively, a control configuration may be employed in which a side collision form is determined using a similar map. Note that the specific map settings can be arbitrarily changed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Side door 2 Pressure sensor 4 Pressure detection bar 5 Outer cylinder (outer cylinder part)
6 Inner cylinder (inner cylinder part)
7 Bracket 8 Damper member 9 Space 10 Emergency call ECU (determination device)
11 Collision determination unit (determination unit)
12 Protection Device Control Unit 13 Communication Control Unit

Claims (4)

A hollow cylindrical outer cylinder fixed to one end in the front-rear direction of a door disposed on the side of the vehicle;
An inner cylinder portion fixed to the other end in the front-rear direction of the door, and inserted into the outer cylinder portion to form an airtight space with the outer cylinder portion;
A pressure sensor for detecting the pressure inside the space;
A determination device that determines a collision direction of a vehicle based on an increase or decrease in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor;
A vehicle collision determination device comprising: The vehicle collision according to claim 1, wherein the determination device determines that the primary collision in which the pressure has increased is a front collision, and determines that the primary collision in which the pressure has decreased is a side collision. Judgment device. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a damper member interposed between the outer cylinder part and the inner cylinder part and suppressing relative movement of the outer cylinder part and the inner cylinder part. Collision judging device. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the outer cylinder part, the inner cylinder part, and the pressure sensor is provided on both of a pair of doors adjacent in the left-right direction. Collision judging device.

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