APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VEHICLE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN ROADWAY DEPARTURE

摘要

A method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle occupant protection in unintentional roadway departure by a vehicle having at least one vehicle seat with a seat cushion mounted on a seat frame, the height of which is adjustable through a motor operated height adjustment device. Vehicle travel is monitored using a remote sensor and/or a vehicle dynamics sensor. The remote sensor detects edges of the road. The vehicle dynamics sensor determines vehicle dynamics parameters. Road edge signals and/or vehicle dynamics signals are processed to determine whether the vehicle is about to leave the road. Operation of the height adjustment device to move a seat cushion towards a crash-position is triggered in response to an off-road signal indicating that the vehicle is about to leave the road.

主权项

1. An apparatus for vehicle occupant protection in unintentional roadway departure, comprising:
at least one of a remote sensor and a vehicle dynamics sensor, the remote sensor when present arranged to monitor a road traveled by a vehicle hosting the apparatus and to at least detect edges of the road and output road edge signals representative thereof, and the vehicle dynamics sensor when present arranged to determine one or more vehicle dynamics parameters of the host vehicle and output vehicle dynamics signals representative thereof; a processing device arranged to process at least one of the road edge signals and the vehicle dynamics signals to determine whether the host vehicle is about to leave the road and to output an off-road signal in response thereto; a vehicle seat with a seat cushion mounted on a seat frame, the height of which is adjustable through a motor operated height adjustment device; and a triggering device arranged to trigger operation of the motor operated height adjustment device to move the seat cushion towards a crash-position in response to the off-road signal indicating that the host vehicle is about to leave the road.