Method and device for determining deformation of a vehicle side part

摘要

The present invention allows accurate determination as to if deformation of a vehicle side part has occurred or not as a result of a side impact even though the used data consists of outputs of acceleration sensors for detecting accelerations given as combinations of deformation of a vehicle side part and a travel of the vehicle body. The device comprises a unit for detecting an acceleration produced in a first part of the vehicle body which moves in response to a deformation of the vehicle side part resulting from a side impact; a unit for detecting an acceleration produced in a second part of the vehicle body which substantially does not move in response to a deformation of the vehicle side part resulting from a side impact; a unit for analyzing frequency components included in a time change of the detected acceleration of the first vehicle body part over a prescribed preceding time period; a unit for analyzing frequency components included in a time change of the detected acceleration of the second vehicle body part over a prescribed preceding time period; and a unit for determining deformation of a vehicle side part resulting from a side impact according to the frequency components obtained by the two analyzing units.