Provided are a method and an apparatus for controlling the deployment of an airbag. The method includes steps of: determining whether a complex collision has occurred, based on collision-related physical quantities due to a vehicle collision; and adjusting a threshold value as a criterion for determining whether to deploy an airbag when the complex collision has occurred as a result of the determination.

An apparatus for operating an airbag of an autonomous vehicle may include: an interior image sensor configured to capture an interior image of a vehicle; an input unit configured to receive collision prediction information from an autonomous driving system and the interior image from the interior image sensor; an airbag module installed at the front and side of the interior of the vehicle, and configured to deploy an airbag; and an airbag control unit configured to estimate the sitting position and dynamic behavior of the passenger from the interior image inputted from the input unit, estimate a collision status from the collision prediction information, determine an airbag to be deployed and a time to deploy the airbag according to the sitting position, and then output a deployment signal to the airbag module.

An apparatus for operating an airbag of an autonomous vehicle may include: an interior image sensor configured to capture an interior image of a vehicle; an input unit configured to receive collision prediction information from an autonomous driving system and the interior image from the interior image sensor; an airbag module installed at the front and side of the interior of the vehicle, and configured to deploy an airbag; and an airbag control unit configured to estimate the sitting position and dynamic behavior of the passenger from the interior image inputted from the input unit, estimate a collision status from the collision prediction information, determine an airbag to be deployed and a time to deploy the airbag according to the sitting position, and then output a deployment signal to the airbag module.

A seat load detection method includes a process in which a control unit records a transition of a load detection signal and a transition of a seat load, a process in which the control unit specifies a timing when a load sensor detects a collision of a vehicle based on a transition record of the load detection signal, and a process in which the control unit calculates a correction value of the seat load based on a difference value between a stable seat load provided after the control unit detects the collision of the vehicle and a stable seat load provided before the load sensor detects the collision of the vehicle.

A rearward-facing seat with safety reinforcement includes a base; a back; and an adaptive damping device behind an upper portion of the back of the seat. The adaptive damping device can be an inflatable airbag, crushable material or spring. The damping device can adapt to one or more of crash severity, crash conditions, occupant position or occupant size.

A seatbelt retractor device includes a pre-tensioner section, and a force limiter section that can change a magnitude of a load at which to start reducing tension of the retracted seatbelt. A seatbelt control ECU activates the pre-tensioner section when a deceleration G detected by a floor sensor exceeds a first threshold, and acquires a collision velocity from a radar device and sets a second threshold value to a lower value the greater the collision velocity. The seatbelt control ECU controls the starting load for tension reduction by the force limiter section to be a high load when the deceleration G has exceeded the second threshold within a determination time period after activation of the pre-tensioner section, and controls the starting load for tension reduction to be a low load when which the deceleration G has not exceeded the second threshold within the determination time period.

A vehicle for protecting an occupant includes: a plurality of safe devices provided in the vehicle for protecting the occupant; first sensors configured to obtain information on a seat or the occupant within the vehicle; second sensors configured to detect a collision with other objects; and a processor which is operatively connected to the safe devices, the first sensors, and the second sensors. The processor is configured to obtain state information on at least one of the seat or the occupant based on the information obtained from the first sensors, to determine at least one safe device to be operated among the plurality of safe devices based on the state information on the at least one of the seat or the occupant, and to operate the determined at least one safe device when at least one of the second sensors detects a collision satisfying a predetermined condition.

Method for analyzing a crash event. The method may comprise receiving an acceleration of a vehicle over a predetermined length of time, the vehicle involved in the crash event, determining a change in velocity of the vehicle based on the acceleration, determining vehicle information relating to the vehicle involved in the crash event, and estimating a damage cost for the vehicle involved in the crash event, and/or estimating injuries to occupant(s) of the vehicle involved in the crash event. Estimating damage cost(s) may include determining crash force information for the vehicle, determining physical-damage characteristics of the vehicle subsequent to the crash event, and calculating the estimated damage cost to the vehicle. Estimating injuries to the occupant(s) may include determining occupant information relating to the occupant of the vehicle, calculating estimated forces exerted on the occupant, and calculating an injury probability for various body portions for the occupant.

Disclosed herein method and device for personalized active safety control. The method includes: generating input data including body information of a vehicle occupant and occupancy state information of the occupant; outputting initial control data of a restraint device of a vehicle based on collision data that responds to occurrence of a collision of the vehicle; producing injury risk information for each piece of adjustment restraint information by using a safety control model based on the adjustment restraint information, in which a variable adjustment parameter is applied to the initial control data, and the input data; generating, by the safety control model, optimal restraint control information among the adjustment restraint information, based on the injury risk information; and controlling the restraint device based on the optimal restraint control information.

A method for identifying the type and/or the severity of a collision of a vehicle of a first mass with a collision object of a second mass in an early phase to trigger safety measures, including: detecting surroundings data of the vehicle; identifying the collision object from the surroundings data; extracting a reference feature, not lying in a direct collision area, of the collision object; repeated successive ascertainment of an instantaneous speed of the vehicle and determining a change of the speed of the vehicle; repeated successive determination of an instantaneous relative speed between the vehicle and the reference feature and determining a change of the speed of the collision object; estimating a mass ratio, effective during the collision, between the mass of the vehicle and the mass of the collision object from the ascertained changes of the speeds of the vehicle and of the collision object.