METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING A COLLISION AND DELIMITING IT WITH RESPECT TO NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION

Abstract

A method for detecting a collision of a vehicle, using a measuring device rigidly connected to the vehicle, including the following features: in each instance, an acceleration of the measuring device with regard to a plurality of device coordinate axes specific to the measuring device is measured; in each instance, an installation position angle of the measuring device with respect to a plurality of vehicle coordinate axes specific to the vehicle is calculated and/or measured and/or programmed from outside; with the aid of the installation position angles, a vehicle acceleration along the vehicle coordinate axes is ascertained, and an evaluation of the accelerations is undertaken; and the degree of determination of the installation position is ascertained by the device and taken into consideration for weighting the accelerations. the collision is detected in light of the evaluation of the vehicle acceleration.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for detecting a collision of a vehicle, using a measuring device rigidly connected to the vehicle, the method comprising: in each instance, measuring an acceleration of the measuring device relative to a plurality of device coordinate axes specific to the measuring device; in each instance, calculating, and/or measuring and/or programming from outside, an installation position angle of the measuring device with respect to a plurality of vehicle coordinate axes specific to the vehicle; ascertaining a vehicle acceleration along the vehicle coordinate axes using the installation position angles, and evaluating the accelerations; ascertaining a degree of determination of the installation position by the device and weighting the accelerations taking the ascertained degree into consideration; and detecting the collision in light of the evaluation of the vehicle acceleration.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein at least the accelerations are measured repeatedly.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein at least the accelerations are measured periodically.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein with regard to each device coordinate axis device coordinate axes, a weighting of the acceleration along the device coordinate axis is adjusted in light of the installation position angle or the quality coefficient; and wherein the evaluation of the accelerations is carried out as a function of their weightings.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein each device coordinate axis among the device coordinate axes is assigned a vehicle coordinate axis among the vehicle coordinate axes; and wherein the weighting of the acceleration along each vehicle coordinate axis is a continuous function of the installation position angle or a continuous function of the quality coefficient regarding the vehicle coordinate axis assigned to the device coordinate axis.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the device coordinate axes include a vertical axis, the vehicle coordinate axes include a yaw axis, and the weighting of the acceleration along the vertical axis correlates with the installation position angle or the quality coefficient with regard to the yaw axis.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the device coordinate axes include a transverse axis, the vehicle coordinate axes include a pitch axis, and the weighting of the acceleration along the transverse axis correlates with the installation position angle or the quality coefficient with regard to the pitch axis.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the device coordinate axes include a longitudinal axis, the vehicle coordinate axes include a roll axis; and the weighting of the acceleration along the longitudinal axis correlates with the installation position angle or the quality coefficient with regard to the roll axis.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for detecting a collision of a vehicle, using a measuring device rigidly connected to the vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform: in each instance, measuring an acceleration of the measuring device relative to a plurality of device coordinate axes specific to the measuring device; in each instance, calculating, and/or measuring and/or programming from outside, an installation position angle of the measuring device with respect to a plurality of vehicle coordinate axes specific to the vehicle; ascertaining a vehicle acceleration along the vehicle coordinate axes using the installation position angles, and evaluating the accelerations; ascertaining a degree of determination of the installation position by the device and weighting the accelerations taking the ascertained degree into consideration; and detecting the collision in light of the evaluation of the vehicle acceleration.

21. A telematics unit, which is configured to detect a collision of a vehicle, using a measuring device rigidly connected to the vehicle, the telematics unit configured to: in each instance, measure an acceleration of the measuring device relative to a plurality of device coordinate axes specific to the measuring device; in each instance, calculate, and/or measure and/or program from outside, an installation position angle of the measuring device with respect to a plurality of vehicle coordinate axes specific to the vehicle; ascertain a vehicle acceleration along the vehicle coordinate axes using the installation position angles, and evaluate the accelerations; ascertain a degree of determination of the installation position by the device and weight the accelerations taking the ascertained degree into consideration; and detect the collision in light of the evaluation of the vehicle acceleration.

22. A vehicle having a telematics unit configured to detect a collision of a vehicle, using a measuring device rigidly connected to the vehicle, the telematics unit configured to: in each instance, measure an acceleration of the measuring device relative to a plurality of device coordinate axes specific to the measuring device; in each instance, calculate, and/or measure and/or program from outside, an installation position angle of the measuring device with respect to a plurality of vehicle coordinate axes specific to the vehicle; ascertain a vehicle acceleration along the vehicle coordinate axes using the installation position angles, and evaluate the accelerations; ascertain a degree of determination of the installation position by the device and weight the accelerations taking the ascertained degree into consideration; and detect the collision in light of the evaluation of the vehicle acceleration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are represented in the figures and explained in greater detail in the following description.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows the activity diagram of a method according to a first specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the perspective view of a road vehicle according to a second specific embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a graph of a function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates the basic steps of a method 10 of the present invention for collision detection in a vehicle 25; the steps now being explained in light of the application case depicted in FIG. 2. In this case, method 10 is executed by a retrofitted telematics unit 20 of vehicle 25 without a connection to its bus system, which is not shown graphically. However, a corresponding method 10 may also be implemented in a stationary-mounted control unit or other measuring device (20), for example, by software or hardware or a mixture of software and hardware, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0018] To this end, telematics unit 20 periodically measures its acceleration with respect to its own device coordinate axes (X, Y, Z) in an initially conventional manner (actions 11, 12, 13). Appropriate detecting elements in the form of acceleration sensors, accelerometers, or G-sensors are familiar to one skilled in the art. In addition, telematics unit (20) detects its installation position (actions 14, 15, 16). Integrated gyroscope and acceleration sensors suitable for this purpose may be implemented, for example, in the form of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). In this connection, the degree of determination of the installation position of device coordinates (X, Y, Z) with respect to vehicle coordinate system (x, y, z) determines, so to speak, the quality of the installation position, with the aid of which the sensitivity or responsivity of unit (20) to particular acceleration components may be adjusted. Consequently, the installation position angles (, , ) determined in accordance with FIG. 2 constitute the relationship between device coordinates and vehicle coordinates.

[0019] Telematics unit 20 is now able to undertake a sophisticated evaluation of the accelerations as a function of the quality of the installation position (action 17). If a certain quality of the installation position (determined by quality coefficient GZ) is attained, then the weighting takes effect and effects a reduction or gain in the acceleration used as an input variable. Thus, there is the option of setting the weighting as a function of quality coefficient GZ.

[0020] To this end, telematics unit 20 ascertains the acceleration along each of the device coordinate axes (X, Y, Z) and relates them to vehicle coordinates (x, y, z) on the basis of the ascertained installation position angle. The weighting on the basis of quality coefficient GZ is then applied to the specific vehicle acceleration, which is then subsequently evaluated, using an algorithm. If, for example, unit (20) is mounted in vehicle 25 in a nearly upright position, then its vertical axis Z substantially corresponds to yaw axis z of vehicle 25; the two axes Z, z are at a comparatively small angle to each other. Therefore, since a Z-acceleration of telematics unit 20 is typically caused by potholes 24 or other irregularities of roadway 23, unit 20 henceforth reduces the weighting of this component and consequently damps its influence on the evaluation of the situation.

[0021] This continuous function g.sub.Z(GZ) may be implemented with respect to a quality coefficient GZ; the quality coefficient being derived from the position determination. The quality coefficient correlates with the effect on the respective acceleration. The more accurately the position of the telematics unit is known, the stronger the affect is on the respective acceleration.

[0022] Since the z-axis of the vehicle may be ascertained rapidly from the acceleration due to gravity, this method is particularly suitable for the weighted evaluation of the z-axis of the vehicle. Thus, actual crash events may be distinguished more clearly from other disturbances, such as potholes.

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the relationship g(z)=gz*dz, where dz=f(GZ).