초록 ▼

A pulsed radar detector to be used for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and an impacting target object, has sets of transmitters and receiver separately disposed on a the side of a vehicle so as to create a bistatic antenna pattern. The transmitting antennae are

A pulsed radar detector to be used for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and an impacting target object, has sets of transmitters and receiver separately disposed on a the side of a vehicle so as to create a bistatic antenna pattern. The transmitting antennae are mounted relative to receiving antennae so as to control the amount of direct radiation from each transmitter antenna and said receiver antenna so as to create a modulation of a received target signal. A signal processor determines the period of the modulation in order to obtain a measure of target velocity. The amplitude of the modulation is determined so as to have a measure of relative target size. Using this data, a computer continuous calculates the predicted time and point of impact in order to initiate release of an airbag at a predetermined time before impact between said object and the side of said vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A radar detector for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and a target object, comprising:at least one set of transmitting and receiving antenna means, each said transmitting antenna being longitudinally spaced apart from said receiving antenna means

[ I claim:] [1.] A radar detector for airbag triggering prior to a collision between a vehicle on a roadway and a target object, comprising:at least one set of transmitting and receiving antenna means, each said transmitting antenna being longitudinally spaced apart from said receiving antenna means, wherein said at least one set of transmitting and receiving antenna means is positioned adjacent said vehicle so as to provide a bistatic antenna pattern coverage of one or more sides of said vehicle, wherein said transmitting antenna means transmits radiation having an angular spread in a first plane of at least approximately 120 degrees, and wherein said receiving antenna receives radiation within a field of view having an angular spread in the first plane of at least approximately 120 degrees;at least one set of transmitter and receiver means, each said transmitter means being electrically connected to the respective transmitting antenna means, and each said receiver means being electrically connected to the respective receiving antenna means;means for detection of a signal out of said receiver means, said signal resulting from radiation from said transmitter antenna being reflected from an object adjacent the side of said vehicle;signal processing means for continuous tracking of the position of said target object relative to the side of said vehicle;computer means for determining a trajectory of the target object within the bistatic antenna pattern coverage so as to estimate an impact region of the vehicle where the target object will impact the vehicle; andmeans for controlling initiation of an airbag at a predetermined time before impact between said target object and the side of said vehicle.