阅读说明：本技术 包括顶棚装饰板的乘员保护系统 (Occupant protection system comprising a ceiling trim panel ) 是由 J·A·吉梅内斯 A·F·拉茨科夫斯基 A·J·派珀 M·约斯特 G·尚穆加桑达拉姆 于 2020-03-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于车辆的乘员保护系统可包括被配置为从收起状态膨胀至展开状态的可膨胀帘和/或可膨胀气囊。该系统还可以包括横向顶棚装饰板和一个或多个侧部顶棚装饰板,被配置为联接至车辆的顶棚,横向顶棚装饰板相对于所述一个或多个侧部顶棚装饰板基本横向延伸。顶棚装饰板的部分可被配置为偏转并允许可膨胀帘和/或可膨胀气囊膨胀至展开状态。该系统还可以包括展开控制器和一个或多个充气机,被配置为在第一时间展开可膨胀帘并且在第一时间之后在第二时间展开可膨胀气囊。(An occupant protection system for a vehicle may include an inflatable curtain and/or an inflatable airbag configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state. The system may also include a lateral ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and one or more side ceiling trim panels, the lateral ceiling trim panel extending substantially laterally relative to the one or more side ceiling trim panels. Portions of the ceiling trim panel may be configured to deflect and allow the inflatable curtain and/or inflatable bladder to expand to a deployed state. The system may also include a deployment controller and one or more inflators configured to deploy the inflatable curtain at a first time and to deploy the inflatable airbag at a second time after the first time.)

1. An occupant protection system for a vehicle, the occupant protection system comprising:

an inflatable curtain configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state, wherein the inflatable curtain in the deployed state comprises:

a first side portion configured to extend along a portion of a first inner side of the vehicle in a first direction;

a second side spaced apart from the first side and configured to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction; and

a transverse portion extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction; and

a lateral ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the second direction, the lateral ceiling trim panel configured to cover a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain in the stowed state and deflect to allow the lateral portion to inflate to the deployed state.

2. The occupant protection system of claim 1, wherein the lateral ceiling trim panel includes a lateral seam extending substantially parallel to the second direction, and wherein the lateral seam is configured to create a lateral opening through which a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain will pass when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state.

3. The occupant protection system of any of claims 1-2, further comprising a side ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the first direction, the side ceiling trim panel configured to cover a side of the inflatable curtain in the stowed state and deflect to allow the first side of the inflatable curtain to inflate to the deployed state.

4. The occupant protection system of claim 3, wherein the side ceiling trim panel includes a longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the first direction, and wherein the longitudinal seam is configured to create a longitudinal opening through which the first side of the inflatable curtain will pass when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state.

5. The occupant protection system of any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the lateral ceiling trim panel and the side ceiling trim panel are configured to create an adjoining opening through which the lateral portion and the first side will pass when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state.

6. The occupant protection system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the lateral ceiling trim panel proximate the lateral seam is configured to deflect along an arc away from a ceiling of the vehicle.

7. The occupant protection system of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the side ceiling trim panel proximate the longitudinal seam is configured to deflect along an arc away from a ceiling of the vehicle.

8. The occupant protection system of any of claims 3-5, further comprising a hitch ceiling trim panel associated with the lateral ceiling trim panel and the side ceiling trim panel, the hitch ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and cover a portion of one or more of the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain or the first side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state and deflect to allow the one or more of the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain or the first side to deploy to a deployed state.

9. The occupant protection system of any of claims 3-5 or 8, wherein the side ceiling trim panel comprises a first side ceiling trim panel,

the occupant protection system also includes a second side ceiling trim panel spaced apart from the first side ceiling trim panel and configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the second direction, the second side ceiling trim panel configured to cover a second side of the inflatable curtain in the stowed state and deflect to allow the second side to deploy to the deployed state.

10. The occupant protection system of claim 9, wherein the second side ceiling trim panel includes a second longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the second direction, and wherein the second longitudinal seam is configured to create an opening through which the second side of the inflatable curtain will pass when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

11. A method of creating an opening through which an inflatable curtain is deployed from a stowed state to a deployed state, the method comprising:

providing a transverse roof trim panel coupled to a roof of the vehicle and extending in a first direction substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the transverse roof trim panel covering a transverse portion of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state;

providing a first side ceiling trim panel coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extending in a second direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the first side ceiling trim panel covering a first side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state;

causing the lateral ceiling trim panel to deflect and create a lateral opening to allow a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain to deploy to a deployed state; and

causing the first side ceiling trim panel to deflect and create a longitudinal opening to allow the first side of the inflatable curtain to deploy to a deployed state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the lateral ceiling trim panel to deflect and causing the first side ceiling trim panel to deflect occur simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the transverse opening and the longitudinal opening are contiguous.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

causing the lateral ceiling trim panel to deflect includes causing a lateral seam defined by the lateral ceiling trim panel to open and create a lateral opening; and

causing the first side ceiling trim panel to deflect includes causing a longitudinal seam defined by the first side ceiling trim panel to open and create a longitudinal opening.

15. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure a system to implement the method of any of claims 11-14.

Background

Airbags are commonly used to protect occupants of a vehicle from injury during a collision involving the vehicle. An airbag system may generally include an airbag and an inflator for providing gas to the airbag for inflating the airbag. In the event of a collision, the airbag may rapidly inflate to form a cushion between the occupant and the interior surface of the vehicle.

Drawings

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an example vehicle including an example occupant protection system.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the example vehicle shown in FIG. 1, with the example inflatable curtain and the example inflatable airbag shown in a deployed state.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example system for implementing the techniques described herein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of exemplary inflatable curtains shown in a deployed state.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the example inflatable curtain shown in FIG. 4 and the example inflatable bladder in a deployed state, with the inflatable bladder in an example arrangement relative to the inflatable curtain.

FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example vehicle occupant prior to contacting an example inflatable airbag supported by an example inflatable curtain.

FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram illustrating the example occupant contacting the example inflatable airbag of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a schematic partial view of an example vehicle headliner showing an example layout of a headliner and inflator for the occupant protection system from below.

FIG. 8A is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7 of the example inflatable curtain and inflatable bladder in an example stowed state.

FIG. 8B is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 8A, illustrating a first example of an example deployment sequence in which an inflatable curtain and an inflatable air bag begin to deploy upon activation of an inflator when the example lateral ceiling trim panel deflects.

FIG. 8C is a schematic, partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 8A, illustrating a second example of an example deployment sequence in which the inflatable curtain and inflatable bladder are fully deployed.

FIG. 9A is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7 of the example inflatable curtain and inflatable bladder in an example stowed state.

FIG. 9B is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 9A, illustrating a first example of an example deployment sequence in which two inflatable curtains and two inflatable airbags begin to deploy upon activation of an associated inflator when the example lateral ceiling trim panel deflects.

FIG. 9C is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 9A, illustrating a second example of an example deployment sequence in which both the inflatable curtain and the inflatable bladder are fully deployed.

FIG. 10A is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of an example side of the inflatable curtain in an example stowed state covered by an example hitch ceiling trim panel taken along line B-B of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10B is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 10A, illustrating a first example of an example deployment sequence where the sides of the inflatable curtain begin to deploy upon activation of the inflator when the example hitch ceiling trim panel deflects.

FIG. 10C is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 10A, illustrating a second example in the example deployment sequence with the sides of the inflatable curtain fully deployed.

FIG. 11A is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 7 of an example side of an inflatable curtain covered by an example side ceiling trim panel in an example stowed state.

FIG. 11B is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 11A, illustrating a first example of an example deployment sequence where the sides of the inflatable curtain begin to deploy upon activation of the inflator when the example side ceiling trim panel deflects.

FIG. 11C is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the example shown in FIG. 11A, illustrating a second example of an example deployment sequence in which the sides of the inflatable curtain are fully deployed.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of an example architecture including an occupant protection system.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of an example process for deploying an inflatable occupant protection system with respect to a ceiling trim panel.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart of an example process for deploying an inflatable occupant protection system using an inflator.

Detailed Description

As mentioned above, airbags may be used to protect occupants of a vehicle from injury during a collision involving the vehicle. The airbag system may include an airbag and an inflator for providing gas to the airbag to inflate the airbag. In the event of a collision, the airbag may rapidly inflate to form a cushion between the occupant and the interior surface of the vehicle. However, different vehicle designs may result in difficulties in protecting occupants with conventional airbags. For example, conventional airbags, once deployed, rely on support from the vehicle interior structure, such as the steering wheel, instrument panel, or interior panel, to provide the ability of the airbag to resist movement of the occupant during a collision. Some vehicle designs do not provide such interior structure for all locations where occupants may be seated, and therefore, conventional airbags may not be effective in protecting such occupants. For example, in a vehicle having carriage type seats with occupants facing each other toward the center of the vehicle, there may be limited or no structure directly in front of the vehicle occupants. Further, the components of the airbag system occupy space and add weight to the vehicle interior, and it may be difficult to mount the components of the airbag system in a position within the vehicle interior that allows the airbag to protect the occupant at a rate and/or with a size sufficient to protect the occupant. Furthermore, it may be difficult to quickly and efficiently deploy an airbag that is concealed beneath a vehicle interior panel. Some embodiments disclosed herein may address or mitigate at least some of the above disadvantages.

The present disclosure relates generally to devices, systems, and methods for deploying occupant protection systems in vehicles, such as, but not limited to, vehicles having a carriage type seating arrangement. For example, a carriage type seat arrangement may include a plurality of seats spaced apart from and facing each other in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. In such an example, a central region of the passenger compartment disposed between the seats may be an open space substantially free of internal structure. Occupant protection systems may include an inflatable curtain and/or an inflatable airbag configured to inhibit movement of an occupant during a collision involving a vehicle. The inflatable curtain may be deployed to provide an active surface within the passenger compartment that objects, occupants, and/or inflatable bladders may contact. For example, the inflatable airbag may include an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface, and the rear surface may be supported by an active surface provided by the inflatable curtain, e.g., to help resist movement of the occupant during a collision. In some examples, the inflatable curtain may include a lateral portion that includes a reaction surface and extends at least partially laterally across an interior of the vehicle, and first and second opposing sides that are spaced apart from each other and extend orthogonally relative to the lateral portion. In some such examples, a ceiling trim system may be provided and may include a ceiling trim panel configured to deflect upon deployment of the inflatable curtain, thereby forming one or more openings through which the lateral portion and the first and second sides of the inflatable curtain may deploy.

In some examples, one or more inflators may be provided to cause deployment of one or more inflatable curtains and/or one or more inflatable airbags. In some examples, the first inflator may be actuated at a first time to deploy at least a portion of the at least one inflatable curtain, and the second inflator may be actuated at a second time after the first time to deploy the at least one inflatable airbag. In some such examples, the first inflator may have a capacity sufficient to deflect the one or more ceiling trim panels such that the one or more inflatable curtains and/or the one or more inflatable airbags may deploy through the one or more openings created by the deflection of the ceiling trim panels.

For example, an occupant protection system for a vehicle may include an inflatable curtain configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state, the length of which is configured to extend at least a portion of the distance between the roof of the vehicle and the floor of the vehicle. The inflatable curtain in the deployed state may include: a first side portion configured to extend along a portion of a first inner side of the vehicle in a first direction; and a second side spaced apart from the first side and configured to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction. The inflatable curtain in the deployed state may also include a lateral portion extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The lateral portion may be configured to provide an active surface, and the first side, the lateral portion, and the second side of the inflatable curtain may form an adjoining barrier. The occupant protection system may also include an inflatable airbag including an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface opposite the occupant-facing surface. The inflatable bladder may be configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state such that a rear surface of the inflatable bladder contacts an active surface of the transverse portion in the deployed state. The occupant protection system may further include a lateral ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the second direction. The lateral ceiling trim panel may be configured to cover a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state and deflect to allow the lateral portion to expand to a deployed state. The occupant protection system may further include a first side ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the first direction. The first side ceiling trim panel may be configured to cover a first side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state and deflect to allow the first side to deploy to a deployed state. In some examples, the occupant protection system may further include a second side ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the first direction. The second side ceiling trim panel may be configured to cover a second side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state and deflect to allow the second side to deploy to a deployed state. In some examples, the first side ceiling trim panel, the transverse ceiling trim panel, and the second side ceiling trim panel may be configured to deflect and form a substantially continuous opening through which the first side of the inflatable curtain, the transverse portion of the inflatable curtain, and the second side of the inflatable curtain may deploy.

In some examples, the transverse ceiling trim panel may define a transverse seam extending substantially parallel to the second direction, and the transverse seam may be configured to create a transverse opening through which a transverse portion of the inflatable curtain passes when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state. A "seam" may be defined by one or more respective edges of the trim panel, for example, where the respective edge intersects a portion of the vehicle, and/or a "seam" may be defined by a weakened area created in the trim panel, for example, a line of reduced material thickness, a score line on the surface of the trim panel, and/or a line of perforations in the trim panel. In some examples, the lateral ceiling trim panel may include a living hinge, e.g., spaced from the seam, to facilitate deflection of the lateral ceiling trim panel.

In some examples, the first side ceiling trim panel may define a longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the first direction, and the longitudinal seam may be configured to create a longitudinal opening through which the first side of the inflatable curtain passes when inflated from the stowed to the deployed state. In some examples, the second side ceiling trim panel may define a longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the first direction, and the longitudinal seam may be configured to create a longitudinal opening through which the second side of the inflatable curtain passes when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state. In some examples, the first side ceiling trim panel may include a living hinge, e.g., spaced apart from the seam to facilitate deflection of the first side ceiling trim panel.

In some examples, the occupant protection system may further include a first inflator in flow communication with the inflatable curtain and configured to inflate the inflatable curtain from the stowed state to the deployed state upon activation of the first inflator. In some examples, the occupant protection system may further include a second inflator in flow communication with the inflatable airbag and configured to inflate the inflatable airbag from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the second inflator. In some examples, the occupant protection system may further include a deployment controller in communication with and configured to actuate the first and second inflators. In some examples, the deployment controller may be configured to sequentially activate the first inflator before activating the second inflator. In some such examples, the first inflator may have a capacity sufficient to deflect the one or more ceiling trim panels and create an opening through which at least a portion of at least one of the inflatable curtain or the inflatable airbag may deploy.

In some examples of an occupant protection system, the first inflator may include two or more inflators (e.g., three inflators) configured to deploy a first side portion of the inflatable curtain, a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain, and a second side portion of the inflatable curtain. Some examples of occupant protection systems (e.g., for vehicles having a carriage type seat) may include a second inflatable curtain, and the first inflator may be configured to deploy the first inflatable curtain and the second inflatable curtain. Some examples may include two or more inflators (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) configured to deploy the first inflatable curtain and the second inflatable curtain. In some examples, the first and second inflatable curtains may be deployed together via a common inflator or by two or more separate inflators, and/or in some examples, the first and second inflatable curtains may be deployed independently of one another, e.g., such that one of the first or second inflatable curtains is deployed while the other of the first or second inflatable curtains remains in a stowed state.

Some examples of occupant protection systems may include more than one inflatable airbag, such as an inflatable airbag corresponding to each seat or each occupant position of the vehicle. In some such examples, a single inflator may be configured to deploy all of the inflatable airbags together. In some examples, a single inflator may be configured to deploy two or more inflatable airbags together. For example, a single inflator may be configured to deploy two or more inflatable airbags associated with a common inflatable curtain. In other examples, an inflator may be provided for each of the inflatable airbags, and the inflators may be activated together at a single time, or the inflators may be activated independently of one another at a single time or at different times.

The techniques and systems described herein may be implemented in a variety of ways. Example implementations are provided below with reference to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an interior 100 of an example vehicle 102 including a pair of occupants 104. An example vehicle 102 may be configured to travel from a geographic location to a destination via a road network with one or more occupants 104. For example, the interior 100 may include a plurality of seats 106, which may be provided in any relative arrangement. The example vehicle 102 shown in fig. 1 includes an example riding seat arrangement in a substantially central portion of an interior 100 of the vehicle 102. For example, the vehicle 102 may include two or more rows 108 of seats 106, and in some examples, the two rows 108 of seats 106 may face each other, e.g., as shown in fig. 1. The one or more rows 108 of seats 106 may include two seats 106 (e.g., seats 106A and 106B). Other relative arrangements and numbers of seats 106 are also contemplated.

For purposes of illustration, the vehicle 102 may be an unmanned vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle configured to operate according to a level 5 classification promulgated by the U.S. national highway traffic safety administration, which level 5 classification describes functions throughout the journey of the vehicle that are capable of performing all safety critical, with the driver (or occupant) not expected to control the vehicle at any time. In such an example, because the vehicle 102 may be configured to control all functions from the beginning of travel to completion, including all parking functions, it may not include a driver and/or control devices for driving the vehicle 102, such as a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, and/or a brake pedal. This is merely one example, and the systems and methods described herein may be incorporated into any ground, air, or water vehicle, including vehicles that require constant manual control by the driver, to partially or fully automatically controlled vehicles.

The example vehicle 102 may be any configuration of vehicle, such as a van, sport utility vehicle, hybrid vehicle, truck, bus, agricultural vehicle, and construction vehicle. The vehicle 102 may be powered by one or more internal combustion engines, one or more electric motors, hydrogen energy, any combination thereof, and/or any other suitable power source. Although the example vehicle 102 has four wheels 110, the systems and methods described herein may be incorporated into vehicles having fewer or greater numbers of wheels, tires, and/or tracks. The example vehicle 102 may have four-wheel steering and may operate with generally the same performance characteristics in all directions, for example, such that the first end 112 of the vehicle 102 is the front end of the vehicle 102 when traveling in a first direction 114, and such that the first end 112 becomes the rear end of the vehicle 102 when traveling in an opposite second direction 116, as shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, second end 118 of vehicle 102 is the front end of vehicle 102 when traveling in second direction 116, and second end 118 becomes the rear end of vehicle 102 when traveling in opposite first direction 114. These example features may facilitate greater maneuverability, for example, in tight spaces or crowded environments, such as parking lots and downtown areas.

As shown in fig. 1, the vehicle 102 may include an occupant protection system 120 configured to protect one or more occupants 104 during a collision involving the vehicle 102. For example, the occupant protection system 120 may include one or more inflatable curtains 122, one or more inflatable airbags 124, and a deployment controller 126, the deployment controller 126 configured to control the deployment of the one or more inflatable curtains 122 and the one or more inflatable airbags 124 such that they inflate from a stowed state (e.g., as shown in fig. 1) to a deployed state (e.g., as shown in fig. 2 and 4-6B). In some examples, the occupant protection system 120 may also include a seat belt system including a seat belt for each of the one or more occupants 104, e.g., as explained in more detail herein. The inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable bladder(s) 124 may be formed of, for example, a woven nylon fabric and/or other similar material or materials having suitable properties.

As shown in fig. 1, the example vehicle 102 includes a chassis 128 including a roof 130 having a housing 132, the housing 132 configured to house the inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable airbag(s) 124, each in a stowed (e.g., unexpanded) state. In some examples, the inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable bladder(s) 124 may each be stored in separate housings. In some examples (e.g., those in which portions of the inflatable curtain(s) are separate from one another), each portion may be individually stored in a separate housing. In some examples, upon receiving one or more signals from the vehicle 102, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to activate one or more inflators 134 that are in flow communication with the inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable airbag(s) 124 such that the inflators 134 provide fluid or gas to the inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable airbag(s) 124 such that the inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable airbag(s) 124 may be rapidly inflated from their stowed state (fig. 1) to their respective deployed state, e.g., as shown in fig. 2 and 4-6B. For example, the inflator 134 may include a gas generator, a pyrotechnic charge, a propellant, any combination thereof, and/or any other suitable device or system. The inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable balloon(s) 124 may be configured to deploy in, for example, less than 100 milliseconds or less than 50 milliseconds. As explained herein, the inflatable curtain(s) 122 and/or inflatable airbag(s) 124 in the deployed state may protect the occupant 104 from injury (or reduce the likelihood or severity thereof) during a collision involving the vehicle 102 by providing a cushion between the occupant 104 and the interior structure of the vehicle 102, thereby preventing the occupant 104 from being thrown into the interior structure and/or, in some cases, being ejected from the vehicle 102.

Fig. 2 illustrates an example occupant protection system 120 having an example inflatable curtain 122 and example first and second inflatable airbags 124A and 124B in a deployed (e.g., inflated) state, with an occupant omitted for clarity. In the illustrated example, the inflatable curtain 122 has been deployed from the vehicle roof 130 and coupled to the vehicle roof 130 at an attachment point 200. In some examples, the inflatable curtain 122 may be indirectly coupled to the roof 130 and supported by the roof 130, e.g., via an intermediate coupling.

The example inflatable curtain 122 may be configured to expand from a stowed state (e.g., as shown in fig. 1) to a deployed state (e.g., as shown in fig. 2), having a length configured to extend at least a portion of a distance between the vehicle roof 130 and the vehicle floor 202. As shown, in some examples, the inflatable curtain 122 extends toward the vehicle floor 202 and terminates at a location spaced above the vehicle floor 202. In some examples, inflatable curtain 122 may extend to and terminate at vehicle floor 202. In the example shown, the inflatable curtain 122 in the deployed state may include a first side 204, the first side 204 configured to extend along a portion of a first interior side 206 of the vehicle 102. For example, the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122 may extend substantially parallel to the first interior side 206 of the vehicle 102 in the longitudinal direction. In some examples, the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122 may be deployed from the housing over the opening 208 in the first interior side 206 and/or from the roof 130. In some examples, the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122 may be inflatable and may be configured to provide cushioning between the occupant 104 and the first interior side 206 of the vehicle 102.

In some examples, inflatable curtain 122 may also include a second side portion 210 (not shown in fig. 2 due to the limitations of the views provided) spaced apart from first side portion 204 and opposite first side portion 204 and configured to extend along a portion of a second interior side of vehicle 102. The first and second interior sides of the vehicle 102 may be on opposite sides of the vehicle 102 and may extend substantially parallel to each other. In some examples, the second side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122 may have similar or identical structure, location, loading, and/or deployment characteristics to the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122, except that the second side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122 is located on a second interior side of the vehicle 102 and may be different to accommodate differences on the second interior side of the vehicle 102 instead of the first interior side 206.

As shown in fig. 2, the example inflatable curtain 122 also includes a lateral portion 212 extending between the first side 204 and the second side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122. In some examples, the first side 204, the second side 210, and the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 form a continuous barrier. For example, the first side 204, the second side 210, and the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 may define a generally U-shaped cross-sectional area created by a plane perpendicular to its length. In some examples, the first side 204, the second side 210, and the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 form a contiguous barrier. In some examples, one or more of the first side 204, the second side 210, or the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 may include additional inflatable portions (e.g., channels) located near the roof 130. The one or more additional inflatable portions may assist in the deployment of the first side 204, the second side 210, and/or the lateral portion 212 from the housing 132 when the inflatable curtain 122 is initially deployed. For example, the one or more additional inflatable portions may help force an open portion of an interior trim piece of the vehicle 102 to be configured to allow an inflatable curtain to deploy from below the trim piece, e.g., as described herein with respect to fig. 7-11C. In some examples, the first side 204, the second side 210, and/or the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 may not form a continuous barrier or sheet, for example, such that the lateral portion 212 includes material for forming the active surface and includes cutouts at other portions of the lateral portion 212.

In some examples, the occupant protection system 120 may include a first tether 214 coupled to the first side 204 and/or the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 and to a portion of the vehicle 102, such as a portion associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) the first interior side 206 (e.g., an interior panel or structural member of the vehicle chassis 128), the vehicle floor 202, or the roof 130 of the vehicle 102, for example, as shown in fig. 2. For example, the first tether 214 may be coupled at one end to a free edge of the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122 and coupled at a second end to an anchor associated with the first interior side 206 of the vehicle 102 and/or the roof 130. The occupant protection system 120 may also include a second tether 216 coupled to the second side 210 and/or the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 and configured to be coupled to a portion of the vehicle 102, such as a portion associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) the second interior side, the vehicle floor 202, or the roof 130 of the vehicle 102 in a manner at least similar to the first tether 214. In some examples, the first tether 214 and the second tether 216 may help prevent the inflatable curtain 122 from swinging in a direction away from the occupant 104 during a collision, for example, as the occupant 104 directly or indirectly contacts the inflatable curtain 122 once deployed, as described herein.

In the example shown in fig. 2, the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B have been deployed from the roof 130 and coupled to the roof 130 at attachment points 218. For example, the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B shown in fig. 2 have been inflated from a stowed state to a deployed state, and are, for example, associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122, e.g., such that the inflatable curtain 122 may support the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B as the occupant 104 is pushed forward in the direction that the seat 106 faces and into the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B (i.e., left to right, as shown in fig. 2), while the occupant 104 contacts one of the inflatable bladders 124A or 124B. For example, the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 includes a support surface side 220 that creates an active surface facing the seat 106 and the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B, and when the occupant 104 contacts one of the inflatable bladders 124A or 124B, the inflatable bladder 124A or 124B presses against the support surface side 220 of the inflatable curtain 122. The inflatable curtain 122 is suspended from (or adjacent to) the vehicle roof 130 at the attachment point 200 and is supported by the first and/or second tethers 214 and 216, which prevents the inflatable curtain 122 from freely swinging forward about the attachment point 200 in the direction that the seat 106 faces and in the direction that the occupant 104 moves during a collision. In this example manner, the occupant protection system 120 may protect the occupant 104 during a collision involving the vehicle 102, for example, by preventing the occupant 104 from colliding with internal structures of the vehicle 102 in an undamped or unprotected manner and/or preventing the occupant 104 from bouncing out of the vehicle 102 in certain circumstances.

In the example shown in fig. 2, at least a portion of the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122 and at least a portion of the second side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122 extend away from a support surface side 220 of the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122. In some examples, one or more inflatable balloons 124A or 124B may be associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) a support surface side 220 of the lateral portion 212 and may be located between the first side 204 and the second side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122, for example, as shown in fig. 2.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, the first and/or second inflatable balloons 124A, 124B may each be configured to inflate from a stowed state associated with the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 to a deployed state. In some examples, the first inflatable bladder 124A and/or the second inflatable bladder 124B may be coupled to the transverse portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122. In some examples, the first inflatable bladder 124A and/or the second inflatable bladder 124B may not be coupled to the transverse portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122. For example, the first and/or second inflatable bladders may be coupled directly or indirectly to the roof 130 independently of each other and/or independently of the inflatable curtain 122.

In some examples, the first side 204, the second side 210, and/or the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 may be configured such that when the inflatable curtain 122 is deployed, a lower edge of the lateral portion 212 is closer to the seat 106 than an upper portion of the lateral portion 212 (the first side 204 and the second side 210 extend toward the seat 106), thereby causing the lateral portion 212 to extend downward toward the floor of the vehicle 102 and form an angle relative to vertical, for example, as shown in fig. 2. The angle may result from the retraction of the first side 204 and/or the second side 210 upon deployment of the inflatable curtain 122. This example configuration results in the lower edge of inflatable curtain 122 being closer to the lower chest portion of the occupant in seat 106 than to the upper chest portion and/or head portion of the occupant when deployed. This creates an active surface against which the first and/or second inflatable bladders 124A and 124B may react, and this results in arresting the lower portion of the occupant's chest while the occupant is restrained by the inflatable bladder 124 and allowing the occupant's upper chest and/or head to continue to pivot forward and downward into/against the inflatable bladder 124, e.g., as described herein with respect to fig. 6A and 6B.

In some examples, the deployment controller 126 (fig. 1) may be configured to inflate one or more of the first inflatable bladder 124A, the second inflatable bladder 124B, or the inflatable curtain 122 from a stowed state to a deployed state, e.g., by activating one or more inflators 134 (fig. 1) associated with (e.g., in flow communication with) one or more of the first inflatable bladder 124A, the second inflatable bladder 124B, or the inflatable curtain 122, e.g., as described herein with respect to fig. 7-11C. The first inflatable balloon 124A, the second inflatable balloon 124B, and the inflatable curtain 122 may be deployed together, simultaneously (e.g., substantially simultaneously), or may be deployed independently of one another. For example, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to deploy the inflatable curtain 122 and/or expand from the stowed state to the deployed state at a first time, and then cause the first and/or second inflatable balloons 124A, 124B to expand from the stowed state to the deployed state at a second time after the first time. In some examples, the first inflatable bladder 124A or the second inflatable bladder 124B may be deployed alone, e.g., without having to deploy the other of the inflatable bladders. By deploying the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbags 124A or 124B independently, the packaging of the occupant protection system 120 may be improved by, for example, reducing the size of the gas generator associated with (e.g., which may form a part of) the inflator(s) 134 and/or housing(s) 132 for housing the uninflated first and second inflatable airbags 124A and 124B and the inflatable curtain 122. Additionally or alternatively, by independently deploying the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable bladder 124A or 124B, replacement costs may be minimized, as only those deployed components need to be replaced or retrofitted.

The example vehicle 102 shown in fig. 1 and 2 may include a first seat 106A coupled to a portion of the vehicle 102 and facing a first direction 114 relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle 102, and the vehicle 102 may further include a second seat 106B (fig. 1) coupled to a portion of the vehicle 102 and facing a second direction 116 opposite the first direction 114. In some examples of the occupant protection system 120, the first side 204 of the inflatable curtain 122 and the second side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122 may extend from the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 in the second direction 116 toward the first seat 106A. The first inflatable bladder 124A may be configured to deploy between the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122 and the first seat 106A.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of an example architecture 300 for implementing the techniques described herein. In at least some examples, the architecture 300 may include a vehicle 302, which may correspond to the example vehicle 102 shown in fig. 1 and 2. The vehicle 302 may include a vehicle computing device 304, one or more sensor systems 306, one or more transmitters 308, one or more communication connections 310, at least one direct connection 312, and one or more drive modules 314.

The vehicle computing device 304 may include one or more processors 316 and memory 318 communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 316. In the example shown, the vehicle 302 is an autonomous vehicle. However, the vehicle 302 may be any other type of vehicle. In the illustrated example, the memory 318 of the vehicle computing device 304 stores a positioning component 320, a perception component 322, a planning component 324, one or more system controllers 326, one or more maps 328, and the example occupant protection system 120. Although depicted in fig. 3 as residing in memory 318 for purposes of illustration, it is contemplated that positioning component 320, sensing component 322, planning component 324, one or more system controllers 326, one or more maps 328, and occupant protection system 120 may additionally or alternatively be accessible by vehicle 302 (e.g., stored on or otherwise accessible by memory remote from vehicle 302).

In at least one example, the positioning component 320 may be configured to receive data from the sensor system 306 to determine a position and/or orientation (e.g., x-position, y-position, z-position, roll, pitch, or yaw) of the vehicle 302. For example, the positioning component 320 can include and/or request/receive an environmental map and can continuously determine a location and/or orientation of an autonomous vehicle within the map. In some examples, the locating component 320 can utilize SLAM (simultaneous location and mapping), CLAMS (simultaneous calibration, location and mapping), relative SLAM, beam steering, non-linear least squares optimization, and the like to receive image data, LIDAR sensor data, RADAR (RADAR) data, IMU data, GPS data, wheel encoder data, and the like, to accurately determine a location of the autonomous vehicle. In some examples, the positioning component 320 may provide data to various components of the vehicle 302 to determine an initial position of the autonomous vehicle to generate a candidate trajectory, as discussed herein.

In some examples, the perception component 322 may be configured to perform object detection, segmentation, and/or classification. In some examples, perception component 322 may provide processed sensor data that indicates the presence of and/or type of entity that is in proximity to vehicle 302 (e.g., car, pedestrian, bicyclist, animal, building, tree, road surface, roadside, sidewalk, unknown, etc.). In additional and/or alternative examples, the perception component 322 can provide processed sensor data indicative of one or more characteristics associated with the detected entity and/or the environment in which the entity is located. In some examples, the features associated with the entity may include, but are not limited to, an x-position (global position), a y-position (global position), a z-position (global position), an orientation (e.g., roll, pitch, yaw), an entity type (e.g., classification), a velocity of the entity, an acceleration of the entity, a range (size) of the entity, and/or the like. The environment-related features may include, but are not limited to: presence of another entity in the environment, status of another entity in the environment, time of day, day of week, season, weather conditions, darkness/light, etc.

In general, the planning component 324 may determine a path to be followed by the vehicle 302 through the environment. For example, the planning component 324 can determine various routes and trajectories and various levels of detail. For example, the planning component 324 may determine a route to travel from a first location (e.g., a current location) to a second location (e.g., a target location). For purposes of this discussion, a route may be a series of waypoints for traveling between two locations. By way of non-limiting example, waypoints include streets, intersections, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, and the like. Further, planning component 324 may generate instructions for guiding the autonomous vehicle along at least a portion of a route from the first location to the second location. In at least one example, planning component 324 may determine how to direct an autonomous vehicle from a first waypoint in a sequence of waypoints to a second waypoint in the sequence of waypoints. In some examples, the instructions may be a trace or a portion of a trace. In some examples, multiple trajectories may be generated substantially simultaneously (e.g., within technical tolerances) according to a reverse horizon technique, where one of the multiple trajectories is selected for navigation by the vehicle 302.

In at least one example, the planning component 324 can determine the location of the user based on image data of the environment received from the user using, for example, a binary bag of words having image-based features, an artificial neural network, or the like. Further, the planning component 324 can determine an access location associated with the location. The pickup location may be a particular location (e.g., a parking space, a loading area, a portion of the terrain, etc.) within a threshold distance of a location (e.g., an address or location associated with the dispatch request), where the vehicle 302 may stop to pick up the occupant. In at least one example, planning component 324 may determine the access location based at least in part on determining a user identity (e.g., determined through image recognition or received as an indication from a user device, as discussed herein).

In at least one example, the vehicle computing device 304 may include one or more system controllers 326, which may be configured to control steering, propulsion, braking, safety, transmitters, communications, and other systems of the vehicle 302. These system controls 326 may communicate with and/or control respective systems of the drive module 314 and/or other components of the vehicle 302.

The memory 318 may also include one or more maps 328 that the vehicle 302 may use to navigate within the environment. For purposes of this application, a map may be any number of data structures modeled in two, three, or N dimensions that are capable of providing information about an environment, such as, but not limited to, topology (e.g., intersections), streets, mountains, roads, terrain, and general environment. In some examples, the map may include, but is not limited to: texture information (e.g., color information (e.g., RGB color information, Lab color information, HSV/HSL color information), etc.), intensity information (e.g., LIDAR information, RADAR information, etc.); in some examples, the map or maps 328 may include at least one map (e.g., image and/or grid). In other examples, the map 328 may control the vehicle 302 based at least in part on the map 328. that is, the map 328 may be used in conjunction with the positioning component 320, perception component 322, and/or planning component 324 to determine the location of the vehicle 302 Objects in the environment are identified and/or a route and/or trajectory navigated through the environment is generated.

In some examples, the one or more maps 328 may be stored on remote computing device(s) (e.g., computing device(s) 330) accessible via one or more networks 332. In some examples, the plurality of maps 328 may store data based on, for example, characteristics (e.g., entity type, time of day, day of week, season of year, etc.). Storing multiple maps 328 may have similar memory requirements, but increases the speed at which data in the maps may be accessed.

As shown in fig. 3, in some examples, the occupant protection system 120 may be stored in the memory 318 of the computing device 304 of the vehicle 302 or in the memory 334 of the computing device(s) 330 remote from the vehicle 302. In some examples, some portions of the occupant protection system 120 may be stored in the memory 318 of the computing device 304 of the vehicle 302, and other portions of the occupant protection system 120 may be stored remotely in the memory 334 of the computing device(s) 330, and the separately located portions of the occupant protection system 120 may operate together in a coordinated manner.

In some examples, aspects of some or all of the components discussed herein may include any model, algorithm, and/or machine learning algorithm. For example, in some examples, components in memory 318 and/or memory 334 may be implemented as a neural network.

As described herein, an exemplary neural network is a biologically inspired algorithm that passes input data through a series of connected layers to produce an output. Each layer in the neural network may also comprise another neural network or may comprise any number of layers (whether convoluted or not). As can be appreciated in the context of the present disclosure, neural networks may utilize machine learning, which may refer to a broad class of such algorithms in which an output is generated based on learned parameters.

Although discussed in the context of a neural network, any type of machine learning consistent with the present disclosure may be used. For example, the machine learning algorithms may include, but are not limited to, regression algorithms (e.g., Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLSR), linear regression, logistic regression, stepwise regression, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS), local estimation scatter plot smoothing (loses)), example-based algorithms (e.g., ridge regression, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), elastic networks, Least Angle Regression (LARS)), decision tree algorithms (e.g., classification and regression trees (CART), iterative dichotomy 3(ID3), chi-square automated interactive detection (CHAID), decision stumps, conditional decision trees), bayesian algorithms (e.g., naive bayes, polynomial bayes, mean single dependence estimators (AODE), bayesian belief networks (BNN), bayesian networks), clustering algorithms (e.g., k-means, k-median, k-means, and so on-regression trees), Expectation Maximization (EM), hierarchical clustering), association rule learning algorithms (e.g., perceptron, backpropagation, jump-field network, Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN)), deep learning algorithms (e.g., Deep Boltzmann Machine (DBM), Deep Belief Network (DBN), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), stacked autoencoders), dimension reduction algorithms (e.g., Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Principal Component Regression (PCR), Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Saymond mapping, multidimensional scaling (MDS), projection tracing, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), hybrid discriminant analysis (MDA), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), Flexible Discriminant Analysis (FDA)), integration algorithms (e.g., lifting, bootstrap aggregation (Bagging), Ada lifting, stacked generalization (hybrid), gradient lifter (GBM), gradient lifting regression tree (GBRT), random forest), SVM (support vector machine), supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, and the like.

Other examples of architectures include neural networks such as ResNef70, ResNet101, VGG, DenseNet, PointNet, and the like.

In at least one example, the sensor system(s) 306 may include LIDAR sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic transducers, sonar sensors, location sensors (e.g., GPS, compass, etc.), inertial sensors (e.g., Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)), accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, etc.), cameras (e.g., RGB, IR, intensity, depth, time of flight (TOF), etc.), microphones, wheel encoders, environmental sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), and so forth. Sensor system(s) 306 may include multiple examples of each of these or other types of sensors. For example, the LIDAR sensors may include separate LIDAR sensors located at corners, front, rear, sides, and/or top of the vehicle 302. As another example, the camera sensor may include multiple cameras disposed at different locations around the exterior and/or interior of the vehicle 302. The sensor system(s) 306 may provide input to the vehicle computing device 304. Additionally or alternatively, sensor system(s) 306 may transmit sensor data to one or more computing device(s) 330 via one or more networks 332 at a particular frequency, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, in near real-time, and/or the like.

As described above, the vehicle 302 may also include one or more emitters 308 for emitting light and/or sound. The transmitter 308 in this example includes internal audio and visual transmitters for communicating with occupants of the vehicle 302. By way of example and not limitation, the internal transmitters may include speakers, lights, signs, display screens, touch screens, tactile transmitters (e.g., vibration and/or force feedback), mechanical actuators (e.g., seat belt tensioners, seat positioners, headrest positioners, etc.), and the like. The transmitter 308 in this example also includes an external transmitter. By way of example and not limitation, the external transmitters in this example include lights that signal a direction of travel or other indicator of vehicle action (e.g., indicator lights, signs, arrays of lights, etc.), and one or more audio transmitters (e.g., speakers, speaker arrays, horns, etc.) to audibly communicate with pedestrians or other nearby vehicles, one or more of which include sound beam control techniques.

The vehicle 302 may also include one or more communication connection(s) 310 that enable communication between the vehicle 302 and one or more other local or remote computing device(s). For example, the communication connection(s) 310 may facilitate communication with other local computing device(s) and/or drive module(s) 314 on the vehicle 302. Further, the communication connection(s) 310 may allow the vehicle 302 to communicate with other computing device(s) in the vicinity (e.g., other nearby vehicles, traffic lights, etc.). The communication connection(s) 310 also enables the vehicle 302 to communicate with a remotely operated computing device or other remote service.

The communication connection(s) 310 may include a physical and/or logical interface for connecting the vehicle computing device 304 to another computing device or network, such as network(s) 332. For example, a communication connectionThe (one or more) 310 may enable Wi-Fi based communications, e.g., frequencies defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard, short-range wireless frequencies (e.g., such as) Cellular communication (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G, etc.), or any suitable wired or wireless communication protocol that enables the respective computing device to interact with the other computing device(s).

In at least one example, the vehicle 302 may include one or more drive modules 314. In some examples, the vehicle 302 may have a single drive module 314. In at least one example, if the vehicle 302 has multiple drive modules 314, the individual drive modules 314 may be positioned at opposite ends (e.g., front and rear, etc.) of the vehicle 302. In at least one example, drive module(s) 314 may include one or more sensor systems to detect a condition of drive module(s) 314 and/or a surrounding environment of vehicle 302. By way of example and not limitation, sensor system(s) 306 may include one or more wheel encoders (e.g., rotary encoders) to sense rotation of wheels (e.g., wheels 110, fig. 2) of the drive module, inertial sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, etc.) to measure orientation and acceleration of the drive module, cameras or other image sensors, ultrasonic sensors to acoustically detect objects around the drive module, LIDAR sensors, radar sensors, etc. Some sensors, such as wheel encoders, may be unique to the drive module(s) 314. In some cases, the sensor system(s) on the drive module(s) 314 may overlap or supplement the respective systems (e.g., sensor system(s) 306) of the vehicle 302.

The drive module(s) 314 may include a number of vehicle systems including a high voltage battery, a motor to drive the vehicle, an inverter to convert direct current from the battery to alternating current for use by other vehicle systems, a steering system including a steering motor and a steering rack (which may be electric), a braking system including hydraulic or electric actuators, the suspension system includes hydraulic and/or pneumatic components, a control system for distributing braking force to mitigate traction loss and maintain control stability, an HVAC system, lighting (e.g., lighting such as headlights/taillights illuminating the environment outside the vehicle), and one or more other systems (e.g., a cooling system, a security system, an on-board charging system, other electrical components such as DC/DC converters, high voltage connectors, high voltage cables, a charging system, charging ports, etc.). Further, the drive module(s) 314 may include a drive module controller that may receive and pre-process data from the sensor system(s) 306 and control the operation of various vehicle systems. In some examples, the drive module controller may include one or more processors and memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The memory may store one or more modules to perform various functions of the driver module 314. In addition, the driver module(s) 314 also include one or more communication connections that enable the respective driver module to communicate with one or more other local or remote computing device(s).

In at least one example, the direct connection 312 may provide a physical interface to couple one or more drive modules 314 with the body of the vehicle 302. For example, the direct connection 312 may allow energy, fluid, air, data, etc. to be transferred between the drive module(s) 314 and the vehicle 302. In some examples, the direct connection 312 may further releasably secure the drive module(s) 314 to the body of the vehicle 302.

In at least one example, the positioning component 320, the perception component 322, the planning component 324, and/or the occupant protection system 120 can process the sensor data as described above and can transmit their respective outputs to the one or more computing devices 330 via the one or more networks 332. In at least one example, the positioning component 320, the perception component 322, the planning component 324, and/or the occupant protection system 120 can transmit their respective outputs to the one or more computing devices 330 at a particular frequency, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, in real-time, and/or the like.

Processor(s) 316 of vehicle 302 and/or processor(s) 336 of computing device(s) 330 may include any suitable processor capable of executing instructions to process data and perform operations as described herein. By way of example, and not limitation, processor(s) 316 and 336 may include one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs), Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), or any other device or portion of a device that processes electronic data to transform that electronic data into other electronic data that may be stored in registers and/or memory. In some examples, integrated circuits (e.g., ASICs, etc.), gate arrays (e.g., FPGAs, etc.), and other hardware devices may also be considered processors, so long as they are configured to implement the coded instructions.

Memories 318 and 334 are examples of non-transitory computer-readable media. Memories 318 and 334 may store an operating system and one or more software applications, instructions, programs, and/or data to implement the methods described herein and the functions attributed to the various systems. In various implementations, the memory may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic ram (sdram), non-volatile/flash type memory, or any other type of memory capable of storing information. The architectures, systems, and individual elements described herein may include many other logical, procedural, and physical components, of which those shown in the figures are merely examples relevant to the discussion herein.

In some examples, such as shown in fig. 3, the occupant protection system 120 may include an inflatable occupant protection system 338 and/or a seatbelt system 340, e.g., as described herein with respect to fig. 12. As shown in fig. 3, an inflatable occupant protection system 338 and a seatbelt system 340 may be associated with one or more vehicle computing devices 304 on the vehicle 302 or remote computing device(s) 330.

It should be noted that while fig. 3 is illustrated as a distributed system, in alternative examples, components of vehicle 302 may be associated with computing device(s) 330, and/or components of computing device(s) 330 may be associated with vehicle 302. That is, vehicle 302 may perform one or more functions associated with computing device(s) 330, and vice versa.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, some examples of the occupant protection system 120 may include first and second inflatable curtains 122A and 122B configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state, extending between the roof 130 and the vehicle floor 202 (see fig. 2). In some such examples, the occupant protection system 120 may include first and second inflatable airbags 124A and 124B configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state. The second inflatable curtain 122B may be configured to deploy between the first inflatable curtain 122A and the second seat 106B (see fig. 2). In some examples, the first and second inflatable bladders 124A and 124B may be configured to deploy between the second inflatable curtain 122B and the second seat 106B (see fig. 1). In such an example system 120, protection may be provided for occupants of seats facing in two directions. For example, the seats 106A and 106B may face each other, e.g., as shown in fig. 1, and the first and second inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may be configured to deploy between the two seats 106A and 106B. In some examples, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to receive one or more signals indicative of a direction of travel of the vehicle 102 and cause deployment of the first inflatable curtain 122A and/or the second inflatable curtain 122B. For example, the first inflatable curtain 122A, the first inflatable bladder 124A, the second inflatable curtain 122B, and/or the second inflatable bladder 124B may be deployed based at least in part on one or more signals indicative of a direction of travel of the vehicle 102.

For example, if the vehicle 102 is traveling with the first seat 106A facing in a direction of travel (e.g., the first direction 114 shown in FIG. 1), the deployment controller 126 may deploy the first inflatable curtain 122A and/or one or more of the first inflatable bladder 124A or the second inflatable bladder 124B (e.g., associated with the first seat 106A (e.g., within an effective distance)) prior to or during the collision, and if the vehicle 102 is traveling with the second seat 106B facing in a direction of travel (e.g., the second direction 116 shown in figure 1), the deployment controller 126 may deploy the second inflatable curtain 122B and/or one or more of the first inflatable bladder 124A or the second inflatable bladder 124B (e.g., associated with the second seat 106B (e.g., within an effective distance)) before or during the collision.

Fig. 4 and 5 show a pair 400 of example first and second inflatable curtains 122A and 122B oriented relative to each other in an example consistent with the example vehicle shown in fig. 1, e.g., the vehicle 102 with oppositely facing seats 106A and 106B. As shown, the example inflatable curtains 122A and 122B include a first side portion 204 configured to extend in a longitudinal direction along a portion of a first interior side 206 of the vehicle 102, and a second side portion 210 configured to extend in a longitudinal direction along a portion of a second interior side of the vehicle 102. The example inflatable curtains 122A and 122B also include a lateral portion 212 that extends in a lateral direction between the first side 204 and the second side 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. Inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B may be configured to deploy at any longitudinal location along the length of vehicle 102, for example, to partition interior 100. In the illustrated example, the lateral portions 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B are as shown, each including an inflatable support lumen 402 extending in a direction along the length of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. The example inflatable support cavity 402 includes a vertical portion 404 that is configured to extend at least a portion of the distance between the vehicle roof 130 and the vehicle floor 202 in the length direction of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B when inflated. In some examples, the vertical portion 404, when inflated, may extend diagonally for at least a portion of the distance between the vehicle roof 130 and the vehicle floor 202 (e.g., while still extending vertically, the vertical portion 404 may also extend laterally across at least a portion of the respective lateral portion 212 of the respective inflatable curtain 122). The example expandable support lumen 402 also includes a horizontal portion 406 that extends at least partially from the first side 204 to the second side 210 of the expandable curtain 122, e.g., in a direction perpendicular or orthogonal to the length of the expandable curtains 122A and 122B.

In the example shown, the lateral portions 212 also each include a first lateral portion 408 extending between the first side 204, the vertical portion 404, and the horizontal portion 406 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B, and a second lateral portion 410 extending between the second side 210, the vertical portion 404, and the horizontal portion 406 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. In the example shown, the first and second lateral portions 408 and 410 are not expandable, but rather form a mesh between the first and second sides 204 and 210, the vertical portion 404, and the horizontal portion 406. In some examples, one or more of the first lateral portion 408 and the second lateral portion 410 may be inflatable. Although depicted as being the same, the first and second inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may be different from one another. In some examples, the first and second inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may be formed as a single inflatable curtain, e.g., having a common transverse portion 212, rather than individually deployed inflatable curtains 122A and 122B.

In the example shown in fig. 4, the vertical portion 404 defines a raised portion 412 between the first lateral portion 408 and the second lateral portion 410 of the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. For example, the vertical portion 404 may include a tubular portion having a cross-sectional area in a plane transverse to a direction along the length of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B that increases as the vertical portion 404 approaches the horizontal portion 406. Examples of inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B may include multiple vertical portions.

In some examples, the horizontal portion 406 may include a lower tubular portion 414, the lower tubular portion 414 having a cross-sectional area in a plane substantially parallel to the first and second sides 204 and 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B that increases as the horizontal portion 406 approaches the vertical portion 404, e.g., as shown in fig. 4. In some examples, the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B defines a support surface side 220 that defines an action surface, and the lower tubular portion 414 of the horizontal portion 406 extends from a first end 416 to a second end 418, wherein the first end 416 and the second end 418 curve away from the support surface side 220 of the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B (e.g., as viewed from above).

As shown in fig. 4, each of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B is configured such that the first side 204 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B, the first lateral portion 408 of the lateral portion 212, the inflatable support chamber 402, the second lateral portion 410 of the lateral portion 212, and the second side 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may form an adjoining barrier extending from the first side 204 to the second side 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. In some examples, the first side 204, the second side 210, and the lateral portion 212 may be separate components, but contiguous. In some examples, the first side 204, the second side 210, and the lateral portion 212 may form a continuous barrier extending from the first side 204 to the second side 210 of one or more inflatable curtains 122A and 122B.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary inflatable bladder pair 124A and 124B associated with two exemplary inflatable curtains 122A and 122B, both in a deployed state. In the example shown in fig. 5, the occupant protection system 120 includes two first inflatable bladders 124A configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) the inflatable curtains such that the first inflatable bladder 124A in the deployed state is nested between the first side 204 of each of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the inflatable support chamber 402. As shown, some examples may also include two second inflatable bladders 124B configured to be inflated from a stowed state associated with the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B to a deployed state such that the second inflatable bladder 124B in the deployed state is nested between the second side 210 of each of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the inflatable support chamber 402. A different number of inflatable balloons 124 are contemplated. It is contemplated that inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may be in flow communication with one another and serve as a single inflatable volume that may be deployed together and/or that a pair of inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may be replaced by a single inflatable curtain configured to provide an active surface on opposite sides of the transverse portion for inflatable bladders on opposite sides of the inflatable curtain.

In the example shown in fig. 5, each of the inflatable bladders 124 is configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state and includes a coupling portion 500, the coupling portion 500 being configured to be coupled to a portion of the vehicle 102 associated with the roof 130 (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled). For example, the coupling portion 500 may be directly or indirectly coupled to the vehicle roof 130, e.g., such that the coupling portion 500 hangs from the vehicle roof 130 and supports the inflatable bladder 124. Each of the example inflatable balloons 124 shown in fig. 5 also includes a first inflatable lateral stop 502 associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to and/or in flow communication with) the coupling portion 500, and a second inflatable lateral stop 504 associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to and/or in flow communication with) the coupling portion 500. The example inflatable bladder 124 also includes a lower support 506 associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to and/or in flow communication with) the first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504, and a central inflatable stop 508 associated with (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to and/or in flow communication with) the lower support 506 and configured to pivot relative to the lower support 506 upon contact with a portion of the occupant 104 of the vehicle 102, as described herein. For example, a lower portion of the central inflatable stop 508 may be coupled to the lower support 506, e.g., the remainder of the central inflatable stop 508 is substantially free to pivot about the lower portion.

The example inflatable air bags 124 shown in fig. 5 also each include an optional first strap 510 coupled to the lower support 506 and configured to be coupled to (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) a portion of the vehicle 102 associated with the roof 130 (e.g., a structural member of the vehicle chassis and/or interior panel), and a second strap 512 coupled to the central inflatable stop 508 and configured to be coupled to (e.g., directly or indirectly coupled to) a portion of the vehicle 102 associated with the roof 130. In some examples, the first strip 510 may be configured to help stabilize and/or support its respective inflatable bladder 124. In some examples, the second strap 512 may be configured to help position and support the central inflatable stop 508 before and during contact with the occupant 104.

In the example shown in fig. 5, one or more of the coupling portion 500, the first expandable lateral stop 502, the second expandable lateral stop 504, or the lower support 506 forms an expandable stop cavity 514. For example, the coupling portion 500, the first expandable lateral stop 502, the second expandable lateral stop 504, and the lower support 506 may form a continuous expandable stop cavity 514. In some examples, the continuously expandable stop chamber 514 is substantially annular and defines a central space 516, and the continuously expandable stop chamber 514 and the central expandable stop 508 are configured such that the central expandable stop 508 pivots into the central space 516 upon contact by an occupant 104 of the vehicle 102, e.g., as explained herein. For example, the central inflatable stop 508 and the first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504 are configured such that the central inflatable stop 508 pivots to be at least partially positioned between the first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504 when in contact with a portion of the occupant 104 of the vehicle 102. In some examples, the central inflatable stop 508 and the first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504 are configured such that the shoulders of the occupant 104 of the vehicle 102 contact the first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504 and the head of the occupant 104 contacts the central inflatable stop 508.

In some examples, first strip 510 and second strip 512 may be formed from a partially elastic material. In some examples, first strip 510 and second strip 512 may be formed from the same material, and in some examples, first strip 510 and second strip 512 may be formed from different materials, e.g., such that second strip 512 is more resilient than first strip 510.

Fig. 6A and 6B are schematic sequence diagrams of an example occupant 104 during a collision involving a vehicle 102 including an example occupant protection system 120. In the example shown, the occupant protection system 120 includes an inflatable curtain 122 including at least a transverse portion 212 depending from the vehicle roof 130 and an inflatable bladder 124 depending from the vehicle roof 130 and including a coupling portion 500, first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504, a lower support 506, and a central inflatable stop 508. Fig. 6A shows the example inflatable curtain 122 and the example inflatable air bag 124 in a deployed state, with the occupant 104 still seated in the seat 106. As explained herein, in some examples, the deployment controller 126 may receive one or more signals from the vehicle 102 indicative of a collision or predicted collision involving the vehicle 102, and the deployment controller 126 may activate one or more inflators 134 to deploy the inflatable curtains 122 and/or the inflatable airbags 124. In some examples, only the inflatable airbag 124 associated with the seat 106 in which the occupant 104 has been detected will be deployed. For example, only the inflatable air bag 124 in front of and sufficiently close to the occupied seat will be deployed, which will effectively prevent movement of the respective occupant during the collision.

Fig. 6B shows an example occupant 104 thrown forward in the vehicle 102 during a collision. In the illustrated example, the occupant's head 600 and torso 602 are thrown forward into the inflatable air bag 124, and the inflatable air bag 124, supported by the inflatable curtain 122, resists forward movement of the occupant 104 in a cushioned manner to reduce the likelihood of injury. In some examples, the occupant's head 600 contacts a central inflatable stop 508 that pivots relative to the lower support 506 described herein, and the occupant's shoulders 604 contact the first and second inflatable lateral stops 502 and 504 that resist forward movement of the occupant's shoulders 604 in a cushioned manner.

Fig. 7 is a schematic partial view of an example vehicle roof 700 from below showing a partial schematic view of an example roof trim panel and an example inflator for the occupant protection system 120 in relation to example inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and example inflatable airbags 124A and 124B. In some examples, the inflator shown in FIG. 7 may correspond to the inflator 134 shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in fig. 7, the occupant protection system 120 includes a ceiling trim panel system 702. The example ceiling trim panel system 702 may include a lateral ceiling trim panel 704 configured to be coupled to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102 and extend in a first direction that is substantially transverse relative to the longitudinal axis L of the vehicle 102 (e.g., extending in a direction between the ends 112 and 118 of the vehicle 102). In some examples, the transverse ceiling trim panel 704 may be configured to cover the transverse portion 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and/or one or more inflatable bladders 124A or 124B in a stowed state and deflect to allow one or more of the transverse portion 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A or 122B and/or one or more inflatable bladders 124A or 124B to deploy to a deployed state (see, e.g., fig. 2 and 4-6B). Some examples of the ceiling trim panel system 702 may also include one or more side ceiling trim panels 706 configured to be coupled to the ceiling 700 and extend in a second direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the vehicle 102 (e.g., a first direction extending substantially perpendicular to the transverse ceiling trim panel 704). In some examples, one or more side ceiling trim panels 706 may be configured to cover the respective side 204 and/or 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B in the stowed state and deflect to allow the side 204 and/or 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B to deploy to the deployed state (see, e.g., fig. 4-6B).

For example, as schematically shown in fig. 7, one or more transverse ceiling trim panels 702 may define one or more transverse seams 708 that are substantially parallel to the first direction (e.g., substantially transverse (e.g., substantially perpendicular) to the longitudinal axis L). In some examples, the transverse seam(s) 708 may be configured to create an opening through which one or more of the transverse portions 212 of the one or more inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B and/or one or more inflatable bladders 124A or 124B pass when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state. The transverse seam 708 may be defined by one or more respective edges of the one or more transverse ceiling trim panels 704, for example, where the respective edges meet a portion of the vehicle 102, and/or the transverse seam 708 may be defined by an area of weakness created in the one or more transverse ceiling trim panels 704, for example, a line of reduced material thickness, a score line on a surface of the transverse ceiling trim panel 704, and/or a perforation line in the transverse ceiling trim panel 704. In some examples, the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 may include a living hinge, for example, spaced apart from the lateral seam 708 to facilitate deflection of the lateral ceiling trim panel 704.

As schematically shown in fig. 7, the one or more side ceiling trim panels 706 may define one or more longitudinal seams 710 that extend substantially parallel to the second direction (e.g., substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L). The one or more longitudinal seams 710 may be configured to form an opening through which one or more respective sides 204 and/or 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B pass when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state. The longitudinal seam 710 may be defined by one or more respective edges of the one or more side ceiling trim panels 706, for example, where the respective edges meet a portion of the vehicle 102, and/or the longitudinal seam 710 may be defined by an area of weakness created in the one or more side ceiling trim panels 706, for example, a line of reduced material thickness, a score line on a surface of the side ceiling trim panel 706, and/or a perforated line of the side ceiling trim panel 706. In some examples, the side ceiling trim panel 706 may include a living hinge, for example, spaced apart from the longitudinal seam 710 to facilitate deflection of the side ceiling trim panel 704.

As shown in fig. 7, some examples of ceiling trim panel systems 702 may include a joined ceiling trim panel 712 associated with one or more lateral ceiling trim panels 704 and one or more side ceiling trim panels 706. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the hitch ceiling trim panel 712 may be configured to couple to a ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102 and cover a portion of the one or more lateral portions 212 of the one or more inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B and/or a portion of the one or more sides 204 and/or 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B in a stowed state and deflect to allow the one or more lateral portions 212 and/or the one or more sides 204 and/or 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B to deploy to a deployed state. For example, one or more lateral ceiling trim panels 704 and/or one or more side ceiling trim panels 706 may be configured to create an adjoining opening through which one or more lateral portions 212 and/or one or more sides 204 and/or 210 pass when deployed from a stowed state to a deployed state. In some examples, one or more joined ceiling trim panels 712 may partially form one or more adjoining openings with one or more lateral ceiling trim panels 704 and/or one or more side ceiling trim panels 706. In some examples, for example, the link ceiling trim panels 712 may include living hinges to facilitate deflection of the link ceiling trim panels 712. In some examples, a tether or cord may be coupled to the joined ceiling trim panels 712 and the ceiling of the vehicle 102, e.g., to prevent the one or more joined ceiling trim panels 712 from completely separating from the ceiling upon deployment of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B and/or deployment of the inflatable airbags 124A and/or 124B.

FIG. 7 also schematically illustrates an example deployment system 714 for initiating deployment of one or more inflatable curtains 122A or 122B and/or one or more inflatable bladders 124A or 124B. For example, the deployment system 714 may include a deployment controller 126 that may be configured to actuate one or more inflators in flow communication with one or more inflatable curtains 122A or 122B and/or one or more inflatable airbags 124A or 124B. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the example deployment system 714 includes five inflators 716, 718, 720, 722, and 724 associated with the inflatable curtain 122A and inflatable airbags 124A and 124B associated with the inflatable curtain 122A. In some examples, one or more of the inflators 716, 718, 720, 722, or 724 may include more than one inflator; one or more inflators 716, 718, 720, 722, or 724 may be combined; one or more of the inflators 716, 718, 720, 722, or 724 may have different capacities (e.g., different volumetric outputs, pressurization, and/or different flow outputs), or one or more of the inflators 716, 718, 720, 722, or 724 may be of a different type (e.g., a pyrotechnic inflator, a gas inflator, or a hybrid pyrotechnic and gas inflator). Similarly, the example deployment system 714 includes five inflators 726, 728, 730, 732, and 734 associated with inflatable curtain 122B and inflatable airbags 124A and 124B associated with inflatable curtain 122B. In some examples, one or more of the inflators 726, 728, 730, 732, or 734 may include more than one inflator; one or more inflators 726, 728, 730, 732, or 734 may be combined; one or more of the inflators 726, 728, 730, 732, or 734 may have different capacities (e.g., different volumetric outputs, pressurization, and/or different flow outputs), or one or more of the inflators 726, 728, 730, 732, or 734 may be of a different type (e.g., a pyrotechnic inflator, a gas inflator, or a hybrid pyrotechnic and gas inflator). The location of the inflator is merely exemplary of the possible locations. For example, one or more of the inflators 718, 720, 728, or 730 may be positioned anywhere adjacent any portion of the respective side 204 and/or 210 of the inflatable curtains 122A and/or 122B.

In the example shown, the inflator 716 is in flow communication with the inflatable curtain 122A and is configured to deploy the inflatable curtain 122A from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the inflator 716 by the deployment controller 126. For example, the inflator 716 is in flow communication with the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122A. The inflators 718 and 720 in the illustrated example are in flow communication with the sides 204 and 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A, respectively. Each of the inflators 722 and 724 is in flow communication with one of the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B associated with inflatable curtain 122A.

Similarly, inflator 726 is in flow communication with inflatable curtain 122B and is configured to deploy inflatable curtain 122B from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of inflator 726 by deployment controller 126. For example, inflator 726 is in flow communication with lateral portion 212 of inflatable curtain 122B. Inflators 728 and 730 in the illustrated example are in flow communication with the sides 204 and 210, respectively, of inflatable curtain 122B. Each of the inflators 732 and 734 is in flow communication with one of the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B associated with the inflatable curtain 122B.

In some examples, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to sequentially actuate one or more inflators relative to one or more other inflators. For example, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to sequentially actuate one or more of the inflators 716 or 726 prior to actuating one or more of the inflators 722, 724, 732, or 734. For example, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to actuate the inflator 716 that is in flow communication with the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122A prior to actuation (e.g., about 500 milliseconds or less, about 250 milliseconds or less, about 100 milliseconds or less, about 50 milliseconds or less, about 25 milliseconds or less, or about 5 milliseconds or less) relative to the time of actuation of one or more of the inflators 722 or 724 that are in flow communication with the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B, respectively, associated with the inflatable curtain 122A. Such staged deployment may reduce the amount of energy consumed (e.g., by requiring a small, high pressure and/or low volume inflator to destroy the upholstery, and then inflating one or more curtains or inflatable airbags with one or more separate inflators). Similarly, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to actuate the inflator 726 that is in flow communication with the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122B prior to actuation (e.g., about 500 milliseconds or less, about 250 milliseconds or less, about 100 milliseconds or less, about 50 milliseconds or less, about 25 milliseconds or less, or about 5 milliseconds or less) relative to the time of actuation of one or more of the inflators 732 or 734 that are in flow communication with the inflatable airbags 124A and 124B, respectively, associated with the inflatable curtain 122B. In some examples, both inflators 716 and 726 may be activated at the same time (e.g., substantially the same time) prior to activating one or more of inflators 722, 724, 732, or 734 in flow communication with inflatable airbags 124A and 124B associated with inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. In some such examples, one or more of the inflators 722, 724, 732, or 734 may be activated at the same time (e.g., substantially the same time).

Fig. 8A-8C schematically depict an example deployment sequence 800 in which one of the inflatable curtains 122A and one of the inflatable bladders 124A are deployed from a stowed state to a deployed state. Fig. 8A shows a schematic partial side cross-sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 7, showing the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the transverse portion 212 of the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B, all shown in an example stowed state. Although only a single inflatable balloon 124A and a single inflatable balloon 124B are shown in fig. 8A due to side view limitations, each of the inflatable balloons 124A and 124B may represent more than one inflatable balloon, e.g., with additional inflatable balloons hidden in the view shown in fig. 8A.

As shown in fig. 8A, the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B may be housed in a housing 802 in a stowed state, and in some examples, the housing 802 may generally correspond to the housing 132 shown in fig. 1. As shown, the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 may at least partially define a housing 802, the housing 802 being coupled to the ceiling 700 (see fig. 7) and/or the roof 130 (see fig. 1) of the vehicle 102. In the illustrated example, the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 defines a lateral seam 708 (see fig. 7), which may extend at least partially the length of the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 (i.e., into the page as shown in fig. 8A), as described herein. In some examples, the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and inflatable balloons 124A and 124B may be stowed in a fan-folded or accordion-like manner to improve deployment (e.g., increase deployment speed and/or improve deployment completeness). Other loading arrangements are contemplated.

As shown in fig. 8A, in some examples, the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B include a distal curtain end 804 and the inflatable balloons 124A and 124B include a distal balloon end 806. As shown in fig. 8A-8C, some examples may include, for example, as shown, a tether 808 coupling each of the distal drape ends 804 to an associated one of the distal balloon ends 806.

Also shown in fig. 8A-8C are example inflators 716, 724, 726, and 734 that are in flow communication with inflatable curtain 122A, inflatable bladder 124A, inflatable curtain 122B, and inflatable bladder 124B, respectively. As explained herein, the deployment controller 126 (fig. 7) may be in communication with an inflator and may be configured to actuate the inflator 716, which is in flow communication with the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122A, prior to a time relative to actuating the inflator 724, which is in flow communication with the inflatable airbag 124A associated with the inflatable curtain 122A.

For example, fig. 8B is a schematic partial side cross-sectional view of the first example in an example deployment sequence 800 in which the inflatable curtain 122A and inflatable airbag 124A begin deployment after activation of an inflator 716 in flow communication with the inflatable curtain 122. The deployment controller may then actuate the inflator 724, which inflator 724 is in flow communication with the inflatable bladder 124A. As shown in fig. 8B, activation of the inflator 716 generates a force sufficient to create a lateral opening 810 through which the lateral portion 212 of the inflatable curtain 122A passes when inflated from the stowed condition to the deployed condition. Before and/or during activation of the inflator 724 in fluid communication with the inflatable bladder 124A, the tether 808 coupled to the distal bladder end 806 of the inflatable bladder 124A begins to pull the inflatable bladder 124A toward its deployed state, helping to deploy the inflatable bladder 124A. As shown, the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 defines a lateral distal edge 812, the lateral distal edge 812 configured to deflect from a central portion 814 of the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 along an arc into a direction transverse to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102, for example, as shown in fig. 8B and 8C. In some examples, the inflator 716 associated with the inflatable curtain 122A may have a higher capacity (e.g., a higher volume and/or flow rate) than the inflator 724 associated with the inflatable airbag 124A, e.g., to provide sufficient force to open the transverse ceiling trim panel 704 along the transverse seam 708. In some examples, the inflator 724 associated with the inflatable bladder 124A may have a reduced capacity relative to the inflator 716 due to the ability of the inflatable curtain 122A to create the transverse openings 810, as it may not contribute, or may contribute only partially, to creating the transverse openings 810 in some examples. In some examples, the inflator 724 associated with the inflatable bladder 124A may have an increased capacity relative to the inflator 716. In some examples, the inflator may be selected or configured to actuate with a force sufficient to deflect the trim panel, which may vary, for example, depending on the material properties of the trim panel and/or the cross-sectional engagement area upon which the inflatable curtain and/or inflatable bladder acts.

Fig. 8C schematically illustrates a second example of an example deployment sequence 800 in which both the inflatable curtain 122A and the inflatable bladder 124A are fully deployed. As shown, tether 808 remains coupled to distal drape end 804 of inflatable drape 122A and distal balloon end 806 of inflatable balloon 124A. In some examples, this may serve to improve the stability of the inflatable bladder 124A relative to the active surface created by the support surface side 220 of the inflatable curtain 122A, for example, when a person impacts the inflatable bladder 124A.

In the example shown in fig. 8A-8C, the inflatable curtain 122A and inflatable balloon 124A are deployed independently of the inflatable curtain 122B and inflatable balloon 124B. Fig. 9A-9C schematically depict an example deployment sequence 900 in which the inflatable curtain 122A and the inflatable curtain 122B are deployed simultaneously (e.g., substantially simultaneously), followed by simultaneous deployment of the inflatable balloon 124A and the inflatable balloon 124B.

In some examples, for example, as shown in fig. 9A-9C, the distal drape ends 804 of the inflatable drape 122A and the inflatable drape 122B may be coupled to one another via one or more tethers 902. One or more tethers 902 may be used to help deploy the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and, in some examples, stabilize the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B once in the deployed state, e.g., as shown in fig. 9C. The example shown in fig. 9A-9C also includes a tether 808 that couples the respective distal curtain ends 804 of the inflatable curtain 122A and the inflatable curtain 122B and the respective distal balloon ends 806 of the inflatable balloons 124A and 124B to one another. This may serve to increase the stability of the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B relative to the respective active surfaces created by the respective support surface sides 220 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and/or to function in a redundant manner to ensure safety, for example, if one inflator fails or is activated with insufficient force to deflect the associated trim panel.

As shown in fig. 9B, deployment may begin, for example, when deployment controller 126 (not shown in fig. 9A-9C) activates inflators 716 and 726 associated with inflatable curtain 122A and inflatable curtain 122B, respectively. In some examples, this may occur simultaneously (e.g., substantially simultaneously), as shown in fig. 9B.

Thereafter, the deployment controller 126 may actuate one or more of the inflators 724 and 734, which are in flow communication with the inflatable airbags 124A and 124B, respectively. As shown in fig. 9B, activation of the inflators 716 and 726 generates a force sufficient to create a lateral opening 810 through the lateral opening 810 when the lateral portions 212 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B are inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state. The tether 808 coupled to the distal bag end 806 of the inflatable bag 124A and the tether 808 coupled to the remote bag end 806 of the inflatable bag 124B begin to pull the inflatable bags 124A and 124B toward their respective deployed states, aiding in the deployment of the inflatable bags 124A and 124B before and/or during the time that the inflators 724 and 734 are in flow communication with the inflatable bags 124A and 124B, respectively. As shown, the transverse ceiling trim panel 704 defines a pair of transverse distal edges 812, the pair of transverse distal edges 812 being configured to deflect, for example, along an arc from a center portion 814 of the transverse ceiling trim panel 704 into a direction transverse to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102, as shown in fig. 9B and 9C. In some examples, the inflators 716 and 726 associated with the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may have a higher capacity (e.g., higher volume, higher pressure, and/or higher flow rate) than the inflators 724 and/or 734 associated with the inflatable airbags 122A and 122B to provide sufficient force to open the transverse ceiling trim panel 704 along the transverse seam 708. In some examples, the inflators 724 and 734 associated with the inflatable airbags 124A and 124B may have reduced capacity relative to the inflators 716 and 726 due to the capabilities of the inflators 716 and 726 and the deployment of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B to create the transverse openings 810, because in some examples they may not or may only partially contribute to creating the transverse openings 810.

Fig. 9C schematically illustrates a second example of an example deployment sequence 900 in which both the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B are fully deployed. As shown, a tether 808 remains coupled to the respective distal curtain ends 804 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the respective distal balloon ends 806 of the inflatable balloons 124A and 124B. In some examples, this may serve to improve the stability of the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B relative to the corresponding active surface created by the support surface side 220 of the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B. While fig. 8A-8C and 9A-9C show examples in which the inflatable curtains 122A and 122B and the inflatable bladders 124A and 124B pass through a central opening 810 of the transverse ceiling trim panel 704, in some examples, the transverse ceiling trim panel 704 may be configured such that upon deployment the inflatable curtains 122A and/or the inflatable bladders 124A pass through a first lateral opening and the inflatable curtains 122B and/or the inflatable bladders 124B pass through a second lateral opening, e.g., the first and second lateral openings are located on opposite sides of a central portion of the transverse ceiling trim panel 704.

Fig. 10A-10C schematically depict side views of an example deployment sequence 1000 taken along line B-B of fig. 7 when the example side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A is changed from the stowed state in fig. 10A to the deployed state in fig. 10C. As schematically depicted in fig. 10A and 10B, the sides 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A may be stowed in a fan-folded or accordion-like manner to improve deployment (e.g., increase the rate of deployment and/or improve the completeness of deployment). Other loading arrangements are contemplated. Although only a single side 210 and associated structure are shown in fig. 10A-10C, one or more of the other sides 210 of inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may have the same or similar configuration.

As shown in fig. 10A, the side 210 of inflatable curtain 122A is in a stowed state covered by an example hitch ceiling trim panel 712. In the illustrated example, the joined ceiling trim panels 712 define a longitudinal seam 710 that extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (see fig. 7), and the longitudinal seam 710 is configured to form an opening through which at least a portion of the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A passes when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

For example, as shown in fig. 10B, in the example first instance of the deployment sequence 1000, as the hitch ceiling trim panel 712 deflects, the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A begins to deploy upon activation of the inflator 720. As shown, the hitch ceiling trim panel 712 defines an inner edge 1004 that is configured to be positioned away from the first side 1006 of the vehicle 102 and an outer edge 1008 that is configured to be positioned between the inner edge 1004 and the first side 1006 of the vehicle 102. In the example shown, the inner edge 1004 of the joined ceiling trim panel 712 is configured to deflect along an arc from the remainder of the joined ceiling trim panel 712 along the longitudinal seam 710 to a direction transverse to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102. When the deployment controller 126 (fig. 7) activates the inflator 720, the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A separates the longitudinal seam 710 from another portion of the ceiling 700 and/or the joined ceiling trim panels 712 and creates an opening through which at least a portion of the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A deploys.

Fig. 10C illustrates a second example of an example deployment sequence 1000 in which the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A is fully deployed. As schematically shown, the joined ceiling trim panels 712 have been deflected along an arc along the longitudinal seam 710 to a direction transverse to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102. In some examples, the opening created by the deflection of the link ceiling trim panel 712 may be contiguous with the opening created by the deflection of the lateral ceiling trim panel 704.

11A-11C schematically depict side views of an example deployment sequence 1100, taken along line C-C of FIG. 7, as the example side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A changes from the stowed state in FIG. 11A to the deployed state in FIG. 11C. Although only a single side 210 of inflatable curtain 122A and related structures is shown in fig. 11A-11C, one or more of the other sides 210 of inflatable curtains 122A and 122B may have the same or similar configuration.

As shown in fig. 11A, the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A is in a stowed state covered by a side ceiling trim panel 706. In the example shown, the side ceiling trim panel 706 defines a longitudinal seam 710 (see fig. 7) extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis L, and the longitudinal seam 710 is configured to form an opening through which at least a portion of the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A passes when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

For example, as shown in fig. 11B, in an exemplary first instance of a deployment sequence 1100, the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A begins to deploy as the side ceiling trim panel 706 deflects upon activation of the inflator 720. As shown, the side ceiling trim panel 706 defines an inner edge 1102 configured to be remote from the first side 1006 of the vehicle 102 and an outer edge 1104 configured to be positioned between the inner edge 1102 and the first side 1006 of the vehicle 102. In the example shown, the outer edge 1104 of the side ceiling trim panel 706 is configured to deflect along an arc from the ceiling 700 or the remainder of the side ceiling trim panel 706 along the longitudinal seam 710 to a direction transverse to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102. When the deployment controller 126 (fig. 7) activates the inflator 720, the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A separates the longitudinal seam 710 from another portion of the ceiling 700 and/or the side ceiling trim 706 and forms an opening through which at least a portion of the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A deploys.

Fig. 11C illustrates a second example of an example deployment sequence 1100 in which the side 210 of the inflatable curtain 122A is fully deployed. As schematically shown, the side ceiling trim panel 706 has been deflected along an arc along the longitudinal seam 710 to a direction transverse to the ceiling 700 of the vehicle 102. In some examples, the opening created by the deflection of the side ceiling trim panel 706 may be adjacent to one or more of the opening created by the deflection of the lateral ceiling trim panel 704 (see fig. 8A-8C and 9A-9C), the opening created by the deflection of the link ceiling trim panel 712 (see fig. 10A-10C), the opening created by the deflection of the second link ceiling trim panel 712, or the opening created by the second side ceiling trim panel 706. Such adjoining openings may be configured to allow the respective sides 204 and 210 (see fig. 7) and lateral portions 212 of inflatable curtain 122A (and/or inflatable curtain 122B) to deploy in an adjoining configuration (e.g., a U-shaped configuration as viewed in cross-section from above or below (e.g., see fig. 7).

Fig. 12 shows an example architecture 1200 that includes an example occupant protection system 120. In the illustrated example, the example occupant protection system 120 includes an inflatable occupant protection system 338 and a seatbelt system 340 that control operation of seatbelt-related systems in the vehicle 102. In the illustrated example, the inflatable occupant protection system 338 includes one or more inflatable curtains 122 and one or more inflatable airbags 124, e.g., as described herein. The inflatable curtain(s) 122 may each include one or more of a first side 204, a second side 210, and a transverse portion 212 extending between the first side 204 and the second side 210, and in some examples, couple the first side and the second side to one another, as explained herein. For example, the inflatable balloon(s) 124 may each include one or more of a first inflatable lateral stop 502, a second inflatable lateral stop 504, and a central inflatable stop 508, as described herein.

In the example architecture 1200 shown in fig. 12, the occupant protection system 120 also includes a deployment controller 126, which may include one or more inflators 134 (e.g., inflators 716, 718, 720, 722, 724, 726, 728, 730, 732, and 734 (shown in fig. 7) configured to supply fluid and/or gas to the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124, e.g., when activated by the deployment controller 126, as described herein.

In some examples, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to receive signals indicative of a predicted collision involving the vehicle 102 and/or a collision involving the vehicle 102, and cause deployment of the one or more inflatable curtains 122 and/or the one or more inflatable airbags 124 based at least in part on the signal(s). For example, the sensor system(s) 306 (see fig. 3) of the vehicle 102 can provide information to the perception component 322 and/or the planning component 324 that can predict a collision with an object in the environment through which the vehicle 102 is passing. The sensing component 322 and/or the planning component 324 may provide information to the safety system actuator 1202, which in turn provides one or more signals to the deployment controller 126, which the deployment controller 126 may actuate one or more inflators 134 to cause deployment of one or more inflatable curtains 122 and/or one or more inflatable airbags 124, e.g., as described herein.

In some examples, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to receive one or more signals indicating that the occupant 104 is present in the first location of the vehicle 102 in association with (e.g., within an effective range of) one of the inflatable airbags 124, and cause deployment of the corresponding inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124 associated with the location of the occupant 104 based at least in part on the one or more signals. For example, the perception component 322 of the vehicle 102 may include an object classification system configured to determine information related to, for example, whether an object and/or occupant 104 is present in one or more respective seats 106 of the vehicle 102. In some examples, the object classification system may utilize one or more sensor system(s) 306 of the vehicle 102 and determine information about the object and/or the occupant 104, such as size and/or weight of the object and/or the occupant 104 (e.g., whether the occupant 104 is an adult, child, or infant). For example, an image system (e.g., a camera) inside the vehicle 102 may determine whether the occupant 104 (and/or other objects) are present in the seat 106. If no occupant 104 is present, the deployment controller 126 may receive one or more signals associated with whether an occupant 104 is in the seat 106, e.g., via the safety system actuator 1202, and determine whether to activate deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable bladder 124 associated with (e.g., within an effective range of) the seat 106 prior to or during a collision based at least in part on the one or more signals. For example, if the occupant 104 is not in the seat 106, the deployment controller 126 may not initiate deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124. This may prevent unnecessary deployment and prevent costs associated with servicing the deployment components of the occupant protection system 120. Alternatively, if the occupant 104 is located in the seat 106, the deployment controller 126 may initiate deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124 associated with (e.g., within an effective range of) the position of the occupant 104 to protect the occupant 104 during the collision. In at least some examples, the deployment controller 126 may initiate deployment of one or more inflatable curtains 122 and/or one or more inflatable airbags 124 regardless of the presence of an occupant.

In some examples, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to receive one or more signals indicative of whether the occupant 104 is properly belted and to cause and/or control deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124 associated with the position of the occupant 104 based at least in part on the one or more signals indicative of whether the occupant 104 is properly belted. For example, the sensor system(s) 306 of the vehicle 102 may determine whether the occupant 104 is properly belted. The deployment controller 126 may receive one or more such signals and, based at least in part on these signals, initiate and/or control deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124 prior to or during a collision involving the vehicle 102.

For example, if the occupant 104 is belted, the deployment controller 126 may reduce the deployment rate and/or the deployment volume (or pressure) of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or the inflatable airbag 124, for example, because the seatbelt will help prevent injury to the occupant 104 during a collision. On the other hand, if the occupant 104 is not properly belted, the deployment controller 126 may maintain or increase the deployment rate and/or deployment volume (or pressure) of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124, for example, because the seatbelt will not help prevent injury to the occupant 104 during a collision.

In some examples, the deployment of the one or more inflatable curtains 122 and/or the one or more inflatable balloons 124 may be affected by a number of parameters. For example, the deployment rate, deployment volume (and/or pressure), deployment time, and/or deployment sequence of one or more inflatable curtains 122 or inflatable bladders 124 may be based at least in part on one or more parameters, such as the severity of the impact of the collision, whether one or more occupants 104 are properly belted, and/or the size and/or weight of the occupant 104 (e.g., depending on whether the occupant is an adult, child, or infant).

In some examples, the inflatable curtain 122 and the one or more inflatable balloons 124 may deploy independently of one another. For example, the inflatable curtain 122 may be deployed without deploying any of the inflatable bladders 124. For example, if an object is detected in the interior 100 of the vehicle 102 and a rapid change in the speed and/or direction of travel of the vehicle 102 occurs, the inflatable curtains 122 may be deployed alone to prevent the object in the vehicle 102 from being thrown inside the vehicle 102 during the rapid change in speed and/or direction. This may be particularly useful, for example, when the occupant 104 is in a seat 106 facing a seat on which one or more objects are placed. Upon rapid changes in speed and/or direction, the inflatable curtain 122 may deploy to prevent one or more objects from being thrown from the seat opposite the occupant 104 toward the occupant 104.

In some examples, the deployment controller 126 may be configured to receive one or more signals indicative of a direction of travel of the vehicle 102 and cause deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or the inflatable airbag 124 based at least in part on the one or more signals indicative of the direction of travel of the vehicle 102. For example, the vehicle 102 may be a bi-directional vehicle configured to travel between locations, with either end of the vehicle 102 being a front end, e.g., as described herein with respect to fig. 1. In such a vehicle, when the vehicle 102 is traveling with one end of the vehicle being the front end, the seat 106 may face in the direction of travel, but the seat 106 faces rearward and the other end of the vehicle 102 is the front end. The vehicle 102 may include sensors and/or systems configured to generate one or more signals indicating whether the vehicle 102 is traveling in a direction such that the seat 106 is facing forward (i.e., along the direction of travel) or whether the seat 106 is facing rearward (i.e., opposite the direction of travel). The deployment controller 126 may be configured to prevent deployment of the inflatable curtains 122 and/or inflatable bladders 124 associated with the seat 106 even when occupied, for example, when the seat 106 is facing rearward based at least in part on the signal. This may prevent unnecessary deployment and costs associated with maintaining the deployment components of the occupant protection system 120. Alternatively, if the seat 106 is facing forward, the deployment controller 126 may initiate deployment of the inflatable curtain 122 and/or inflatable airbag 124 associated with the position of the seat 106 to protect the occupant 104 during the collision, e.g., as described herein.

In various embodiments, the parameter values and other data illustrated herein may be included in one or more data stores, and may be combined with other information not described or may be divided differently into more, fewer, or different data structures. In some implementations, the data store may be physically located in one memory or may be distributed among two or more memories.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the example architectures 300 and 1200 are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In particular, computing systems and devices may include any combination of hardware or software capable of performing the indicated functions, including computers, network devices, internet appliances, tablets, PDAs, wireless telephones, pagers, and the like. The architectures 300 and 1200 may also be connected to other devices not shown, or alternatively may operate as stand-alone systems. Further, in some implementations, the functionality provided by the illustrated components may be combined in fewer components or distributed in additional components. Similarly, in some embodiments, the functionality of some of the illustrated components may not be provided and/or other additional functionality may be available.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that while various items are illustrated as being stored in memory or storage when used, these items, or portions thereof, may be transferred between storage and other storage devices for purposes of memory management and data integrity. Alternatively, in other embodiments, some or all of the software components may execute in memory on another device and communicate with the illustrated architectures 300 and 1200. Some or all of the system components or data structures may also be stored (e.g., as instructions or structured data) on a non-transitory, computer-accessible medium or portable article for reading by an appropriate drive, various examples of which are described above. In some embodiments, instructions stored on a computer-accessible medium separate from architectures 300 and 1200 may be transmitted to architectures 300 and 1200 via a transmission medium or signal such as an electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signal, transmitted over a communication medium such as a wireless link. Various implementations may also include receiving, transmitting or storing instructions and/or data implemented in accordance with the foregoing description upon a computer-accessible medium. Thus, the techniques described herein may be practiced with other control system configurations. Additional information regarding the operation of the modules of the vehicle 102 is discussed below.

Fig. 13 and 14 are flowcharts of an example process, shown as a collection of blocks in a logical flow graph, which represent a sequence of operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In the context of software, the blocks represent computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or more processors, perform the recited operations. Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so forth that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blocks can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes.

Fig. 13 is a flow chart of an example process 1300 for deploying an inflatable occupant protection system. At 1302, the example process 1300 may include receiving a collision signal indicative of at least one of a collision or a predicted collision, e.g., relating to another vehicle or object. In some examples, the collision signal may be generated by, for example, a perception and/or planning component and may be received by the deployment controller, e.g., as described herein.

At 1304, the example process 1300 may include receiving an occupant signal indicating whether an occupant (and/or an object) is present in the vehicle seat. For example, the object classification system and/or other portions of the vehicle system may generate a signal indicative of whether an occupant is present in a vehicle seat, and in some examples, one or more signals are indicative of the seat in which the occupant is located. In some examples, such signals may be received by a deployment controller, e.g., as described herein.

At 1306, the example process 1300 may include determining whether an occupant is present in the seat based at least in part on the occupant signal. If not, the example process 1300 may return to 1302 without activating occupant protection systems, including inflatable occupant protection systems.

On the other hand, if an occupant is present in the seat of the vehicle, the example process 1300 may include deflecting a lateral ceiling trim panel and creating a lateral opening at 1308 to allow deployment of a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain, e.g., as described herein. In some examples, this may include actuating a deployment controller of an inflator in flow communication with a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain. In some examples, activation of the inflator may cause the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain to begin to deploy, which may provide a force against the lateral ceiling trim panel sufficient to cause the lateral seam associated with the lateral ceiling trim panel to open, thereby allowing the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain to deploy through the resulting opening and eventually reach its deployed state.

At 1310, some examples of process 1300 may include deflecting the first side ceiling trim panel and creating a longitudinal opening to allow the first side of the inflatable curtain to be deployed to a deployed state, e.g., as described herein. In some examples, this may include the deployment controller activating an inflator in flow communication with the first side of the inflatable curtain. In some examples, activation of the inflator may cause the first side of the inflatable curtain to begin to deploy, which may provide a force against the first side ceiling trim panel sufficient to cause a longitudinal seam associated with the first side ceiling trim panel to open, thereby allowing at least a portion of the first side of the inflatable curtain to deploy through the created opening and eventually reach its deployed state.

In some examples, 1308 and 1310 may occur simultaneously (e.g., substantially simultaneously). In some examples, the process may further include deflecting the second side ceiling trim panel and creating a longitudinal opening to allow the second side of the inflatable curtain to be deployed to a deployed state, e.g., as described herein. In some examples, this may include the deployment controller activating an inflator in flow communication with the second side of the inflatable curtain. In some examples, activation of the inflator may cause the second side of the inflatable curtain to begin deployment, which may provide a force against the second side ceiling trim panel sufficient to cause a longitudinal seam associated with the second side ceiling trim panel to open, thereby allowing at least a portion of the second side of the inflatable curtain to deploy through the created opening and eventually reach its deployed state. In some examples, activation of the inflator associated with the second side of the inflatable curtain may occur simultaneously with 1308 and 1310, e.g., as described herein. In some examples, the process 1300 may also include activating one or more inflators in flow communication with the respective inflatable airbags, e.g., as described herein.

Fig. 14 is a flow chart of an example process 1400 for deploying an inflatable occupant protection system. At 1402, the example process 1400 may include receiving a collision signal indicative of at least one of a collision or a predicted collision, e.g., relating to another vehicle or object. In some examples, the collision signal may be generated by, for example, a perception and/or planning component and may be received by the deployment controller, e.g., as described herein.

At 1404, the example process 1400 may include receiving an occupant signal indicating whether an occupant and/or an object is present in the vehicle seat. For example, the object classification system and/or other portions of the vehicle system may generate signals indicative of whether an occupant and/or an object are present in a seat of the vehicle, and in some examples, one or more signals are indicative of a seat in which the occupant is present or a seat in which the object is present. In some examples, such signals may be received by a deployment controller, e.g., as described herein.

At 1406, the example process 1400 may include determining whether an occupant and/or an object is present in the seat based at least in part on the occupant signal. If not, the example process 1400 may return to 1402 without activating occupant protection systems, including inflatable occupant protection systems.

On the other hand, if an occupant and/or object is present in the seat of the vehicle, the example process 1400 may include deploying, via the first inflator, the inflatable curtain from the stowed state to the deployed state at a first time, presenting an active surface, at 1408. In some examples, the inflatable curtain may include a lateral portion presenting the active surface and a first side portion orthogonal with respect to the lateral portion and extending in a substantially parallel direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In some such examples, at 1408, the process 1400 may include deploying a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain via a first inflator at a first time and deploying a first side of the inflatable curtain from a stowed state to a deployed state via the first inflator and/or a second inflator at the first time. In some examples, the inflatable curtain may include a second side spaced apart from and opposing the first side of the inflatable curtain. In some such examples, at 1408, the process 1400 may include deploying a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain via a first inflator at a first time, deploying a first side of the inflatable curtain from a stowed state to a deployed state via the first inflator and/or a second inflator at the first time, and deploying a second side of the inflatable curtain from the stowed state to the deployed state at the first time via the first inflator, the second inflator, and/or a third inflator. In some such examples, the first side, the second side, and the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain may provide contiguous barriers.

In some examples, the occupant protection system may include a second inflatable curtain, e.g., as described herein. In some such examples, the process 1400 at 1408 may include deploying, by one or more inflators (e.g., first, second, and/or third inflators), a second inflatable curtain from a stowed state to a deployed state at a first time that presents a second reaction surface. Some such examples of process 1400 may include, for example, deploying a first side, a lateral portion, and/or a second side of a second inflatable curtain in a manner at least similar to the manner in which the first inflatable curtain may be deployed.

At 1410, the example process 1400 may include deploying, via a second inflator, an inflatable airbag at a second time after the first time, the inflatable airbag including an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface opposite the occupant-facing surface, from a stowed state to a deployed state such that the rear surface of the inflatable airbag contacts an active surface of an inflatable curtain. In some examples, the deployment controller may communicate with and actuate the fourth inflator. For example, the deployment controller may be configured to activate a fourth inflator in flow communication with the inflatable bladder, and may activate the inflatable bladder after a time delay (e.g., a time delay of about 500 milliseconds or less, a time delay of about 250 milliseconds or less, a time delay of about 100 milliseconds or less, a time delay of about 50 milliseconds or less, a time delay of about 25 milliseconds or less, or a time delay of about 5 milliseconds or less) following deployment of the inflatable curtain. In some examples, an occupant protection system may include more than one inflatable airbag. For example, an occupant protection system may include an inflatable airbag corresponding to one or more seats in a vehicle (e.g., each seat of a vehicle). In some such examples, process 1400 may include deploying, at a second time after the first time, one or more additional inflatable airbags, each including an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface opposite the occupant-facing surface, via a fourth inflator and/or one or more additional inflators (e.g., an inflator for each inflatable airbag), from a stowed state to a deployed state such that the respective rear surface of the inflatable airbag contacts an active surface of the inflatable curtain. In examples including a second inflatable curtain, process 1400 may further include deploying one or more additional inflatable balloons at a second time at 1410 such that respective rear surfaces of the additional inflatable balloons contact an active surface of the second inflatable curtain.

It should be appreciated that the subject matter presented herein may be implemented as a computer process, a computer-controlled apparatus, a computing system, or as an article of manufacture such as a computer-readable storage medium. While the subject matter described herein is presented in the general context of program modules that execute on one or more computing devices, those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations may be performed in combination with other types of program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that aspects of the subject matter described herein may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, palmtop computers, mobile telephone devices, tablet computing devices, dedicated hardware devices, network devices, and the like, in addition to those described herein.

Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that techniques for deploying an occupant protection system have been described herein. Furthermore, although the subject matter presented herein has been described in language specific to computer structural features, methodological acts, and computer readable media, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features, acts, or media described herein. Rather, the specific features, acts and mediums are disclosed as example forms of implementing the subject matter recited in the claims.

The above-described subject matter is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the examples and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Example clauses

An example occupant protection system for a vehicle, the occupant protection system comprising:

an inflatable curtain configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state, wherein the inflatable curtain in the deployed state comprises:

a first side portion configured to extend along a portion of a first inner side of the vehicle in a first direction;

a second side spaced apart from the first side and configured to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction; and

a lateral portion extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the lateral portion providing an active surface, wherein the first side, the lateral portion, and the second side of the inflatable curtain form an adjoining barrier;

an inflatable airbag including an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface opposite the occupant-facing surface, the inflatable airbag configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state such that in the deployed state the rear surface of the inflatable airbag contacts an active surface of the transverse portion of the inflatable curtain;

a lateral ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the second direction, the lateral ceiling trim panel configured to cover a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain in the stowed state and deflect to allow the lateral portion to inflate to the deployed state; and

a side ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the first direction, the side ceiling trim panel configured to cover a side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state and deflect to allow the first side of the inflatable curtain to inflate to a deployed state.

B. The occupant protection system of example a, wherein the lateral ceiling trim panel includes a lateral seam extending substantially parallel to the second direction, and wherein the lateral seam is configured to create a lateral opening through which a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain passes when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state.

C. The occupant protection system of example a or example B, wherein the side ceiling trim panel includes a longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the first direction, and wherein the longitudinal seam is configured to create a longitudinal opening through which the first side of the inflatable curtain passes when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state.

D. The occupant protection system of any one of examples a to C, wherein the lateral ceiling trim panel and the side ceiling trim panel are configured to create an adjoining opening through which the lateral portion and the first side pass when inflated from the stowed state to the deployed state.

E. The occupant protection system of any one of examples a to D, wherein at least a portion of the lateral ceiling trim panel proximate to the lateral seam is configured to deflect along an arc away from a ceiling of the vehicle.

F. The occupant protection system of any one of examples a to E, wherein at least a portion of the side ceiling trim panel proximate to the longitudinal seam is configured to deflect along an arc away from a ceiling of the vehicle.

G. An example ceiling trim panel system for a vehicle, the ceiling trim panel system comprising:

a transverse ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend in a first direction that is substantially transverse relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the transverse ceiling trim panel configured to cover a transverse portion of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state and deflect to allow the transverse portion of the inflatable curtain to deploy to a deployed state.

H. The ceiling trim panel system of example G, further comprising a first side ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extend in a second direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the first side ceiling trim panel configured to cover a first side of the inflatable curtain in the stowed state and deflect to allow the first side of the inflatable curtain to deploy to the deployed state.

I. The ceiling trim panel system of example G or example H, wherein the lateral ceiling trim panel comprises a lateral seam extending substantially parallel to the first direction, and wherein the lateral seam is configured to create an opening through which a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain passes when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

J. The ceiling trim panel system of any of examples G-I, wherein the first side ceiling trim panel comprises a longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the second direction, and wherein the longitudinal seam is configured to create an opening through which the first side of the inflatable curtain passes when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

K. The ceiling trim panel system of any of examples G-J, wherein the lateral ceiling trim panel and the first side ceiling trim panel are configured to create an adjoining opening through which the lateral portion and the first side pass when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

L. the ceiling trim panel system of any of examples G to K, wherein at least a portion of the lateral ceiling trim panel proximate to the lateral seam is configured to deflect along an arc away from a ceiling of the vehicle.

M. the ceiling trim system of any of examples G to L, wherein at least a portion of the first side ceiling trim panel proximate to the longitudinal seam is configured to deflect along an arc from a portion of the first side ceiling trim panel to a position transverse to the vehicle ceiling.

N. the ceiling trim panel system of any of examples G to M, further comprising a tie ceiling trim panel associated with the lateral ceiling trim panel and the first side ceiling trim panel, the tie ceiling trim panel configured to be coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle, cover a portion of one or more of the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain or the first side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state, and deflect to allow the one or more of the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain or the first side of the inflatable curtain to deploy to a deployed state.

O. the ceiling trim panel system of any of examples G to N, further comprising a second side ceiling trim panel spaced apart from the first side ceiling trim panel and configured to be coupled to a ceiling of a vehicle and extend substantially parallel to the second direction, the second side ceiling trim panel configured to cover a second side of the inflatable curtain in the stowed state and deflect to allow the second side to deploy to the deployed state.

P. the ceiling trim panel system of any of examples G to O, wherein the second side ceiling trim panel comprises a second longitudinal seam extending substantially parallel to the second direction, and wherein the second longitudinal seam is configured to create an opening through which the second side of the inflatable curtain passes when deployed from the stowed state to the deployed state.

An example method of creating an opening through which an inflatable curtain is deployed from a stowed state to a deployed state, the method comprising:

providing a transverse ceiling trim panel coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extending in a first direction substantially transverse relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the transverse ceiling trim panel covering a transverse portion of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state;

providing a first side ceiling trim panel coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle and extending in a second direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the first side ceiling trim panel covering a first side of the inflatable curtain in a stowed state;

causing the lateral ceiling trim panel to deflect and create a lateral opening to allow a lateral portion of the inflatable curtain to deploy to a deployed state; and

causing the first side ceiling trim panel to deflect and create a longitudinal opening to allow the first side of the inflatable curtain to deploy to a deployed state.

R. the method of example Q, wherein causing the lateral ceiling trim panel to deflect and causing the first side ceiling trim panel to deflect occur simultaneously.

S. the method of example Q or R, wherein the lateral opening and the longitudinal opening are contiguous.

T. the method of any one of examples Q to S, wherein:

causing the lateral ceiling trim panel to deflect includes causing a lateral seam defined by the lateral ceiling trim panel to open and create a lateral opening; and

causing the first side ceiling trim panel to deflect includes causing a longitudinal seam defined by the first side ceiling trim panel to open and create a longitudinal opening.

An example of an occupant protection system for a vehicle, the occupant protection system comprising:

an inflatable curtain configured to deploy from a stowed state to a deployed state, wherein the inflatable curtain in the deployed state comprises:

a first side portion configured to extend along a portion of a first inner side of the vehicle in a first direction; and

a lateral portion extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the lateral portion providing an active surface, wherein the first side of the inflatable curtain and the lateral portion form an adjoining barrier;

an inflatable airbag including an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface opposite the occupant-facing surface, the inflatable airbag configured to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state such that in the deployed state the rear surface of the inflatable airbag contacts an active surface of the lateral portion of the inflatable curtain;

a first inflator in flow communication with the inflatable curtain and configured to cause the inflatable curtain to expand from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the first inflator;

a second inflator in flow communication with the inflatable airbag and configured to cause the inflatable airbag to inflate from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the second inflator; and

a deployment controller in communication with the first and second inflators and configured to actuate the first and second inflators.

V. the occupant protection system of example U, wherein the deployment controller is configured to actuate the first inflator prior to actuating the second inflator.

W. the occupant protection system of example U or example V, wherein actuation of the first inflator is configured to separate at least a portion of the trim panel from a roof of the vehicle and create an opening through which the inflatable curtain and the inflatable airbag inflate.

X. the occupant protection system of any one of examples U-W, wherein at least a portion of the inflatable airbag is coupled to at least a portion of the inflatable curtain.

Y. the occupant protection system of any one of examples U-X, wherein the inflatable curtain in the deployed state includes a distal curtain end and the inflatable airbag in the deployed state includes a distal airbag end, wherein the occupant protection system further comprises a tether coupling the distal curtain end and the distal airbag end.

An example deployment system for an occupant protection system, the deployment system comprising:

a deployment controller configured to actuate an inflator in fluid communication with one or more of the inflatable curtain or the inflatable airbag;

a first inflator in flow communication with one or more of the inflatable curtain or the inflatable airbag and configured to cause deployment of the one or more of the inflatable curtain or the inflatable airbag from the stowed state to the deployed state upon activation of the first inflator by the deployment controller.

The deployment system of example Z, further comprising a second inflator in flow communication with the inflatable airbag and configured to cause the inflatable airbag to deploy from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the second inflator by the deployment controller, wherein the deployment controller is configured to activate the first inflator prior to activation of the second inflator.

BB. the deployment system of example Z or example AA, further comprising a third inflator in flow communication with the inflatable curtain and configured to cause the first portion of the inflatable curtain to deploy from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the third inflator by the deployment controller.

The deployment system of any of examples Z-BB, wherein the deployment controller is configured to actuate the first inflator and the third inflator simultaneously.

DD. the deployment system of any one of example Z to example CC, wherein:

the first inflator has a first deployment pressure, a first deployment volume, and a first deployment flow rate;

the second inflator has a second deployment pressure, a second deployment volume, and a second deployment flow rate; and

at least one of the following:

the first deployment pressure is different from the second deployment pressure;

the first expanded volume is different from the second expanded volume; or

The first developed flow rate is different from the second developed flow rate.

The deployment system of any of examples Z-DD, wherein the inflatable airbag comprises a first inflatable airbag, and the deployment system further comprises a third inflator in flow communication with the second inflatable airbag and configured to cause the second inflatable airbag to deploy from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the third inflator by the deployment controller.

FF. the deployment system of any one of examples Z-EE, wherein the deployment controller is configured to actuate the second inflator and the third inflator simultaneously.

The deployment system of any of examples Z-FF, wherein the inflatable curtain comprises a first inflatable curtain, and the deployment system further comprises a third inflator in flow communication with the second inflatable curtain and configured to cause the second inflatable curtain to deploy from a stowed state to a deployed state upon activation of the third inflator by the deployment controller.

HH. the deployment system of any one of examples Z-GG, wherein the deployment controller is configured to actuate the first inflator and the third inflator simultaneously.

The deployment system of any of examples Z-HH, wherein the first inflatable curtain in the deployed state comprises a first distal curtain end and the second inflatable curtain in the deployed state comprises a second distal curtain end, and wherein the deployment system further comprises a tether coupling the first distal curtain end and the second distal curtain end.

The deployment system of any one of examples Z to II, wherein the deployment controller is configured to:

receiving a signal indicative of one or more of an occupant or an object in a seat; and

based at least in part on the signal, a first inflator is activated to deploy one or more of an inflatable curtain or an inflatable airbag associated with the seat.

KK. an example method for deploying an occupant protection system from a stowed state to a deployed state, the method comprising:

deploying an inflatable curtain at a first time via a first inflator from a stowed state to a deployed state, the deployed state presenting an active surface; and

an inflatable airbag including an occupant-facing surface and a rear surface opposite the occupant-facing surface is deployed from a stowed state to a deployed state via a second inflator at a second time after the first time such that the rear surface of the inflatable airbag contacts an active surface of the inflatable curtain.

LL. the method of example KK, wherein:

the first inflator has a first deployment pressure, a first deployment volume, and a first deployment flow rate;

the second inflator has a second deployment pressure, a second deployment volume, and a second deployment flow rate; and

at least one of the following:

the first deployment pressure is different from the second deployment pressure;

the first expanded volume is different from the second expanded volume; or

The first developed flow rate is different from the second developed flow rate.

MM. the method of example KK or example LL, wherein the inflatable airbag includes a first inflatable airbag, and the method further comprises deploying, at a second time via a third inflator, a second inflatable airbag including a second occupant-facing surface and a second rear surface that is in contact with the second occupant-facing surface from a stowed state to a deployed state such that the second rear surface of the second inflatable airbag contacts an active surface of the inflatable curtain.

NN. the method of any one of examples KK to example MM, wherein the occupant protection system includes at least one additional inflatable curtain and at least one additional inflatable airbag, and the method further comprises deploying at least one of the at least one additional inflatable curtain or the at least one inflatable airbag via at least one additional inflator.