Patent Description:
Document <CIT> describes a device for protecting a vehicle occupant of a vehicle with a vehicle seat, a degree of filling of an inflatable side support insert of a side cheek of a vehicle seat being controlled in the event of an impending collision or in the event of a collision.

Document <CIT> relates to a vehicle seat arrangement comprising at least one inflatable element which is integrated into the vehicle seat and which, in the inflated state, extends within the vehicle seat.

Document <CIT> describes an adjustable motor vehicle armrest that may include an inflatable portion that can be inflated toward the occupant in the vehicle width direction. When inflated, the inflation portion of the armrest may come into contact with the support regions of the occupant from outside in a seat-width direction.

The invention is defined by the features of claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined by the dependent claims.

This disclosure is directed to a vehicle comprising a passenger compartment with a seat assembly and a side airbag, wherein the side airbag is configured to protect a passenger in a vehicle from a side impact with an object, such as, for example, another vehicle, a pole, a wall, or the like. The vehicle may include an autonomous, semi-autonomous, or manually operated vehicle. The vehicle may include a body having a passenger compartment with one or more seat assemblies to accommodate passengers. The seat assemblies may include a seat tub, a seat pan, and a seat cushion upon which a passenger may sit. The seat tub may include a receiver for at least a portion of seat cushion for coupling the seat cushion to a frame of the vehicle. According to the invention, the side airbag is configured to deploy from inside the seat assembly, expanding the material of the seat tub and/or the seat cushion. Thus, the side airbag may slow the sideward velocity of the passenger without coming into direct contact with the passenger, thereby reducing injuries, such as may be due to the passenger being out of position (e.g., out of a designed and/or ideal seated position). Also, by deforming the material of the seat tub and/or the seat cushion without tearing through or breaching the material of the seat tub and/or the seat cushion, passenger injury due to flying debris can be avoided.

In some examples, the airbag may be mounted on an interior surface of the seat tub or the seat pan on a side of the seat tub proximate a lateral side of the passenger compartment (e.g., between a passenger and the lateral side of the passenger compartment). In other examples, the airbag may be mounted to an exterior surface of the seat tub or the seat pan. In yet other examples, the airbag may be mounted to a surface of the vehicle that is separate from the seat assembly, such as, for example, a seat frame to which the seat tub or seat pan may be mounted.

In some examples, the airbag may be coupled to or proximate to (e.g., on a seat frame to which the seat tub or seat pan is coupled, a body of the vehicle, or other structural component of the vehicle) the seat tub or seat pan. In some examples, the airbag may be stowed in an unfolded condition. In such an example, since the airbag is unfolded, the airbag may be configured for fast deployment upon impact, thereby reducing a potential for passenger injuries associated with the passenger being out of position. In some examples, the airbag may be stowed in a folded condition. The folded condition may include a roll fold, a tuck fold, a z-fold, or other folded pattern. In some examples, the airbag may be packed in a storage container inside or outside a bottom or side of the seat tub. In such examples, the airbag may be configured to expand out of the storage container and toward the passenger.

In some examples, the airbag may include a chamber with a single compartment configured to hold gas. In other examples, the chamber may include multiple compartments configured to hold gas. In such examples, the multiple compartments may include different sizes, shapes, materials, gas pressures, or the like. The airbag may additionally include an inflator configured to fill the chamber of the airbag with gas upon impact and/or imminent impact with an external object, such as, for example, another vehicle, a pole, a wall, or the like. The inflator may include a cold gas inflator, a pyrotechnic inflator, a hybrid inflator, or any other inflator configured to fill the chambers with gas.

In various examples, the inflator may receive a signal from an impact sensor on the vehicle. The impact sensor may detect a collision and send an electrical signal to the inflator to cause the inflator to deploy the airbag (e.g., fill the chamber(s) with gas). Additionally, or in the alternative, the vehicle may include perception sensors configured to perceive objects in an environment of the vehicle and send sensor data to a vehicle computing device. The perception sensors may include, for example, image capture devices (RGB cameras, intensity cameras, infra-red cameras, stereo cameras, depth cameras, etc.), light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors, and radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensors, or the like. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may receive sensor data from the perception sensors and may determine that a side impact is imminent. In some examples, a determination that a side impact is imminent may be based on a time associated with a side impact being within a threshold time (e.g., <NUM> seconds, <NUM> seconds, etc.). The threshold time may be a predetermined amount of time and/or may be based on a speed of the vehicle and/or the object, an acceleration of the vehicle and/or the object, weather, traffic density, and/or other considerations. Based on a determination that the side impact is imminent, the vehicle computing device may send a signal to the inflator to cause the inflator to fill the chamber with gas prior or concurrently with the side impact.

Upon deployment, the airbag may expand as the chamber is filled with gas. In various examples, the airbag may be configured to deform the seat tub and seat cushion during expansion. In such examples, the deployed airbag may push against a surface proximal to the passenger, deforming the seat tub, the seat pan, and/or the seat cushion toward the passenger. In some examples, the airbag may be configured to expand through an opening in the seat pan. In such examples, the deployed airbag may push against the seat cushion toward the passenger.

In some examples, the airbag may be coupled to an interior surface of the seat tub or the seat pan proximal to the passenger. In such examples, the airbag may extend from the interior surface of the seat tub or the seat pan and substantially deform the cushion. In some examples, the airbag may be disposed between the interior surface of the seat tub or seat pan and a trim associated with the seat tub or seat pan. In such examples, the airbag may extend from the interior surface of the seat tub or seat pan and substantially deform the trim and the cushion.

The deformed seat tub, seat pan, trim, and/or seat cushion of the seat assembly may prevent at least part of the passenger's body (e.g., hips, thorax, etc.) from excessive acceleration upon impact with the external object. The deformed seat tub, seat pan, and/or seat cushion improves upon traditional airbags in that the risk of injury to the passenger is decreased due to the airbag not entering the passenger compartment. Additionally, a deformation of the seat tub, seat pan, and/or the seat cushion prevents additional injuries caused by objects (e.g., pieces of trim, metal pieces, etc.) being thrown into the passenger compartment due to the airbag deployment.

According to the invention, the seat assembly is configured to be removed and/or replaced without disturbing the airbag. In this case, an airbag is mounted to an external seat frame and an entire seat assembly may be removed and/or replaced without disturbing the airbag. For another example, an airbag may be mounted to an interior surface of the seat tub and the seat cushion may be removed and/or replaced without disturbing the airbag.

<FIG> and <FIG> are top views <NUM> of an example side airbag <NUM> mounted in a seat tub <NUM> of a vehicle (not illustrated). The seat tub <NUM> may comprise a receiver for coupling to at least a portion of a seat cushion <NUM> and/or a seat pan (not illustrated). Such a seat tub <NUM> may, for example, be used to couple the seat cushion <NUM>, via the seat pan, to a vehicle frame. <FIG> illustrates the example side airbag in a stowed (e.g., uninflated) position. In various examples, a seat assembly <NUM> of the vehicle may include the seat tub <NUM> and a seat cushion <NUM>. In some examples, the vehicle may include one or more seat assemblies <NUM>. In some examples, the vehicle may include a pair of opposing seat assemblies <NUM> that face each other within a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

The seat tub and/or the seat pan may include a plastic material (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.), a metal material (e.g., aluminum, titanium, etc.), a composite material (e.g., carbon fiber, fiber glass, etc.), or a combination thereof. In at least one example, the seat tub <NUM> may include a polypropylene material. The seat cushion <NUM> may include a foam material (e.g., polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.), a polyurethane material, a rubber material (e.g., polyisoprene, EPDM ethylene propylene, neoprene, etc.), a fabric material (e.g., cotton, polypropylene, etc.), or a combination thereof. In at least one example, the seat cushion <NUM> may include a polyurethane material.

In various examples, the side airbag <NUM> may include a chamber <NUM> and an inflator <NUM>. In some examples, the chamber <NUM> may include two or more compartments configured to hold gas. In such examples, the compartments may be the same or different sizes, shapes, materials, etc. In some examples, the compartments may be configured to hold the same or different gas pressures. In at least one example, the chamber <NUM> may include a single compartment configured to hold gas. The chamber <NUM> may include a fabric material, such as, for example, nylon, cotton, silk, polyester, wool, or the like. The inflator <NUM> may include a pyrotechnic inflator, a cold gas inflator, a compressed gas inflator, a hybrid inflator, or the like. The inflator <NUM> may be configured to receive a signal indicating a collision and/or an imminent collision with an object and based on the signal may fill the chamber <NUM> with gas.

In the illustrated example, the side airbag <NUM> is coupled on an interior surface <NUM> of a side portion of the seat tub <NUM>. The interior surface <NUM> of the seat tub <NUM> may include a surface located proximal to a passenger <NUM> (e.g., farthest from a frame of the vehicle. In some examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be coupled to an exterior surface <NUM> of the seat tub <NUM>. As will be discussed in greater detail below with respect to <FIG> and <FIG>, the side airbag <NUM> may be coupled to a vehicle frame, such as, for example, an external seat frame to which the seat assembly <NUM> may be coupled. In various examples, the seat tub <NUM> may include a portion of the external seat frame.

In various examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM> and/or external seat frame via one or more couplings <NUM>. The coupling(s) <NUM> may include snap-fit couplings, screws, rivets, spring-type couplings, or any other mechanical coupling configured to securely couple the side airbag <NUM> to a surface. In the illustrative example, the side airbag <NUM> is coupled to the seat tub <NUM> with three couplings <NUM>(<NUM>), <NUM>(<NUM>), and <NUM>(<NUM>). In other examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM> and/or external seat frame with a greater or lesser number of couplings <NUM>.

In various examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be mounted (e.g., coupled to the seat tub <NUM> and/or the external seat frame) in a folded position. In such examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be folded in a roll fold, a tuck fold, a z-fold, origami-inspired fold, and/or any other style of fold of an airbag. As will be discussed in more detail below with regard to <FIG>, the side airbag <NUM> may be stored in a folded position and mounted in a storage container. In such examples, the storage container may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM> and/or the vehicle frame. In at least one example, the side airbag <NUM> may be mounted in an unfolded position. In such an example, the side airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy at a faster rate than an airbag mounted in the folded position.

The inflator <NUM> of the side airbag <NUM> may be configured to receive a signal indicating a collision and/or an imminent collision with an object. In some examples, the inflator <NUM> may receive the signal from one or more impact sensors (not shown). The impact sensor(s) may detect a collision and send an electrical signal to the inflator <NUM> to cause the inflator <NUM> to deploy the side airbag <NUM> (e.g., fill the chamber(s) <NUM> with gas).

As will be discussed in further detail below with regard to <FIG>, the vehicle may include perception sensors configured to perceive an environment and send sensor data to a vehicle computing device. The perception sensors may include image capture devices, LIDAR sensors, and RADAR sensors, or the like. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may receive sensor data from the perception sensors and may determine that a side impact is imminent. A determination that a side impact is imminent may include detecting an object (e.g., another vehicle, pole, wall, etc.) in the environment and determining that the object has a high closure rate toward a side of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle sliding toward the object, an object trajectory aimed at side of the vehicle, etc.), and/or determining that a predicted trajectory of the object intersects with a trajectory or planned path of the vehicle. Based on the determination that the side impact is imminent, the vehicle computing device may send a signal to the inflator <NUM> to cause the inflator <NUM> to fill the chamber <NUM> with gas prior or concurrently with the side impact.

In various examples, the vehicle computing device may be configured to determine a predicted time of impact. The predicted time of impact may be based on a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, a speed of the object, an acceleration of the object, a closure rate of the object toward the vehicle, road conditions, weather conditions, and/or other factors that may affect a closure rate of an object toward a vehicle or vice versa. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may send a signal to the inflator to deploy concurrently with or immediately prior to (e.g., <NUM> milliseconds, <NUM> milliseconds, <NUM> milliseconds, etc.) the time of impact.

In some examples, a determination that the side impact is imminent may be based at least in part on the predicted time of impact. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may determine that the side impact is imminent based on the predicted time of impact being within a threshold period of time (e.g., <NUM> seconds, <NUM> seconds, <NUM> seconds, etc.). In various examples, the threshold period of time may be a predetermined time period. In such examples, the threshold period of time may include a constant value. In some examples, the threshold period of time may be determined based on a speed of the vehicle and/or object, an acceleration of the vehicle and/or object, weather, traffic density, and/or other factors affecting closure rates and/or vehicle control.

In various examples, the seat assembly <NUM> may include a position sensor (not illustrated in <FIG>), configured to determine whether a passenger is seated in the seat assembly <NUM>. In some examples, the position sensor may include a weight switch configured to determine whether a weight is located in or on the seat assembly <NUM>. The weight may include a minimum weight associated with a passenger <NUM> (e.g., <NUM> pounds, <NUM> kilograms, <NUM> pounds, etc.). In various examples, the position sensor may include an image capture device and/or other perception sensor disposed above the seat assembly <NUM> or elsewhere within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In such examples, the image capture device and/or other perception sensor may send sensor data to the vehicle computing device to analyze and determine whether the object in the seat assembly is a passenger <NUM>. In the case of a passenger, the perception sensor may also determine a size and/or shape of the passenger <NUM>.

In various examples, the position sensor and/or the vehicle computing device may send an arming signal to the inflator <NUM> based on a determination that the seat assembly <NUM> is occupied with a passenger <NUM>. Responsive to receiving the arming signal, the inflator <NUM> may arm (e.g., turn on, activate to be ready for a deployment signal, etc.). In some examples, the position sensor and/or the vehicle computing device may send a deployment instruction to the inflator <NUM>. The deployment instruction may include an instruction on how to deploy the side airbag <NUM> (e.g., a speed of inflation, a pressure related to inflation, etc.). For example, the position sensor and/or the vehicle computing device may determine that the passenger <NUM> is a child and may send a deployment instruction to the inflator to cause the inflator, upon deployment, to reduce a pressure of the side airbag <NUM> to soften the impact for the child.

<FIG> illustrates the example side airbag in an extended (e.g., deployed) position. As discussed above, the inflator <NUM> may be configured to deploy (e.g., inflator <NUM> fills chamber <NUM> with gas) the side airbag <NUM> based on a signal from a sensor and/or a vehicle computing system. Responsive to receiving the signal to deploy and in some examples, an arming signal and/or deployment instruction, the inflator <NUM> may fill the chamber <NUM> with gas, causing the chamber <NUM> to expand toward the passenger <NUM>. The inflator <NUM> may be configured to deploy the airbag a width W horizontally toward the passenger <NUM>. In at least one example, the width W may be <NUM> millimeters. In other examples, the width W may be another distance greater or lesser than <NUM> millimeters (e.g., <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, etc.). Additionally, the inflator <NUM> may be configured to deploy the airbag a depth D parallel to the passenger <NUM>. In at least one example, the depth D may be <NUM> millimeters. In other examples, the depth D may be another distance greater or lesser than <NUM> millimeters (e.g., <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, etc.).

In various examples, a deployment of the side airbag <NUM> may cause one or more components of the seat assembly to extend from the uninflated position, such as that shown in <FIG>. In some examples, at least part of a side portion of the seat tub <NUM> (e.g., part of the side portion proximate to the passenger) may be configured to deform due to pressures imparted upon it by the deployed side airbag <NUM>. In various examples, the portion of the seat tub <NUM> may include a trim of the seat tub <NUM>. In such examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be situated between the trim and a surface of the seat tub <NUM>. As will be discussed below with respect to <FIG>, the side airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy through an opening in the seat tub <NUM>. In such examples, the seat tub <NUM> may not deform or may experience negligible deformity, such as, for example, a slight deformity around the edges of the opening in the seat tub. In some examples, the side airbag <NUM> may be coupled to an interior surface <NUM> of the seat tub <NUM> proximal to the passenger. In such examples, the seat tub <NUM> may experience no deformity or substantially no deformity upon airbag <NUM> deployment.

Additionally, or in the alternative, the seat cushion <NUM> of the seat assembly <NUM> may deform due to pressures imparted upon it by the deployed side airbag <NUM>. As discussed above, in various examples, the seat cushion <NUM> may include a soft, pliable material configured to deform under pressure. In some examples, the deformed seat cushion <NUM> may be the surface the passenger <NUM> contacts upon side airbag <NUM> deployment. In such examples, the seat cushion <NUM> may prevent at least part of the passenger's <NUM> body (e.g., hips, thorax, etc.) from excessive acceleration resultant from a side impact with an object.

In various examples, some or all of the seat assembly <NUM> may configured to be removed and/or replaced without disturbing (e.g., decoupling, removing, disarming, etc.) the side airbag <NUM>. In examples in which the side airbag <NUM> is coupled to an interior or exterior surface of the seat tub <NUM>, the cushion <NUM> and/or the seat pan may be configured to be removed and/or replaced without disturbing the side airbag <NUM>. In examples, in which the side airbag <NUM> is coupled to an external seat frame or other surface separate and distinct from the seat tub <NUM>, the entire seat assembly <NUM>, including at least the seat tub <NUM> and the seat cushion <NUM>, may be configured to be removed and/or replaced without disturbing the side airbag <NUM>. A removal of at least a portion of the seat assembly <NUM> without disturbing the side airbag <NUM> may decrease complexity and/or time associated with performing maintenance, cleaning, and/or removal of parts of the vehicle.

<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG> are perspective views of an example environment <NUM> in which an example side airbag <NUM>, such as side airbag <NUM> may be stowed in a seat tub <NUM>, such as seat tub <NUM>, of a vehicle. <FIG> is an illustration of the example side airbag <NUM> with respect to a passenger <NUM>, such as passenger <NUM>, located on a seat cushion <NUM> of a seat assembly <NUM>, such as seat assembly <NUM>. In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> is mounted in a right-side portion of the seat tub <NUM> (e.g., right side of passenger <NUM>). In other examples, the airbag <NUM> may be mounted in a left-side portion of the seat tub <NUM> (e.g., left side of passenger <NUM>).

In various examples, the seat tub <NUM> and the seat cushion <NUM> may have a same or substantially similar height. In such examples, the airbag <NUM> may be configured to extend to at least a portion of the height of the seat tub <NUM> and/or the cushion <NUM>. In some examples, the seat tub <NUM> may extend higher than the seat cushion <NUM>. In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> may extend to the height of the seat tub <NUM> (e.g., to a height greater than the seat cushion). In some examples, the airbag <NUM> may extend to a lesser height than illustrated in <FIG> (e.g., a height substantially equivalent to the height of the seat cushion <NUM>, to a height taller than the seat cushion <NUM>, but less than the height of the seat tub <NUM>, a height configured to protect at least a portion of a thorax of the passenger <NUM>, etc.).

In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to a surface of the seat tub <NUM> (e.g., interior surface of the seat tub <NUM>, exterior surface of the seat tub <NUM>, etc.). In some examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to surface separate from the seat tub <NUM>, such as, for example, an external seat frame (not illustrated), a frame of the vehicle, or other surface separate from the seat assembly <NUM>.

Responsive to receiving a signal indicating a side impact with an object, an inflator of the airbag <NUM> may cause a chamber of the airbag <NUM> to fill with gas. The chamber of the airbag <NUM> may be configured to expand toward the passenger (e.g., toward a center of the seat assembly <NUM>), deforming at least a portion of the seat tub <NUM> and/or the seat cushion <NUM>. In various examples, the chamber may expand toward the passenger through an opening in the seat tub <NUM>. In some examples, the chamber may expand and may force at least a portion of the seat tub <NUM> (e.g., a wall of the seat tub <NUM>, trim associated with the seat tub <NUM>, an arm portion (e.g., right-side or left-side portion) of the seat tub, etc.) to deform toward the passenger. Additionally, or in the alternative, the chamber may expand and may force at least a portion of the seat cushion <NUM> to deform toward the passenger.

In various examples, the deformed portions of the seat tub <NUM> and/or the seat cushion <NUM> may expand toward the passenger, thereby preventing at least part of the passenger's <NUM> body (e.g., hips, thorax, etc.) from excessive acceleration upon side impact with the object. The deformed seat tub <NUM> and/or seat cushion <NUM> improves upon traditional airbags in that the risk of injury to the passenger is decreased due to the airbag not entering the passenger compartment. Additionally, a deformation of the seat tub <NUM> and/or the seat cushion <NUM> prevents additional injuries caused by projectiles (e.g., pieces of trim, metal pieces, etc.) being thrown into the passenger compartment due to the airbag <NUM> deployment.

<FIG> is an illustration of the example side airbag <NUM> configured to deploy from a bottom corner <NUM> of the seat assembly <NUM>. As discussed above, the airbag <NUM> may include an inflator <NUM> configured to fill a chamber of the airbag <NUM> with gas. In the illustrative example, the inflator <NUM> may be mounted proximate to the bottom corner <NUM>. The bottom corner may include a portion of the seat assembly <NUM> in which a side vertical portion and a horizontal portion of the seat intersect. In such an example, the inflator <NUM> may fill the chamber with gas from a bottom end of the chamber (e.g., airbag <NUM>) vertically upward toward a top end of the chamber.

In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM>, the external seat frame (not illustrated), and/or other surface external to the seat assembly <NUM> in a folded position. The fold may include a roll fold, a tuck fold, a z-fold, origami-inspired fold, and/or any other style of fold of an airbag. In some examples, the inflator <NUM> may cause the airbag <NUM> to unfold substantially vertically, as depicted in <FIG>, and expand toward the passenger, as discussed above, though any other deployment direction is contemplated so as to achieve a desired deformation of the seating components. In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM>, the external seat frame (not illustrated), and/or other surface external to the seat assembly <NUM> in an unfolded position. In such examples, the inflator <NUM> may cause the chamber of the airbag <NUM> to fill with gas and expand substantially vertically and toward the passenger, as discussed above.

<FIG> is an illustration of the example side airbag configured to deploy from a back corner <NUM> of the seat assembly <NUM>. In the illustrative example, the inflator <NUM> of the airbag may be mounted proximate to the back corner <NUM> of the seat assembly <NUM>. The back corner may include a portion of the seat assembly <NUM> where a side vertical portion and a back vertical portion of the seat intersect. In such an example, the inflator <NUM> may fill the chamber with gas from a back end of the chamber (e.g., airbag <NUM>) horizontally forward toward a front end of the chamber.

In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM>, the external seat frame (not illustrated), and/or other surface external to the seat assembly <NUM> in a folded position. The fold may include a roll fold, a tuck fold, a z-fold, origami-inspired fold, and/or any other style of fold of an airbag. In some examples, the inflator <NUM> may cause the airbag <NUM> to unfold substantially horizontally, as depicted in <FIG>, and expand toward the passenger, as discussed above. In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM>, the external seat frame (not illustrated), and/or other surface external to the seat assembly <NUM> in an unfolded position. In such examples, the inflator <NUM> may cause the chamber of the airbag <NUM> to fill with gas and expand substantially horizontally and toward the passenger, as discussed above.

Although illustrated in a position just above a centerline of the airbag <NUM>, the inflator <NUM> may be coupled to the chamber of the airbag <NUM> on a centerline, below a centerline, above or below the centerline at a greater or lesser distance therefrom than illustrated, proximate to a bottom corner, or proximate to a top corner of the airbag <NUM>. For example, the inflator <NUM> may be coupled to the chamber of the airbag <NUM> at a bottom end of the chamber at a confluence of the bottom corner and the back corner. Responsive to a signal to deploy, the inflator <NUM> may fill the chamber with gas to cause the chamber to expand substantially horizontally, substantially vertically, and toward the passenger.

In other examples, the inflator <NUM> may be coupled to a front end <NUM> of the airbag <NUM> at a position along the front end <NUM>. In such examples, responsive to a signal to deploy, the inflator <NUM> may fill the chamber with gas substantially horizontally backward, toward the back corner of the seat assembly <NUM>. In still yet other examples, the inflator <NUM> may be coupled to a top end <NUM> of the airbag <NUM> at a position along the top end <NUM>. In such examples, responsive to a signal to deploy, the inflator <NUM> may fill the chamber with gas substantially vertically downward.

<FIG> is a front side cross-sectional view of an example airbag <NUM>, such as airbag <NUM>, in the deployed position. The airbag <NUM> may include a chamber <NUM>, such as chamber <NUM>, and an inflator <NUM>, such as inflator <NUM>. In the illustrative example, the chamber <NUM> includes a single compartment. In other examples, the chamber <NUM> may include two or more compartments. In such examples, the two or more compartments may include the same or different materials, gas pressures, shapes, sizes, or the like. The inflator <NUM> may include a cold gas inflator, a pyrotechnic inflator, a hybrid inflator, or any other inflator configured to fill the chamber(s) <NUM> with gas.

As discussed above, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to an exterior surface of the seat tub <NUM>, such as seat tub <NUM>. In some examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to an interior surface <NUM> of the seat tub <NUM>, such as interior surface <NUM>. In some examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to a surface separate from the seat tub <NUM>, such as, for example, an external seat frame, a vehicle frame, or other component of a vehicle.

In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM> and/or a surface separate from the seat tub <NUM> via one or more couplings <NUM>, such as couplings <NUM>. The coupling(s) <NUM> may include snap-fit couplings, screws, rivets, spring-type couplings, or any other mechanical coupling configured to securely couple the airbag <NUM> to a surface. In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> is coupled to the seat tub <NUM> with three couplings <NUM>(<NUM>), <NUM>(<NUM>), and <NUM>(<NUM>). In other examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat tub <NUM> and/or a surface separate from the seat tub <NUM> via a greater or lesser number of couplings <NUM>.

Responsive to receiving a signal to deploy the airbag <NUM>, such as from a sensor and/or a vehicle computing device, the inflator may fill the chamber <NUM> with gas, causing the chamber to expand vertically and horizontally toward a passenger <NUM>, such as passenger <NUM>. As discussed above, the airbag <NUM> may expand a width W horizontally toward the passenger <NUM>. In at least one example, the width W may be <NUM> millimeters. In other examples, the width W may be another distance greater or lesser than <NUM> millimeters (e.g., <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, etc.). Additionally, the inflator <NUM> may be configured to expand the airbag a height H vertically with respect to the passenger <NUM>. In at least one example, the height H may be <NUM> millimeters. In other examples, the height H may be another distance greater or lesser than <NUM> millimeters (e.g., <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, <NUM> millimeters, etc.).

In some examples, a trim of the seat tub <NUM> may be coupled to a trim surface <NUM>. In such examples, the trim of the seat tub <NUM> may deform and expand toward the passenger <NUM>. As additionally illustrated in <FIG>, responsive to the deployment, a seat cushion <NUM>, such as seat cushion <NUM>, may deform and expand toward the passenger <NUM>. In various examples, the seat cushion <NUM> may include a soft, pliable material. For example, the seat cushion may include a foam material (e.g., polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.), a polyurethane material, a rubber material (e.g., polyisoprene, EPDM ethylene propylene, neoprene, etc.), a fabric material (e.g., cotton, polypropylene, etc.), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the seat cushion <NUM> may provide a relatively soft surface to slow the acceleration of the passenger <NUM> during a side impact with an object.

<FIG> is a front perspective exploded view of a portion of an example seat assembly <NUM>, such as seat assembly <NUM>, including an example airbag <NUM>, such as airbag <NUM>. The seat assembly <NUM> may include a seat pan <NUM> and a seat cushion <NUM>, such as seat cushion <NUM>. In various examples, the seat pan <NUM> may be configured to couple to a seat tub, such as seat tub <NUM> and/or an external seat frame of a vehicle. Such a seat pan <NUM> may provide, for example, a hard surface with which to couple the seat cushion <NUM> to a vehicle frame.

The seat pan <NUM> may include a plastic material (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.), a metal material (e.g., aluminum, titanium, etc.), a composite material (e.g., carbon fiber, fiber glass, etc.), or a combination thereof. In at least one example, the seat pan <NUM> may include a polypropylene material. The seat cushion <NUM> may include a foam material (e.g., polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.), a polyurethane material, a rubber material (e.g., polyisoprene, EPDM ethylene propylene, neoprene, etc.), a fabric material (e.g., cotton, polypropylene, etc.), or a combination thereof. In at least one example, the seat cushion <NUM> may include a polyurethane material. In such examples, the seat cushion <NUM> may provide a soft surface upon which a passenger, such as passenger <NUM>, may sit. The seat cushion <NUM> may be configured to couple to and sit atop the seat pan <NUM>. The seat cushion <NUM> may couple to the seat pan <NUM> via hook and loop connectors (e.g., couplings), adhesives, snap-fit connectors, screw-type connectors, spring-type connectors, and/or any other connector configured to couple same or different materials together.

In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to an interior surface of the seat pan <NUM>. In such an example, the airbag <NUM> may rest between the seat pan <NUM> and the seat cushion <NUM> after the seat assembly <NUM> is assembled. As illustrated in <FIG>, a chamber <NUM> of the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat pan <NUM> via five couplings <NUM>, such as couplings <NUM>(<NUM>), <NUM>(<NUM>), <NUM>(<NUM>), <NUM>(<NUM>), and <NUM>(<NUM>). In other examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the seat pan <NUM> via a greater or lesser number of couplings <NUM>. As described above, the couplings <NUM> may include any type of mechanical coupling, such as, for example, snap-fit couplings, screws, rivets, spring-type couplings, or the like.

In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> may include a substantially L-shaped chamber <NUM>. In other examples, the chamber <NUM> may include a substantially rectangular, ovular, hexagonal, D-shaped, or any other shaped chamber <NUM>, though any other shape is contemplated (e.g., shapes that substantially conform to a shape of a corresponding seat, that conform to a shape of a passenger or cargo proximal thereto, or the like). In various examples, the chamber <NUM> of the airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy upon activation of an inflator <NUM>. In some examples, the inflator <NUM> may be armed based at least in part on a signal from a position sensor. The position sensor may include a weight sensor, a perception sensor (e.g., image capture device, etc.), and/or any other type of sensor configured to determine sense a presence of a passenger in the seat assembly <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, such an airbag <NUM> may be substantially unfolded. Storing the airbag <NUM> in such a configuration may require less space in a width direction, while enabling faster expansion times, lower pressurization requirements, and the like.

In various examples, the inflator <NUM> may be configured to deploy based at least in part on a signal from one or more sensors of the vehicle. In some examples, the sensor(s) may include one or more impact sensors. The impact sensor(s) may detect an impact with an object (and/or surface) and send the signal indicating the impact directly to the inflator <NUM> and/or to a vehicle computing device, and/or to the inflator <NUM> via the vehicle computing device. In some examples, the sensor(s) may include one or more perception sensors. In such examples, the perception sensor(s) may be configured to capture sensor data of objects in an environment and send the sensor data to the vehicle computing device for processing. The vehicle computing device may be configured to detect and identify objects and/or surfaces in the environment based on the sensor data. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may determine that a detected and/or identified object in the environment has a constant bearing and decreasing range toward a side of the vehicle. In such examples, the vehicle computing device may determine, based on a closure rate, speeds of the object and/or vehicle, accelerations of the object and/or vehicle, weather, road conditions, or other factors affecting an ability of a vehicle and/or object to slow down or stop in the environment, that a side impact (e.g., side collision) with the object is imminent. In various examples, the vehicle computing device may send a signal to the inflator <NUM> indicating imminent impact and/or an impact with the object.

Responsive to receiving the signal from the sensor and/or the vehicle computing device, the inflator <NUM> may cause the chamber <NUM> to fill with gas and expand toward the passenger. In the illustrative example, the chamber <NUM> may expand toward the passenger and deform the seat cushion <NUM>. As discussed above, the seat cushion <NUM> may include a pliable material, capable of deforming and/or expanding with the chamber <NUM> of the airbag <NUM>. The seat cushion <NUM> may thus be the surface against which the passenger makes contact during a side impact.

<FIG> is a front perspective view of an example airbag <NUM>, such as airbag <NUM>, coupled to an external seat frame <NUM> to which a seat pan <NUM>, such as seat pan <NUM>, is additionally coupled. In some examples, the seat pan <NUM> may additionally or alternatively be coupled to a seat tub, such as seat tub <NUM>. In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> is coupled to the external seat frame <NUM> via one or more couplings <NUM>. The coupling(s) <NUM> may include snap-fit couplings, screws, rivets, spring-type couplings, or any other mechanical coupling configured to securely couple the side airbag <NUM> to the external seat frame <NUM>. Though illustrated as five couplings <NUM>, a greater or lesser number of couplings <NUM> may be used to couple the airbag <NUM> to the external seat frame <NUM>.

In some examples, the airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy and extend (e.g., expand in size due to introduction of gas) toward a passenger seated in the seat pan <NUM>. In some examples, the airbag <NUM>, upon deployment, may deform at least a portion of the seat pan <NUM> and a seat cushion (not illustrated), such as seat cushion <NUM>, coupled to the seat pan <NUM>.

In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy and extend toward the passenger through an opening <NUM> in the seat pan <NUM>. In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may deform at least a portion of the opening <NUM> upon deployment. For example, the edges of the opening <NUM> may be deformed by forces imparted upon it during a deployment of the airbag <NUM>. As discussed above, the airbag <NUM> may extend toward a passenger and deform the seat cushion coupled to the seat pan <NUM>. The seat cushion may include a soft, pliable material, and may be the surface that the passenger contacts during a side impact with an object. The airbag <NUM> and the seat cushion and/or seat pan <NUM> may slow the acceleration of the passenger during the side impact and may reduce potential injuries of the passenger associated with the side impact.

<FIG> is a front side cross-sectional view of an example airbag <NUM>, such as airbag <NUM>, mounted in a storage container <NUM>. The storage container <NUM> may include a plastic material (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.), a metal material (e.g., aluminum, titanium, etc.), a composite material (e.g., carbon fiber, fiber glass, etc.), a fabric material (e.g., cotton, polypropylene, etc.), a rubber material (e.g., polyisoprene, EPDM ethylene propylene, neoprene, etc.), a foam material (e.g., polystyrene, polyethylene, etc.), and/or any other material capable of housing the airbag <NUM>. In some examples, the storage container <NUM> may be coupled to a seat pan <NUM> of the vehicle, such as seat pan <NUM>. In such examples, the storage container may be coupled to an interior surface (proximal to a seat cushion) or an exterior surface (distal from a seat cushion) of the seat pan <NUM>. In various examples, the storage container <NUM> may be coupled to a seat tub of the vehicle, such as seat tub <NUM>. In such examples, the storage container <NUM> may be coupled to an interior surface of the seat tub, an exterior surface of the seat tub, or a surface separate from the seat tub.

In the illustrative example, the storage container <NUM> is coupled to a vehicle frame <NUM>. In some examples, the vehicle frame <NUM> can include an external seat frame, such as external seat frame <NUM>, a vehicle frame, or other frame associated with the vehicle and/or components thereof. The storage container <NUM> may be coupled to the seat pan <NUM>, a seat tub, and/or the vehicle frame <NUM> via one or more couplings, as described above. Additionally, in various examples, the airbag <NUM> may be coupled to the storage container <NUM> via one or more couplings. The airbag <NUM> may be housed in the storage container <NUM> in a folded or unfolded position.

In some examples, the airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy and extend (e.g., expand in size due to introduction of gas) toward a passenger seated in the seat assembly (e.g., comprising a seat tub, a seat pan, and/or a seat cushion). In some examples, the airbag <NUM>, upon deployment, may deform at least a portion of the seat pan <NUM> and a seat cushion (not illustrated), such as seat cushion <NUM>, coupled to the seat pan <NUM>. In various examples, the airbag <NUM>, upon deployment, may deform the storage container <NUM>. In some examples, a surface of the storage container <NUM> proximal to the passenger may be configured to break away so that the airbag may extend toward the passenger.

In the illustrative example, the airbag <NUM> may be configured to deploy and extend toward the passenger through an opening <NUM>, such as opening <NUM>, in the seat pan <NUM>. In various examples, the airbag <NUM> may deform at least a portion of the opening <NUM> upon deployment. For example, the edges of the opening <NUM> may be deformed by forces imparted upon it during a deployment of the airbag <NUM> (e.g., from the airbag <NUM> and/or the storage container <NUM>). As discussed above, the airbag <NUM> may extend toward a passenger and deform the seat cushion coupled to the seat pan <NUM>. The seat cushion may include a soft, pliable material, and may be the surface that the passenger contacts during a side impact with an object. The airbag <NUM> and the seat cushion and/or seat pan <NUM> may slow the acceleration of the passenger during the side impact and may reduce potential injuries of the passenger associated with the side impact.

<FIG> is a block diagram of an example system <NUM> for implementing the techniques described herein. In at least one example, the system <NUM> may include a vehicle <NUM>, such as the vehicle in which a seat tub may be mounted as described above with regard to <FIG>.

The vehicle <NUM> may include a vehicle computing device <NUM>, one or more sensor systems <NUM>, one or more emitters <NUM>, one or more communication connections <NUM>, at least one direct connection <NUM>, and one or more drive modules <NUM>.

The vehicle computing device <NUM> may include one or more processors <NUM> and memory <NUM> communicatively coupled with the one or more processors <NUM>. The vehicle <NUM> may include any type of vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle, or any other system having at least an image capture device (e.g., a camera enabled smartphone). In the illustrated example, the memory <NUM> of the vehicle computing device <NUM> stores a localization component <NUM>, a perception component <NUM>, a planning component <NUM>, one or more system controllers <NUM>, and a side airbag component <NUM> including an impact component <NUM>, and a signaling component <NUM>. Though depicted in <FIG> as residing in the memory <NUM> for illustrative purposes, it is contemplated that the localization component <NUM>, the perception component <NUM>, the planning component <NUM>, the system controllers <NUM>, and the side airbag component <NUM> including the impact component <NUM>, and the signaling component <NUM> may additionally, or alternatively, be accessible to the vehicle <NUM> (e.g., stored on, or otherwise accessible by, memory remote from the vehicle <NUM>, such as, for example, on memory <NUM> of a remote computing device <NUM>).

In at least one example, the localization component <NUM> may include functionality to receive data from the sensor system(s) <NUM> to determine a position and/or orientation of the vehicle <NUM> (e.g., one or more of an x-, y-, z-position, roll, pitch, or yaw). For example, the localization component <NUM> may include and/or request / receive a map of an environment and can continuously determine a location and/or orientation of the autonomous vehicle within the map. In some instances, the localization component <NUM> can utilize SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), CLAMS (calibration, localization and mapping, simultaneously), relative SLAM, bundle adjustment, non-linear least squares optimization, or the like to receive image data, LIDAR data, radar data, IMU data, GPS data, wheel encoder data, and the like to accurately determine a location of the autonomous vehicle. In some instances, the localization component <NUM> can provide data to various components of the vehicle <NUM> to determine an initial position of a vehicle for determining whether a side impact with an object may occur (e.g., imminent impact), as discussed herein.

In some examples, the perception component <NUM> may include functionality to perform object detection, segmentation, and/or classification. In some examples, the perception component <NUM> may provide processed sensor data that indicates a presence of an object that is proximate to the vehicle <NUM> and/or a classification of the object as an object type (e.g., car, pedestrian, cyclist, animal, building, tree, road surface, curb, sidewalk, unknown, etc.). In some examples, the perception component <NUM> may provide processed sensor data that indicates a presence of a stationary object that is proximate to the vehicle <NUM> and/or a classification of the stationary object as a type (e.g., building, tree, road surface, pole, curb, sidewalk, unknown, etc.). In additional or alternative examples, the perception component <NUM> may provide processed sensor data that indicates one or more characteristics associated with a detected object (e.g., a tracked object) and/or the environment in which the object is positioned. In some examples, characteristics associated with an object may include, but are not limited to, an x-position (global and/or local position), a y-position (global and/or local position), a z-position (global and/or local position), an orientation (e.g., a roll, pitch, yaw), an object type (e.g., a classification), a velocity of the object, an acceleration of the object, an extent of the object (size), etc. Characteristics associated with the environment can include, but are not limited to, a presence of another object in the environment, a state of another object in the environment, a time of day, a day of a week, a season, a weather condition, an indication of darkness/light, etc..

In general, the planning component <NUM> may determine a path for the vehicle <NUM> to follow to traverse through an environment. For example, the planning component <NUM> may determine various routes and trajectories and various levels of detail. For example, the planning component <NUM> 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 the purpose of this discussion, a route may include a sequence of waypoints for travelling between two locations. As non-limiting examples, waypoints include streets, intersections, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, etc. Further, the planning component <NUM> may generate an instruction for guiding the autonomous vehicle along at least a portion of the route from the first location to the second location. In at least one example, the planning component <NUM> may determine how to guide the vehicle <NUM> from a first waypoint in the sequence of waypoints to a second waypoint in the sequence of waypoints. In some examples, the instruction can be a trajectory, or a portion of a trajectory. In some examples, multiple trajectories may be substantially simultaneously generated (e.g., within technical tolerances) in accordance with a receding horizon technique, wherein one of the multiple trajectories is selected for the vehicle <NUM> to navigate.

In some examples, the planning component <NUM> may include a prediction component to generate predicted trajectories of objects in an environment. For example, a prediction component may generate one or more predicted trajectories for objects within a threshold distance from the vehicle <NUM>. In some examples, a prediction component may measure a trace of an object and generate a trajectory for the object based on observed and predicted behavior.

In at least one example, the vehicle computing device <NUM> may include one or more system controllers <NUM>, which may be configured to control steering, propulsion, braking, safety, emitters, communication, and other systems of the vehicle <NUM>. The system controller(s) <NUM> may communicate with and/or control corresponding systems of the drive module(s) <NUM> and/or other components of the vehicle <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the vehicle computing device <NUM> may include a side airbag component <NUM>. The side airbag component <NUM> may include an impact component <NUM> configured to determine an imminent impact (e.g., frontal impact, side impact, glancing impact, etc.) with an object. In various examples, side airbag component <NUM> may receive data from the perception component <NUM> regarding one or more objects in an environment. The data may include a trajectory of the object(s), speed of the object(s) to include a closing speed (e.g., closure rate), acceleration of the object(s), a bearing from the vehicle <NUM> to the object, and/or any other data to assist the impact component <NUM> in determining that an impact with an object is imminent.

In various examples, the impact component <NUM> may be configured to determine a time associated with the imminent impact. The time may be a particular time, such as, for example, <NUM> milliseconds after <NUM>:05pm, or it may be a time interval from a time in which imminent impact was determined. The time may be determined based on a measured closure rate of the object toward the vehicle <NUM>, a velocity of the vehicle <NUM>, an acceleration of the vehicle <NUM>, a velocity of the object, an acceleration of the object, road conditions, weather conditions, and/or other factors that may affect a closure rate of an object toward a vehicle or vice versa.

In some examples, the side airbag component <NUM> may include a signaling component <NUM>. The signaling component <NUM> may be configured to receive an indication of imminent impact with an object, such as from the impact component <NUM>, and send a signal to one or more inflators <NUM> of one or more airbags <NUM>, such as airbag <NUM>. In various examples, the signal may cause an inflator <NUM> to expel gas into a chamber <NUM> of an airbag <NUM>, upon receipt of the signal. In some examples, the signal may include a timing component. In such examples, the signal may cause the inflator <NUM> to expel gas into a chamber <NUM> of the airbag <NUM> at a particular time and/or after an indicated period of time (e.g., delay period). For example, the signaling component <NUM> may receive a time associated with the imminent impact from the impact component <NUM>. The signaling component <NUM> may include the time in the signal, thereby causing the airbag <NUM> to deploy upon impact. For another example, the signaling component <NUM> may include a delay period, thereby causing the airbag <NUM> to deploy after the delay period. Responsive to receiving the signal, the inflator <NUM> may cause the chamber <NUM> to deploy toward a passenger seated in a passenger compartment of the vehicle <NUM>.

As can be understood, the components discussed herein (e.g., the localization component <NUM>, the perception component <NUM>, the planning component <NUM>, the one or more system controllers <NUM>, the side airbag component <NUM> including the impact component <NUM>, and the signaling component <NUM> are described as divided for illustrative purposes. However, the operations performed by the various components can be combined or performed in any other component.

In some instances, aspects of some or all of the components discussed herein can include any models, algorithms, and/or machine learning algorithms. For example, in some instances, the components in the memory <NUM> (and the memory <NUM>, discussed below) can be implemented as a neural network.

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

Although discussed in the context of neural networks, any type of machine learning can be used consistent with this disclosure. For example, machine learning algorithms can 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), locally estimated scatterplot smoothing (LOESS)), instance-based algorithms (e.g., ridge regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), elastic net, least-angle regression (LARS)), decisions tree algorithms (e.g., classification and regression tree (CART), iterative dichotomiser <NUM> (ID3), Chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID), decision stump, conditional decision trees), Bayesian algorithms (e.g., naïve Bayes, Gaussian naive Bayes, multinomial naive Bayes, average one-dependence estimators (AODE), Bayesian belief network (BNN), Bayesian networks), clustering algorithms (e.g., k-means, k-medians, expectation maximization (EM), hierarchical clustering), association rule learning algorithms (e.g., perceptron, back-propagation, hopfield network, Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN)), deep learning algorithms (e.g., Deep Boltzmann Machine (DBM), Deep Belief Networks (DBN), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Stacked Auto-Encoders), Dimensionality Reduction Algorithms (e.g., Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Principal Component Regression (PCR), Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Sammon Mapping, Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), Projection Pursuit, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Mixture Discriminant Analysis (MDA), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), Flexible Discriminant Analysis (FDA)), Ensemble Algorithms (e.g., Boosting, Bootstrapped Aggregation (Bagging), AdaBoost, Stacked Generalization (blending), Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), Gradient Boosted Regression Trees (GBRT), Random Forest), SVM (support vector machine), supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, etc. Additional examples of architectures include neural networks such as ResNet70, ResNet101, VGG, DenseNet, PointNet, and the like.

In at least one example, the sensor system(s) <NUM> may include LIDAR sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic transducers, sonar sensors, location sensors (e.g., GPS, compass, etc.), inertial sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units (IMUs), accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, etc.), cameras (e.g., RGB, IR, intensity, depth, time of flight, etc.), microphones, wheel encoders, environment sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), etc. In various examples, the sensor system(s) <NUM> may include a position sensor configured to determine whether a passenger is seated in a seat assembly. In some examples, the position sensor may include a weight switch configured to determine whether a weight is located on the seat assembly. The weight may include a minimum weight associated with a passenger (e.g., <NUM> pounds, <NUM> kilograms,<NUM> pounds, etc.). In various examples, the position sensor may include an image capture device and/or other perception sensor. In such examples, the image capture device and/or other perception sensor may send sensor data to the vehicle computing device to analyze and determine whether the object in the seat assembly is a passenger (e.g., whether it is a human or other live animal).

The sensor system(s) <NUM> can include multiple instances of each of these or other types of sensors. For instance, the LIDAR sensors can include individual LIDAR sensors located at the corners, front, back, sides, and/or top of the vehicle <NUM>. As another example, the camera sensors can include multiple cameras disposed at various locations about the exterior and/or interior of the vehicle <NUM>. The sensor system(s) <NUM> can provide input to the vehicle computing device <NUM>. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor system(s) <NUM> may send sensor data, via the one or more networks <NUM>, to the one or more computing device(s) <NUM> at a particular frequency, after a lapse of a predetermined period of time, in near real-time, etc..

The vehicle <NUM> may also include one or more emitters <NUM> for emitting light and/or sound, as described above. The emitters <NUM> in this example include interior audio and visual emitters to communicate with passengers of the vehicle <NUM>. By way of example and not limitation, interior emitters can include speakers, lights, signs, display screens, touch screens, haptic emitters (e.g., vibration and/or force feedback), mechanical actuators (e.g., seatbelt tensioners, seat positioners, headrest positioners, etc.), and the like. The emitters <NUM> in this example also include exterior emitters. By way of example and not limitation, the exterior emitters in this example include lights to signal a direction of travel or other indicator of vehicle action (e.g., indicator lights, signs, light arrays, etc.), and one or more audio emitters (e.g., speakers, speaker arrays, horns, etc.) to audibly communicate with pedestrians or other nearby vehicles, one or more of which comprising acoustic beam steering technology.

The vehicle <NUM> may also include one or more communication connection(s) <NUM> that enable communication between the vehicle <NUM> and one or more other local or remote computing device(s). For instance, the communication connection(s) <NUM> can facilitate communication with other local computing device(s) on the vehicle <NUM> and/or the drive module(s) <NUM>. Also, the communication connection(s) <NUM> can allow the vehicle to communicate with other nearby computing device(s) (e.g., computing device(s) <NUM>, other nearby vehicles, etc.) and/or one or more remote sensor system(s) <NUM> for receiving sensor data.

The communications connection(s) <NUM> may include physical and/or logical interfaces for connecting the vehicle computing device <NUM> to another computing device or a network, such as network(s) <NUM>. For example, the communications connection(s) <NUM> can enable Wi-Fi-based communication such as via frequencies defined by the IEEE <NUM> standards, short range wireless frequencies such as Bluetooth, cellular communication (e.g., <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> LTE, <NUM>, etc.) or any suitable wired or wireless communications protocol that enables the respective computing device to interface with the other computing device(s).

In at least one example, the vehicle <NUM> may include one or more drive modules <NUM>. In some examples, the vehicle <NUM> can have a single drive module <NUM>. In at least one example, if the vehicle <NUM> has multiple drive modules <NUM>, individual drive modules <NUM> may be positioned on opposite ends of the vehicle <NUM> (e.g., the front and the rear, etc.). In at least one example, the drive module(s) <NUM> may include one or more sensor systems to detect conditions of the drive module(s) <NUM> and/or the surroundings of the vehicle <NUM>. By way of example and not limitation, the sensor system(s) can include one or more wheel encoders (e.g., rotary encoders) to sense rotation of the wheels of the drive modules, 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 in the surroundings of the drive module, LIDAR sensors, radar sensors, etc. Some sensors, such as the wheel encoders can be unique to the drive module(s) <NUM>. In some cases, the sensor system(s) on the drive module(s) <NUM> can overlap or supplement corresponding systems of the vehicle <NUM> (e.g., sensor system(s) <NUM>).

The drive module(s) <NUM> may include many of the vehicle systems, including a high voltage battery, a motor to propel the vehicle, an inverter to convert direct current from the battery into alternating current for use by other vehicle systems, a steering system including a steering motor and steering rack (which can be electric), a braking system including hydraulic or electric actuators, a suspension system including hydraulic and/or pneumatic components, a stability control system for distributing brake forces to mitigate loss of traction and maintain control, an HVAC system, lighting (e.g., lighting such as head/tail lights to illuminate an exterior surrounding of the vehicle), and one or more other systems (e.g., cooling system, safety systems, onboard charging system, other electrical components such as a DC/DC converter, a high voltage junction, a high voltage cable, charging system, charge port, etc.). Additionally, the drive module(s) <NUM> may include a drive module controller which can receive and preprocess data from the sensor system(s) and to control operation of the various vehicle systems. In some examples, the drive module controller can include one or more processors and memory communicatively coupled with the one or more processors. The memory can store one or more modules to perform various functionalities of the drive module(s) <NUM>. Furthermore, the drive module(s) <NUM> may also include one or more communication connection(s) that enable communication by the respective drive module with one or more other local or remote computing device(s).

In at least one example, the direct connection <NUM> may provide a physical interface to couple the one or more drive module(s) <NUM> with the body of the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the direct connection <NUM> may allow the transfer of energy, fluids, air, data, etc. between the drive module(s) <NUM> and the vehicle. In some instances, the direct connection <NUM> can further releasably secure the drive module(s) <NUM> to the body of the vehicle <NUM>.

In at least one example, the localization component <NUM>, the perception component <NUM>, the planning component <NUM>, the one or more system controllers <NUM>, and the side airbag component <NUM> and various components thereof, may process sensor data, as described above, and may send their respective outputs, over the one or more network(s) <NUM>, to the computing device(s) <NUM>. In at least one example, the localization component <NUM>, the perception component <NUM>, the planning component <NUM>, the one or more system controllers <NUM>, and the side airbag component <NUM> may send their respective outputs to the computing device(s) <NUM> at a particular frequency, after a lapse of a predetermined period of time, in near real-time, etc..

In some examples, the vehicle <NUM> may send sensor data to the computing device(s) <NUM> via the network(s) <NUM>. In some examples, the vehicle <NUM> may receive sensor data from the computing device(s) <NUM> and/or from remote sensor systems <NUM> via the network(s) <NUM>. The sensor data may include raw sensor data and/or processed sensor data and/or representations of sensor data. In some examples, the sensor data (raw or processed) may be sent and/or received as one or more log files.

The computing device(s) <NUM> may include processor(s) <NUM> and a memory <NUM> configured to store data. The processor(s) <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> and the processor(s) <NUM> of the computing device(s) <NUM> may be any suitable processor capable of executing instructions to process data and perform operations as described herein. By way of example and not limitation, the processor(s) <NUM> and <NUM> may comprise 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 can 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 can also be considered processors in so far as they are configured to implement encoded instructions.

Memory <NUM> and <NUM> are examples of non-transitory computer-readable media. The memory <NUM> and <NUM> 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 can be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory, or any other type of memory capable of storing information. The architectures, systems, and individual elements described herein can include many other logical, programmatic, and physical components, of which those shown in the accompanying figures are merely examples that are related to the discussion herein.

In some instances, the memory <NUM> and <NUM> may include at least a working memory and a storage memory. For example, the working memory may be a high-speed memory of limited capacity (e.g., cache memory) that is used for storing data to be operated on by the processor(s) <NUM> and <NUM>. In some instances, the memory <NUM> and <NUM> may include a storage memory that may be a lower-speed memory of relatively large capacity that is used for long-term storage of data. In some cases, the processor(s) <NUM> and <NUM> cannot operate directly on data that is stored in the storage memory, and data may need to be loaded into a working memory for performing operations based on the data, as discussed herein.

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

<FIG> illustrates an example process in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure. This process is illustrated as a logical flow graph, each operation of which represents a sequence of operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In the context of software, the operations 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 the like 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 operations can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes.

<FIG> depicts an example process <NUM> for causing a deployment of a side airbag of a vehicle. For example, some or all of the process <NUM> can be performed by one or more components in <FIG>, as described herein. For example, some or all of the process <NUM> may be performed by the vehicle computing device(s) <NUM>.

At operation <NUM>, the process may include receiving sensor data from a sensor. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may receive the sensor data from the sensor. In various examples, the sensor may include a perception sensor, as described above. In such examples, the sensor data may include an indication of an object (e.g., vehicle, bicyclist, pole, wall, or the like) with a constant bearing and decreasing range toward a side of the vehicle. For stationary remote objects, the indication may signal to the vehicle computing device that the vehicle is sliding or otherwise moving sideways toward the stationary remote object.

In some examples, the sensor may include an impact sensor and the sensor data may include an electrical signal indicating impact. In such examples, the impact sensor may send the electrical signal to the inflator.

At operation <NUM>, the process may include determining whether a side impact with an object has occurred and/or is imminent. In some examples, the process may include determining that the side impact will occur within a threshold period of time. In various examples, the vehicle computing device may determine the side impact has occurred or is imminent based on the received sensor data. In some examples, the vehicle computing device may determine that the impact is imminent based on a high closure rate of the object that cannot or likely will not be stopped in a distance remaining between the vehicle and the object. For example, the vehicle computing device may determine that another vehicle has a constant bearing toward a side of the vehicle and the range is rapidly decreasing at a rate that indicates imminent impact. The vehicle computing device may thus determine that the side impact with the other vehicle is imminent.

In some examples, the inflator may receive the electrical signal indicating impact from the impact sensor. In such examples, the inflator may determine the side impact with the object has occurred.

If the vehicle computing device determines that a side impact with the object will not occur and/or is not imminent, (e.g., "no" in the operation <NUM>), the process continues to operation <NUM>. At operation <NUM>, the process may include determining that no action is necessary. Based on a determination to take no action with respect to airbag deployment, the process may return to operation <NUM>.

If the time meets or exceeds the threshold period of time (e.g., "yes" in the operation <NUM>), the process continues to operation <NUM>. At operation <NUM>, the process may include causing an inflator of a side airbag to deploy the side airbag and deform at least a portion of a seat assembly.

In various examples, the vehicle computing device may cause the inflator to deploy based on a determination that the side impact with the object is imminent. In such examples, the vehicle computing device may send a signal to the inflator, thereby causing the inflator to ignite and fill the one or more chambers of the side airbag with gas. In some examples, the inflator may receive the electrical signal directly from the impact sensor. In such examples, the inflator may automatically deploy the one or more chambers of the airbag based on receiving the electrical signal.

Responsive to the inflator filling a chamber of the side airbag with gas, the chamber may expand toward the passenger compartment. The expansion of the chamber may exert forces on a portion of seat tub of the seat assembly and/or a portion of a cushion of the seat assembly, thereby causing the portion of the seat tub and/or the portion of the cushion to deform into the passenger compartment.

Claim 1:
A vehicle comprising:
a body having a passenger compartment;
a seat assembly (<NUM>) disposed in the passenger compartment, the seat assembly being coupled to a seat frame; and
a side airbag comprising:
a chamber (<NUM>) coupled to a portion of the seat frame in an unfolded position, the chamber being configured to expand toward the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and
an inflator (<NUM>) coupled to the chamber, wherein the inflator is configured to receive a signal indicating a side impact with an object and, based at least in part on the signal, cause the chamber to expand toward the passenger compartment and deform at least a portion of the seat assembly toward the centerline of the seat assembly,
wherein the chamber is coupled to the seat frame such that the seat assembly is removable from the seat frame without decoupling or disarming the airbag.