Abstract:
Impending rollover events are detected based on differential z-axis (i.e., vertical) acceleration. Vertical or z-axis acceleration measured at laterally opposite sides of the vehicle (10) are filtered (34, 36) and differenced (72/88/92), and the differential acceleration is processed and compared to a calibrated threshold (78/90/96) to detect impending rollover. Separate algorithms (38, 40, 42) are employed to detect different categories of rollover events, and a sum of the z-axis acceleration measurements is used as a safing signal (44, 50).