An automated window breaking method, its system and a transport vehicle which utilises such a system

Technical field

The present invention relates to a vehicle body control technology, more specifically to an automated window breaking method, its system and a transport vehicle which utilises such a system.

Prior art

There have been many casualties in recent years as a result of passengers failing to evacuate quickly from public transport on which there were serious accidents including sudden fires or being caught in flash flooding or storms, and were therefore trapped in vehicles. Transport safety has increasingly become a matter of concern among commuters, who either take public transport or drive to work. In the event of an emergency, the ability to escape from the enclosed environment of a vehicle interior becomes critically important. Both the life of the passengers and drivers, and the safety of their property, will be in danger if measures are not taken in time, or the essential self-rescue precautions are not in place. Consequently, at present, the transport industry and manufacturers mostly consider the provision of an escape route made available in an emergency by breaking the glass walls or windows as one of the effective measures in preventing heavy casualties in serious accidents.

Glass-breaking devices in common use nowadays mostly consist of a hand-held hammer, which requires a certain level of technique to be successfully operated. The glass will fail to break reliably if the hammer is not used properly, or the person wielding it is under time pressure or injured, or simply due to there being insufficient space to wield the hammer. As a result, new window breaking devices based on electromagnetic induction or blast technology have emerged in recent years. However, such devices require separate electronic controls, which are not only more costly, but are also only operational in fires or flooding, and are unsuitable for use in road accidents.

Moreover, continued research has been conducted by technicians on vehicle window breaking systems in emergencies, such as single switch window breaking systems, whereby drivers control the initiation of breakage, so that by pushing a single button, the driver is able to break the windows in a situation he/she deems to be an emergency. Vehicles equipped with automated window breaking systems for use in an emergency have also been proposed. There is the problem, however, that at present, such vehicle window breaking systems for use in an emergency as proposed by technical personnel are only at a research and development stage, and the technology is not yet mature. The most direct consequence is that, in essence, automated window breaking systems used by vehicles are practically unavailable. Various finer technical details will need to be resolved in the course of delivering an actual product from theory in a new technological solution, with these finer details having a direct impact on the reliability of the product as well as the user experience. This is especially the case in an emergency involving a vehicle, which could be a collision, a fire, or the vehicle overturning or falling into water. In different scenarios, the speed at which the vehicle travels will vary, which makes the timing of when windows should be broken especially critical. Should windows be broken at the wrong moment, a fire could be exacerbated, or those on board could be thrown out of the vehicle, leading to secondary injuries.

Scope of the Invention

The primary object of the invention is to overcome the existing problems in the prior art by providing an automated window breaking method which automatically controls the speed at which a vehicle travels, so that in the event of an emergency, windows are broken when the vehicle has sufficiently decelerated or come to a stop, thereby reducing casualties and enhancing the features of the passive safety systems of transport vehicles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automated window breaking system which applies the above-mentioned automated window breaking method, so that vehicle speeds can be automatically controlled to allow for window breakage in an emergency once the vehicle has sufficiently decelerated or come to a stop.

One further object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle, which has the above-mentioned automated window breaking system.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide an automated window breaking system, which comprises a window breaking control unit connected to an in-vehicle network, a control unit for an engine and a control unit for a brake. The window breaking control unit comprises a detection unit, controller, breaker control unit and speed detection device, and the detection unit, controller, breaker control unit and speed detection device are electrically connected. The controller is used to processe data received from the detection unit and to determine whether the initiation conditions for breakage have been met, the result of which is then sent to the breaker control unit. When the controller reaches a decision that breakage needs to be initiated, the speed detection device determines the speed of the vehicle and sends the data detected to the controller of said window breaking control unit via the control unit for the engine, and if the vehicle speed detected is greater than a pre-defined value, the control unit for the brake is sent an order by said controller to slow the vehicle down to a speed, as detected by the speed detection device, which is below the pre-defined value before an execution order to initiate breakage is then sent by the controller to the breaker control unit.

As an optional embodiment, said window breaking control unit, control unit for the engine, and control unit for the brake are connected together by means of CAN, LIN or a circuit.

As an optional embodiment, said breaker control unit comprises an airbag controller and an electric window breakage trigger electrically connected to the airbag controller.

As an optional embodiment, said breaker control unit also comprises a safety belt pre-tensioning controller, and the controller of said window breaking control unit has been pre-set with breakage conditions of the electric window breakage trigger. Such breakage conditions include one or more value ranges for acceleration, smoke and temperature, and water level. Said controller comprises an algorithm control and drive circuit, which determines whether the conditions for initiating breakage have been met based on the signals of acceleration, smoke and water level received from the detection unit, the result of which is then sent to the airbag controller, electric window breakage trigger and safety belt pre-tensioning controller of the breaker control unit, which respectively control inflation of the airbag and the electric window breakage trigger to execute window breakage, and transmission of an order for pre-tensioning of the safety belt to be carried out in anticipation of a collision.

As an optional embodiment, said electric window breakage trigger comprises a timer, an indicating device, a drive circuit and a glass breaker, and the timer, indicating device, drive circuit and glass breaker being electrically connected. When the controller determines that the conditions for initiating breakage have been met, it sends a breakage trigger signal to the electric window breakage trigger, whereupon the timer begins to count down to a predetermined duration, and once this has been reached, the drive circuit puts the glass breaker into work. While the timer is counting down, the indicating device sends an alarm, warning that the window is about to be broken.

As an optional embodiment, said electric window breakage trigger further comprises a confirmation switch installed in the driver's cabin, the operation of which allows the window breakage to be cancelled during the countdown by the timer.

As an optional embodiment, said window break control unit further comprises a manual switch, which is provided between the controller and the breaker control unit, for manual initiation of breakage should the driver deem it necessary.

As an optional embodiment, said confirmation switch and manual switch are either provided as single or two switch buttons.

As an optional embodiment, said electric window breakage trigger further comprises several glass breakers installed on the glass of the vehicle windows, the opposite sides of which are adhered with a single or double layered vehicle film.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide an automated window breaking method which utilises the above-mentioned automated window breaking system, characterised by said automated window breaking method comprising the following steps:

Step S1 : power on the controller;

Step S2: automated self-test of the automated window breaking system by the controller;

Step S3: detect whether there is any fault in Step S2; if there is, proceed to step S4; if there is not, proceed directly to step S5;

Step S4: send out a fault warning;

Step S5: the controller receives a signal from the detection unit;

Step S6: process computation of the signal received in step S5;

Step S7: determine whether the conditions for initiating breakage have been met; if not, return to step S5; if so, proceed to step S8;

Step S8: detect whether the vehicle speed is below a predetermined value; if the speed is greater than the predetermined value, proceed to step S9; if the detected vehicle speed is below the predetermined value, proceed to step S10;

Step S9: send a message to the braking device so that the vehicle starts to decelerate before returning to step S8; Step S10: confirm window breakage; timer starts to count down; an alarm is sent by the indicating device;

Step S12: windows about to be broken.

As an optional embodiment, step S5 further comprises the receipt of a signal from the manual switch; between steps S10 and S12 there is also:

step S1 1 , whereby it is determined whether there is a confirmation for cancelling glass breakage; if there is, return to step S7; otherwise proceed to step S12, whereby windows are about to be broken; wherein as part of step S1 1 , it is confirmed whether the confirmation switch installed in the driver's cabin has been turned off - if the driver turns the confirmation switch off, then it will be considered that the cancellation of window breakage is confirmed.

One other aspect of the present invention is to provide a means of transport, which has the above-mentioned automated window breaking system, and which is either a car, a train or a ferry.

In the preferred technological solution of the invention, the automated window breaking system and its method as mentioned in the present invention enhance the features of the passive safety systems of vehicles and integrates its electric window breakage trigger with the airbag controller and the control unit for the engine of the vehicles, thereby bringing about automated window breakage at low travelling speeds in emergency situations such as collisions, fires or floods, making automated window breakage even safer, and improving the chance of passengers and drivers escaping, with the above being achieved at a very low cost. The automated window breaking system described in the present invention has a wide number of applications; not only can it be applied in automotive vehicles, but also in other transport vehicles such as trains and ferries.

Description of the drawings

The drawings illustrated herein serve to provide further elaboration of the present invention and form a part of the present invention, while the illustrative embodiments and their descriptions serve to explain the present invention and do not constitute any improper restriction to the present invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the automated window breaking system according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of features of the automated window breaking system shown in Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the electric window breakage trigger of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a flow chart of the automated window breaking method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Details of the embodiments

Drawings will be referred to in conjunction with the embodiments hereafter in the detailed description of the present invention. It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features of the embodiments of the present invention may form different configurations.

The present invention allows the use of existing controllers (such as control units of vehicles) in conjunction with window breaking devices, based on blast technology (implements) to bring about automated window breakage while travelling at low speeds in an emergency (such as fire or overturning), thereby improving the chance of escape of passengers and preventing serious casualties caused by window breakage at high travelling speeds.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 1 , which illustrates a type of automated window breaking system, which comprises a window break control unit (WBCU) 100, a control unit for an engine 500 and a control unit for a brake 300. Said window break control unit (WBCU) 100, control unit for the engine 500, and control unit for the brake 300 are connected together via an in-vehicle network 200, which is a CAN, LIN or other type of in-vehicle networks.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, said WBCU 100 comprises a detection unit 10, manual switch 14, controller 20, breaker control unit 30 and speed detection device 51 , wherein the detection unit 10, manual switch 14, controller 20, breaker control unit 30 and speed detection device 51 are electrically connected. Said detection unit 10 comprises an acceleration sensor 11 , a smoke, heat and fire sensor 12 and a water sensor 13, which are all individually and electrically connected to the controller 20. Signals are transmitted by said acceleration sensor 11 , smoke, heat and fire sensor 12, water sensor 13 and pressure sensor 14 to the controller 20. In this embodiment, said acceleration sensor 11 is a wheel speed sensor provided in the vicinity of the car wheels. There can be one or more smoke, heat and fire sensor(s) 12, depending on the actual requirements. Their choice and specific design parameters are decided in accordance with the Code for the Design of Automatic Fire Alarm Systems (GB50116). Preferably, the smoke, heat and fire sensor(s) 12 are installed individually or optionally inside a vehicle compartment, or in the vicinity of the vehicle engine or fuel tank. There can be one or more water sensors 13, depending on the actual requirements. This is also the case with the position in which they are installed, which may be on the floor of the vehicle compartment, chassis, body of the engine or vehicle body. The manual switch 14 may be one of various on/off operation models, such as push button switches, rotary switches and slide switches. The manual switch 14 is connected between the controller 20 and the breaker control unit 30.

The controller 20 comprises an algorithm control and drive circuit 21 . The controller 20 may be an electronic control unit (ECU) of vehicles. The algorithm control and drive circuit 21 is integrated within the ECU.

The breaker control unit 30 comprises an airbag controller 31 , an electric window breakage trigger 32, and a safety belt pre-tensioning controller 33, wherein the airbag controller 31 , an electric window breakage trigger 32, and a safety belt pre-tensioning controller 33 are electrically connected. The controller 20 is pre-set with the conditions for initiating breakage by the electric window breakage trigger 32, which include the ranges of values for the parameters of acceleration, smoke and temperature, as well as water level. The algorithm control and drive circuit 21 of the controller 20 determines whether the conditions for initiating breakage have been met based on the signals of acceleration, smoke and water level received from the detection unit 10, the result of which is then sent to the airbag controller 31 , electric window breakage trigger 32 and safety belt pre-tensioning controller 33 of the breaker control unit 30, which respectively control inflation of the airbag and the electric window breakage trigger 32 to execute window breakage, and transmission of an order for pre-tensioning of the safety belt to be carried out in anticipation of a collision. In this embodiment, the airbag controller 31 supplies the electric current required to initiate breakage by the electric window breakage trigger 32. In addition, upon operation of the manual switch 14 by the driver, he/she may override the controller 20 and directly control the breaker control unit 30 by means of the manual switch 14. In other words, the electric window breakage trigger 32 has two operating modes: automatic and manual. In automatic mode, the algorithm control and drive circuit 21 of the controller 20 determines whether the conditions for initiating breakage have been met based on the signals of acceleration, smoke and water level received from the detection unit 10, without the requirement for operation of the manual switch 14. In other words, operation of the manual switch 14 can be omitted. In manual mode, the driver determines whether the conditions for initiating breakage have been met and operates the manual switch 14 directly. This is a stand-by option, a backup for the automatic mode, which allows drivers to activate the manual switch 14 to initiate breakage when the circumstances warrant the need for window breakage.

Combined units of the speed detection device 51 (not shown in drawings) and the control unit for the engine 500, such as those known as power systems, are used to control the linkage between the WBCU 100 and speed. The speed detection device 51 is one or more types from a variety of speed sensors, such as wheel speed sensors. When the controller 20 reaches a decision that breakage needs to be initiated, the speed detection device 51 determines the speed of the vehicle and sends the data detected to the controller 20 of the WBCU 100 via the control unit for the engine 500, and if the detected vehicle speed is greater than a pre-defined value, e.g. 10 km/h, the control unit for the brake 52 is sent an order by the controller 20 to slow the vehicle down to a speed, as detected by the speed detection device 51 , which is below the pre-defined value before an execution order to initiate breakage is then sent by the controller 20 to the breaker control unit 30.

As further illustrated in Figure 3, said electric window breakage trigger 32 comprises an electrically connected timer 321 , indicating device 322, drive circuit 323, glass breaker 324 and confirmation switch 325 installed in the driver's cabin. When the controller 20 determines that the conditions for initiating breakage have been met, it sends a breakage trigger signal to the electric window breakage trigger 32, whereupon the timer 321 begins to count down to a predetermined duration (e.g. 8 seconds), at the end of which, the drive circuit 323 puts the glass breaker 324 into work. While the timer 321 is counting down, the indicating device 322 sends an alarm, warning that the window is about to be broken. The indicating device 322 is a buzzer, voice alarm, or one or more types of indicator lamps. Drivers may thwart window breakage by operating the confirmation switch 325 during the countdown by the timer. Both the confirmation switch 325 and the manual switch 14 are a stand-by mode of the automatic window breaking mode, whereby, on the one hand, the breakage initiation can be thwarted by activating the confirmation switch 325 when controller 20 misjudges the circumstances and wrongly initiates breakage, while breakage may also be brought forward by means of the manual switch 14 before the countdown by the timer is complete, in cases of an emergency. It may be understood that said confirmation switch 325 and manual switch 14 can be a single or two switch buttons.

Please refer to Figure 4, which provides a flow chart of the automated window breaking system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention provides a type of automated window breaking method which is as follows: Step S1 , wherein the controller 20 is powered on; Step S2, wherein the controller 20 conducts a self-test of the automated window breaking system, comprising a self-test of the controller 20, tests of the sensor circuit of the detection unit 10 and of the switch circuit, as well as of the circuit of the electric window breakage trigger 32. Step S3, wherein detection is conducted to determine whether there is any fault; if there is, proceed to step S4; if there is not, proceed directly to step S5. Step S4, wherein a fault warning, such as the lighting up of a warning light on the vehicle dashboard, is given. If no fault is detected in step S3, the system proceeds to step S5, wherein the controller 20 receives various sensor signals from the detection unit 10 as well as signals from the manual switch 14. Step S6, wherein computation of the signal received in step S5 is processed. Step S7, wherein the system determines whether the conditions for initiating breakage have been met; if not, return to step S5; if so, proceed to step S8, wherein the vehicle speed is detected so as to determine whether it is below a pre-determined value. Should the detected vehicle speed be greater than the pre-determined value in S8, proceed to step S9, wherein a message is sent to the braking device so that the vehicle starts to decelerate, before returning to step S8. When the detected vehicle speed is below the pre-determined value, proceed to step S10, wherein window breakage is confirmed, the timer 321 starts to count down, and an alarm is sent by the indicating device 322. In step S11 , it is determined whether there is a confirmation for cancelling glass breakage; if there is, return to step S7; otherwise proceed to step S12, whereby windows are about to be broken. In step S11 , the confirmation switch 325 of the electric window breakage trigger 32 installed in the driver's cabin is verified as having been turned off or not - if the driver turns off the confirmation switch 325, then it will be considered that the cancellation of window breakage is confirmed. In step S12, the controller 20 sends a control signal to the airbag controller 31 , which in turn sends an electrical signal to electric window breakage trigger 32, as an electric current to initiate window breakage.

During the above process, the window break controller (WBCU) 100 detects the speed information sent from the control unit for the engine 500 in the in-vehicle network when the controller 20 generates a window breaking order, which is executed if the vehicle travelling speed is below a speed limit (e.g. 10 km/h). If the vehicle travelling speed is greater than the speed limit (e.g. 10 km/h), an order is sent via the in-vehicle network 200 to activate the braking process by stopping the engine from running. Meanwhile, the window breaking order is held back, while the vehicle travelling speed is measured at regular intervals, e.g. every 100 ms, and the windows are broken when the speed is below the speed limit.

In a preferred embodiment, the automated window breaking system comprises an electric window breakage trigger 32, which further comprises several glass breakers 324, each of which is installed on a glass window.

In another preferred embodiment, e.g. in a small car, the automated window breaking system comprises several electric window breakage triggers 32, each of which is installed on corresponding windows and controlled individually by the airbag controller 31 , which selectively controls said electric window breakage triggers 32. Positions where safety belts have been buckled are identified by means of the safety belt pre-tensioning controller 33 to allow the airbag controller 31 to send signals of electric current to the electric window breakage trigger 32 near those positions. If the safety belt is buckled in, this means that the corresponding seat is occupied, and so the window at that seat will be broken. In other words, only windows next to seats which are occupied will be broken. For example, if the safety belt pre-tensioning controller 33 detects that only the driver's seat is occupied, only the window next to the driver's cabin will be broken, as the airbag controller 31 sends an electric current to the electric window breakage trigger 32 on the corresponding window.

Furthermore, the flying of small sharp shards from the breakage may injure people in the vicinity of the vehicle. As the windows are located at a height close to people's face and head, any injury caused could be serious. To prevent or lower the risk of injury to people outside the vehicle caused by small flying shards in the course of breakage in an emergency (even if injury is sustained, the harm caused will be greatly lessened), the present invention also includes a solution, in which vehicle films are adhered to vehicle windows, so that small flying shards are prevented (or the distance that small shards may fly or their force is reduced). Preferably, the exterior face of the window corresponding to the window breaking prick (not shown in diagrams) of the glass breaker 324 is adhered with a single or double layered vehicle film in the shape of, for example a circle with a radius of five centimetres, with the window breaking prick as the centre. By doing so, instead of risking small shards formed by the breaking of the windows flying outward from the vehicle at high speeds in the shape of a fan before adhering the vehicle films, such a risk will be greatly reduced and the distance the shards travel will also be drastically shortened upon breaker 324 breaking the glass when the vehicle films have been adhered to the windows. Films of a certain strength will stop all shards from flying, leaving the windows being cracked in place. Consequently, serious injuries sustained from window breakage when vehicles travel at high speeds can be prevented or greatly alleviated by the vehicle window breaking system.

In summary, the automated window breaking system and its method as mentioned in the present invention enhance the features of the passive safety systems of vehicles and integrate its electric window breakage trigger with the airbag controller and the control unit for the engine of the vehicles, thereby bringing about automated window breakage at low travelling speeds in emergency situations such as collisions, fires or floods, making automated window breakage even safer, and improving the chance of passengers and drivers escaping, with the above being achieved at a very low cost. If a fire breaks out in a vehicle or a vehicle overturns, the travelling speed of the vehicle will be reduced (for example to a speed of 10 km/h or less) by an automated procedure to control the power and braking system, so that windows can only be broken when the reduced speed is below its limit.

Furthermore, the automated window breaking system according to the present invention has a wide number of applications; not only can it be applied in automotive vehicles, it can also be applied in other transport vehicles such as trains and ferries. The same technology may also be applied in opening vehicle doors and roof windows etc. The treatment of vehicle windows with films also improves the passive safety of vehicles.

Correspondingly, the present invention provides a type of transport vehicle, which has the above-mentioned automated window breaking system, and which is either a train, a ferry or a car.

The foregoing gives only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and does not pose any limitation to the present invention; to those who are skilled in the art, the present invention may have various alterations and variations. All the modifications, equivalent replacements or improvements in the scope of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.