New technologies such as Lane Departure Warning, Active Front Steering
and Active Rear Steering can help avoid accidents
PARIS, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- "Consumers are demanding more safety and
security from their vehicles, and we're creating some of the most innovating
and exciting solutions," said Volker Barth, President of Delphi Europe,
Middle-East & Africa. A leader in safety technologies, Delphi, which has many
years experience developing advanced safety technologies and helping vehicle
manufacturers introduce them to the market, is offering systems that help
drivers avoid accidents as well as help minimize the effect of collisions.
Some of the latest systems that help improve safety include:
'ACTIVE SAFETY' DEVICES - SAFETY SYSTEMS THAT HELP AVOID ACCIDENTS
Delphi's family of Advanced Vehicle Dynamics technologies in steering,
braking and suspension deliver enhanced daily driving pleasure, comfort and
safety. They are designed to work independently or integrated together using
Delphi's Unified Chassis Control strategy for superior performance in areas
such as rollover prevention, stopping distance, driver workload, and handling
responsiveness. Unified Chassis Control makes these technologies self
sufficient, but integrable with common, modular algorithms and open
architecture and interface standards. Delphi's MagneRide suspension system,
Active Stabilizer Bar System, Electronic Stability Control 2.0, and Active
front or rear steering systems are leading examples of Advanced Vehicle
Dynamics technologies. Delphi is the world's only tier I supplier with in-
depth production experience in all three of these vital areas of advanced
vehicle dynamics.
MAGNERIDE(TM) SEMI-ACTIVE SUSPENSION improves vehicle comfort, safety,
ride dynamics and control.
MagneRide is the industry's first high-performance, semi-active suspension
technology that has no electro-mechanical valves and no small moving parts.
The MagneRide magneto-rheological (MR) fluid-based semi-active suspension
system consists of MR fluid-based monotube struts and/or monotube shock
absorbers, a sensor set, and on-board controller. MagneRide helps provide
increased handling performance, safety, comfort, and reliability. First
introduced on the 2002 Cadillac Seville STS, MagneRide is also on the
Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac Seville, XLR and SRX and brings these benefits to
performance and luxury vehicles alike. Several European car manufacturers are
today looking at introducing this revolutionary technology on their vehicles.
VISION-BASED LANE DEPARTURE WARNING
Delphi's vision-based Lane Departure Warning technology will warn the
driver should the vehicle start to drift out of lane, helping to greatly
reduce one of the largest causes of vehicle collisions. The system can be
used as a stand-alone safety aid or integrated with other safety systems as
part of Delphi's Integrated Safety Systems strategy. The new system uses a
digital camera, typically mounted in the rear view mirror housing, to look up
to 25 meters ahead of the vehicle. This data is supplemented by vehicle speed
data and yaw data (so the computer knows if the vehicle is turning) collected
from other systems via the vehicle's high-speed databus.
A number of warning strategies could be implemented depending on vehicle
manufacturer preference. These include a warning projected onto the
windscreen, an audible alarm, a small vibration in the steering wheel or any
combination of these and other solutions. In the more distant future, where
vehicles are fitted with active steering, the system may even help adjust the
line of the car to maintain a safe course.
SAFETY WARNING SYSTEMS
Delphi also offers a number of different collision warning technologies to
help avoid accidents caused by blind spots to the rear or either side of the
vehicle. Delphi has developed an innovative family of sensing systems that
include adaptive cruise control, Forewarn Side Alert and Forewarn Back-up Aid
and Forewarn lane departure warning. Delphi was first to market with adaptive
cruise control in 1999 on the 2000 Jaguar XKE, which has a radar-based system
that allows drivers to maintain a pre-selected gap from the vehicle ahead.
Delphi is also developing a vision-based lane departure warning system that
uses cameras to help alert drivers when they are drifting out of the intended
lane. Delphi has also developed workload management systems, Drowsy Driver
Alert and Driver Gaze Alert that assess eye closure rate and the gaze of the
driver and appropriately apply stimuli to alert the driver to the situation.
'PASSIVE SAFETY' DEVICES - SAFETY SYSTEMS THAT HELP MINIMIZE INJURIES WHEN
ACCIDENTS OCCUR
Delphi is a leading global safety system supplier and has been engineering
products that help mitigate injuries since 1966. Delphi's suite of passive
safety products include driver, passenger, side, curtain, and knee airbags as
well as seatbelt systems and steering wheels.
Delphi's Situationally Tailored Adaptive Restraint passenger airbag is a
breakthrough safety technology that improves protection for occupants of all
sizes and different crash severities. The adaptive system controls the size
of the airbag by evaluating occupant size, the occupant's sitting position,
seatbelt usage, crash severity, and crash direction. Delphi will be in serial
production with this new technology with a major OEM by model year 2006.
Delphi's curtain airbags provide head and neck protection during side impact
collisions and rollovers. These airbags are designed to deploy from the
vehicle roof rail or door. They deliver an extended inflation pressure to
provide protection in the event of a multiple impact situation.
Delphi's eminent history in seatbelts allows it to offer advanced
technologies that OEMs need to meet vehicle program goals while providing
performance and reliability. Delphi was the first to invent a steering wheel
with an integrated airbag. Delphi's steering wheel portfolio consists of a
wide range of innovative technologies such as low mass, die cast magnesium
insert designs to leather wrapped or natural wood steering wheels. These
systems help satisfy the demands of consumers, government legislation, and
OEMs.
OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEMS
Delphi supplies an Occupant Detection System that helps a passenger
control airbag deployment to several car manufacturers including Jaguar, Ford,
and General Motors. The system uses a silicone bladder mounted under the seat
cushion and connected to a pressure sensor to determine if the passenger seat
is occupied. The system's control unit uses the sensor data to allow or
suppress airbag deployment. Designed to help reduce the potential for airbag-
induced injuries, the system also helps reduce the cost of vehicle repairs
associated with unnecessary airbag deployment. Delphi's Vision-based Interior
Protection System helps take occupant detection into the next generation by
adding the ability to sense position as well as providing a more accurate
passenger size classification. Fully-featured vision-based occupant sensing
is expected to enter production around 2008. In future implementations, the
system could be integrated with telematics systems to help provide occupant
data for medical staff following a severe collision, potentially even sending
images direct to the hospital. It may also detect movements of a person or
animal trapped in a vehicle and enable the application of appropriate
countermeasures, such as contacting a service center to roll down a window or
unlock the doors. It could also be integrated with vehicle security systems,
providing superior cabin sensing and eliminating the cost of other detection
systems.
ACTIVE ENERGY ABSORBING STEERING COLUMN provides enhanced protection to
the drivers. It acts as part of an integrated system which improves vehicle
crashworthiness and helps better protect the driver during a collision.
Steering columns are the primary driver-to-vehicle interface during a
collision and are critical to occupant safety. The new column from Delphi
helps to improve crashworthiness by adjusting its energy absorption level
based on a variety of factors, depending on the requirements of the vehicle
manufacturer. Delphi's introductory active energy absorbing mechanism
utilizes a pyrotechnic actuator to optimize the energy absorbed at the time of
a collision, based on a number of vehicle inputs, such as occupant mass, seat
belt usage, speed and crash severity. For example, a high level setting would
be used for a large, unbelted driver in a severe collision to help absorb the
heavier force, and a low level setting would be used for a small, belted
driver in a light collision. This technology is planned for production in
2005. Delphi was the first to introduce energy absorbing steering columns
into the market in 1967 and is still leading the industry today.
BATTERY DISCONNECT SYSTEM introduces additional safety functions
Delphi has developed a new line of safety products called Battery
Disconnect Devices (BDD). These BDD's help provide post-collision circuit
protection for electrical cables connecting to the battery. The base-level
BDD is a low-cost, battery cable circuit protection device offering a solution
to this issue during a significant collision. The device is actuated by a
signal from the air bag controller or other crash sensors. However, unlike
competing products, Delphi's base-level BDD enables the vehicle to remain
operational, including the ability to restart without manual intervention, if
the collision does not cause a battery cable circuit fault. This is a
distinguishing safety feature, allowing drivers to still move their vehicle
avoiding the risk of secondary collisions. Replacement of the BDD unit is
necessary following actuation to provide proper operation in future
conditions. Delphi also offers an up-level version of the BDD, with more
sophisticated functions and additional features from which customers can
choose.
BACKGROUND TO INTEGRATED SAFETY SYSTEMS
There have traditionally been two aspects to safety: helping to avoid
accidents / minimize energy on impact (known as active safety) and helping to
protect vehicle occupants when a collision occurs (passive safety). Within
each of these areas the trend is to develop better, faster-reacting, more
discriminatory systems that tailor their response to the situation, the
conditions and the occupants.
Delphi's Integrated Safety System (ISS) vision takes this philosophy to
the next stage by developing the synergies between active and passive safety
to provide a level of benefit that is substantially more than the sum of its
components. ISS considers the total driving experience in helping to provide
protection to prevent or mitigate accidents. The Delphi Forewarn(TM)
collision warning family of products consist of sophisticated detection
sensors that provide a 360-degree cocoon around the vehicle to evaluate
detected objects and assess the road conditions. If a high-probability crash
event is identified it will warn the driver to take an evasive maneuver.
Also, a variety of in-vehicle sensors are used to assess how alert the driver
is through measurement of his breathing, eye dilation, heart or blink rate and
gaze direction, and appropriately tailor the warning alert to deal safely with
the situation.
ISS coordinates the detection sensors with systems such as anti-lock
braking, traction control and stability enhancement to provide appropriate
optimization of vehicle dynamics to help the driver avoid a potential impact.
In future implementations, with extensive drive-by-wire, the vehicle may even
assist the driver by automatically braking or steering.
Unfortunately, not all accidents are avoidable. However, pre-crash
sensing can make a tremendous difference. Detection and assessment systems
can provide data on the type of accident expected, allowing the relevant
occupant protection systems to be appropriately configured and activated at
the optimum time. Delphi offers one of the widest ranges of occupant
protection systems, making it an ideal partner for the implementation of a
vehicle-wide safety strategy. After the collision, Delphi's sophisticated in-
car communications technologies can be used to alert emergency services,
providing location data from the navigation system and even guidance on the
type of incident and the types of injuries that may have occurred.
SECURITY PRODUCTS
Delphi also has a wide portfolio of security products that include
immobilizers and remote keyless actuation that offers various security and
comfort functions. Among the vehicle features that can be controlled from a
distance are central door locking and unlocking, panic alarm, anti-theft
systems, courtesy lights, electric windows, sliding roof and seat and mirror
adjustment. In addition, Delphi offers keyless systems that utilize a
fingerprint sensor to identify the owner of a vehicle without a key or key
fob. Fingerprint identification cannot be lost, stolen or copied. The system
stays constant through the life of the user and cannot be used without the
knowledge of the user. Delphi also provides its PassKey systems that read
rolling codes of resistance to identify the right key for the right vehicle.
The systems can electronically immobilize the vehicle by shutting off the fuel
flow through the Delphi engine controller if the wrong key is used to start
the vehicle.
Delphi's booth at the 2004 Mondial de l'Automobile is located in Hall 1,
Stand # A251.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020315/DEF002LOGO )
SOURCE Delphi Corporation
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.delphi.com/media
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020315/DEF002LOGO
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/076666.html
CONTACT:
Milton Beach of Delphi Corporation,
+1-765-451-0655, milton.beach@delphi.com
|
