Method and system for occupant protection in a vehicle

1 . A method for occupant protection in a vehicle, the vehicle comprising at least one seat for accommodating an occupant,

wherein the seat is slidably connected with the vehicle by a connection mechanism; and,

wherein the seat is lockable in a defined seating position by a locking mechanism, to prevent sliding in the connection mechanism when locked and to allow sliding when unlocked;

the method comprising:

determining an imminent or ongoing vehicle crash;

determining a seating position; and

upon a determination of the seat being an in a rearward seating position and the occurrence of an imminent or ongoing vehicle crash;

unlocking the locking mechanism to allow the sliding of the seat from the rearward seating position towards a conventional driving seating position,

wherein the sliding of the seat from the rearward seating position towards the conventional driving seating position is performed by using inertial energy from the vehicle crash;

wherein an airbag element is configured to be adapted in its shape, structure, and/or material based on an estimated future seating position.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

monitoring a current seating position; and

activating the airbag element dependent on the current seating position.

3 . The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the airbag element is adapted in its shape, structure and/or material to the rearward seating position; and/or

wherein the airbag element is arranged for being adaptable in its shape and/or structure when released, dependent on it being released to protect an occupant in a rearward seating position or in a conventional driving seating position.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

determining at least one parameter out of the group consisting of a vehicle velocity, a vehicle weight, an occupant weight, an occupant size, a crash severity and a pre-crash seating position; and

activating the airbag element dependent on at least one of the parameters.

5 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the connection mechanism comprises an energy absorption element to absorb inertial energy of the seat and/or the occupant, and/or activation energy for the sliding, while the sliding of the seat from the rearward seating position to the conventional driving seating position.

6 . The method according to claim 5 ,

wherein an amount of absorbed energy progressively increases with continued sliding of the seat; and/or

wherein an amount of force required for continued sliding of the seat progressively increases with continued sliding of the seat.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein unlocking the locking mechanism comprises an active unlocking of the locking mechanism,

wherein unlocking the locking mechanism employs at least one of an electromechanical unlocking element, an electromagnetic unlocking element and a pyrotechnical unlocking element.

8 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing element, cause the computing element to carry out the steps of the method of claim 1 .

9 . A vehicle comprising:

a computing element comprising a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by the computing element, cause the computing element to carry out the steps of the method of claim 1 .

10 . A vehicle occupant protection system, comprising:

a seat for accommodating an occupant;

a connection mechanism adapted to slidably connect the seat and a vehicle;

a locking mechanism to lock the seat in a defined seating position, to prevent sliding in the connection mechanism when locked and to allow sliding when unlocked;

a crash sensor element adapted for determining an imminent or ongoing vehicle crash;

an airbag element; and,

a seating position sensor element adapted for determining a seating position;

wherein, upon a determination of the seat being in a rearward seating position and occurrence of an imminent or ongoing vehicle crash, the locking mechanism is unlocked, to allow the sliding of the seat from the rearward seating position towards a conventional driving seating position,

wherein the sliding of the seat from the rearward seating position towards the conventional driving seating position is performed by using inertial energy from the vehicle crash;

wherein the airbag element is configured to be adapted in its shape, structure, and/or material based on an estimated future seating position.

11 . The system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the seating position sensor element is adapted to monitor a current seating position; and

wherein the airbag element is activated dependent on the current seating position.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the airbag element is adapted in its shape, structure and/or material to the rearward seating position, and/or wherein the airbag element is arranged for being adaptable in its shape and/or structure when released, dependent on it being released to protect an occupant in a rearward seating position or in a conventional driving seating position.

13 . The system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the system determines at least one parameter out of the group consisting of a vehicle velocity, a vehicle weight, an occupant weight, an occupant size, a crash severity and a pre-crash seating position; and

wherein the airbag element is activated dependent on at least one of the parameters.

14 . The system according to claim 10 , the connection mechanism further comprising:

an energy absorption element to absorb inertial energy of the seat and/or the occupant, and/or activation energy for the sliding, during the sliding of the seat from the rearward seating position to the conventional driving seating position.

15 . The system according to claim 14 ,

wherein the energy absorption element is arranged so that an amount of absorbed energy progressively increases with continued sliding of the seat; and/or

wherein the energy absorption element is arranged so that an amount of force required for continued sliding of the seat progressively increases with the continued sliding of the seat.

16 . The system according to claim 10 ,

wherein unlocking the locking mechanism comprises an active unlocking of the locking mechanism,

wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one of an electromechanical unlocking element, an electromagnetic unlocking element and a pyrotechnical unlocking element for unlocking.

17 . A vehicle comprising a vehicle occupant protection system according to claim 10 .