Method of controlling vehicle safety device

1 . A method of controlling a vehicle safety device, the method comprising:

predicting, by a controller, a collision accident and a rollover accident by using a signal detected by an accident prediction detecting part installed in a host vehicle; and

supporting, responsive to a prediction of an accident of the host vehicle, by the controller, a passenger, the passenger being situated in a seat in the host vehicle, to remain on the seat by operating a seat device, the seat device being configured to support the passenger on the seat, while closing an opening/closing device, the opening/closing device being configured to openably and closably operate at a periphery of the passenger,

wherein the predicting of the rollover accident comprises determining, before a rollover occurs, a roll motion of the host vehicle based on the signal detected by the accident prediction detecting part.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predicting further comprises:

predicting a forward or rearward collision accident by determining a distance and relative velocity of the host vehicle with respect to vehicles traveling forward or rearward of the host vehicle based on the signal detected by the accident prediction detecting part.

3 . A method of controlling a vehicle safety device, the method comprising:

predicting, by a controller, a collision accident and a rollover accident by using a signal detected by an accident prediction detecting part installed in a host vehicle; and

supporting, responsive to a prediction of an accident of the host vehicle, by the controller, a passenger, the passenger being situated in a seat in the host vehicle, to remain on the seat by operating a seat device, the seat device being configured to support the passenger on the seat, while closing an opening/closing device, the opening/closing device being configured to openably and closably operate at a periphery of the passenger,

wherein the predicting further comprises predicting a forward or rearward collision accident by determining a distance and relative velocity of the host vehicle with respect to vehicles traveling forward or rearward of the host vehicle based on the signal detected by the accident prediction detecting part, and

wherein an occurrence of a forward or rearward collision accident is predicted by the controller when a vehicle velocity of the host vehicle exceeds a host threshold vehicle velocity, a collision risk level with a preceding or following vehicle, the collision risk level being calculated based on distances and velocities with respect to the preceding and following vehicles, exceeds a preset level, and a relative velocity with respect to the preceding or following vehicle exceeds a relative velocity threshold velocity.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the supporting occurs responsive to the relative velocity with respect to the preceding or following vehicle exceeding a first threshold velocity, and a time for which the relative velocity exceeds the first threshold velocity is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and

wherein the supporting is immediately initiated responsive to the relative velocity with respect to the preceding or following vehicle exceeds a second threshold velocity higher than the first threshold velocity.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predicting further comprises predicting a rollover accident by determining a roll motion of the host vehicle based on the signal detected by the accident prediction detecting part.

6 . A method of controlling a vehicle safety device, the method comprising:

predicting, by a controller, a collision accident and a rollover accident by using a signal detected by an accident prediction detecting part installed in a host vehicle; and

supporting, responsive to a prediction of an accident of the host vehicle, by the controller, a passenger, the passenger being situated in a seat in the host vehicle, to remain on the seat by operating a seat device, the seat device being configured to support the passenger on the seat, while closing an opening/closing device, the opening/closing device being configured to openably and closably operate at a periphery of the passenger,

wherein the predicting further comprises predicting a rollover accident by determining a roll motion of the host vehicle based on the signal detected by the accident prediction detecting part, and

wherein occurrence of a rollover accident is predicted by the controller when a vehicle velocity of the host vehicle exceeds a host threshold vehicle velocity, a roll angle of the host vehicle exceeds a threshold angle, and a roll angular velocity exceeds a threshold angular velocity.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the opening/closing device comprises one or more of a window glass and a sunroof, and

wherein the seat device comprises one or more of a seatbelt and a bolster device.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the controller, a posture of the passenger by using a signal detected by a passenger posture detecting part installed in the host vehicle,

wherein the supporting further comprises controlling a posture of the seat responsive to the posture of the passenger being determined as a tilted rearward orientation, the seat operates in a basic seating mode in which an upper body of the passenger returns forward.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the supporting further comprises controlling a steering wheel to position the steering wheel at a preset basic position when a forward or rearward collision accident is predicted.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the supporting comprises controlling a steering wheel, the steering wheel being in a state in which the steering wheel enters a dash panel side or exits toward a driver side from a preset basic position, to move the steering wheel to the preset basic position, responsive to the forward or rearward collision accident being predicted.

11 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the accident prediction detecting part comprises one or more of a radar and a camera installed in the host vehicle and configured to capture information regarding vehicles traveling forward or rearward of the host vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the posture of the passenger comprises:

estimating positions of one or more body parts of the passenger from image data captured by the passenger posture detecting part; and

determining whether the passenger is in a relaxed seating mode or a basic seating mode based on the estimated positions.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the controlling the posture of the seat comprises operating a reclining device to switch the posture of the passenger from the relaxed seating mode to the basic seating mode responsive to a prediction of a forward or rearward collision accident.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the accident prediction detecting part comprises one or more of a forward collision-avoidance assist system configured to detect vehicles traveling forward of the host vehicle and a rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist system configured to detect vehicles traveling rearward of the host vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the passenger is in the relaxed seating mode comprises:

determining that the passenger is in the relaxed seating mode when an X-axis position of a head of the passenger exceeds an X-axis threshold line, a Z-axis position of the head of the passenger exceeds a Z-axis threshold line, an X-axis position of a shoulder of the passenger exceeds the X-axis threshold line, and a seatback angle of the seat exceeds a threshold angle; and

determining that the passenger is in the basic seating mode when at least one of the foregoing conditions is not satisfied.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the operating the reclining device comprises restoring a seatback angle of the seat to a preset basic angle range so as to return an upper body of the passenger to a forward-facing orientation.