Passenger-protection device in a vehicle

• US 20060042851A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Herrmann, Thomas, Engelberg, Thomas, Spaeth, Stephan
• Application Number:
  US11/210,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20060042851A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0153 using field detection presence sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands

Abstract

A passenger-protection device with a passenger-protection unit in a vehicle, having at least one sensor, is provided, which detects the movement of at least one body part of the passenger in the vehicle. Furthermore, an evaluation unit for triggering a passenger-protection unit in the vehicle is provided, the passenger-protection unit being triggered as a function of the detected movement of the at least one body part.

Claims

1. A passenger-protection device in a vehicle comprising:

at least one sensor (11) for recording a movement of at least one body part (3) of a passenger (1) in a vehicle, and an evaluation unit (5, 12) for triggering a passenger-protection unit (19, 20) as a function of the recorded movement of the at least one body part (3).

2. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory unit (8) assigned to the evaluation unit (12), the memory unit (8) storing critical movement sequences of the at least one body part or limit values for ascertaining critical movement sequences of the at least one body part (3).

3. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor (11) is configured to detect a movement of the head (3) of the passenger (1).

4. The passenger-protection unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the passenger-protection unit is configured as an actuating unit (19) for a headrest (20) or a backrest for adapting the position of the headrest (20) or the backrest, and the actuating unit (19) is triggered by the evaluation unit (12) in such a way that the position of the headrest (20) or the backrest is adapted to the detected movement of the at least one body part (3).

5. The passenger-protection unit as recited in claim 2, wherein the passenger-protection unit is configured as an actuating unit (19) for a headrest (20) or a backrest for adapting the position of the headrest (20) or the backrest, and the actuating unit (19) is triggered by the evaluation unit (12) in such a way that the position of the headrest (20) or the backrest is adapted to the detected movement of the at least one body part (3).

6. The passenger-protection unit as recited in claim 3, wherein the passenger-protection unit is configured as an actuating unit (19) for a headrest (20) or a backrest for adapting the position of the headrest (20) or the backrest, and the actuating unit (19) is triggered by the evaluation unit (12) in such a way that the position of the headrest (20) or the backrest is adapted to the detected movement of the at least one body part (3).

7. The passenger-protection unit as recited in claim 4, further comprising a distance-measuring unit (25) in the headrest (20) for distance measurements relative to the head (3) of the passenger.

8. The passenger-protection unit as recited in claim 5, further comprising a distance-measuring unit (25) in the headrest (20) for distance measurements relative to the head (3) of the passenger.

9. The passenger-protection unit as recited in claim 6, further comprising a distance-measuring unit (25) in the headrest (20) for distance measurements relative to the head (3) of the passenger.

10. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor (11) is designed as an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

11. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor (11) is designed as an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

12. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a filter unit assigned to the evaluation unit (5, 12) to predict the position (41) of the at least one body part (3) after a preceding position determination of the body part (3).

13. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a filter unit assigned to the evaluation unit (5, 12) to predict the position (41) of the at least one body part (3) after a preceding position determination of the body part (3).

14. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a valuation unit to evaluate the height or the weight of the passenger so as to trigger the passenger-protection unit as a function of the height or the weight of the passenger.

15. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 14, wherein the valuation unit is assigned to the evaluation unit (12).

16. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a valuation unit to evaluate the height or the weight of the passenger so as to trigger the passenger-protection unit as a function of the height or the weight of the passenger.

17. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit (12) suppresses an actuation of the passenger-protection unit if the sensor (11) does not detect a passenger at a position that is assigned to it.

18. The passenger-protection device as recited in claim 2, wherein the evaluation unit (12) suppresses an actuation of the passenger-protection unit if the sensor (11) does not detect a passenger at a position that is assigned to it.

19. A method for triggering a passenger-protection unit in a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a movement of at least one body part of a passenger by a sensor, and evaluating the detected movement so as to trigger the passenger-protection unit as a function of the detected movement.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein a headrest is triggered as a function of the movement of the passenger'"'"'s head.