Method for actuating a reversible vehicle occupant protection means in a motor vehicle

• US 20060076178A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Justen, Rainer, Eberle, Walter, Woldrich, Markus, Roehm, Hans, Hinrichs, Wolfgang, Mammel, Bernd, Villino, Guido
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01259 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01311 monitoring the braking system, e.g. ABS
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/469 reusable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for actuating a reversible vehicle occupant protection means in a motor vehicle having a driving state sensor system and a reversible vehicle occupant protection means. The reversible vehicle occupant protection means can be triggered before the collision time and as a result moved into an effective position. For this purpose, the driving state data are monitored with respect to a state of emergency braking, and when the state of emergency braking is detected the vehicle occupant protection system is actuated. In addition, a state of oversteering and a state of understeering are determined by the data processing device. The reversible vehicle occupant protection system is actuated when the data processing device detects the state of emergency braking and/or the state of oversteering and/or the state of understeering.

Claims

1. A method for actuating a reversible protection system in a motor vehicle having a sensor system which senses the driving state data, and a reversible protection system which can be triggered before the collision time and as a result moved into an effective position, the driving state data being monitored at least with respect to a state of emergency braking, and when the state of emergency braking is detected the protection system is triggered, characterized in that the signal of a brake light switch is additionally used to check the plausibility of the emergency braking operation.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emergency braking occurs if a braking process takes place with at least one feature which indicates a hazardous or emergency situation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the parameters of the brake pressure, speed of the activation of the brake pedal and speed of the retraction of the accelerator pedal is used to determine the state of emergency braking.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a signal is used to determine the state of emergency braking, which signal indicates automated emergency braking on the basis of the sensing of the environment.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle has a brake boosting system which brings about an intervention into the brake system in predefined critical situations by means of a control signal, and in that the control signal of the brake boosting system or an information signal which is transmitted by the brake boosting system to a data bus is used to determine the state of emergency braking.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the information signal of the brake boosting system and the control signal of the brake light switch are made available on a data bus.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control signal of the brake boosting system and the control signal of the brake light switch are checked by a data processing device to determine whether they are active and if both signals are active the state of emergency braking is inferred.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection system comprises protection means which can be actuated for the preventive protection of other parties involved in a collision.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving state data is additionally monitored with respect to a state of oversteering and a state of understeering, and a vehicle occupant protection system is triggered when the state of emergency braking and/or of oversteering and/or of understeering is detected.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein by means of the states of emergency braking, of understeering and of oversteering the direction from which a maximum hazard is expected is determined, and the vehicle occupant protection system is actuated in such a way that the protective effect is provided in accordance with the direction of maximum hazard.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the speed of the motor vehicle is determined and the reversible vehicle occupant protection device is triggered only if the vehicle is additionally at a minimum speed.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the states of understeering and of oversteering are determined by means of an evaluation of the difference formed between an angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel, and the steering angle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel is determined from the wheel speeds, the lateral acceleration and the wheel base.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel is determined from the wheel speeds, the yaw rate and the wheel base.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel is the Ackermann angle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the state of oversteering is determined by means of an evaluation of the altitude angle.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the altitude angle is determined from the wheel speeds, the yaw rate and the lateral acceleration.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the evaluation is a threshold value interrogation.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the evaluation is carried out using previous values.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection systems is a vehicle occupant protection means, in particular an electric seat adjustment device and/or an electric adjustment device for orifices in the vehicle and/or a reversible seatbelt pretensioner and/or an electrically adjustable impact protection device.

32. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving state data is additionally monitored with respect to a state of emergency braking, and the vehicle occupant protection system is also triggered when the state of emergency braking is detected.

37. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protection system is an electric seat adjustment device and/or an electric adjustment device for orifices in the vehicle and/or a reversible seatbelt pretensioner and/or an electrically adjustable impact protection device.

21. A method for actuating a reversible vehicle occupant protection means in a motor vehicle having a sensor system which senses the driving state data, and a reversible vehicle occupant protection means which can be triggered before the collision time and as a result moved into an effective position, the driving state data being monitored with respect to states which are critical for driving dynamics, and when the state which is critical for driving dynamics is detected the vehicle occupant protection system is triggered, wherein the driving state data is monitored with respect to a state of understeering, and the vehicle occupant protection system is triggered when the state of understeering is detected.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the state of understeering is determined by means of an evaluation of the difference formed between an angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel, and the steering angle.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel is determined from the wheel speeds, the lateral acceleration and the wheel base.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel is determined from the wheel speeds, the yaw rate and the wheel base.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that the angle which describes a change in the actual direction of travel is the Ackermann angle.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the state of understeering is monitored by means of two separate algorithms which are each based on different calculations of the Ackermann angle, and the results of the two algorithms are logically linked.

27. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the driving state data are additionally monitored with respect to a state of oversteering, and the vehicle occupant protection system is also triggered when the state of oversteering is detected.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the state of oversteering is determined by means of an evaluation of the altitude angle, which is determined in particular from the wheel speeds, the yaw rate and the lateral acceleration.

29. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the steering angle is additionally sensed, and the state of oversteering is determined by means of an evaluation of the difference formed between a yaw rate and a setpoint yaw rate.

30. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the evaluation is a threshold value interrogation.

31. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the evaluation is carried out using previous values.

33. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein by means of the states of emergency braking, of understeering and of oversteering the direction from which a maximum hazard is expected is determined, and the vehicle occupant protection system is actuated in such a way that the protective effect is provided in accordance with the direction of maximum hazard.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the speed of the motor vehicle is determined and the reversible vehicle occupant protection device is triggered only if the vehicle is additionally at a minimum speed.

35. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the vehicle has a brake boosting system which brings about an intervention into the brake system in predefined critical situations by means of a control signal, and in that the control signal of the brake boosting system is used to determine the state of emergency braking.

36. The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the control signal of a brake light switch is used to determine the state of emergency braking.