Method for activating restraining means

• US 20060095183A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Lang, Gunther, Kolatschek, Josef, Koehler, Armin, Lich, Thomas, Aust, Sabine, Roelleke, Michael, Mindner, Klaus, Schuller, Hermann
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0119 Plausibility check
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01558 monitoring crash strength

Abstract

A method for triggering restraint devices in which at least one collision-indicating signal is generated. From the moment that a collision is detected, temporally defined crash phases are specified, and, for every crash phase, a crash type and a crash severity are determined from the signal. The appropriate restraint devices are triggered as a function of the crash severity and/or the crash type.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for triggering restraint devices, in which at least one collision-indicating signal is generated, the method comprising:

from a moment that a collision is detected, specifying temporally defined crash phases;

for every crash phase, a crash type and a crash severity being determined from the signal; and

triggering appropriate ones of the restraint devices as a function of at least one of the crash severity and the crash type.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the crash phases are defined as a function of the vehicle type.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the crash type is determined for every crash phase and for different possible crash types, the at least one signal is analyzed, and results of the analyses are combined with one another to determine the crash type.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, to determine the crash severity, at least one algorithm is selected as a function of the crash type, and results from the at least one algorithm are used to determine the crash severity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, from the at least one signal, a plausibility signal is derived and used to check the triggering.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein, for different collision sensors in the vehicle, the crash type and the crash severity are in each case determined separately for a respective crash phase, and the crash types and crash severities determined in this manner are in each case combined for use with the triggering.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, for the combining, the respective crash types and crash severities determined for the different collision sensors are evaluated as a function of at least one of he relevant crash type, the relevant crash severity and the relevant collision sensor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the evaluation is performed continuously.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the evaluation is performed with specific thresholds.

20. An apparatus for triggering restraint devices, in which at least one collision-indicating signal is generated, comprising:

a specifying arrangement in which, from a moment that a collision is detected, to specify temporally defined crash phases;

for every crash phase, a crash type and a crash severity being determined from the signal; and

a triggering arrangement to trigger appropriate ones of the restraint devices as a function of at least one of the crash severity and the crash type.