Method and apparatus for providing a safing function in a restraining system

• US 20070088480A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Munch, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• 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: G01M 17/0078 Shock-testing of vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus (10) is provided for controlling an actuatable restraint (14, 16) in a vehicle (12). An sensor (24) is mounted in the vehicle (12) and outputs an electrical signal having a characteristic indicative of a vehicle event. A discrimination circuit (42) is coupled to the sensor (24) and determines if a predetermined event occurred. A safing circuit (50) is coupled to the sensor (24) signal and sequestered from the discrimination circuit (42) for determining if the predetermined event occurred. An actuation device is actuates the restraint when both the discrimination circuit (42) and the safing circuit (50) determine the predetermined event occurred.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle event sensor having a vehicle event signal output and a safing function output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle event signal is indicative of crash acceleration.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicle event signal is indicative of angular rate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vehicle event sensor is located on a single integrated circuit chip.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vehicle event sensor includes a safing logic circuit for monitoring said event output signal and for determining if said event output signal is indicative of a predetermined crash event.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said safing logic circuit outputs a safing signal when it determines that said event output signal indicates the occurrence of said predetermined crash event.

7. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint system in a vehicle, comprising:

an event sensor mountable in the vehicle for outputting an electrical signal having an identifiable characteristic upon the occurrence of a predetermined vehicle event;

a discrimination circuit coupled to the sensor output signal for determining if the predetermined event occurred;

a safing circuit coupled to the sensor output signal and sequestered from said discrimination circuit for independently determining if the predetermined event occurred; and

an actuation device for actuating the restraint when both the discrimination circuit and the safing circuit determine that the predetermined event occurred.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the event sensor is an accelerometer and the predetermined event is a deployment crash event.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the event sensor is a roll-over sensor and the event is a vehicle roll-over.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said safing circuit is at least logically sequestered from said discrimination circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further including additional event sensors mountable to the vehicle for sensing the vehicle event, outputs from said addition sensors being connected to both said discrimination circuit and said safing circuit, said determination by said discrimination circuit and said safing circuit being further responsive to said addition sensors.

12. A method for controlling an actuatable restraint system in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

mounting a vehicle event sensor in the vehicle, the vehicle event sensor having an electrical output signal having an identifiable characteristic upon the occurrence of a predetermined vehicle event;

monitoring the sensor output;

determining, using a discrimination algorithm, if the monitored sensor output indicates that predetermined event occurred;

determining, using a safing algorithm, if the monitored sensor output indicates that predetermined event occurred; and

actuating the restraint when both the determination using the discrimination algorithm and the determination using the safing algorithm agree that predetermined event occurred.