Device for Determining the Instant a Vehicle Makes Contact with an Impact Object

• US 20080204209A1
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Theisen, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/436
• 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: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration

Abstract

A device for determining the instant a vehicle makes contact with an impact object. The device determines the instant of contact by approximating a signal derived from an acceleration signal using a function.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A device for determining an instant a vehicle makes contact with an impact object, comprising:

an arrangement for determining the instant of contact by approximating a signal derived from an acceleration signal using a function.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for one of filtering the acceleration signal and integrating the acceleration signal once or twice.

12. The device as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for taking into account an impact velocity when determining the instant of contact.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the arrangement for taking into account the impact velocity determines the impact velocity as a function of a vehicle velocity.

14. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the arrangement for taking into account the impact velocity determines the impact velocity as a function of a surrounding-field signal.

15. The device as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

an arrangement for approximating the signal using at least two threshold values.

16. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the arrangement for determining uses a quadratic function.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein the arrangement for determining determines the instant of contact from a vertex of the quadratic function.

18. The device as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

an arrangement for taking into account an impact velocity linearly in the determination of the instant of contact.