Method and Device For Estimating at Least One Characteristic

• US 20080281492A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Theisen, Marc
• Application Number:
  US11/885,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281492A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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 21/0136 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

Abstract

A method and device for estimating at least one characteristic which is derived from at least one base characteristic and which is evaluated for the generation of a triggering signal for a passenger protection device, a contact time is calculated at a first time after an impact has occurred, the curve of the at least one derived characteristic being ascertained in retrospect in a time span between the calculated contact time and the first time.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for estimating at least one characteristic which is derived from at least one base characteristic and which is evaluated for the generation of a triggering signal for a passenger protection device, comprising:

calculating a theoretical contact time at a first time after an impact has occurred; and

ascertaining a curve of the at least one derived characteristic in retrospect in a time span between the calculated contact time and the first time.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the calculated contact time agrees with the actual contact time.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a value of the at least one base characteristic is taken into consideration at the first point in time for an estimation of the characteristic curve.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the characteristic curve is approximated by a parabola starting from a value of the at least one base characteristic at a time between the calculated contact time and the first time.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein additional values of the at least one base characteristic from a specified elapsed time span is taken into consideration for the estimation of the characteristic curve.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the characteristic curve is estimated based on a model.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a windowed characteristic is used for estimating the at least one characteristic.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein a window length of the windowed characteristic is extended or abbreviated corresponding to a time span between the calculated contact time and the first time.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one base characteristic is made available by at least one sensor unit.

21. A device for estimating a characteristic, which is derived from at least one base characteristic and which is evaluated for generating a triggering signal for a passenger protection device, the device comprising:

a control unit which calculates a contact time at a first time after an impact has occurred, and ascertains in retrospect the curve of the at least one derived characteristic in a time span between the calculated contact time and the first time.

22. The device as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

at least one sensor unit adapted to make available to the control unit the at least one base characteristic.