Vehicle occupant protection device

• US 20090146789A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maier, Valentin, Zimmer, Stefan, Holbein, Wolfgang
• Application Number:
  US12/315,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146789A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection device includes a safety-relevant means which can assume at least two different conditions. The vehicle occupant protection device further comprises a reading device (12) including an antenna (13), and a transponder (10) which, in dependence on the respective condition of the safety-relevant means or in dependence on a change in condition, produces a characteristic reaction detectable by the reading device (12). A coupling means (30) is arranged between the antenna (13) of the reading device (12) and the transponder (10). The coupling means (30) collects, diverts and again emits at least part of the energy emitted by the antenna (30) of the reading device (12).

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection device, comprising

a safety-relevant means which can assume at least two different conditions, a reading device including an antenna, and

a transponder which, in dependence on the respective condition of the safety-relevant means or in dependence on a change in condition, produces a characteristic reaction detectable by the reading device, a

coupling means being arranged between the antenna and the transponder, the coupling means collecting, diverting and again emitting at least part of an energy emitted by the antenna of the reading device.

2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes an input antenna for collecting the energy emitted by the antenna of the reading device and an output antenna for emitting the energy collected by the input antenna, the input antenna being arranged near the antenna of the reading device, and the output antenna being arranged near the transponder.

3. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the input antenna and the output antenna includes a coil.

4. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein between the input antenna and the output antenna a transmission path is formed by at least one of a shielded and a twisted cable.

5. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of transponders are provided and the coupling means includes a plurality of output antennas.

6. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5, wherein the transmission path includes branches to the output antennas.

7. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5, wherein the coupling means includes a plurality of input antennas and a plurality of transmission paths, each transmission path extending between an input antenna and an output antenna.

8. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic reaction of the transponder is caused by specifically covering or shielding the transponder against an energy emitted by the output antenna.

9. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic reaction of the transponder is caused by moving the transponder outside the reach of an energy emitted by the output antenna.

10. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the safety-relevant means includes a belt buckle and the transponder is mounted on the belt buckle.

11. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the transponder includes an RFID tag and the reading device includes an RFID reader.