Device and method for triggering passenger protection devices

• US 20110015829A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Mack, Frank, Lang, Gunther
• Granted Patent: US 9,061,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01129 Problems or faults
• 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 21/01332 by frequency or waveform analysis

Abstract

A device and a method for triggering passenger protection devices, an accident sensor system generating a first signal and the passenger protection devices being triggered as a function of a frequency of a second signal, which is derived from the first signal, the frequency being determined as a function of a first length of a first signal characteristic of the second signal and of a second length of a second signal characteristic of the added-up second signal.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A device for triggering a passenger protection device, the device being connectable to an accident sensor system which generates a first signal, the device comprising:

an analyzer circuit adapted to trigger the passenger protection device as a function of a frequency of a second signal, which is derived from the first signal, the analyzer circuit adapted to determine the frequency as a function of a first length of a first signal characteristic of the second signal and a second length of a second signal characteristic of an added-up second signal.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the analyzer circuit is adapted to determine the first and second lengths as a function of an absolute summation of particular differences in successive values of the first signal and the added-up second signal.

17. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the analyzer circuit determines the frequency by forming a quotient of the first length and the second length.

18. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the analyzer circuit determines the frequencies continuously.

19. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the accident sensor system includes a plurality of accident sensors and the analyzer circuit weights and averages frequencies of the second signals of the respective accident sensors.

20. The device as recited in claim 19, wherein the analyzer circuit is adapted to perform the weighting as a function of lengths of the added-up second signals.

21. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the accident sensor system has an inertial sensor system.

22. The device as recited in claim 21, wherein the inertial sensor system is an acceleration sensor system.

23. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein the accident sensor system has a knock sensor system.

24. A method for triggering a passenger protection device, an accident sensor system generating a first signal, the method comprising:

triggering the passenger protection device as a function of a frequency of a second signal derived from the first signal, the frequency being determined as a function of a first length of a first signal characteristic of the second signal and of the second length of a second signal characteristic of an added-up second signal.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the first and the second lengths are determined as a function of a summation of particular differences between successive values of the first signal and the added-up second signals.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the frequency is determined by forming a quotient of the first and second lengths.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the frequency is determined continuously.

28. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein when there is a plurality of accident sensors, the frequencies of the second signals of the particular accident sensors are weighted and averaged.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the weighting is performed as a function of lengths of the added-up second signals.