METHOD FOR ACTIVATING A SAFETY ACTUATOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20140330484A1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Freienstein, Heiko, Maur, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A method for activating a safety actuator of a motor vehicle includes: ascertaining an endangerment model of the motor vehicle with the aid of an anticipatory sensor system and at least one characteristic value of a pose of a driver of the motor vehicle; ascertaining a controllability of the motor vehicle by a driver of the motor vehicle with the aid of the at least one characteristic value; and activating the safety actuator to an extent which is a function of the endangerment model and the controllability.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for activating a safety actuator of a motor vehicle, comprising:

ascertaining an endangerment model of the motor vehicle with the aid of an anticipatory sensor system and at least one characteristic value of a pose of a driver of the motor vehicle;

ascertaining, with the aid of the at least one characteristic value, a controllability of the motor vehicle by a driver of the motor vehicle; and

activating the safety actuator to an extent which is a function of the ascertained endangerment model and the ascertained controllability.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one characteristic value is defined by a degree of a contact of the driver with a seat back of a driver seat.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one characteristic value is ascertained from an inclination of the seat back.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one characteristic value is ascertained with the aid of at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a contact sensor, and an optical detection device.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein a deviation between a predefined reference manner of holding a steering device of the motor vehicle and an actual manner in which the driver holds the steering device is ascertained, and wherein the at least one characteristic value represents the ascertained deviation.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the posture is ascertained with the aid of at least one of a contact sensor and an angle sensor.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein an angle of the steering device is correlated with a yaw angle of the motor vehicle which is detected by a yaw-rate sensor.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein a vehicle-seating-device based restraint unit is adjusted when the safety actuator is activated.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one plane of a driver seat is adjusted.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the adjustment of the vehicle-seating-device based restraint unit is carried out in interaction with an adjustment of a seat belt tensioner device of the motor vehicle.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one of an adjustment path and an adjustment speed of the vehicle-seating-device based restraint unit is determined as a function of the endangerment model and the controllability of the motor vehicle.

28. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the anticipatory sensor system ascertains a preliminary phase of at least one of a front, side, and rear impact of the motor vehicle.

29. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein the endangerment model is formed as a product of an impact probability and an impact severity of the motor vehicle ascertained in advance.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing a computer program having program codes which, when executed on a computer, performs a method for activating a safety actuator of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

ascertaining an endangerment model of the motor vehicle with the aid of an anticipatory sensor system and at least one characteristic value of a pose of a driver of the motor vehicle;

ascertaining, with the aid of the at least one characteristic value, a controllability of the motor vehicle by a driver of the motor vehicle; and

activating the safety actuator to an extent which is a function of the ascertained endangerment model and the ascertained controllability.