Acceleration sensor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring acceleration, comprising:
- a plurality of acceleration sensors, being jointly subjected to an acceleration to be measured, said sensors being designed to switch and generate at an output thereof a logical signal when a predetermined individual acceleration threshold value is exceeded, with individual threshold values of said acceleration sensors being different one from the other;
sampling means for sampling a bit-pattern consisting of said logical signals at said outputs when an acceleration is exerted on said sensors;
memory means having stored therein a plurality of bit patterns corresponding to physically possible or impossible switching conditions of said plurality of sensors;
comparing and determining means for comparing said sampled bit-pattern with said stored bit-patterns and for determining whether said sampled bit-pattern corresponds to a physically possible or a physically impossible switching condition of said plurality of sensors;
measuring means connected to said output of a predetermined one of said acceleration sensors for measuring whether said individual acceleration threshold value of said one predetermined acceleration sensor is exceeded;
suppressing means connected to said comparing and determining means and to said measuring means for deactivating said measuring means when said sampled bit-pattern corresponds to a physically impossible switching condition of said plurality of sensors.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor, preferably one of sub-miniature design, serves for measuring an acceleration (b). For this purpose, an electric signal representative of the acceleration (b) to be measured is generated by a sensor arrangement and evaluated as measured value. The sensor arrangement produces a predetermined logic signal when an acceleration threshold value is exceeded. In order to ensure high detection security and to obtain a computer-compatible signal, with the aid of an arrangement of small dimensions, one makes use of a plurality of sensors responding at different acceleration threshold values. The sensors are, preferably, designed as unilaterally fixed elastic tongues. The tongues are differently designed, with respect to their spring-and-mass properties, in order to provide different acceleration threshold values. They are arranged on a common substrate board and connected to a digital evaluation unit. A first bit pattern formed from the predetermined logic signals of the sensor is compared with second bit patterns. The second bit patterns are representative of physically possible or physically impossible conditions of the sensor arrangement. The logic signals are evaluated as a measured value only when the first bit pattern represents a physically possible condition.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring acceleration, comprising:
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a plurality of acceleration sensors, being jointly subjected to an acceleration to be measured, said sensors being designed to switch and generate at an output thereof a logical signal when a predetermined individual acceleration threshold value is exceeded, with individual threshold values of said acceleration sensors being different one from the other; sampling means for sampling a bit-pattern consisting of said logical signals at said outputs when an acceleration is exerted on said sensors; memory means having stored therein a plurality of bit patterns corresponding to physically possible or impossible switching conditions of said plurality of sensors; comparing and determining means for comparing said sampled bit-pattern with said stored bit-patterns and for determining whether said sampled bit-pattern corresponds to a physically possible or a physically impossible switching condition of said plurality of sensors; measuring means connected to said output of a predetermined one of said acceleration sensors for measuring whether said individual acceleration threshold value of said one predetermined acceleration sensor is exceeded; suppressing means connected to said comparing and determining means and to said measuring means for deactivating said measuring means when said sampled bit-pattern corresponds to a physically impossible switching condition of said plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A crash detecting apparatus for motor vehicles, comprising:
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a plurality of acceleration sensors being mounted on said motor vehicle, said sensors being designed to switch and generate at an output thereof a logical signal when an acceleration acting upon said motor vehicle exceeds a predetermined individual acceleration threshold value, With individual threshold values of said acceleration sensors being different one from the other; sampling means for sampling a bit-pattern consisting of said logical signals at said outputs when an acceleration is exerted on said sensors; memory means having stored therein a plurality of bit-patterns corresponding to physically possible or impossible switching conditions of said plurality of sensors; comparing and determining means for comparing said sampled bit-pattern with said stored bit patterns and for determining whether said sampled bit-pattern corresponds to a physically possible or a physically impossible switching condition of said plurality of sensors; measuring means for activating passenger safety means and being connected to said output of a predetermined one of said acceleration sensors for measuring whether said individual acceleration threshold value of said one predetermined acceleration sensor is exceeded; suppressing means connected to said comparing and determining means and to said measuring means for deactivating said measuring means when said sampled bit pattern corresponds to a physically impossible switching condition of said plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. An acceleration sensor comprising:
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a base member; a plurality of bending rods being jointly subjected to an acceleration and being rigidly connected at one end to said base member, said bending rods being designed individually With respect to their elasticity and their mass such that they are deflected differently when an acceleration is exerted on said plurality of rods; first electric contact elements arranged on free ends of said rods; second electric contact elements connected to said base member and being arranged relative to said first electric contact elements such that electric circuits between individual first electric contact elements and neighboured second electric contact elements are switched at different predetermined acceleration threshold values. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification