Control system for vehicle safety device
First Claim
1. A control system for a vehicle safety device comprising:
- (a) a drive circuit for said vehicle safety device, said drive circuit including main switching means and a safety switch which is turned on by an inertia force produced at the time of a collision of the vehicle, and said vehicle safety device being activated when said main switching means and said safety switch are both turned on;
(b) acceleration sensing means for detecting deceleration of the vehicle, said acceleration sensing means outputting a voltage signal corresponding to the deceleration;
(c) analog-to-digital converting means for converting the voltage signal from said acceleration sensing means to a digital deceleration signal; and
(d) a microcomputer comprising (i) integrating means for integrating the deceleration signal from said analog-to-digital converting means to obtain an integral value;
(ii) first ON-instruction signal outputting means for judging whether or not the integral value is beyond a threshold level and for outputting a first ON-instruction signal to said main switching means when said first ON-instruction signal outputting means judges that the integral value is beyond a threshold level;
(iii) malfunction judgement means for judging whether or not said acceleration sensing means is subjected to a malfunction (iv) switch state judgment means for judging whether said safety switch is in the ON state or the OFF state; and
(v) second ON-instruction signal outputting means for outputting a second ON-instruction signal to said main switching means when said malfunction judgment means judges that said acceleration sensing means is subjected to a malfunction and at the same time when said switch state judgment means judges that said safety switch is in the ON state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for a vehicle safety device includes a drive circuit. The drive circuit includes a main switching element, and a safety switch which is turned on by an inertia force produced at the time of a collision of the vehicle. The vehicle safety device is activated when the main switching element and said safety switch are both turned on. The control system further includes an acceleration sensing circuit for detecting deceleration of the vehicle, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer judges, based on a deceleration signal from the acceleration sensing circuit, whether or not a collision has occurred, and outputs an ON-instruction signal to the main switching element when the microcomputer judges that the collision has occurred. The microcomputer also judges whether or not the acceleration sensing circuit is subjected to a malfunction, and judges whether the safety switch is in the ON state or the OFF state. The microcomputer outputs an ON-instruction signal to the main switching element when the microcomputer judges that the acceleration sensing circuit is subjected to a malfunction and at the same time when the microcomputer judges that the safety switch is in the ON state.
35 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A control system for a vehicle safety device comprising:
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(a) a drive circuit for said vehicle safety device, said drive circuit including main switching means and a safety switch which is turned on by an inertia force produced at the time of a collision of the vehicle, and said vehicle safety device being activated when said main switching means and said safety switch are both turned on; (b) acceleration sensing means for detecting deceleration of the vehicle, said acceleration sensing means outputting a voltage signal corresponding to the deceleration; (c) analog-to-digital converting means for converting the voltage signal from said acceleration sensing means to a digital deceleration signal; and (d) a microcomputer comprising (i) integrating means for integrating the deceleration signal from said analog-to-digital converting means to obtain an integral value;
(ii) first ON-instruction signal outputting means for judging whether or not the integral value is beyond a threshold level and for outputting a first ON-instruction signal to said main switching means when said first ON-instruction signal outputting means judges that the integral value is beyond a threshold level;
(iii) malfunction judgement means for judging whether or not said acceleration sensing means is subjected to a malfunction (iv) switch state judgment means for judging whether said safety switch is in the ON state or the OFF state; and
(v) second ON-instruction signal outputting means for outputting a second ON-instruction signal to said main switching means when said malfunction judgment means judges that said acceleration sensing means is subjected to a malfunction and at the same time when said switch state judgment means judges that said safety switch is in the ON state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification