Vehicle safety system

• US 5,689,421 A
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas Gornig
• Original Assignee: Thomas Gornig
• Inventors: Gornig, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/790,523
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.055, 364/424.056, 340/436, 340/438, 340/669, 307/10.1, 180/274, 180/282, 180/268, 280/734, 280/735
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0173 Diagnostic or recording means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9517 using galvanomagnetic devices

Abstract

A vehicle safety system including an air bag operating unit and at least one sensor component. The vehicle safety system, in a simple and reliable fashion, ensures that signals coming from the at least one sensor component are supplied to a control unit for an air bag such that the current status of a vehicle occupant may be reliably ascertained. The air bag operating unit is preferably fitted with a digital microprocessor. The air bag operating unit is preferably connected with the at least one sensor component via a transmission line, and the at least one sensor component repeatedly transmits to the air bag operating unit digital information at predetermined time intervals. The digital information is indicative of the status of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system comprising an air bag operating unit and at least one sensor component for sensing a current status of a vehicle occupant,

said current status corresponding to whether said vehicle occupant is seated in a respective seat or how said vehicle occupant is seated on said respective seat or also corresponding to whether a seat belt associated with said vehicle occupant is fastened,

the air bag operating unit being located apart from said respective seat, said air bag operating unit including a digital processing device and being connected with said at least one sensor component by a transmission line,

said at least one sensor component being located at said respective seat and arranged so as to repeatedly send digital information from said respective seat to the air bag operating unit at predetermined time intervals, said digital information being indicative of said current status.

2. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, and further comprising means for supplying said at least one sensor component with DC power via the transmission line.

3. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, and further comprising means for transmitting said digital information from said at least one sensor component to said air bag operating unit as a digital word, wherein said digital word comprises two binary bits.

4. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor component comprises a sensor element which continuously outputs a status signal;

a timer; and

a digital signal generator adapted to be controlled by the timer to produce digital words in accordance with an output from the sensor element.

5. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, and further comprising a seat belt system with at least one belt buckle, said at least one sensor component being adapted to detect which one or ones of a plurality of belts in said seat belt system are fastened.

6. The vehicle safety system according to claim 5, wherein said sensor component is capable of determining which of said at least one belt buckle is fastened or unfastened.

7. The vehicle safety system according to claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor component is capable of ascertaining whether a belt in said seat belt system is being used.

8. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a sensor element comprising a switch with "on" and "off" switch settings.

9. The vehicle safety system according to claim 8, wherein said sensor element comprises a Hall generator, wherein a magnet position indicates said current status.

10. The vehicle safety system according to claim 9, wherein an output signal from the Hall generator is conducted by a Schmitt trigger to a digital signal generator.

11. The vehicle safety system according to claim 8, wherein the sensor element comprises a simple electromechanical switch.

12. The vehicle safety system according to claim 8, wherein the sensor element comprises a reed switch.

13. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said digital information comprises a digital word, said digital word comprising at least one start bit and one data bit.

14. The vehicle safety system according to claim 13, wherein said digital word comprises said at least one start bit, two data bits including said one data bit, and one stop bit.

15. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission line comprises:

a single line extending between said at least one sensor component and said air bag operating unit, and

a vehicle ground.

16. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a Schmitt trigger and a digital signal generator, said Schmitt trigger having a direct output and an inverse output connected to said digital signal generator.

17. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a transistor for outputting said digital information in the form of a digital word on said transmission line, said at least one sensor component further comprising a capacitor for storing electrical energy received via said transmission line, said at least one sensor component being powered by electrical energy from said capacitor during transmission of said digital word.

18. The vehicle safety system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one sensor component further comprises a diode for decoupling said capacitor from the transmission line.

19. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a voltage regulator for maintaining an operational voltage in said at least one sensor component.

20. The vehicle safety system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor component includes a reset logic component, a clock generator, a timer, and a digital signal generator;

and

wherein said clock generator, said timer, and said digital signal generator are responsive to an output from said reset logic component which is simultaneously applied to said clock generator, said timer, and said digital signal generator when the vehicle safety system is activated by powering of the vehicle safety system.

21. The vehicle safety system according to claim 20, wherein said clock generator responds to said output from the reset logic component by continuously producing a clock pulse, said clock pulse being applied to said timer, said timer being responsive to said clock pulse to produce a load signal and a data clock signal, said load and data clock signals being applied to said digital signal generator, said digital signal generator being arranged so as to process signals from a sensing element of said at least one sensor component when said load signal is being applied.

22. A vehicle safety system comprising an air bag operating unit and at least one sensor component for sensing a current status of a vehicle occupant, said air bag operating unit including a digital microprocessor and being connected to said at least one sensor component by a transmission line,

said at least one sensor component having means for repeatedly sending digital information from said at least one sensor component to the air bag operating unit at predetermined time intervals va said transmission line, said digital information being indicative of said current status,

said current status being dependent upon at least one of several conditions, said several conditions including whether the vehicle occupant is seated in a particular seat, whether a particular seat belt has been withdrawn from a seat belt retractor, and whether a particular seat belt has been secured to a corresponding seat belt buckle,

wherein said at Least one sensor component is located at said particular seat or said particular seat belt or said corresponding seat belt buckle, and

wherein said air bag operating unit is located away from said particular seat, said particular seat belt and said corresponding seat belt buckle.

23. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, and further comprising means for supplying said at least one sensor component with DC power via the transmission line.

24. The vehicle safety system according to claim 23, and further comprising:

means for storing energy derived from said DC power and for supplying said energy to said at least one sensor component while said digital information is being sent by said at least one sensor component; and

means for isolating said energy from the transmission line to prevent interference with said digital information.

25. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said digital information comprises a digital word, and said digital word comprises at least one start bit and one data bit.

26. The vehicle safety system according to claim 25, wherein said digital word comprises said at least one start bit, two data bits including said one data bit, and one stop bit.

27. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a switch with an "on" setting and an "off" setting.

28. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said transmission line comprises:

a single line extending between said at least one sensor component and said air bag operating unit, and

a vehicle ground.

29. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a Schmitt trigger and a digital signal generator, said Schmitt trigger having a direct output and an inverse output connected to said digital signal generator.

30. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a transistor for outputting said digital information in the form of a digital word on said transmission line, said at least one sensor component further comprising a capacitor for storing electrical energy received via said transmission line, said at least one sensor component being powered by electrical energy from said capacitor during transmission of said digital word.

31. The vehicle safety system according to claim 30, wherein said at least one sensor component further comprises a diode for decoupling said capacitor from the transmission line.

32. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a voltage regulator for maintaining an operational voltage in said at least one sensor component.

33. The vehicle safety system according to claim 22, wherein said at least one sensor component includes a reset logic component, a clock generator, a timer, and a digital signal generator;

and

wherein said clock generator, said timer, and said digital signal generator are responsive to an output from said reset logic component which is simultaneously applied to said clock generator, said timer, and said digital signal generator when the vehicle safety system is activated by powering of the vehicle safety system.

34. The vehicle safety system according to claim 33, wherein said clock generator responds to said output from the reset logic component by continuously producing a clock pulse, said clock pulse being applied to said timer, said timer being responsive to said clock pulse to produce a load signal and a data clock signal, said load and data clock signals being applied to said digital signal generator, said digital signal generator being arranged so as to process signals from a sensing element of said at least one sensor component when said load signal is being applied.