Control configuration for tripping a restraint device in a vehicle in the case of a side-impact collision

• US 6,243,632 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Jung, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/986,364
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 180/268, 180/271, 180/282, 280/735, 307/10.1, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

A control configuration for tripping a restraint device in a vehicle includes a sensor device having at least two acceleration sensors, being disposed in a control unit along with a tripping circuit and supplying a longitudinal acceleration signal and a transverse acceleration signal. The tripping circuit supplies an output signal that depends not only on the transverse acceleration signal but also on the longitudinal acceleration signal and thereby enables a reliable decision to be made regarding tripping of the restraint device, despite a weak development of the transverse acceleration signal, due to the central disposition of the sensor device. The output signal is compared with a limit value.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle having a longitudinal axis and a restraint device, a control configuration for tripping the restraint device in the case of a side-impact collision, the control configuration comprising:

a sensor device having two acceleration sensors and supplying a longitudinal acceleration signal for accelerations parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a transverse acceleration signal for accelerations transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle; and

a tripping circuit connected between said sensor device and the restraint device, said tripping circuit supplying an output signal a(t) determined by the longitudinal acceleration signal and the transverse acceleration signal and tripping the restraint device if the output signal exceeds a limit value;

said tripping circuit determining the output signal a(t) by a quotient of a first signal dependent on the transverse acceleration signal to a second signal dependent on the longitudinal acceleration signal.

2. The control configuration according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is determined by an energy signal dependent on the transverse acceleration signal, and the second signal is determined by an energy signal dependent on the longitudinal acceleration signal.

3. The control configuration according to claim 1, wherein the output signal is calculated by the following formula:

$a<br><br>\left(t\right)=\frac{{\int <br><br>}_0^t<br><br>\left(y^2<br><br>\left(t\right)\right)<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br><br><br>t+\mathrm{K1}}{{\int <br><br>}_0^t<br><br>\left(x^2<br><br>\left(t\right)\right)<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br><br><br>t+\mathrm{K2}}$

which contains the following variables;

a(t)=the output signal

y(t)=the transverse acceleration signal

x(t)=the longitudinal acceleration signal

K1=a constant

K2=a constant.

4. The control configuration according to claim 1, including a control unit disposed in a central region of the vehicle.

5. The control configuration according to claim 1, wherein each acceleration sensor is sensitive to two mutually opposite directions.

6. The control configuration according to claim 1, wherein the first acceleration signal has a sensitivity axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the second acceleration signal has a sensitivity axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

7. The control configuration according to claim 1, wherein said tripping circuit is a microprocessor.

8. The control configuration according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device is simultaneously used to trip a restraint device in a vehicle in the case of a front-impact or oblique-impact collision.