Method for operating a restraint system connected by a bus line in case of a short circuit

• US 6,449,544 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schaefer, Stefan, Nitschke, Werner, Bauer, Joachim, Bischoff, Michael, Fendt, Günter, Karl, Otto, Rinkens, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/647,383
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/29, 180/268, 280/728.1, 280/733, 280/734, 280/735, 280/801.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01075 between the airbag control unit and pyrotechnic fuses or equivalent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01122 Prevention of malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 15/06 successively, i.e. using time division
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 25/00 Arrangements for preventing or correcting errors; Monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

In the restraint system, a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units are coupled to a bus line, each of the data processing units being provided to activate one or more restraint devices. In order to keep the restraint system operational to the extent possible in the event of a short circuit, each data processing unit measures for short circuits on the bus line and starts timing if a short circuit is detected. Each data processing unit has a circuit breaker, with which the bus line can be closed or interrupted. This circuit breaker is opened if the short circuit measured is longer than a preset waiting time.

Claims

1. A method for operating a restraint system, networked via a bus line, in an event of a short circuit on the bus line, comprising the steps of:

coupling a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units to the bus line, each data processing unit being adapted to activate at least one restraint device;

measuring, by each data processing unit, for a short circuit on the bus line;

beginning a timing, by a particular data processing unit, when the short circuit is detected; and

opening a circuit breaker, located inside the particular data processing unit if the measured short circuit has a time duration that is longer than a preset waiting time, the circuit breaker at least one of closing and interrupting the bus line.

2. A method for operating a restraint system, networked via a bus line, in an event of a short circuit on the bus line, comprising the steps of:

coupling a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units to the bus line, each data processing unit being adapted to activate at least one restraint device;

measuring, by each data processing unit, for a short circuit on the bus line;

beginning a timing, by a particular data processing unit, when the short circuit is detected;

opening a circuit breaker, located inside the particular data processing unit if the measured short circuit has a time duration that is longer than a preset waiting time, the circuit breaker at least one of closing and interrupting the bus line; and

shifting the particular data processing unit into a reset state if the measured short circuit has a time duration that is several times longer than the preset waiting time after which the circuit breaker is opened.

3. A method for operating a restraint system, networked via a bus line, in an event of a short circuit on the bus line, comprising the steps of:

coupling a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units to the bus line, each data processing unit being adapted to activate at least one restraint device;

measuring, by each data processing unit, for a short circuit on the bus line;

beginning a timing, by a particular data processing unit, when the short circuit is detected;

opening a circuit breaker, located inside the particular data processing unit if the measured short circuit has a time duration that is longer than a preset waiting time, the circuit breaker at least one of closing and interrupting the bus line;

measuring, by the central control unit, for the short circuit on the bus line;

beginning a timing, by the central control unit, when the short circuit occurs;

switching off a power supply to the plurality of data processing units, coupled to the bus line, if the time duration of the measured short circuit, by the central control unit, exceeds a preset hold time, the preset hold time being shorter than the preset waiting time; and

switching on the power supply to the plurality of data processing units, coupled to the bus line, after the plurality of data processing units have opened their circuit breakers.

4. A method for operating a restraint system, networked via a bus line, in an event of a short circuit on the bus line, comprising the steps of:

coupling a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units to the bus line, each data processing unit being adapted to activate at least one restraint device;

measuring, by each data processing unit, for a short circuit on the bus line;

beginning a timing, by a particular data processing unit, when the short circuit is detected;

opening a circuit breaker, located inside the particular data processing unit if the measured short circuit has a time duration that is longer than a preset waiting time, the circuit breaker at least one of closing and interrupting the bus line; and

transmitting repeatedly, by the central control unit, over the bus line any triggering signal for the at least one restraint device that has to be transmitted after the short circuit occurs.