Method for data transfer in a restraint system connected to a bus line

• US 6,449,545 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• 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: Nitschke, Werner, Schaefer, Stefan, Bauer, Joachim, Bischoff, Michael, Fendt, Günter, Karl, Otto, Rinkens, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US09/647,441
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 701/29, 701/33
• 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 2021/01115 specific data frames
• 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

Abstract

A central control unit and a plurality of data processing units are connected to a bus line and are provided to control restraint devices. The central control unit sends query signals or control signals in the form of data telegrams to all or certain individual data processing units and the data processing units send response signals back to the central control unit in response to certain query signals or control signals. To permit a reliable allocation of query signals and control signals to data processing units and reliable acquisition of monitoring data of data processing units and their restraint devices, the query signals or control signals and the response signals are data telegrams, all of which have the same frame structure, having a first region with n control bits, a second region with m information bits and a third region with p check bits.

Claims

1. A method of data transmission in a restraint system network over a bus line for occupants of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

coupling a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units to the bus line;

providing, at various locations in the vehicle, the central control unit and the plurality of data processing units to control restraint devices;

sending, from the central control unit, at least one of query signals and control signals to at least one of particular data processing units and all data processing units;

sending, from the data processing units, response signals to the central control unit in response to at least one of particular query signals and particular control signals, the response signals and the at least one of the query signals and the control signals being data telegrams, the data telegrams having the same frame structure including a first region with n control bits, a second region with m information bits and third region with p check bits;

entering, by the central control unit, a deployment command into the second region with the m information bits of the data telegram in which each of the data processing units is allocated at least one bit location; and

activating the restraint devices assigned to a particular data processing unit only when the at least one allocated bit location for the particular data processing unit has been set.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

placing synchronization bits in front of the data telegrams for the at least one of the query signals and the control signals; and

adding stop bits at an end of a frame of the data telegrams for the at least one of the query signals and the control signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

distinguishing between at least one of different query commands and different control commands via the control bits in the data telegrams.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

notifying, by the data processing units, the central control unit via the control bits in the data telegrams for the response signals as to whether the data processing units can correctly execute the at least one of the query commands and the control commands.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

addressing the data processing units via a first portion of the m information bits of the data telegrams of the at least one of the query signals and the control signals; and

at least one of (A) selecting at least one memory register of the addressed data processing unit via a second portion of the m information bits so that a content of the at least one selected memory register is sent to the central control unit with the response telegram and (B) requesting at least one data processing unit to execute a particular function via a second portion of the m information bits.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

entering, by the data processing units, queried register contents into the second region of their response telegram having m information bits.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

at least one of (A) selecting, by the central control unit, a single data processing unit by addressing the single data processing unit via the first portion of the m information bits and (B) addressing simultaneously, in the first portion of the m information bits, all data processing units that are coupled to the bus line.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the data telegram of a first kind at a higher signal level and at a higher bit rate than the data telegram of a second kind, the data telegram of the first kind including at least one of the query signals and the control signals having a high priority and a high time urgency, the data telegram of the second kind including at least one of the query signals and the control signals having a lower priority and a lower time urgency.

9. A method of data transmission in a restraint system network over a bus line for occupants of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

coupling a central control unit and a plurality of data processing units to the bus line;

providing, at various locations in the vehicle, the central control unit and the plurality of data processing units to control restraint devices;

sending, from the central control unit, at last one of query signals and control signals to at least one of particular data processing units and all data processing units;

sending, from the data processing units, response signals to the central control unit in response to at least one of particular query signals and particular control signals, the response signals and the at least one of the query signals and the control signals being data telegrams, the data telegrams having the same frame structure including a first region with n control bits, a second region with m information bits and third region with p check bits;

entering, by the central control unit, a deployment command into the second region with the m information bits of the data telegram in which each of the data processing units is allocated at least one bit location; and

in response, to the deployment command activating the restraint devices assigned to a particular data processing unit only when the at least one allocated bit location for the particular data processing unit has been set.