Device for protecting vehicle occupants in a motor vehicle

• US 6,530,597 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Nesper, Reiner, Watanabe, Shusei, Heitzer, Günter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y
• Application Number:
  US09/524,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/271, 180/282, 701/45, 340/436, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01075 between the airbag control unit and pyrotechnic fuses or equivalent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01095 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01102 Transmission method
• 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: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0173 Diagnostic or recording means therefor

Abstract

A device for protecting vehicle occupants in a motor vehicle has an impact sensor unit which is provided remote from a central region of the vehicle. The impact sensor unit is connected, via a data line for transmitting code signals, to a firing unit which is provided at an assigned vehicle occupant protection device. The firing unit contains an energy source which provides energy for triggering the assigned vehicle occupant protection device.

Claims

1. A device for protecting vehicle occupants in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a data line configured as a bus line;

at least two impact sensor units to be disposed remote from a central region of a motor vehicle, each of said at least two impact sensor units having an impact sensor unit interface connected to said data line for outputting a code signal onto said data line; and

at least two firing units to be disposed at respectively assigned vehicle occupant protection devices, said at least two firing units being directly connected to said at least two impact sensor units via said data line, each of said at least two firing units having a firing unit interface for receiving the code signal outputted by one of the at least two impact sensor units, and having an energy source for providing energy for triggering the respectively assigned vehicle occupant protection devices.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two impact sensor units each have an impact sensor for detecting an impact and generating an impact signal, and an evaluator for evaluating the impact signal.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said evaluator supplies a firing code signal as a function of a registered impact profile.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said evaluator supplies a firing code signal if one of the impact signal supplied by said impact sensor and a signal derived from the impact signal exceeds a threshold value.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein said impact sensor is an acceleration sensor for supplying an acceleration signal.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two firing units each have an evaluator for evaluating the code signal, a firing element to be assigned to at least one of the vehicle occupant protection devices, and a switching device, controllable by said evaluator, for electrically connecting said energy source to said firing element.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said switching device is switched to a conductive state by said evaluator if said evaluator detects a defined firing code signal.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said at least two impact sensor units include a first impact sensor unit for generating a first defined firing code signal and a second impact sensor unit for generating a second defined firing code signal, said switching device is switched to a conductive state by said evaluator if said evaluator detects at least one of the first defined firing code signal and the second defined firing code signal.

9. The device according to claim 6, including a control unit connected to said data line, said control unit having a control unit interface for outputting a coded enable signal onto said data line, said impact sensor units configured for outputting at least one defined firing code signal, said switching device being switched to a conductive state by said evaluator if said evaluator detects the at least one defined firing code signal and the coded enable signal.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said control unit includes at least one acceleration sensor for determining an acceleration profile and a control unit evaluator for evaluating the acceleration profile, said control unit supplies the coded enable signal as a function of the acceleration profile.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein said control unit supplies the coded enable signal if an acceleration limiting value is exceeded.

12. The device according to claim 10, including a detector, electrically connected to said control unit, for detecting at least one of an object and a vehicle occupant, said control unit supplies the coded enable signal if a defined status of the detector is detected.

13. The device according to claim 1, including a control unit connected to said data line, said control unit having a control unit interface for outputting a further code signal onto said data line.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said control unit is to be provided in the central region of the motor vehicle and has at least one acceleration sensor and an evaluator for evaluating an acceleration profile.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said at least one acceleration sensor is configured to register longitudinal accelerations of the motor vehicle.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said at least one acceleration sensor includes a first acceleration sensor configured to register the longitudinal accelerations of the motor vehicle and includes a second acceleration sensor configured to register transverse accelerations of the motor vehicle.

17. The device according to claim 13, including a detector, electrically connected to said control unit, for detecting at least one of an object and a vehicle occupant.

18. The device according to claim 1, including a detector, connected to said data line, for detecting at least one of an object and a vehicle occupant, said detector has an interface for outputting code signals onto said data line.

19. In a motor vehicle having a central region and having vehicle occupant protection devices, a device for protecting vehicle occupants, comprising:

a data line configured as a bus line;

at least two impact sensor units disposed remote from the central region of the motor vehicle, each of said at least two impact sensor units having an impact sensor unit interface connected to said data line for outputting a code signal onto said data line; and

at least two firing units assigned to the vehicle occupant protection devices and disposed at the vehicle occupant protection devices, said at least two firing units being directly connected to said at least two impact sensor units via said data line, each of said at least two firing units having a firing unit interface for receiving the code signal outputted by one of the at least two impact sensor units, and having an energy source for providing energy for triggering the vehicle occupant protection devices.