Apparatus for occupant protection in a motor vehicle

• US 6,595,544 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hermann, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US09/541,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 180/282, 180/274, 701/45, 701/47
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01027 Safing sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01302 monitoring vehicle body vibrations or noise
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 15/09 by piezoelectric pick-up

Abstract

An apparatus for occupant protection in a vehicle, having a sensor for picking up a transverse deflection of structure-borne sound of a body component of the vehicle, and having an evaluator for controlling an occupant protection device of the vehicle depending on the structure-borne sound that is picked up.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a body component and an occupant protection device, an apparatus for controlling the occupant protection device, the apparatus comprising:

a sound sensor for picking up spectral components above 10 kHz of a transverse structure-borne sound deflection of the body component; and

an evaluator for triggering the occupant protection device in dependence on the presence of transverse structure-borne sound deflection above 10 kHz.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound sensor is disposed in a control unit adapted to be secured to the body component of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body component is a bearer disposed centrally in the vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound sensor is embodied as a piezoelectric sensor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluator evaluates an amplitude of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said evaluator evaluates a change in the amplitude over time of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluator evaluates a frequency of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said evaluator evaluates a change in the frequency over time of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, including an acceleration sensor for picking up an acceleration, the occupant protection device being controlled in dependence on the acceleration and on the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

10. An apparatus for controlling an occupant protection device in a vehicle having a body component, the apparatus comprising:

a sound sensor for picking up spectral components above 10 kHz of a transverse structure-borne sound deflection of the body component; and

an evaluator for triggering the occupant protection device in dependence on the presence of transverse structure-borne sound deflection above 10 kHz.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said sound sensor is disposed in a control unit adapted to be secured to the body component of the vehicle.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the body component is a bearer disposed centrally in the vehicle.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said sound sensor is embodied as a piezoelectric sensor.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said evaluator evaluates an amplitude of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said evaluator evaluates a change in the amplitude over time of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said evaluator evaluates a frequency of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said evaluator evaluates a change in the frequency over time of the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, including an acceleration sensor for picking up an acceleration, and the occupant protection device being controlled in dependence on the acceleration and on the transverse structure-borne sound deflection.