Airbag electrical control unit

• US 7,233,234 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ooyabu, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/916,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/426.18, 340/426.21, 340435-436, 348/143, 348/148, 280734-735, 701 45- 47
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

An airbag electrical control unit mounted in a vehicle includes a position detecting circuit that detects a current position of the vehicle; a computing circuit that computes impact that the vehicle undergoes using a signal from a sensor; and a notifying circuit that notifies a previously designated recipient of a notification data that includes the detected current information alone or both the detected current position and the computed impact. Here, a traveling mode that addresses a traveling-period trouble generated while the vehicle is traveling and a parking mode that addresses a parking-period trouble generated while the vehicle is being parked are switched into each other.

Claims

1. An airbag electrical control unit mounted in a vehicle, the airbag electrical control unit comprising:

a position detecting circuit that detects a current position of the vehicle;

a computing circuit that computes impact that the vehicle undergoes using a signal from a sensor; and

a notifying circuit that notifies a previously designated recipient of notification data that includes the detected current information alone or both the detected current position and the computed impact,

wherein a traveling mode and a parking mode are switched between each other, wherein the traveling mode addresses a traveling-period trouble generated while the vehicle is traveling, wherein the parking mode addresses a parking-period trouble generated while the vehicle is being parked.

2. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1,

wherein the notifying circuit periodically notifies the recipient of the notification data while the vehicle is being parked.

3. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a current controlling circuit that controls a current-conducting period for which an electric current is conducted under the parking mode.

4. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1,

wherein the position detecting circuit detects the current position of the vehicle using a global positioning system that obtains position information from one of an artificial satellite and a base station.

5. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1,

wherein the traveling mode and the parking mode is switched between each other based on one of an ignition switch and an accessory switch.

6. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1,

wherein the traveling mode and the parking mode is switched between each other based on an ID code of a transponder of an immobilizer.

7. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1,

wherein the traveling mode and the parking mode is switched between each other based on an entire-doors lock of a master key.

8. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 7, further comprising:

a waiting-period securing circuit that secures, after the ON signal of the entire-doors lock of the master key is received, a waiting period before the traveling mode is switched into the parking mode.

9. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a backup power that is activated when a conducted electric current from a main power is shut down.

10. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 1,

wherein the sensor is included in a plurality of sensors that include at least a G sensor for an airbag.

11. The airbag electrical control unit of claim 10,

wherein, even when the airbag is not expanded, the notifying circuit notifies the recipient of the notification data that includes the computed impact.