Occupant protection system for a motor vehicle

• US 7,379,804 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Weiss, Christian, Zander, Andre, Neubohn, Andre, Kuhn, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/576,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/37, 701/38, 701/45, 701/46, 280/734, 280/735, 180/268, 180/282
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01272 Belt tensioners
• 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 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• 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 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01564 Manually or key-actuated inhibition switches

Abstract

An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle includes at least one crash sensor for measuring a motion variable. The occupant protection system includes an occupant protection device, controlled by an ignition signal, and a control device for determining the ignition signal subject to an average time value of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor during at least one first time interval.

Claims

1. An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one crash sensor adapted to measure a motion variable of the motor vehicle;

an occupant protection device controllable via an ignition signal; and

a control unit adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of a time average of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor over at least one first time interval.

2. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the motion variable includes acceleration.

3. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of a time average of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor over a second time interval different from the first time interval.

4. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of time averages of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor in two to twenty different time intervals.

5. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of time averages of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor in two to five different time intervals.

6. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the time interval is between 1 ms and 200 ms long.

7. The occupant protection system according to claim 3, wherein the time intervals are substantially the same length.

8. The occupant protection system according to claim 4, wherein at least two time intervals are staggered by between 1 ms and 50 ms.

9. The occupant protection system according to claim 4, wherein the time intervals are staggered by between 1 ms and 50 ms.

10. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional crash sensor adapted to measure a motion variable of the motor vehicle, the control unit adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of at least one time average of the motion variable measured by the additional crash sensor over a time interval.

11. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to ascertain the ignition signal in accordance with a pattern-recognition method.

12. The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to ascertain the ignition signal in accordance with a pattern-recognition method and in accordance with at least one of (a) a neural network and (b) a decision tree.

13. An occupant protection system for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including at least one crash sensor adapted to measure a motion variable of the motor vehicle, comprising:

an occupant protection device controllable via an ignition signal; and

a control unit adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of a time average of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor over at least one first time interval.

14. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an occupant protection system including;

at least one crash sensor adapted to measure a motion variable of the motor vehicle;

an occupant protection device controllable via an ignition signal; and

a control unit adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of a time average of the motion variable measured by the crash sensor over at least one first time interval.

15. A method for operating an occupant protection system for a motor vehicle, the occupant protection system including an occupant protection device controllable via an ignition signal, comprising:

ascertaining the ignition signal as a function of a time average of a measured motion variable over at least one time interval.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the ignition signal is ascertained in the ascertaining step in accordance with a pattern-recognition method.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the ignition signal is ascertained in the ascertaining step in accordance with a pattern-recognition method and in accordance with at least one of (a) a neural network and (b) a decision tree).