Protective device for a vehicle

• US 7,496,437 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schou, Frank, Ringger, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/520,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 180/271, 180/282, 280/734, 280/735, 340/933, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01564 Manually or key-actuated inhibition switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves

Abstract

A protective device for a vehicle is described which is deactivatable by a switch, the state of the switch being analyzable by a processor in a control unit and by an independent hardware path. The independent hardware path has at least one logic module which makes the setting of delay times highly flexible.

Claims

1. A protective device for a vehicle, comprising:

a switch to deactivate the protective device;

a processor; and

an additional module having at least one logic module,

wherein a switch position is verifiable by the processor and by the additional module independently from one another.

2. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the at least one logic module includes at least one of a gate and a flip-flop.

3. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the logic module is configured so that a time response of a logic state of the logic module is modifiable.

4. The protective device of claim 3, wherein the processor modifies the time response.

5. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the switch includes a resistor network.

6. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the switch includes at least one Hall-effect sensor.

7. The protective device of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit to power the switch.

8. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the switch is powered from an external supply.

9. The protective device of claim 1, wherein the logic state of the logic module is allowed to be retained.

10. The protective device of claim 1, further comprising:

a triggering circuit control; and

an AND gate connctible to the triggering circuit control, wherein the module and the procesor are connected to the AND gate.