Device for controlling restraining means in a vehicle

• US 7,568,543 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Gaukel, Harald, Walz, Volker, Loeckle, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/532,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,114 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/269, 180/270, 180/271, 180/282, 280/802, 280/801, 280/806, 280/734, 280/735, 701/46, 701/45, 701/36, 701/301, 701/71, 342/72, 342/107
• US Class Current: 180/271
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0119 Plausibility check
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• 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 21/01562 by speed

Abstract

A device for triggering a restraining arrangement in a vehicle in which the vehicle velocity is taken into consideration in the triggering. In the system, the vehicle velocity is checked for plausibility by the signal from a remote sensor so as to avoid faulty triggering.

Claims

1. A device for triggering a restraining device in a vehicle, comprising:

an arrangement for triggering the restraining device as a function of a velocity of the vehicle, the arrangement considering the vehicle velocity as a function of a signal from at least one remote sensor, wherein the velocity is provided by a sensor arrangement that determines the velocity, and wherein the remote sensor is used to perform a plausibility check for the velocity of the vehicle;

a modifying arrangement for modifying at least one threshold to which at least one crash signal is compared for the triggering of the restraining device, as a function of the vehicle velocity;

a subdividing arrangement for subdividing the vehicle velocity into a predefined class as a function of a magnitude of the vehicle velocity and then for modifying the threshold as a function of the class; and

a comparing arrangement for comparing the signal of the at least one remote sensor to a plausibility threshold, the plausibility threshold lying below a trigger threshold for generating a crash signal of the at least one remote sensor, the vehicle velocity being taken into consideration in the triggering of the restraining device as a function of the comparison.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an acceleration sensor.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a modifying arrangement for modifying at least one threshold to which at least one crash signal is compared for the triggering of the restraining device, as a function of the vehicle velocity.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a subdividing arrangement for subdividing the vehicle velocity into a predefined class as a function of a magnitude of the vehicle velocity and then for modifying the threshold as a function of the class

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle velocity leads to a modification of the threshold in a frontal algorithm.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle velocity leads to a modification of the threshold in an upfront algorithm.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor arrangement includes a speedometer, and wherein the sensor arrangement determines the velocity based on wheel speed data.

8. The device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor arrangement includes a speedometer, and wherein the sensor arrangement determines the velocity based on wheel speed data.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one remote sensor is an upfront sensor.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement includes a speedometer.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement determines the velocity based on wheel speed data.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement includes a speedometer, and wherein the sensor arrangement determines the velocity based on wheel speed data.