Method for pre-setting a passenger protection system for a vehicle

• US 7,653,467 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2004
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Justen, Rainer, Baumann, Karl-Heinz, Schoeneburg, Rodolfo, Bachmann, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/545,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20060229784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,194 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01034 Controlling a plurality of restraint devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection system of a vehicle having a plurality of adaptive protection system components assigned to a seat in the vehicle, is preset using data relating to the individual occupant of the seat. The identity of the occupant is determined for at least one seat, and a stored safety profile which is assigned to the identified person is retrieved. The protection system components which are assigned to the seat are then set using the safety profile.

Claims

1. A method for presetting a vehicle occupant protection system having a plurality of adaptive protection system components that are each assigned to a seat in the vehicle, based on data relating to the vehicle occupant, said method comprising:

determining the identity of an occupant of at least one seat;

retrieving from a memory mounted in the vehicle a safety profile which is assigned to the identified person and is stored in the memory; and

setting the protection system components which are assigned to the seat, based on data contained in the safety profile;

wherein, if the identity of the vehicle occupant occupying the seat cannot be determined, the protection system components assigned to the seat are preset according to standard settings.

2. A method for presetting a vehicle occupant protection system having a plurality of adaptive protection system components that are each assigned to a seat in the vehicle, based on data relating to the vehicle occupant, said method comprising:

determining the identity of an occupant of at least one seat;

retrieving from a memory mounted in the vehicle a safety profile which is assigned to the identified person and is stored in the memory;

setting the protection system components which are assigned to the seat, based on data contained in the safety profile; and

performing a plausibility check regarding a determined identity of an occupant by comparing driving style or vehicle settings of said occupant with stored information regarding said occupant.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said vehicle settings comprise at least one of seat position, radio transmitter selection, or air conditioner settings.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said plausibility check further includes a comparison of determined occupant identity with stored driving authorizations.