Motor vehicle comprising a preventive protective system

• US 7,912,609 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Reutter, Dominic, Christmann, Xavier, Schmitt, Juergen, Zenker, Florian, Beisheim, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Shelley
• Application Number:
  US11/659,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,061 Days
• Field of Search: 701/46
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01317 monitoring seat belt tensiont
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0155 sensing belt tension

Abstract

A motor vehicle including a preventive protective system which includes safety devices actuated as a function of information obtained from a vehicle state sensor system and evaluated in a data evaluation and control device. In the associated process, the data evaluation and control device compares the recorded information with at least one triggering threshold value and actuates at least one safety device which is associated with this driving state when a criticality of the driving state is identified. Triggering of the associated safety device is actuated with respect to a force time gradient as a function of the identified criticality of the driving state.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle, a preventive protection system comprising:

a safety sensor system configured to detect information about the motor vehicle;

safety devices which are actuated as a function of information obtained from the safety sensor system; and

a data evaluation and control device configured to compare the information with a triggering threshold value and actuate a safety device associated with a driving state when a criticality of the driving state is identified,

wherein triggering of the associated safety device is actuated based on a force/time gradient of the identified criticality of the driving state;

wherein a maximum force of the associated safety device is parameterized as a function of the identified criticality of the driving state;

wherein said maximum force is built up over a time period which can be parameterized; and

wherein a longitudinal-dynamics criticality of the driving state is assigned a larger force/time gradient than a lateral-dynamics criticality.

2. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data evaluation and control device actuates the associated safety device with a parameterization of the force and the time, which is associated with the longitudinal-dynamics or lateral-dynamics criticality, to build up or reduce the force after a plausibility check of the longitudinal-dynamics or lateral-dynamics criticality.

3. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is actuated as a function of determined physiological variables of a vehicle occupant.

4. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the associated the safety device is actuated as a function of a weight or a body size of the vehicle occupant.

5. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is actuated as a function of a position of a vehicle occupant.

6. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is actuated as a function of a vehicle speed or a gradient of the vehicle speed.

7. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triggering threshold value is adapted as a function of a total vehicle acceleration and a vehicle speed when a lateral dynamics-critical driving situation is identified.

8. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the triggering threshold value is reduced up to approximately 50% as the vehicle speed increases or as the total vehicle acceleration increases.

9. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the associated safety device is configured to be driven by an electric motor, and

the rotational speed of the electric motor is variably controllable.

10. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is a reversible belt pretensioner.

11. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is a restraint cushion which can be moved.

12. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety sensor system comprises one of a vehicle state sensor system and a device for identifying the vehicle surroundings.

13. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a maximum force of the associated safety device is parameterized as a function of the identified criticality of the driving state; and

said maximum force is reduced over a time period which can be parameterized.

14. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is actuated as a function of one of weight and a body size of a vehicle occupant.

15. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is actuated as a function of position of a vehicle occupant.

16. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is a reversible belt pretensioner.

17. The preventive protective system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the associated safety device is a restraint cushion which can be moved.

18. A method for protecting occupants of a motor vehicle including a preventive-action protection system, comprising:

detecting information with a safety sensor system;

comparing the detected information with a triggering threshold value to determine a driving state of the motor vehicle; and

actuating a safety device associated with the driving state, if a criticality of the driving state is identified;

wherein triggering of the associated safety device is actuated, based on a force/time gradient of the identified criticality of the driving state;

wherein a maximum force of the associated safety device is parameterized as a function of the identified criticality of the driving state;

wherein said maximum force is built up over a time period which can be parameterized; and

wherein a longitudinal-dynamics criticality of the driving state is assigned a larger force/time gradient than a lateral-dynamics criticality.