Motor vehicle having an occupant protection system

• US 8,096,579 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Kuhn, Andreas, Weiss, Christian, Palau Montino, Antoni, Neubohn, André
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US10/576,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/282, 280/734, 280/735, 701 36- 38, 701 45- 46, 701/70
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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

A motor vehicle includes at least one first crash sensor for measuring a motion variable of the motor vehicle, arranged in a safety zone of the motor vehicle, and at least one second crash sensor for measuring a motion variable, arranged in a crash zone of the motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including an ignition protection device controllable via an ignition signal and a control unit for ascertaining the ignition signal as a function of the measured motion variables or, in each instance, as a function of a time average of the measured motion variables over at least one first time interval.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

at least one first crash sensor arranged in a safety zone of the motor vehicle adapted to measure a motion variable of the motor vehicle;

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

an occupant protection device controllable via an ignition signal;

a control unit adapted to ascertain the ignition signal as a function of at least one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) a time average of each measured motion variable over at least a first time interval;

at least one first triggering relationship adapted for ascertaining the ignition signal as a function of at least one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) time averages of each measured motion variables over the first time interval; and

at least one second triggering relationship for ascertaining the ignition signal as a function of at least one of (a) the motion variable measured by the first crash sensor and (b) the time average of the motion variable measured by the first crash sensor over the first time interval but not as a function of either (a) the second motion variable measured by the second crash sensor or (b) the time average of the second motion variable over the first time interval;

wherein at least one of (a) the first triggering relationship and (b) the second triggering relationship is generated as a function of at least one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) their time averages over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the first time interval and the second time interval of a situation, for which a setpoint triggering time of the occupant protection device is known, but one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) their time averages over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the at least first time interval and the second time interval is disregarded in a training-suppression time interval one of (a) immediately prior to the setpoint triggering time of the occupant protection device or (b) immediately after the setpoint triggering time of the occupant protection device during the generation of one of (a) the first triggering relationship and (b) the second triggering relationship.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a selection module adapted to select one of (a) the first triggering relationship and (b) the second triggering relationship to instantaneously ascertain the ignition signal.

3. The motor vehicle 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 first crash sensor over a second time interval different from the first time interval.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the time intervals are between 1 ms and 200 ms long.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to ascertain the ignition signal in accordance with a pattern-recognition method.

6. The motor vehicle 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.

7. A method for controlling at least one occupant protection device of a motor vehicle, comprising:

measuring a motion variable of the motor vehicle by at least one first crash sensor arranged in a safety zone of the motor vehicle;

measuring a second motion variable of the motor vehicle by at least one second crash sensor arranged in a crash zone of the motor vehicle;

ascertaining, by a control unit arranged in the motor vehicle, an ignition signal as a function of at least one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) a time average of each measured motion variable over at least a first time interval;

controlling the occupant protection device in accordance with the ignition signal;

generating at least one first triggering relationship for ascertaining the ignition signal as a function of at least one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) a time average of each measured motion variable over the first time interval; and

generating at least one second triggering relationship for ascertaining the ignition signal as a function of at least one of (a) the motion variable measured by the first crash sensor and (b) the time average of the motion variable over the at least first time interval but not as a function of either (a) the second motion variable measured by the second crash sensor or (b) the time average of the second motion variable over the first time interval;

wherein at least one of (a) the first triggering relationship and (b) the second triggering relationship is generated in the corresponding generating step as a function of at least one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) their time averages over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the first time interval and the second time interval of a situation, for which a setpoint triggering time of the occupant protection device is known, but one of (a) the measured motion variables and (b) their time averages over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the at least first time interval and the second time interval is disregarded in a training-suppression time interval one of (a) immediately prior to the setpoint triggering time of the occupant protection device or (b) immediately after the setpoint triggering time of the occupant protection device during the generation of one of (a) the first triggering relationship and (b) the second triggering relationship.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of (a) the first triggering relationship and (b) the second triggering relationship is automatically generated in the corresponding generating step as a plurality of comparisons of one of (a) the motion variables and (b) their time averages over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the first time interval and a second time interval different from the first time interval, to a plurality of limiting values.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

automatically ascertaining the limiting values;

automatically setting a number of comparisons;

automatically selecting an order of the comparisons;

automatically selecting for a comparison;

one of;

(a) one of (a) a measured motion variable and (b) its time average over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the first time interval and the second time interval; and

(b) an age of one of (a) the motion variables and (b) their time averages over one of (a) the first time interval and (b) the first time interval and the second time interval.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the ignition signal is ascertained in the ascertaining step in accordance with a pattern-recognition method.

11. The method according to claim 7, 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.