Diagnosis of a person protection system

• US 8,862,312 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Nehls, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGRAM, THOMAS P
• Application Number:
  US13/451,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 701 304- 307, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/30.7
• 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

Abstract

A device controls a person protection system of a motor vehicle having a sensor system which, for detecting an object colliding with the motor vehicle, includes a hose arranged along a body section width of the vehicle and closed-off by a pressure sensor on at least one end. In the event of an impact with an object, a pressure change is caused in the hose interior due to deformation of the hose and is detectable as a pressure signal of the pressure sensor by an evaluating unit connected with the pressure sensor. The evaluating unit detects vibrations originating from the motor vehicle during a driving and testing operation and coupled into the hose, which vibrations result in pressure fluctuations in the hose interior which are lower than a pressure fluctuation caused by an impacting object, and evaluates these vibrations for a predefined time period for diagnostic purposes.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a person protection system of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a sensor system that detects an object colliding with the motor vehicle, the sensor system comprising;

a hose arrangeable along a width of a body section of the motor vehicle;

a pressure sensor operatively arranged to close-off at least one end of the hose, wherein a pressure change is caused in an interior of the hose due to deformation of the hose by an impact of the object with the motor vehicle, the pressure change being detectable and processable as a pressure signal of the pressure sensor;

an evaluating unit operatively coupled with the pressure sensor and receiving the pressure signal;

wherein the evaluating unit is operatively configured to detect vibrations originating from the motor vehicle and coupled into the hose during a driving operation, said vibrations resulting in pressure fluctuations in the interior of the hose that are lower than a pressure fluctuation caused by an impacting object; and

wherein the evaluating unit is operatively configured to evaluate the vibrations for a predefined time period in order to diagnose damage to at least one of the hose and to a connection of the hose to the pressure sensor.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure fluctuations caused by the driving operation are no greater than one tenth of a pressure fluctuation caused by an impacting object.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an interference source operatively coupled to the hose, the interference source transmitting the vibrations originating from the motor vehicle in an amplified manner to the hose in order to cause the pressure fluctuations by deforming the hose locally at a site of the interference source.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the interference source is operatively arranged so as to be excitable by the vibrations originating from the motor vehicle in order to perform movement in a vertical axis direction of the motor vehicle.

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

an interference source operatively coupled to the hose, the interference source transmitting the vibrations originating from the motor vehicle in an amplified manner to the hose in order to cause the pressure fluctuations by deforming the hose locally at a site of the interference source.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the interference source is operatively arranged so as to be excitable by the vibrations originating from the motor vehicle in order to perform movement in a vertical axis direction of the motor vehicle.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the interference source is arranged above or below the hose in a gravitational direction.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the interference source is operatively configured to cause a compression of the hose.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein the interference source is arranged in a center region between two ends of the hose.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the interference source is arranged above or below the hose in a gravitational direction.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the interference source is operatively configured to cause a compression of the hose.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the interference source is arranged in a center region between two ends of the hose.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the interference source is a mass-type body.

14. The device according to claim 5, wherein the interference source is operatively configured to cause a compression of the hose.

15. The device according to claim 5, wherein the interference source is arranged in a center region between two ends of the hose.

16. The device according to claim 5, wherein the interference source is a mass-type body.

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

an acceleration sensor operatively configured to provide a time-dependent acceleration signal useable to provide a qualitative evaluation of the pressure signal by the evaluating unit.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the acceleration sensor is a chassis sensor system.

19. A process for controlling a person protection system of a motor vehicle equipped with a sensor system having a hose arranged along a width of a body section of the motor vehicle and being closed-off via a pressure sensor on at least one end, wherein in an event of an impact of an object with the motor vehicle, a pressure change is caused in an interior of the hose due to deformation of the hose, the pressure change being indicated via a pressure signal of the pressure sensor, the process comprising the acts of:

detecting vibrations, with an evaluating unit operatively arranged in the motor vehicle to receive the pressure signal, said vibrations originating from the motor vehicle during a driving operation and being coupled into the hose in order to produce pressure fluctuations in an interior of the hose that are less than a pressure fluctuation caused by an impacting object; and

evaluating, by the evaluating unit, the detected vibrations originating from the motor vehicle for a predefined time period in order to diagnose damage to at least one of the hose and to a connection of the hose to the pressure sensor.

20. The process according to claim 19, further comprising the act of:

processing a time-dependent acceleration signal from an acceleration sensor operatively arranged in the motor vehicle in order to provide a qualitative evaluation of the pressure signal by the evaluating unit.