Device and method for generating a control signal

• US 8,874,323 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ulbrich, Nicolaus, Wienss, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US13/198,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/45, 701/301, 700/282, 702/127, 373/60, 408/9, 356/71, 369/44.29, 123/435, 123/490, 355/53, 250/221, 324/71.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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: Y10T 408/165 to control Tool rotation

Abstract

A device is described for generating a control signal for controlling a passenger protection arrangement of a motor vehicle, having a first acceleration sensor for generating a first acceleration signal, having a second acceleration sensor for generating a second acceleration signal, having a first structure-borne noise sensor for generating a first structure-borne noise signal, having a second structure-borne noise sensor for generating a second structure-borne noise signal, and having an evaluation circuit, the evaluation circuit (being configured for generating a combination signal from the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal, the evaluation circuit being configured for generating the control signal as a function of the first acceleration signal, the second acceleration signal and the combination signal.

Claims

1. A device for generating a control signal for controlling a passenger protection arrangement of a motor vehicle or for controlling game consoles, comprising:

a first acceleration sensor for generating a first acceleration signal;

a second acceleration sensor for generating a second acceleration signal;

a first structure-borne noise sensor for generating a first structure-borne noise signal;

a second structure-borne noise sensor for generating a second structure-borne noise signal;

an evaluation circuit, wherein the evaluation circuit is configured for generating a combination signal from the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal, wherein the evaluation circuit is configured for generating the control signal as a function of the first acceleration signal, the second acceleration signal and the combination signal, and wherein the evaluation circuit is an ASIC having an integrated microcontroller or microprocessor; and

wherein the generation of the combination signal includes a linear addition of the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal or the generation of the combination signal includes a vector addition of the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first acceleration sensor is configured for generating a first acceleration signal and the first structure-borne noise sensor is configured for generating a first structure-borne noise signal in a shared first sensor structure, and the second acceleration sensor is configured for generating a second acceleration signal and the second structure-borne noise sensor is configured for generating a second structure-borne noise signal in a shared second sensor structure.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first acceleration sensor is configured for detection along a first axis, the second acceleration sensor is configured for detection along a second axis, wherein the first axis is situated perpendicularly to the second axis, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are situated at a 45°

angle to the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the evaluation circuit includes a band pass filtering and formation of an RMS value, and wherein the formation of an RMS value includes an absolute value formation and low pass filtering of one of a linearly added combination signal and a low pass filtering of a vectorially added combination signal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the evaluation circuit includes an offset correction.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a microelectromechanical system.

7. A method for generating a control signal for controlling personal protection arrangement of a motor vehicle or game consoles, the method comprising:

generating a first acceleration signal;

generating a second acceleration signal;

generating a first structure-borne noise signal;

generating a second structure-borne noise signal;

generating a combination signal from the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal, wherein the control signal is generated as a function of the first acceleration signal, the second acceleration signal and the combination signal, and wherein the evaluation circuit is an ASIC having an integrated microcontroller or microprocessor; and

wherein the combination signal is generated by one of (i) a linear addition of the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal, and (ii) by a vector addition of the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first acceleration signal is detected along a first axis, wherein the second acceleration signal is detected along a second axis, wherein the first axis is situated perpendicularly to the second axis, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are situated at a 45°

angle to the vehicle'"'"'s longitudinal axis.