Method and control unit for triggering at least one passenger protection means

• US 9,789,834 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rapp, Markus, Henne, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEINMAN, LAIL A
• Application Number:
  US14/029,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20140081526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over
• 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 method for triggering at least one passenger protection means. The method includes a step of reading in a control signal which contains a command for carrying out an activation of the passenger protection means. Furthermore, method includes a step of releasing an activation of the passenger protection means as a response to the read-in control signal. Furthermore, the method includes a step of evaluating the control signal for the identification of the command for carrying out the activation of the passenger protection means and activating the passenger protection means as a response to an identified command for carrying out the activation of the passenger protection means to trigger the passenger protection means.

Claims

1. A method for triggering a passenger protection arrangement, the method comprising:

providing a control signal, from a transmitter of a first interface of an evaluation unit, having an ignition command including a data sequence to trigger the passenger protection arrangement;

recognizing, via a receiver of a second interface of a control unit, which is spatially proximate to the passenger protection arrangement, the ignition command including the data sequence in the control signal as a recognized release command; and

controlling a hardware path control unit, via the control unit interface, so that for the recognized release command, an ignition release signal is output by the hardware path control unit to the passenger protection arrangement, via an ignition circuit output stage of an ignition circuit, to trigger the passenger protection arrangement;

wherein the hardware path control unit is coupled to an output stage of the control unit,

wherein the evaluation unit and the control unit are physically separate from one another,

wherein the evaluation unit is coupled to the control unit, and wherein the control unit is coupled to the passenger protection arrangement,

wherein the evaluation unit provides the control signal, which is determined based on at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor, and

wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the evaluation unit.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ignition command is an encoded command for carrying out the activation of the passenger protection arrangement, the encoded command being decoded in evaluating the control signal.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal is read in by a PSI5 reading-in interface, which is the receiver.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ignition command is a non-encoded command.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ignition command for carrying out the activation of the passenger protection arrangement is identified when two different sequences are recognized in the control signal, each sequence representing a piece of information regarding the activation of the passenger protection arrangement to be carried out.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the passenger protection arrangement is triggered in the activating only if the ignition command is identified in the control signal.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

pre-processing, in the evaluation unit, the at least one sensor signal of the at least one sensor, the pre-processing including reading in the sensor signal and subsequently outputting the sensor signal as a response to the control signal when the sensor signal meets a predetermined criterion.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein in the pre-processing, the control signal is output using a PSI5 transmission interface, which is the transmitter.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the releasing an activation of the passenger protection arrangement includes preparing the passenger protection arrangement for triggering; and

the activating the passenger protection arrangement includes causing the passenger protection arrangement to perform a passenger protective function.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the preparing the passenger protection arrangement includes closing a switch to permit control of an ignition circuit of the passenger protection arrangement.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal includes:

a release command in a first time slot; and

at least one ignition sequence in at least one subsequent time slot as the ignition command.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the releasing and activating are in response to only a single control signal.

9. A control system for triggering a passenger protection arrangement, comprising:

a control signal providing arrangement to provide a control signal having an ignition command including a data sequence to trigger the passenger protection arrangement, wherein the control signal providing arrangement includes a transmitter of a first interface of an evaluation unit; and

a recognizing arrangement to recognize, via a receiver of a second interface of a control unit, which is spatially proximate to the passenger protection arrangement, the ignition command including the data sequence in the control signal as a recognized release command;

wherein the control unit interface controls a hardware path control unit so that for the recognized release command, an ignition release signal is output by the hardware path control unit to the passenger protection arrangement, via an ignition circuit output stage of an ignition circuit, to trigger the passenger protection arrangement;

wherein the hardware path control unit is coupled to an output stage of the control unit,

wherein the evaluation unit and the control unit are physically separate from one another,

wherein the evaluation unit is coupled to the control unit, and wherein the control unit is coupled to the passenger protection arrangement,

wherein the evaluation unit provides the control signal, which is determined based on at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor, and

wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the evaluation unit.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for triggering a passenger protection arrangement, by performing the following;

providing a control signal, from a transmitter of a first interface of an evaluation unit, having an ignition command including a data sequence to trigger the passenger protection arrangement;

recognizing, via a receiver of a second interface of a control unit, which is spatially proximate to the passenger protection arrangement, the ignition command including the data sequence in the control signal as a recognized release command; and

controlling a hardware path control unit, via the control unit interface, so that for the recognized release command, an ignition release signal is output by the hardware path control unit to the passenger protection arrangement, via an ignition circuit output stage of an ignition circuit, to trigger the passenger protection arrangement;

wherein the hardware path control unit is coupled to an output stage of the control unit,

wherein the evaluation unit and the control unit are physically separate from one another,

wherein the evaluation unit is coupled to the control unit, and wherein the control unit is coupled to the passenger protection arrangement,

wherein the evaluation unit provides the control signal, which is determined based on at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor, and

wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the evaluation unit.