Arrangement for controlling predetermined function via a data bus

• US 6,209,674 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Future Link Systems, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Buhring, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/412,260
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/282, 280/735, 701/45, 340/436, 340/438, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01075 between the airbag control unit and pyrotechnic fuses or equivalent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

An arrangement for controlling at least one predetermined function, which can be transmitted from at least one transmission apparatus (1) to a receiving apparatus (11) via a serial data bus, is protected against unintentional triggering of the predetermined function in that in order to control a predetermined function the transmission apparatus (1) dispatches an associated, predetermined data message on the serial data bus (7) and adjusts a transmission parameter of the data bus to a predetermined value, and in that the receiving apparatus (11) triggers the predetermined function only if the predetermined data message appears on the data bus (7) with the predetermined transmission parameter.

Claims

1. An arrangement for controlling at least one predetermined function which can be transmitted by at least one transmission apparatus (1) to at least one receiver apparatus (11) via a serial data bus (7), characterized in that for the control of a predetermined function the transmission apparatus (1) dispatches an associated, predetermined data message on the serial data bus (7) and adjusts a transmission parameter of the data bus to a predetermined value, and that the receiver apparatus (11) triggers the predetermined function only if the predetermined data message appears on the data bus (7) with the predetermined transmission parameter.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are provided two sensors (2,3) for triggering a predetermined function, that for the control of the predetermined function the sensors (2,3) generate trigger signals subject to given conditions, that a trigger signal of a first one (2) of the sensors (2,3) is despatched on the serial data bus (7) as a predetermined data message, and that a trigger signal of a second one (3) of the sensors (2,3) adjusts a predetermined transmission parameter of the data bus (7) to a predetermined value.

3. An arrangement claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a predetermined transmission speed on the data bus (7) acts as the predetermined transmission parameter.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined transmission speed on the data bus (7) is adjusted exclusively in the presence of a trigger signal from the second sensor (3).

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fixed signal amplitude on the data bus (7) acts as the predetermined transmission parameter.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bipolar alternating voltage is transmitted via the data bus (7), that the pulses of one polarity of the alternating voltage are used for the transmission of energy and are adjusted to a given value in order to trigger a predetermined function, and that the pulses of the other polarity are used for the data transmission and constitute the associated, predetermined data message for the triggering of a predetermined function.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two sensors (2,3) are crash sensors of a vehicle, and that the predetermined function is the triggering of ignition capsules (17) of airbags of a vehicle.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the arrangement includes a transmission apparatus (1) whereto the sensors (2,3) apply the trigger signals, if any, and also includes a transmitter (5) which converts a trigger signal from the first sensor (2) into the predetermined data message, and also includes an arrangement (6) which serves to control the data bus transmission speed and adjusts the transmission speed of the data bus to a predetermined value in response to the appearance of a trigger signal from the second sensor (3).

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the arrangement includes a receiving apparatus (11) which evaluates the data bus (7) and triggers the predetermined function only if a data receiver (12) which is included in the receiving apparatus (11) receives the predetermined data message from the data bus (7) and if an arrangement (14) which is included in the receiver (11) in order to measure the data bus transmission speed detects at the same time a predetermined transmission speed on the data bus (7).

10. A vehicle provided with an arrangement as claimed in claim 1.