Vehicular occupant protection system

• US 7,337,048 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tatsuki, Kumazawa, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US11/019,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20050167960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/29, 701/31, 280/735, 280/728.1, 340/438
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0117 Noise
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01184 Fault detection or diagnostic circuits in power circuits B60R2021/01129
• 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

Abstract

A vehicular occupant protection system includes an air bag sensor; a base signal generating unit that generates a base signal for abnormality diagnosis for the air bag sensor; a diagnosis-signal generating unit that generates a diagnosis signal for the air bag sensor base on the base signal; an abnormality diagnosing unit that executes the abnormality diagnosis by using output signal that the air bag sensor outputs based on the diagnosis signal; and a condition-signal generating unit that generates a condition for a start of generating of the diagnosis signal. Here, the diagnosis-signal generating unit generates the diagnosis signal based on the base signal when the condition signal satisfies a given condition.

Claims

1. A vehicular occupant protection system comprising:

an air bag sensor;

a base-signal generating unit configured to generate a base signal for abnormality diagnosis for the air bag sensor;

a diagnosis-signal generating unit configured to generate a diagnosis signal for the air bag sensor based on the base signal;

an abnormality diagnosing unit configured to execute the abnormality diagnosis by using an output signal that the air bag sensor outputs based on the diagnosis signal, the abnormality diagnosis being performed as an initial diagnosis started in response to turning on an ignition switch; and

a condition-signal generating unit configured to generate a condition signal for a start of generating the diagnosis signal,

wherein the diagnosis-signal generating unit generates the diagnosis signal based on the base signal when the condition signal satisfies a given condition.

2. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 1,

wherein the condition signal includes a cycle different from a cycle of the base signal.

3. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 1,

wherein the condition-signal generating unit includes:

a count signal generating unit that generates a count signal that is counted; and

a counter that counts a count number of the count signal and outputs the condition signal based on the counted number,

wherein the diagnosis-signal generating unit generates the diagnosis signal based on the base signal when the condition signal of the count number reaches a given number.

4. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 3,

wherein the given count number is the count number of the count signal while the base signal is generated.

5. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 1, further comprising:

a main control unit; and

a bus line that connects the main control unit and a plurality of sub-systems, wherein each of the sub-systems includes

the air bag sensor,

the base-signal generating unit,

the diagnosis-signal generating unit,

the abnormality diagnosing unit, and

the condition-signal generating unit,

wherein, in the each of the sub-systems, the base-signal generating unit and the condition-signal generating unit output the base signal and the condition signal, respectively, based on an abnormality-diagnosis start command outputted by the main control unit,

wherein the abnormality diagnosing unit outputs a result of the abnormality diagnosis to the main control unit via the bus line,

wherein, while a first sub-system within the plurality of sub-systems is executing the abnormality diagnosis, the main control unit outputs an abnormality-diagnosis start command to, within the plurality of sub-systems, a second sub-system that is different from the first sub-system to thereby cause the second sub-system to execute an abnormality diagnosis.

6. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 5,

wherein the main control unit outputs the abnormality-diagnosis start command while an initial diagnosis starting when an ignition switch is turned on.

7. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 5,

wherein the abnormality diagnosis includes an ID-code recognition that recognizes an ID code that is assigned to each of the sub-systems.

14. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 1,

wherein the base signal is a pulse signal that takes place from a start of a primary check in response to the ignition switch turning on, to an end of the primary check.

8. A vehicular occupant protection system comprising:

an air bag sensor;

a base-signal generating unit configured to generate a base signal for abnormality diagnosis for the air bag sensor;

a diagnosis-signal generating unit configured to generate a diagnosis signal for the air bag sensor based on the base signal;

an abnormality diagnosing unit configured to execute the abnormality diagnosis by using an output signal that the air bag sensor outputs based on the diagnosis signal; and

a condition-signal generating unit configured to generate a condition signal for a start of generating the diagnosis signal, wherein the condition-signal generating unit includes;

a count signal generating unit configured to generate a count signal that is counted; and

a counter configured to count a count number of the count signal and output the condition signal based on the counted number,

wherein the diagnosis-signal generating unit is configured to generate the diagnosis signal based on the base signal when the condition signal satisfies a given condition,

wherein the diagnosis-signal generating unit is configured to generate the diagnosis signal based on the base signal when the condition signal of the count number reaches a given number.

9. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 8,

wherein the given count number is the count number of the count signal while the base signal is generated.

10. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 9,

wherein the given count number is the count number of the count signal while the base signal is generated.

11. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 9, further comprising:

a main control unit; and

a bus line that connects the main control unit and a plurality of sub-systems, wherein each of the sub-systems includes

the air bag sensor,

the base-signal generating unit,

the diagnosis-signal generating unit,

the abnormality diagnosing unit, and

the condition-signal generating unit,

wherein, in each of the sub-systems, the base-signal generating unit and the condition-signal generating unit output the base signal and the condition signal, respectively, based on an abnormality-diagnosis start command outputted by the main control unit,

wherein the abnormality diagnosing unit outputs a result of the abnormality diagnosis to the main control unit via the bus line,

wherein, while a first sub-system within the plurality of sub-systems is executing the abnormality diagnosis, the main control unit outputs an abnormality-diagnosis start command to, within the plurality of sub-systems, a second sub-system that is different from the first sub-system to thereby cause the second sub-system to execute an abnormality diagnosis.

12. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 11,

wherein the main control unit outputs the abnormality-diagnosis start command while an initial diagnosis starting when an ignition switch is turned on.

13. The vehicular occupant protection system of claim 11,

wherein the abnormality diagnosis includes an ID-code recognition configured to recognize an ID code that is assigned to each of the sub-systems.