Circuit configuration for the passenger protection device of a vehicle

US5416360A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Anton Huber · Burghausen, DE
• Dieter Neugebauer · Schweinfurt, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 29, 1993
• Grant date: May 16, 1995
• Expiry date: Mar 29, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/01322
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A circuit configuration for a passenger protection device, such as an airbag, includes at least first and second collision sensors having triggering thresholds individually assigned thereto, for triggering a passenger protection device if the collision sensors exceed the triggering thresholds. The first sensor supplies an output signal exceeding the triggering threshold assigned to it before the second sensor issues an output signal exceeding the triggering threshold assigned to it, in the event of a collision. One of the sensors is a clock-generating sensor setting a beginning of a time period when its output signal exceeds a threshold value assigned to it, during the collision. One of the sensors mechanically actuates a switch and supplies an essentially binary output signal, in the event of a collision. Both of the sensors are required to exceed their triggering thresholds no later than a point in time within the time period, for the protection system to be finally triggered. The other of the sensors is an electronic sensor, such as a piezoresistive or a piezoelectric sensor, supplying an analog output signal, in the event of a collision. A programmable read-only memory PROM rec…