Occupant protection system having a central unit, sensors and a plurality of control modules which are connected by means of a bus system

US6422596B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• Temic Telefunken Microelectronik · DE
• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Guenter Fendt · Schrobenhausen, DE
• Michael Bischoff · Brentwood, US
• Johannes Rinkens · Ingolstadt, DE
• Stefan Schaeffer · Ingolstadt, DE
• Peter Steiner · Edison, US
• Werner Nitschke · Ditzingen, DE
• Otto Karl · Leonberg, DE
• Joachim Bauer · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 27, 2000
• Grant date: Jul 23, 2002
• Expiry date: Sep 27, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/01122
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

In occupant protection systems having a large number of sensors and control modules for triggering occupant protection devices, the amount of wiring is significantly increased if they are to be communicatively connected to a central unit. For this reason, bus systems have already been suggested for the control modules for triggering occupant protection devices. In order to further reduce in the wiring, sensors are at least partially integrated into a bus system with additional control modules that are allocated to these sensors. Within the context of a diagnosis process of interrogation and response, which triggers a function test of the control modules for triggering the occupant protection devices, an actual sensor value is sent to the bus system from the control modules of the sensors as a diagnosis response. This response is processed by the central unit and/or the other control modules.