Vehicle occupant protection system for a motor vehicle and method for controlling the triggering of the vehicle occupant protection system

US6470249B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Gerhard Schmid · Mindelheim, DE
• Gerhard Mader · Thalmässing, DE
• Derrick Zechmair · Schrobenhausen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 1, 2000
• Grant date: Oct 22, 2002
• Expiry date: Oct 18, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R2021/01286
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A motor vehicle occupant protection system and a method for triggering the system include an accident sensor and a control device. The latter controls system triggering as a function of a sensor output signal. The control device has an input terminal connected via a communication line to a sensor status signal output terminal. In the system and method, the sensor has internally checks errors at regular and/or irregular intervals, and, upon detection, permanently generates a status signal for the control device, which checks the status before triggering a vehicle occupant protection system when it receives a signal fulfilling system triggering criteria. The control device enables/disables the triggering as a function of the check result. Specifically, the control device disables the firing standby state and generates a warning signal. In the event of an accident, before the vehicle occupant protection system is fired, the status signal is interrogated once more, i.e., sensor status is checked. If the accident sensor does not signal an error, the triggering takes place, but otherwise it is disabled. As a result, undesired triggering of the vehicle occupant protection system can be av…