Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the key crash phases for triggering a passive safety device in a vehicle. According to the invention method, an acceleration signal (ax) representing an acceleration (ax(t)) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is determined, and two window integrals are simultaneously set up at the beginning of the crash-related deceleration of the vehicle, by which means the deceleration signal (ax) is added or integrated over a pre-determined time window. The first time window is smaller/equal to the minimum triggering time for triggering the safety device, and the second time window is significantly larger than the first window. The period during which the window integrals have the same value and during which said value is higher than a threshold value is defined as the first crash plane.

Abstract: A method for activating safety devices comprising a first longitudinal impact sensor, a second lateral impact sensor and a processing device which activates the safety devices, wherein when the motion signals and/or signals derived therefrom exceed defined threshold values, the threshold values that are critical for the activation of the safety devices are increased in the event of an immediately preceding abnormal motion of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for triggering at least one restraint means, triggering signals from peripheral acceleration sensors being released by signals from centrally situated acceleration sensors. In this context, a release threshold is raised in the case of a detected misuse behavior, or the release for the triggering signals is blocked.

Abstract: In a method of triggering a vehicle occupant restraining device, at least one sensor signal generated by a crash sensor is supplied to an analyzing device, which determines the crash severity, and a time for the triggering of the restraining device based on the crash severity. When a first low crash severity occurs, a timer is started and the restraining device is triggered by the analyzing unit only when a higher crash severity is reached during the running time of the timer.