Abstract: The invention relates to a device for object recognition for an automotive passenger protection system, comprising a signal source (10), adapted to generate at least one electromagnetic wave (12), and a receiver (14) for the at least one electromagnetic wave (18) reflected by an obstacle (16). The inventive device is provided with an evaluation unit (20) that is adapted to evaluate the polarization of the at least one electromagnetic wave (18) reflected by the obstacle (16) and received by the receiver (14) and to generate at least one evaluation signal (22). The inventive device and method allow for obtaining additional information on the obstacle such as its surface structure and using the same for the automotive passenger protection system.

Abstract: Conventional airbag apparatuses have a very large volume for offering the greatest possible protection for the passenger, and therefore block the driver's view of the traffic situation and preclude further steering actions. Additionally, the passenger is endangered if he is in an atypical sitting position. Multi-stage airbag systems permit an adaptation of the degree of deployment to the size and/or position of the passenger, but are very complicated and slow.

Abstract: A process and a mechanism for the direction-selective triggering of a passive safety device in a vehicle, with at least two acceleration transducers, where the acceleration transducers have directional sensitive axes and these have actual instantaneous orientations and are aligned in different, preferably specified reference orientations and there is an angle tolerance between the reference and the instantaneous orientations of the sensitive axes. An evaluation device is provided to correct the angle tolerance, comprising an electronic circuit which converts the signals (am 1, am 2, . . . am n) coming from the acceleration transducers to corrected output signals (a(I), a(II), . . . a(n)), which are linear combinations of the incoming signals with adjustable factors c.sub.ij : ##EQU1## This can lessen the expense of production compared to familiar mechanisms, without simultaneously reducing the measuring accuracy of the mechanism.