Patents by Inventor Jan Urbahn

Jan Urbahn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7734395
    Abstract: Driver-related electrical adjusting components in motor vehicles are regulated. An operator signal is generated based on a user actuating operator elements, to affect a desired movement of a vehicle component. The operator signal is processed in a control unit. An effect of the operator signal on movement of the vehicle component is regulated as a function of vehicle operating state signals so as to prevent the vehicle component from moving into a safety-critical position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Patent number: 7627409
    Abstract: A method is provided for triggering a vehicle occupant restraint device, in which a sensor signal generated by a crash sensor is fed to a triggering device and to a clearing device supplying a clearing signal. The sensor signal is integrated in the clearing device and subjected to an examination algorithm. The output signal of at least one additional crash sensor is fed to the clearing device. Then, the two output signals are linked to one another and are subsequently integrated during an observation period. A clearing signal is generated when the integral exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Patent number: 7597171
    Abstract: A system for triggering passive occupant safety measures in a motor vehicle is described. The system includes a control unit, a plurality of acceleration sensors for detecting the acceleration caused by an impact of the motor vehicle as well as feed lines assigned to the acceleration sensors, by which feed lines the output signals of the acceleration sensors are transmitted to the control unit which analyzes the signals to determine the type and/or severity of the impact, and triggers appropriate safety measures. The sensors are mounted on a vehicle part of a low structural stiffness on the outer vehicle circumferences, and all surrounding vehicle parts of high stiffness are designed to prevent contact with the sensors after an impact of the motor vehicle of a low or medium severity within a minimum reaction time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Richard Baur, Jan Urbahn, Willibald Watzka, Mario Nagelstrasser
  • Patent number: 7561925
    Abstract: A motor vehicle control device is provided with first and second partial devices. The first partial device houses sensors and/or associated functions of the control unit that are identical for all vehicle models in a series. The second partial device houses the sensors and/or functions of the control unit that are additionally required for an individual vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Richard Baur, Helmut Rauh, Jan Urbahn, Marcus Weidner, Klaus Achatz
  • Patent number: 7502677
    Abstract: Occupant protection systems in a motor vehicle are activated in the event of a crash that puts the occupants of the vehicle at risk. A processor-based trigger system evaluates signals of crash sensors and actuates the occupant protection systems. Signatures that are produced by impacts on the vehicle body by means of a crash sensor system are detected and preprocessed directly on site of the crash sensor mounting areas. The crash sensor system includes a plurality of similar multifunctional peripheral crash sensors located in various areas of the vehicle body. The preprocessed signatures or variables derived therefrom are evaluated by means of a crash algorithm associated with the trigger system, in terms of kind, intensity, direction and time of the crash signatures and/or occupant risk signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Lothar Weichenberger, Alfons Woehrl, Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Patent number: 7454277
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an airbag system, a sensor unit, which includes a first sensor module, which permits the sensing of actual driving conditions, and an electronic system, which fires the airbag system in the event of a crash and which is designed to evaluate the sensor signals that are provided by the sensor unit. The electronic system carries out a comparison of sensed actual driving conditions with predetermined critical driving conditions, which indicate a crash. The sensor unit includes a second sensor module, which senses in advance the environmental conditions of the vehicle, which after a certain period of time may lead to critical actual driving conditions. Critical actual driving conditions, whose imminent occurrence has been indicated in advance by the second sensor module, are rated by the electronic system as crash-free driving conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marcus Weidner, Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Patent number: 7428941
    Abstract: A restraint system for a vehicle having sensors for detecting a collision of the vehicle is described. The system has a control unit which analyzes the signals and, in the event of a recognized collision of the motor vehicle, transmits a first signal to a safety belt restraint, which then activates a belt tensioner using a predefined first restraint force, and subsequently transmits a second signal to a front airbag system, which then triggers an airbag. The system has a malfunction monitoring unit for one of the restraint devices such that the control unit transmits a third signal to a replacement restraint device in the event that a malfunction of the front airbag system is recognized by the malfunction monitoring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Publication number: 20070247290
    Abstract: A method is provided for triggering a vehicle occupant restraint device, in which a sensor signal generated by a crash sensor is fed to a triggering device and to a clearing device supplying a clearing signal. The sensor signal is integrated in the clearing device and subjected to an examination algorithm. The output signal of at least one additional crash sensor is fed to the clearing device. Then, the two output signals are linked to one another and are subsequently integrated during an observation period. A clearing signal is generated when the integral exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Publication number: 20070227799
    Abstract: A system for triggering passive occupant safety measures in a motor vehicle is described. The system includes a control unit, a plurality of acceleration sensors for detecting the acceleration caused by an impact of the motor vehicle as well as feed lines assigned to the acceleration sensors, by which feed lines the output signals of the acceleration sensors are transmitted to the control unit which analyzes the signals to determine the type and/or severity of the impact, and triggers appropriate safety measures. The sensors are mounted on a vehicle part of a low structural stiffness on the outer vehicle circumferences, and all surrounding vehicle parts of high stiffness are designed to prevent contact with the sensors after an impact of the motor vehicle of a low or medium severity within a minimum reaction time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur, Mario Nagelstrasser
  • Publication number: 20070200324
    Abstract: A restraint system for a vehicle having sensors for detecting a collision of the vehicle is described. The system has a control unit which analyzes the signals and, in the event of a recognized collision of the motor vehicle, transmits a first signal to a safety belt restraint, which then activates a belt tensioner using a predefined first restraint force, and subsequently transmits a second signal to a front airbag system, which then triggers an airbag. The system has a malfunction monitoring unit for one of the restraint devices such that the control unit transmits a third signal to a replacement restraint device in the event that a malfunction of the front airbag system is recognized by the malfunction monitoring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Publication number: 20070152433
    Abstract: Occupant protection systems in a motor vehicle are activated in the event of a crash that puts the occupants of the vehicle at risk. A processor-based trigger system evaluates signals of crash sensors and actuates the occupant protection systems. Signatures that are produced by impacts on the vehicle body by means of a crash sensor system are detected and preprocessed directly on site of the crash sensor mounting areas. The crash sensor system includes a plurality of similar multifunctional peripheral crash sensors located in various areas of the vehicle body. The preprocessed signatures or variables derived therefrom are evaluated by means of a crash algorithm associated with the trigger system, in terms of kind, intensity, direction and time of the crash signatures and/or occupant risk signatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Lothar Weichenberger, Alfons Woehrl, Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Publication number: 20070145921
    Abstract: Driver-related electrical adjusting components in motor vehicles are regulated. An operator signal is generated based on a user actuating operator elements, to affect a desired movement of a vehicle component. The operator signal is processed in a control unit. An effect of the operator signal on movement of the vehicle component is regulated as a function of vehicle operating state signals so as to prevent the vehicle component from moving into a safety-critical position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Publication number: 20070108749
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an airbag system, a sensor unit, which includes a first sensor module, which permits the sensing of actual driving conditions, and an electronic system, which fires the airbag system in the event of a crash and which is designed to evaluate the sensor signals that are provided by the sensor unit. The electronic system carries out a comparison of sensed actual driving conditions with predetermined critical driving conditions, which indicate a crash. The sensor unit includes a second sensor module, which senses in advance the environmental conditions of the vehicle, which after a certain period of time may lead to critical actual driving conditions. Critical actual driving conditions, whose imminent occurrence has been indicated in advance by the second sensor module, are rated by the electronic system as crash-free driving conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marcus Weidner, Jan Urbahn, Richard Baur
  • Publication number: 20070016338
    Abstract: A motor vehicle control device having a sensor unit containing several sensors and having a pertaining control unit, consists of a first and a second partial device, the first partial device containing the sensors and/or pertaining peripheries of the control unit, which are present for all vehicles of a model series and have the same construction, and the second partial device containing the sensors and/or peripheries of the control unit which are additionally required for the individual vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke
    Inventors: Richard Baur, Helmut Rauh, Jan Urbahn, Marcus Weidner, Klaus Achatz
  • Patent number: 7125040
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for activating a safety device, using a first impact sensor for generating a displacement signal which reproduces the movement of the vehicle in a direction of displacement, and a second impact sensor, arranged at a distance from the first impact sensor, for generating a displacement signal which reproduces the movement of the vehicle in the same direction of displacement. A processing device is provided, by which means the two displacement signals or signals derived therefrom can be correlated at the right time, and by which means the safety device is activated according to the predetermined correlations of the two signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Patent number: 7011175
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Patent number: 6952636
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Patent number: 6848712
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Christian Maurer, Michael Niess, Jan Urbahn
  • Publication number: 20050006885
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for activating a safety device, using a first impact sensor for generating a displacement signal which reproduces the movement of the vehicle in a direction of displacement, and a second impact sensor, arranged at a distance from the first impact sensor, for generating a displacement signal which reproduces the movement of the vehicle in the same direction of displacement. A processing device is provided, by which means the two displacement signals or signals derived therefrom can be correlated at the right time, and by which means the safety device is activated according to the predetermined correlations of the two signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Publication number: 20050010346
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn