Abstract: A method for visualizing the surroundings of a vehicle, including the following steps: determining and storing an instantaneous distance between the vehicle and present obstacles in the surroundings of the vehicle with the aid of at least one sensor; determining and storing a present position of the vehicle; calculating an at least two-dimensional model of the surroundings from the stored data; calculating a virtual view of the model of the surroundings from a selected virtual observer position; recording a video depiction of at least a portion of the surroundings with the aid of at least one video camera and integrating the video depiction into the virtual view; and outputting the virtual view together with the integrated video depiction to a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for visualizing the surroundings of a vehicle, including the following steps: determining and storing an instantaneous distance between the vehicle and present obstacles in the surroundings of the vehicle with the aid of at least one sensor; determining and storing a present position of the vehicle; calculating an at least two-dimensional model of the surroundings from the stored data; calculating a virtual view of the model of the surroundings from a selected virtual observer position; recording a video depiction of at least a portion of the surroundings with the aid of at least one video camera and integrating the video depiction into the virtual view; and outputting the virtual view together with the integrated video depiction to a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A distance controller having an automatic stop and/or start function for motor vehicles, having a distance-measuring remote region sensor, a distance-measuring ultrasound sensor, and a control unit designed to intervene in the longitudinal guiding of the home vehicle as a function of the distance, measured by the remote region sensor, from a vehicle traveling ahead. If the measured distance is smaller than the range of the ultrasound sensor, on the basis of the signal of the ultrasound sensor it is verified whether this sensor is functional. If yes, the signal of the ultrasound sensor is evaluated in the context of the stop and/or start function. According to the present invention, the stop and/or start function has an operating mode in which a distance controlling takes place on the basis of the signal of the ultrasound sensor. In this way, the distance from the vehicle ahead can be reduced during stop and go operation.

Abstract: A distance controller having an automatic stop and/or start function for motor vehicles, having a distance-measuring remote region sensor, a distance-measuring ultrasound sensor, and a control unit designed to intervene in the longitudinal guiding of the home vehicle as a function of the distance, measured by the remote region sensor, from a vehicle traveling ahead. If the measured distance is smaller than the range of the ultrasound sensor, on the basis of the signal of the ultrasound sensor it is verified whether this sensor is functional. If yes, the signal of the ultrasound sensor is evaluated in the context of the stop and/or start function. According to the present invention, the stop and/or start function has an operating mode in which a distance controlling takes place on the basis of the signal of the ultrasound sensor. In this way, the distance from the vehicle ahead can be reduced during stop and go operation.

Abstract: A method and a device are proposed for driver information and for a reaction upon the leaving of the traffic lane by the vehicle. The driver warning and the driver intervention are a function, in this context, of the driving situation, especially of the type of an edge marking of the traffic lane.

Abstract: A method and a device are proposed for driver information and for a reaction upon the leaving of the traffic lane by the vehicle. The diver warning and the driver intervention are a function, in this context, of the driving situation, especially of the type of an edge marking of the traffic lane.

Abstract: A method and a device for deploying a restraint system, which avoids false deployments at the least possible expense by using an acceleration sensor arrangement that includes two sensitivity axes oriented in different directions. An acceleration measured with respect to one of the two sensitivity axes is used for a plausibility check of a deployment decision, which is determined from an acceleration measured with respect to the other sensitivity axis. A trigger signal is only generated if a deployment decision signal and a plausibility signal are present at the inputs of an AND logic circuit at the same time.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an occupant protection device has at least one front acceleration sensor provided in a front part of a vehicle, in addition to a room acceleration sensor provided in a room of the vehicle. Whether the vehicle is in a collision requiring a drive of the occupant protection device is decided based on each of sensor outputs of the room and front acceleration sensors, respectively, and the occupant protection device is driven when the collision is detected based on at least one of the sensor outputs. Since the front acceleration sensor is provided in the front part of the vehicle, the front acceleration sensor detects a collision acceleration early and gives it to the control unit, even in case of a collision, such as the offset or an oblique collision, in which a collision acceleration transmitted to the room acceleration sensor may be weakened. Therefore, the control unit can exactly drive the occupant protection device without causing delay in collision detection.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an occupant protection device has at least one front acceleration sensor provided in a front part of a vehicle in addition to a room acceleration sensor provided in a room of the vehicle. The front acceleration sensor detects an acceleration of the vehicle and gives the control unit a sensor output representative thereof. The control unit, when the sensor output of the front acceleration sensor is a sensor output caused by a collision of the vehicle, detects a variational quantity of the sensor output of the front acceleration sensor based on sensor outputs of the front acceleration sensor at two different time points, and increases an integrated value of an acceleration signal of the room acceleration sensor based on the variational quantity. Then, when the integrated value of the room acceleration sensor exceeds a threshold value, the occupant protection device is driven.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an occupant protection device detects whether a vehicle is in a collision requiring to drive the occupant protection device based on at least one front acceleration sensor provided in a front part of the vehicle, in addition to a collision detection based on a room acceleration sensor provided in a room of the vehicle. When the collision is detected based on the front acceleration sensor, an integrated value of an acceleration signal of the room acceleration sensor is increased. Since the front acceleration sensor is provided in the front part of the vehicle, the front acceleration sensor detects a collision acceleration early and gives a sensor output to the control unit, even in case of a collision in which a collision acceleration transmitted to the room acceleration sensor may be weakened.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an occupant protection device, in addition to a room acceleration sensor provided in a room of a vehicle, has at least one front acceleration sensor provided in a front part of the vehicle. The front acceleration sensor, when detecting a predetermined collision acceleration, gives a detection signal to a control unit. The control unit sets a second threshold value lower than a first threshold value if the detection signal is input, and drives the occupant protection device when an integrated value of an acceleration signal of the room acceleration sensor exceeds the second threshold value. Since the front acceleration sensor is provided in the front part of the vehicle, even when a collision acceleration transmitted to the room acceleration sensor is weakened, the front acceleration sensor detects the collision acceleration early and gives the detection signal to the control unit.

Abstract: If an impact acceleration Gt in excess of a predetermined value is detected (step 102), a speed integral value &Dgr;V is calculated (step 110) and a length of a line segment of the impact acceleration with a passage of time is calculated (steps 112, 114). If a rate of an increment of the speed integral value &Dgr;V to the length of the line segment within a predetermined interval is smaller than a predetermined value R, it is decided that resonance is caused. Then, it is decided (step 122) whether or not the speed integral value &Dgr;Vt exceeds a new threshold value which is set on the more negative side from a threshold value &Dgr;VTH which is defined by V(G), by a predetermined value &agr; (step 120). If it is decided that the speed integral value &Dgr;Vt exceeds the new threshold value, an inflation of an air bag is carried out (step 124).