Abstract: A method and a control unit for triggering a plurality of actuators of a safety system of a motor vehicle from an energy source are provided. The triggering and a respectively desired trigger time window for the respective actuator are determined based on sensor signals. An on-board electrical system and, in addition, at least one autarky capacitor are provided as the energy source, where the autarky capacitor/s is/are charged from the on-board electrical system. In the event of a destruction of the on-board electrical system, the triggering is adjusted such that at least a part of the actuators provided for triggering are still triggered.

Abstract: A method and a control unit for triggering a plurality of actuators of a safety system of a motor vehicle from an energy source are provided. The triggering and a respectively desired trigger time window for the respective actuator are determined based on sensor signals. An on-board electrical system and, in addition, at least one autarky capacitor are provided as the energy source, where the autarky capacitor/s is/are charged from the on-board electrical system. In the event of a destruction of the on-board electrical system, the triggering is adjusted such that at least a part of the actuators provided for triggering are still triggered.

Abstract: A method for triggering a plurality of actuators of a safety system of a motor vehicle from an energy source, wherein, by using sensor signals, the requirement for triggering and the desired triggering time period are determined and a maximum group size of actuators to be triggered within a time window is predefined. For successive time windows, individual, at least partly different, maximum group sizes are respectively predefined and the maximum group size for the respective time window is determined adaptively by using the actuators already actually triggered in preceding time windows. Here, it is preferably also possible to take account of the situation in which different triggering time periods are predefined for actuators.

Abstract: A method for triggering a plurality of actuators of a safety system of a motor vehicle from an energy source, wherein, by using sensor signals, the requirement for triggering and the desired triggering time period are determined and a maximum group size of actuators to be triggered within a time window is predefined. For successive time windows, individual, at least partly different, maximum group sizes are respectively predefined and the maximum group size for the respective time window is determined adaptively by using the actuators already actually triggered in preceding time windows. Here, it is preferably also possible to take account of the situation in which different triggering time periods are predefined for actuators.

Abstract: An analysis unit for a driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an input for receiving image information which is captured by a camera, a calculating device for using image information to calculate a variable which describes an angle of inclination of the vehicle, a determining device for using the variable to determine an output signal, wherein the output signal relates to a vertical orientation of electromagnetic radiation which is to be emitted by a transmitter unit, and an output for outputting the output signal. A driver assistance system, a computer program product and a method for operating a driver assistance system, are also provided.

Abstract: An assistance system for motor vehicles has at least one monitoring unit monitoring a space external to a vehicle, in particular in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle, with a warning zone being defined in the monitored external space on each side of a lane. The warning zone is delimited by an earliest warning line and a latest warning line encompassing the respective lane marking or, as the case may be, boundary. An evaluation unit receives the data transmitted by the monitoring unit and generates a warning signal for an acoustic, visual and/or haptic warning and/or a steering intervention if the evaluation unit detects that a defined warning threshold lying within the warning zone is exceeded. The warning signal is issued only as a function of further planned driver-adaptive conditions.

Abstract: An analysis unit for a driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an input for receiving image information which is captured by a camera, a calculating device for using image information to calculate a variable which describes an angle of inclination of the vehicle, a determining device for using the variable to determine an output signal, wherein the output signal relates to a vertical orientation of electromagnetic radiation which is to be emitted by a transmitter unit, and an output for outputting the output signal. A driver assistance system, a computer program product and a method for operating a driver assistance system, are also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting the position of an object within the interior or a vehicle equipped with a door (4). The inventive method is characterized by recording a sequence of images by means of a camera (2) and calculating the actual position of the object by electronically evaluating the images of the sequence of images, and generating a differential image by comparing an actual recorded image with a previously stored image. The position of the object is calculated on the basis of the differential image. To achieve this, the camera (2) records images of the door (4). The images of the door (4) are evaluated and the open state of the door (4) is established on the basis of the differential image between the closed state and the opened state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and method for detection of an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle. The device (1) is operated by means of an analytical unit (3), such that the device (1), for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising a image recording unit (2) and an analytical unit (3) for the image data transmitted from the image recording unit (3), is operated in a first operating mode while an acceleration threshold value is not determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3) and in a second operation mode while the acceleration threshold value is determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3).

Abstract: In optical image processing methods for determining the occupation of a vehicle seat, it is advantageous to know the position of the vehicle seat (14), even in the case when said seat is occupied. The above is achieved, whereby the side surface of the backrest (11), facing the camera (30) is part of a boundary plane. A section (T, B), between a separating plane, cutting vertically through the vehicle seat and the boundary plane (B) is at least partly not covered by a seat occupant in the direction of the camera. By means of an image processing method the position of the seat may be determined.

Abstract: An assistance system for motor vehicles, in particular an electronic rally-copilot, an over-taking assistant, or right-of-way assistant, includes at least one control unit, which selects data from at least three groups of global, local, and internal data. The selection is by way of a specification of a driver known by the control unit and they are connected together in such a manner that an output signal can be produced relating to the driving dynamics of the motor vehicle. Further, there is provided an assistance system, which simultaneously processes, in an advantageous manner, data prepared by three groups (and/or with the specification of the driver from four groups). Redundancy can be established in an advantageous manner, which is determined, in particular for security-related uses. It can be used, in particular, as a rally-copilot, an over-taking assistant and/or right-of-way assistant for modern vehicles.

Abstract: An assistance system for motor vehicles has at least one monitoring unit monitoring a space external to a vehicle, in particular in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle, with a warning zone being defined in the monitored external space on each side of a lane. The warning zone is delimited by an earliest warning line and a latest warning line encompassing the respective lane marking or, as the case may be, boundary. An evaluation unit receives the data transmitted by the monitoring unit and generates a warning signal for an acoustic, visual and/or haptic warning and/or a steering intervention if the evaluation unit detects that a defined warning threshold lying within the warning zone is exceeded. The warning signal is issued only as a function of further planned driver-adaptive conditions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for determining whether the interior of a vehicle is occupied. The inventive device comprises image acquisition means (10) for acquiring images of an area of the vehicle interior, an image acquisition data generation unit (14) for generating image acquisition data in which every image point of a three-dimensional surface image is presented as a vector in an acquisition coordinate system of the image acquisition means, and a conversion unit (16) that converts the image acquisition data to vehicle image data. Said vehicle image data describe every image point as a vector in a coordinate system that is specific of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the current position (A, B, C, D) of a head (9) of an occupant (8) in the passenger compartment (2) of a motor vehicle (1), said head moving toward an automatic dynamic disabling zone (6) in front of an airbag module (5). To this end, the invention makes use of the idea that the best position for a measurement with regard thereto is the point in space where the ideal direction of movement (14) of the head (9) is perpendicular to an ideal line of sight (17) of the camera (160. The measurement is then preferably carried out when the geometric center (10) of the head (9) crosses this point. In a preferred embodiment, the calculation of the actual movement vector of the head (9) is taken as a basis, said head being preferably perpendicular in a current line of sight (18) of the camera (16). The invention advantageously increases the potential for protecting an occupant (8) in a motor vehicle (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for monitoring the interior of a vehicle, wherein changes occurring in the occupancy of a seat, e.g. with a person P, a child seat K, an empty seat L, or an occupancy in another occupancy category, are effected in a computer unit by means of transitional probabilities which are externally specified to the monitoring system and which reflect the rapid speed at which a change in occupancy is taken into account by said monitoring system. As a result, an associated airbag or another safety device is activated or de-activated accordingly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and method for detection of an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle. The device (1) is operated by means of an analytical unit (3), such that the device (1), for detecting an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising a image recording unit (2) and an analytical unit (3) for the image data transmitted from the image recording unit (3), is operated in a first operating mode whilst an acceleration threshold value is not determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3) and in a second operation mode whilst the acceleration threshold value is determined to be exceeded by the analytical unit (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the current position (A, B, C, D) of a head (9) of an occupant (8) in the passenger compartment (2) of a motor vehicle (1), said head moving toward an automatic dynamic disabling zone (6) in front of an airbag module (5). To this end, the invention makes use of the idea that the best position for a measurement with regard thereto is the point in space where the ideal direction of movement (14) of the head (9) is perpendicular to an ideal line of sight (17) of the camera (160. The measurement is then preferably carried out when the geometric center (10) of the head (9) crosses this point. In a preferred embodiment, the calculation of the actual movement vector of the head (9) is taken as a basis, said head being preferably perpendicular in a current line of sight (18) of the camera (16). The invention advantageously increases the potential for protecting an occupant (8) in a motor vehicle (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting the position of an object within the interior or a vehicle equipped with a door (4). The inventive method is characterized by recording a sequence of images by means of a camera (2) and calculating the actual position of the object by electronically evaluating the images of the sequence of images, and generating a differential image by comparing an actual recorded image with a previously stored image. The position of the object is calculated on the basis of the differential image. To achieve this, the camera (2) records images of the door (4). The images of the door (4) are evaluated and the open state of the door (4) is established on the basis of the differential image between the closed state and the opened state.

Abstract: Within a given area, the position of the head of the front seat passenger in a vehicle is determined by producing a differential image, in which only the contour of the moving object appears, from two frames that are recorded one after the other by a video camera. The contours of the differential images are used to calculate the position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for monitoring the interior of a vehicle, wherein changes occurring in the occupancy of a seat, e.g. with a person P, a child seat K, an empty seat L, or an occupancy in another occupancy category, are effected in a computer unit by means of transitional probabilities which are externally specified to the monitoring system and which reflect the rapid speed at which a change in occupancy is taken into account by said monitoring system. As a result, an associated airbag or another safety device is activated or de-activated accordingly.