Abstract: A device for side impact detection in a motor vehicle, and a plausibility sensor side impact detection. This plausibility sensor is located in a loudspeaker which is already present in the lateral part for playback of music. This loudspeaker is used as a low-frequency microphone, a circuit being provided for the loudspeaker to differentiate between sound and rapid fluctuations in air pressure. This circuit has a bridge circuit, the differential voltage across the bridge then being used as a plausibility signal. The circuit itself is preferably located in the door.

Abstract: A simple method of differentiating among several different impact severties is described. To do so, the deceleration measured by a front sensor situated in the front area of the vehicle or the velocity (v) derived from it by integration is compared with a basic threshold (GS) which has a characteristic which is not exceeded by a measured deceleration/velocity (v) at which the restraint devices in the vehicle are not yet to be deployed. At least one additional threshold (S1, S2) having a slope greater than that of the basic threshold (GS) is provided, and this additional threshold (S1, S2) branches off from the basic threshold (GS) at the point where the basic threshold (GS) is exceeded by the measured deceleration/velocity (v). The slope of the at least one additional threshold (S1, S2) is selected so that it is exceeded by the measured deceleration/velocity (v) only at a certain impact severity.

Abstract: A method is described of triggering restraint means in a motor vehicle in the event of an impact and/or a collision with an object, in which the triggering of restraint means, such as airbags and seatbelt tighteners, is better adapted to the concrete impact situation and, in particular, unnecessary triggering of restraint means may be avoided. In the context of this method, the time characteristic of the acceleration is detected in the form of at least one acceleration signal ax. The time characteristic of a velocity &Dgr;vx is generated from the acceleration signal ax. A threshold value &Dgr;vxth for the velocity &Dgr;vx is then determined as a triggering criterion. For this purpose, the impact velocity vclose and the instant of impact t0 are established with the aid of a pre-crash sensor system even before the impact. The impact situation is classified with reference to the impact velocity vclose. With the aid of the classification of the impact situation, a triggering time window [tA . . .

Abstract: A device for impact detection in a motor vehicle has both a precrash sensor and an impact sensor, and when an impact is detected, the noise threshold for the impact sensor is lowered, so that the deployment time can then be determined as a function of the signals of the precrash sensor and the impact sensor. Various features are extracted from the signals of the impact sensor and then compared with continuous threshold functions to detect a deployment case. The deceleration and/or velocity and/or predisplacement may be used as features.

Abstract: A restraint system having a restraint device for protecting at least one passenger and a method for controlling a restraint system are proposed, which act so as to transform using a wavelet transformation, a signal measured by an acceleration sensor into a frequency range and in order to determine from the transformed signal the optimal triggering time point for the restraint device. For this purpose, the wavelet-transformed signal, on the one hand, is used for determining features in order to determine a crash type, and, on the other hand, to determine the braking acceleration energy. If the braking acceleration energy lies above a preestablished threshold value and if the identified crash type requires a triggering of the restraint system, then the restraint system is triggered.

Abstract: A method for activating a passenger safety application in a vehicle involves a rotational acceleration sensor device which is used to obtain a measurement of the rotational acceleration &agr;x of the vehicle, e.g., about an axis of rotation x parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The results of this measurement are analyzed by a computing unit for evaluating the vehicle situation with respect to its surrounding. Activation of a suitable safety application is performed in the event that the analysis indicates that a rollover event of the vehicle is imminent.

Abstract: A simple method of differentiating among several different impact severities is described. To do so, the deceleration measured by a front sensor situated in the front area of the vehicle or the velocity derived from it by integration is compared with a basic threshold which has a characteristic which is not exceeded by a measured deceleration/velocity at which the restraint devices in the vehicle are not yet to be deployed. At least one additional threshold having a slope greater than that of the basic threshold is provided, and this additional threshold branches off from the basic threshold at the point where the basic threshold is exceeded by the measured deceleration/velocity. The slope of the at least one additional threshold is selected so that it is exceeded by the measured deceleration/velocity only at a certain impact severity.

Abstract: A clear distinction between deployment and nondeployment situations is made by subjecting the measured acceleration of a vehicle to low-pass filtration, forming a deployment threshold as a function of the filtered acceleration signal, analyzing an acceleration signal, as soon as it is measured, in a first time segment to determine characteristic features indicating a crash event in which the restraint device should not be deployed and reducing the cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter for a predetermined time segment if a nondeployment situation of this type is detected.

Abstract: A method for deployment of a restraint system is proposed, the acceleration in the direction of driving being increased as a function of the acceleration at right angles to the direction of driving and/or at a given angle relative to the direction of driving. This ensures that in particular crashes between 40 and 65 km/h can be detected more easily.

Abstract: A method for classifying a rollover event of a vehicle is used to classify a rollover event on the basis of a rotational angle and a rotation rate of the vehicle and to transmit an emergency call as a function of the classification. The rollover event itself is recognized on the basis of a momentum or energy criterion. The rotation rate is summed to determine the rotational angle, the summed rotation rate as well as the rotation rate being compared to classification boundaries as a pair of values in order to perform a classification. The emergency call is made only if the restraint devices have been deployed.