Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Automotive Corporation

Ford Motor Company Limited

Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation

U.S. Philips Corporation

Continental Automotive Gmbh

Vdo Automotive Ag

Key Safety Systems, Inc.

Horst Belau

John Mathew Adams

Marten Swart

Charles R Cook, Jr

Ekkehart-Peter Wagner

Mark A Parsons

Stefan Hermann

Thorsten Köhler

Hubert Rothleitner

Harald Lichtinger

Wolfram Meyer

Ralf Beier

Scott M Morell

Ulrich Wagner

Ludwig Ertl

Daniel Reich

Christian Zelger

Mark Andrew Parsons

Axel Nathe

Hartwig Reindl

Werner Kaiser

Stefan Spalke

Stefan K&ouml;sters

Joachim Held

Michael Jung

Kevin Hovet

In a method for starting an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, an inlet and an outlet valve, and having a piston interacting with a crankshaft, and the crankshaft moving in a predetermined rotational direction during normal operation of the internal combustion engine, the piston is located in an initial position, the piston is moved into a defined starting position against a normal rotational direction of the crankshaft by means of a drive, fuel is injected, and the fuel is ignited.

Method of starting an internal combustion engine, device and controller

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

Device and method for detection of an object or a person in the interior of a motor vehicle

A source image (S) distorted by a camera lens can be transformed into a rectified target image (T), by means of a tabular imaging specification. The above occurs during read-out from the image sensor and in real-time. Each source pixel in the source image is assigned none, one or several target pixels in the target image (T). A first controller (C) controls the image sensors (B, B) accurately with tine and the image equalization and image correlation. A second controller (C) controls the first controller (C) and works in a manner temporally decoupled from the above.

Arrangement and method for processing image data

The invention relates to an image generation device (), particularly a 3D camera. The inventive image generation device () is designed in order to obtain small dimensions and to take thermal considerations into account. The camera () has at least one, in particular, rigid first printed board () for highly complex semiconductors such as a microcontroller (), memory (), etc. with at least one optical image recording sensor (), and has a second printed board () for all other components such as, in particular, large capacitors, transistors, resistors, coils () or plugs (), etc. The first () and second () printed boards are mounted on, preferably glued to, a metallic base plate (). The inventive image generation device () advantageously comprises, at least in the area of its optics modules (), a minimum overall height thus making it particularly well-suited for use as a built-in component serving as an occupant recognition unit in the roofliner, as a lane-change assistant in the exterior rearview mirror or for similar applications or installation locations in a motor vehicle even in locations where extreme installation conditions exist and prior art camera systems fail.

Image-generation device, in particular for installation in the roof area or exterior rearview mirror of a motor vehicle

A printed circuit board configuration with a multipole plug-in connector has plug pins fixed parallel to the board layer on respective signal conductor tracks. The signal conductor tracks are configured essentially parallel and alternately side-to-side with ground conductor tracks. Furthermore, a ground shielding surface is provided on an adjacent board layer.

Printed circuit board configuration with a multipole plug-in connector

A vehicle weight classification system recognizes the various factors that influence system performance. Some of the factors are compensated for using analog signal processing circuitry or techniques. Other factors are compensated for using digital signal processing techniques. The unique combination of analog and digital approaches, rather than pure analog or pure digital, provides an effective solution at addressing the various factors that influence signals and system performance in a vehicle weight classification system while keeping the cost and complexity of the system within acceptable limits.

Signal processing in a vehicle weight classification system

A system for controlling air bag deployment in vehicles includes the capability of accommodating varying inductants values in the air bag circuit. Wire harnesses that couple air bag components have varying characteristics, such as length, which affect the inductants value of the circuit. The inventive arrangement utilizes charge and discharge times of at least one capacitor for measuring the inductants of a particular circuit. The system includes a controller that accommodates the inductants by introducing an appropriate delay in the firing circuit signal to operate the air bag.

AC firing circuit for air bag systems

A configuration containing a sensor for accident detection, a downstream control device, a downstream firing device and a firing element for a restraint device is described. The control device generates a control signal that is composed of a first current in one direction and a subsequent second current in the opposite direction. The firing device has an integration device for integrating the first current, and also an enable device, which is connected downstream of the integration device and serves for enabling firing of the firing element. The firing of the firing element is effected by the second current when or after a limit value of the integral of the first current has been reached.

Configuration for triggering a restraint device in a motor vehicle

The resistance value and the leakage current of a load can be measured simultaneously. A load current is fed, mirrored by electrical power supplies ( ), into a resistance measuring circuit ( ) and a leakage current measuring circuit ( to ). This permits rapid, precise measurement of a plurality of loads by a single measuring circuit connected via one multiplexer. The firing transistors can be distributed among different ASICs or provided jointly for a plurality of firing caps.

DIAGNOSTIC CIRCUIT FOR MEASURING THE RESISTANCE AND THE LEAKAGE CURRENT OF AT LEAST ONE FIRING CAP OF A MOTOR VEHICLE OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEM, AND A MOTOR VEHICLE OCCUPANT PROTECTION SYSTEM INCLUDING THE DIAGNOSTIC CIRCUIT

A circuit apparatus for controlling an occupant protection device for a motor vehicle has a parallel circuit, which includes an energy storage capacitor and a series circuit. The series circuit includes a triggering element and a controllable power stage. An energy source supplies a test current to the parallel circuit. When the energy storage capacitor is at least substantially discharged and when the power stage is switched to a conducting state for test purposes, a test voltage from the series circuit is taken up and evaluated. A method of testing an operability of an occupant protection device for a motor vehicle is also provided.

Configuration and method for testing a circuit apparatus provided for controlling an occupant protection device of a motor vehicle

An integrated circuit configuration has both an ignition resistor and a control circuit that controls a current flow through the ignition resistor. A region of a semiconductor layer that electrically connects the integrated components is used as the ignition resistor. An electrically conductive layer for making electrical contact with the control circuit and a semiconductor layer for the components has a cutout in the region of the ignition resistor and ignition material is in direct contact with the integrated circuit configuration at the ignition region.

Integrated circuit configuration for heating ignition material, and trigger assembly with the integrated circuit configuration

The inductor-type converter has an inductor that is fed by a supply voltage source V,. The inductor is charged via electronic switching elements and discharged via a load impedance. The inductor is connected in the bridge path in an H-bridge topology formed from five electronic switching elements. The electronic switching elements are driven periodically or cyclically by an electronic control unit. The voltages at the two capacitive elements are different from the supply voltage V,.

Inductor-type converter and operating method

A switched capacitor circuit for delivering electrical triggering energy to an airbag squib of a supplemental restraint system for a vehicle, or a plurality of such airbag squibs, employs a switching arrangement on both sides of the airbag squib. An energy storage element, which may be a capacitor having stored therein a quantum of energy sufficient to fire the airbag squibs is coupled thereto by a substantially series pair of electronic switches connecting each terminal of the storage capacitor to each terminal of the airbag squib arrangement. A further capacitor is coupled across the airbag squib arrangement, electrically intermediate of the substantially series pairs of electronic switches. A still further capacitor is coupled across the airbag squib arrangement itself. This arrangement can withstand plural short-circuit false conditions, including short-circuits to ground or to supply potential at the terminals of the airbag squib arrangement itself. There is additionally provided a switching arrangement for implementing a predetermined priority of firing of a plurality of airbag squibs and reconfiguring electrically the plurality of airbag squibs.

Switched capacitor circuit for firing vehicle airbag squibs

A control arrangement for a deployable airbag of a vehicle is provided with first and second airbag controllers for receiving a fault signal at the first airbag controller, and for producing at the second airbag controller a deployment command signal that indicates that the deployable airbag is to be deployed. The second airbag controller receives the deployment command signal, and is provided with a communication controller for receiving the deployment command signal, a squib for firing in response to the deployment command signal whereby the deployable airbag is deployed, and an energy transfer arrangement coupled to the communication controller and the squib for transferring a deployment energy to the squib in response to the deployment command signal. The squib is configured to require a predeterminable minimum quantum of energy to effect the firing thereof in response to the deployment command signal. A heater is coupled to an energy transfer arrangement for receiving a second electrical energy from the energy transfer arrangement and providing preheat to the squib in response to the second electrical energy, whereby the predeterminable minimum quantum of energy applied to effect firing of the squib is exceeded by a combination of the first electrical energy and the preheat energy, which is monitored and controlled.

Airbag squib with silicon circuit and energy storage

A control arrangement for a deployable airbag of a vehicle is provided with a squib for firing in response to a deployment command signal whereby the deployable airbag is deployed. Bilateral communication is effected between the control arrangement and an airbag electronic controller. Electrical energy and data, including the deployment command signal are conveyed to the control arrangement, and at least self-diagnosis information is conveyed to the airbag electronic controller. The squib is configured to require a predeterminable minimum quantum of energy to effect the firing thereof in response to the deployment command signal. A heater provides a radiated preheat to the squib, whereby the predeterminable minimum quantum of energy applied to effect firing of the squib is exceeded by a combination of the first electrical energy and the radiated preheat energy. The squib and the preheater preferably are both formed on a silicon substrate using a conventional integration process. The radiated preheat energy is monitored and controlled, and the energy required to effect firing of the squib is proportional to the difference between temperature of the squib, in response to the radiated preheat energy, and the predeterminable firing threshold temperature of the squib.

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Langquaid, Germany

Horst Belau