Method for recognising a collision by means of an upfront sensor system and device for carrying out said method

An apparatus for detecting an impact of a moving object, in particular of a vehicle, comprising:

• a first sensor device for acquiring an acceleration in an acquisition direction that is coincident with a direction of motion of the moving object, and for outputting a first acceleration signal dependent on the acceleration;
• an evaluation device for evaluating the first acceleration signal in such a way that a classification of the impact is made available by a classification signal;
• an output device for outputting the classification signal to an external control device;
• and
• at least one second sensor device for acquiring an acceleration in an acquisition direction that is different from the direction of motion of the moving object, and for outputting at least one second acceleration signal dependent on the acceleration, wherein:
• the at least one second acceleration signal depends on the acceleration being employed for evaluation, in the evaluation device, for evaluating the first acceleration signal, in such a way that a classification of the impact by way of the classification signal as a function of accelerations in at least two directions of motion is made available.

A method for detecting an impact of a moving object, comprising:

• acquiring a first acceleration in an acquisition direction that is coincident with a direction of motion of the moving object using a first sensor device;
• outputting from the first sensor device a first acceleration signal dependent on the acceleration;
• evaluating the first acceleration signal in an evaluation device, in such a way that a classification of an impact is made available by way of a classification signal;
• outputting the classification signal to an external control device by way of an output device;
• acquiring a second acceleration in an acquisition direction that is different from the direction of motion of the moving object by way of at least one second sensor device;
• and
• outputting the second acceleration as at least one second acceleration signal dependent on the second acceleration, wherein:
• the at least one second acceleration signal dependent on the second acceleration is employed for evaluation, in the evaluation device for evaluating the first acceleration signal, in such a way that the classification of the impact by way of the classification signal as a function of the first acceleration and the second acceleration in one of two directions of motion and three directions of motion is made available.