Discrete hardware safing circuit
AssigneeAutomotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
InventorDaniel Vanderley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A discrete hardware safing circuit includes a sensor the provides a signal indicating a vehicle acceleration in a direction and at least one comparator that determines if the vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold. A capacitive switch is activated based on a determination from the at least one comparator that the predetermined threshold was exceeded and remains activated as long as the predetermined threshold is exceeded and for an additional time period. A router routes an enable signal based on the activation of the capacitive switch.
Claims20
A discrete hardware safing circuit, comprising:
- a sensor that provides a signal indicating a vehicle acceleration in a direction;
- at least one comparator that determines if the vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- a capacitive switch activated based on a determination from the at least one comparator that the predetermined threshold was exceeded and remaining activated as long as the predetermined threshold is exceeded and for an additional time period;
- and
- a router that routes an enable signal based on the activation of the capacitive switch.
A vehicle occupant protection system, comprising:
- a sensor that provides a signal indicating a vehicle acceleration in a direction;
- at least one comparator that determines if the vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- a capacitive switch activated based on a determination from the at least one comparator that the predetermined threshold was exceeded and remaining activated as long as the predetermined threshold is exceeded and for an additional time period;
- a router that routes an enable signal based on the activation of the capacitive switch to an enable logic circuit for pin activation
- a processor providing a vehicle crash condition signal;
- a deployment device that deploys an occupant protection device based on the vehicle crash condition signal and the pin activation.
A method for operating a discrete hardware safing circuit, comprising:
- providing a signal indicating a vehicle acceleration in a direction;
- determining if the vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold;
- activating a capacitive switch based on a determination that the predetermined threshold was exceeded and keeping the capacitive switch activated as long as the predetermined threshold is exceeded and for an additional time period;
- and
- routing an enable signal based on the activation of the capacitive switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.