Method for recording an operation time of an air bag system and an apparatus for performing the same

A method for recording an operation state and an operation time of an air bag system for a motor vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) setting a time to zero and judging whether or not a collision sensing signal is inputted;
• (ii) comparing the collision sensing signal with a set point when the collision sensing signal has been inputted in step (i) and generating a control signal to operate an air bag while measuring the time of the transmission of a collision sensing signal having a value greater than the set point;
• (iii) judging whether or not the control signal has been normally generated;
• (iv) recording a first system error to a memory section when the control signal has not been normally generated and recording a generated time of the control signal when said control signal has been normally generated in step (iii);
• (v) judging whether or not a gas to be injected into the air bag has normally generated;
• (vi) recording a second system error to the memory section when the gas has not been normally generated and recording a generated time of the gas to the memory section when the gas has been normally generated in step (v);
• (vii) judging whether or not the gas has been normally injected into the air bag;
• (viii) recording a third system error to the memory section when the gas has not been normally injected into the air bag and recording an injection time of the gas when the gas has been normally injected into the air bag in step (vii);
• (ix) judging whether or not the air bag has normally expanded;
• and
• (x) recording a fourth system error when the air bag has not normally expanded and recording an expanded time of the air bag when the air bag has normally expanded in step (ix).

An air bag system for recording an operation state and an operation time of modules of an air bag system for a motor vehicle, which comprises:

• a collision sensing sensor for generating a collision sensing signal by sensing a collision of the motor vehicle;
• an air bag module having an inflator including a squib section which ignites and a reaction device for generating a gas by exploding a powder by the ignition of said squib section, an inflatable air bag which inflates by the injection of the gas, and an air bag sensor which is provided at a predetermined position on said air bag, for sensing an expansion operation of said air bag and outputting an air bag expansion sensing signal;
• a clock generating section for generating a clock signal to record time;
• a control means for receiving the collision sensing signal, for generating a control signal to ignite said squib section, for judging whether or not the control signal has been transmitted by either receiving or not receiving the control signal, and then when a transmission occurred, for generating a first recording signal to record a transmission time of the control signal, which corresponds to the clock signal, when said control signal has been transmitted, for judging whether or not said air bag has been expanded by whether or not it received the air bag expansion sensing signal from said air bag sensor for generating a second recording signal to record an expansion time of said air bag which corresponds to the clock signal when an expansion occurred;
• and
• a memory section for memorizing data concerning the expansion of said air bag by receiving said first and second recording signals from said control means.

An air bag system for recording an operation state and an operation time of modules of an air bag system for a motor vehicle, which comprises:

• a collision sensing sensor for generating a collision sensing signal by sensing a collision of the motor vehicle;
• an air bag module having an inflator including a squib section which ignites and a reaction device for generating a gas by exploding a powder by the ignition of said squib section, an inflatable air bag which inflates by the injection of the gas, and an air bag sensor, which is provided at a predetermined position on said air bag, for sensing an expansion operation of said air bag to output an air bag expansion sensing signal, said squib section having a first sensor for transmitting a squib section operation sensing signal, and said reaction device having a second sensor for transmitting a reaction device operating sensing signal at an output side of said reaction device;
• a clock generating section for generating a clock signal to record time;
• a control means for receiving the collision sensing signal, for transmitting a control signal to ignite said squib section, for judging whether or not said control signal has been transmitted by whether or not it received said control signal, for generating a first recording signal to record a transmission time of said control signal which corresponds to said clock signal when said control signal has been transmitted, for judging whether or not said squib section had operated by whether or not it received said squib section operation sensing signal from said first sensor, for generating a second recording signal to record an operation time of said squib section which corresponds to said clock signal when said squib section operation sensing has been transmitted, for judging whether or not said reaction device had operated by whether or not it received said reaction device operation sensing signal from said second sensor, for generating a third recording signal to record an operation time of said reaction device which corresponds to said clock signal when said reaction device operation sensing signal has been transmitted, for judging whether or not said air bag had expanded by receiving said air bag expansion sensing signal from said air bag sensor, and for generating a fourth recording signal to record an expansion time of said air bag which corresponds to said clock signal when said air bag expansion sensing signal has been transmitted;
• and
• a memory section for memorizing data concerning an operation state and an operation time of modules in the air bag system by receiving the first, second, third, and fourth recording signals from said control means.