Method and apparatus for transmitting digital data from a measurement station of an occupant protection system in a motor vehicle to an air bag control unit
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorStefan Hermann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Digital data are transmitted from a measurement station to an air bag control unit in a motor vehicle. A direct signal of the air bag control unit which serves the purpose of supplying energy to the measurement station is current-modulated and thereby varied in accordance with the data to be transmitted. The variations in the current are controlled such that they cancel one another on average over time.
Claims13
A method of transmitting digital data from a measurement station of a motor vehicle occupant protection system to an air bag control unit, which comprises:
- supplying a measurement station with a direct signal from a direct current or direct voltage source of an air bag control unit;
- varying the direct signal with the measurement station in accordance with data to be transmitted;
- transmitting data and thereby varying a current such that the variations cancel one another out on average over time;
- and
- detecting and evaluating the variations in the direct signal as current changes in the air bag control unit.
An apparatus for transmitting digital data in a motor vehicle, comprising:
- an air bag control unit and a measurement station connected to said air bag control unit;
- a direct current or direct voltage source in said air bag control unit for supplying said measurement station with a direct signal;
- a first device in said measurement station for varying the direct signal in accordance with data to be transmitted to said air bag control unit, said first device include an energy store to be charged in controlled fashion to increase the current and to be discharged in controlled fashion to decrease the current;
- and
- a second device in said air bag control unit for detecting and evaluating changes in the direct signal in the form of current changes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.