US 7,320,379 B2 · Device for occupant protection in a motor vehicle and for anti-theft protection of the motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for occupant protection in a motor vehicle and for anti-theft protection of the motor vehicle, comprising an airbag (3), which may be inflated with gas by means of a filling device, a transceiver (5), for electromagnetic waves (6) and an occupant protection analytical unit (81) connected thereto. An occupant protection interrogation unit (41) is arranged on the inflatable airbag (3), which is wirelessly interrogated by the transceiver (5). Information on the degree and/or speed of unfolding of the airbag is thus provided to the occupant protection analytical unit (81). The transceiver (5) may furthermore wirelessly interrogate a portable anti-theft interrogation unit (42), for example, a chipcard and hence provide an anti-theft analytical unit (82) with information about the authorisation of the anti-theft interrogation unit (42) and/or the separation of the anti-theft interrogation unit (42) from the transceiver (5) based on the returned signal.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A device for occupant protection in a motor vehicle and for anti-theft protection of the motor vehicle, the device comprising:

an airbag having a filler device for inflating said airbag with gas;
a transceiver device for transmitting electromagnetic waves;
an occupant protection evaluation device connected to said transceiver device;
at least one occupant protection interrogation unit disposed on said airbag, said transceiver device interrogating said occupant protection interrogation unit contactlessly resulting in information regarding a degree of deployment and/or a speed of deployment of said airbag being provided to said occupant protection evaluation device;
an anti-theft protection evaluation device;
and
at least one portable anti-theft protection interrogation unit being interrogated contactlessly by said transceiver device resulting in further information regarding an authorization of said anti-theft protection interrogation unit and/or regarding a distance of said anti-theft protection interrogation unit from said transceiver device on a basis of a signal returned by said anti-theft protection interrogation unit, said further information being provided to said anti-theft protection evaluation device.

4 more elements

A method for protecting occupants of a motor vehicle and for anti-theft protection of the motor vehicle, which comprises the steps of:

in a normal operating mode of the motor vehicle, without completed activation of a filler device for filling an inflatable airbag, performing the steps of:
transmitting a coded signal using a transceiver device;
receiving the coded signal in a portable anti-theft protection interrogation unit;
transmitting back, via the portable anti-theft protection interrogation unit, a modified coded signal to the transceiver device;
receiving the modified coded signal in the transceiver device and forwarding the modified coded signal to an anti-theft protection evaluation device;
determining in the anti-theft protection evaluation device, from the modified coded signal, information regarding an authorization of the anti-theft protection interrogation unit and/or regarding a distance of the anti-theft protection interrogation unit from the transceiver device;
in an activation case, upon completed activation of the filler device for filling the inflatable airbag, performing the steps of:
using the transceiver device for interrogating signals of an occupant protection interrogation unit of the inflatable airbag by a contactless method resulting in further information;
and
providing an occupant protection evaluation unit connected to the transceiver unit with the further information for determining a degree of deployment and/or a speed of deployment of the inflatable airbag.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device for occupant protection in a motor vehicle and for anti-theft protection of the motor vehicle

Life of this patent

Device for occupant protection in a motor vehicle and for anti-theft protection of the motor vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13