DE-102024003667-A1 - Method for activating at least one occupant protection device arranged in a vehicle and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for activating at least one occupant protection device (2) arranged in a vehicle (1). According to the invention, when the vehicle (1) is started, the current vehicle weight of the vehicle (1) is determined, wherein - a decision as to whether the activation of at least one occupant protection device (2) is required, depending on the determined vehicle weight, and/or - the activation of at least one occupant protection device (2) is carried out depending on the determined vehicle weight. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle (1).

Inventors

• Christian Kopner
• Sinja Schröder
• Jürgen Wolf

Assignees

• Mercedes-Benz Group AG

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20241108

Claims (9)

1. Method for activating at least one occupant protection device (2) arranged in a vehicle (1), characterized in that when the vehicle (1) is started, the current vehicle weight of the vehicle (1) is determined, wherein - a decision is made as to whether the activation of the at least one occupant protection device (2) is necessary, depending on the determined vehicle weight, and/or - the activation of the at least one occupant protection device (2) is carried out depending on the determined vehicle weight.
2. Procedure according to Claim 1 characterized in that a time and/or an activation strength of the activation and/or a number and/or sequence of activation stages and/or a time and/or an activation strength of the respective activation stage are specified depending on the determined vehicle weight.
3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one airbag and/or at least one seat belt tensioner is activated as an occupant protection device (2).
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the current vehicle weight is determined by means of at least one sensor unit (4, 5) of the vehicle (1).
5. Procedure according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the current vehicle weight is determined by means of a chassis sensor unit (4) and/or a sensor unit (5) of a vehicle dynamics control system of the vehicle (1).
6. Procedure according to Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that a sensor fusion of several sensor units (4, 5) of the vehicle (1) is carried out to determine the current vehicle weight.
7. Procedure according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the current vehicle weight is determined by sensor fusion as an average of vehicle weight values determined by the several sensor units (4, 5).
8. Vehicle (1) comprising at least one occupant protection device (2), wherein the vehicle (1) is designed and equipped to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims.
9. Vehicle (1) after Claim 8 , characterized by at least one sensor unit (4, 5) for determining the current vehicle weight.

Description

The invention relates to a method for activating at least one occupant protection device arranged in a vehicle and to a vehicle. From the state of the art, as in the DE 10 2012 024 847 A1 A method for activating an occupant protection device installed in a vehicle is described. In this method, the vehicle's surroundings are detected, and a potential collision time is determined based on object and vehicle data detected in the surroundings. The occupant protection device is activated based on the determined impending collision time. Upon detection of a collision, the actual collision time is determined. If a deviation is detected between the determined potential collision time and the detected actual collision time, a stage of activation of the occupant protection device and/or activation of a further occupant protection device occurs, depending on the detected actual collision time. The invention is based on the objective of providing a method for activating at least one occupant protection device arranged in a vehicle that is improved compared to the prior art, and a vehicle that is improved compared to the prior art. The problem is solved according to the invention by a method for activating at least one occupant protection device arranged in a vehicle with the features of claim 1 and a vehicle with the features of claim 8. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. In a method according to the invention for activating at least one occupant protection device arranged in a vehicle, the current vehicle weight is determined, in particular when or immediately after the vehicle is started. In one embodiment of the invention, a decision as to whether the activation of the at least one occupant protection device is required is made depending on the determined vehicle weight, in particular in an occupant protection device control unit of the at least one occupant protection device, but in particular not only depending on the determined vehicle weight, but also depending on one or more other parameters, i.e. the determined vehicle weight is in particular another parameter that is taken into account. In an alternative or additional embodiment of the invention, the activation of the at least one occupant protection device is carried out depending on the determined vehicle weight, particularly in the occupant protection device control unit of the at least one occupant protection device, but especially not only depending on the determined vehicle weight, but also depending on one or more other parameters, i.e., the determined vehicle weight is in particular a further parameter that is taken into account. However, the activation is only carried out if it is necessary, whereby this decision is made, for example, as mentioned above, depending on the determined vehicle weight or, for example, also independently of the determined vehicle weight. Activation of at least one occupant protection device is particularly necessary when a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle or an imminent, and in particular an unavoidable, collision of the vehicle with an obstacle is detected, especially if at least a predetermined collision severity limit is exceeded by this collision or imminent collision. The aforementioned starting of the vehicle, during or immediately after which the current vehicle weight is determined, is also referred to as starting the vehicle, switching on the ignition, or activating the vehicle, in particular as activating the vehicle's electrical power supply, especially its control units. This can be accomplished, for example, by turning an ignition key in the vehicle's ignition lock, by pressing a start button, or by detecting the presence of a driver or an identification device authorizing a driver to operate the vehicle, such as an electronic ignition key. Alternatively or additionally to determining the current vehicle weight at or immediately after starting the vehicle, the current vehicle weight can also be determined at at least one other time, in particular during vehicle operation and/or immediately before the Activation of at least one occupant protection device. A vehicle according to the invention has at least one occupant protection device, wherein the vehicle, in particular at least one control unit of the vehicle, is designed and configured to carry out the method. The control unit can, for example, be the occupant protection device control unit of the at least one occupant protection device or another control unit of the vehicle. In the described solution, the determined current vehicle weight is used in particular for a switching logic of the at least one occupant protection device, in particular for a switching logic of the activation of the at least one occupant protection device, in particular in the occupant protection device control unit of the at least one occupant protection device, in particular to adapt this switching logic to the respective deter