Automotive Technology Overview Systems and products Safety Emissions Fuel consumption Driving pleasure Subjects Technical Solutions for commercial vehicles The car of tomorrow Trade Fair dates Business Divisions In China At a glance		Occupant protection systems 1 Forward-mounted sensor, 2 Central airbag ECU with integrated rollover sensing, 3 Occupant classification mat with automatic child-restraint recognition, 4 Weight sensor, 5 Out-of-position sensor, 6 Side-airbag sensor (acceleration), 7 Side-airbag sensor (pressure), 8 Pedestrian impact sensor, 9 Bus architecture   Crash phase   Testing of the vehicle's crash behaviour   During the crash phase, sensors monitor the type, intensity and direction of the impact. With these data the central airbag control unit decides which occupant-protection systems to deploy and which activation sequence to define. Frontal impact: Bosch forward-mounted sensors begin to provide object detection signals at a very early stage. The acceleration sensor in the central airbag ECU runs checks on these signals to support prompt and precise definition of both the type and the intensity of the frontal impact. Rear impact: The Bosch system registers rear impacts in the central ECU. Supplementary sensors can be integrated in the rear bumper or trunk to support activation of systems designed to prevent whiplash. Side impact: The central triggering device, combined with laterally-located acceleration sensors and pressure sensors mounted in the door, recognizes a lateral impact and ensures rapid and reliable activation of the lateral-protection systems. Specifically, the combination of acceleration and pressure sensors help ensure an appropriate decision to trigger. Rollover detection: For rollover detection we use a combination of roll rate and acceleration sensors within the central ECU (ROSE = RollOver Sensing). To detect critical situations such as the so- called “vehicle trips” sooner, our next generation of rollover sensing will also apply information from the ESC system. By networking the passenger restraint system electronics with the ESC system we will be able to make full use of synergies between rollover avoidance and rollover occupant protection systems. Pedestrian protection:In Europe, Bosch is developing electronic systems which will register the collision with a pedestrian and trigger the appropriate protective measures in line with the situation. The first generation uses contact sensors and future systems will employ anticipatory sensors such as pre-crash sensors and video sensors. These will enable protective measures to be triggered before the collision with the pedestrian actually takes place. Protection phase   In the protection phase, the interaction of all restraint devices must be choreographed with precision. The central airbag ECU precisely sequences restraint system triggering based on the specific situation.   Sensor signal activity is integrated in an intelligent network for sequencing. This information forms the foundation for the fastest and safest activation strategy. Adaptive control for devices, such as multi-stage front airbags and intelligent seatbelt tensioners with force limitation, reduce the forces exerted against occupants to an appropriate level. This allows our systems to provide passengers with optimal protection against the secondary consequences of accident. Following a crash, our system deactivates the fuel pump, shuts off the electrical system while disengaging the door locks. A provision for automatically transmitting an emergency signal also can be incorporated.	Passenger compartment sensors  These sensors determine which seats are occupied and registers the occupant type based on passenger weight. Additionally, advanced systems monitor seating positions. The data gathered by the sensors is used in defining the activation strategies: Controlled, multistage activation Single-stage deployment Deliberate suppression of activation, in cases where deployment could endanger the vehicle’s occupants Pro-crash sensing  n systems under development, forward-looking radar sensors will scan the area immediately in front of the vehicle, supporting proactive response by providing vital information prior to impact on: Speed, relative to the obstacle Distance to the obstacle Direction of impact Further developments  We are integrating our electronic systems in order to improve protection for all. Our ultimate objective is to combine occupant protection, driver assistance and vehicle-management systems within a single comprehensive safety concept. Intelligent sensor platforms and data exchange strategies embracing all the vehicle's systems allow us to create new system relationships. Sensor and actuator bus systems will replace the traditional point-to-point links. These systems will ensure rapid, direct and secure communications among all components.
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