An integrated circuit having a housing in a control unit provides at least two voltage levels, has a watchdog for monitoring a processor, performs an evaluation of at least one acceleration signal to enable at least one ignition output stage, and has at least one first interface for connecting to at least one sensor situated outside the control unit.

A state detection sensor includes a housing and a position sensing component mounted in the housing. The position sensing component is being configured to provide position data in response to detecting the presence or position of vehicle structure relative to the sensor. The state detection sensor also includes an analog input component mounted in the housing. The analog input component is configured to provide external analog sensor data in response to an analog signal received from an external analog sensor to which the analog input component can be operatively connected. The state detection sensor further includes a component configured to communicate the position data and the external analog sensor data via a serial bus.

In one embodiment, a vehicular monitoring and controlled response system includes a substance having a plurality of particles dispersed therein, the particles being tunable in response to an external stimulus; a sensor for measuring a disruption to a vehicle; and a computing device in communication with the sensor and the vehicle. The computing device has non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon executed by a digital processor to analyze data received by the sensor; determine a magnitude of the external stimulus based on the data received by the sensor; and activate the external stimulus.

A control device for a personal protection system. The system includes at least one main processor, to generate and output at least one trigger signal for at least one trigger element of a personal protection device of the personal protection system as a function of trigger-relevant information, a central safety circuit with an auxiliary processor, to generate and output at least one enable signal for the at least one trigger element of the personal protection device as a function of the trigger-relevant information, an integrated main system circuit, to generate and output, as a function of the at least one trigger signal and the at least one enable signal, at least one actuation signal for triggering the at least one trigger element of the personal protection device, and at least one control device data bus, via which the main processor communicates with the other components of the control device.

In one embodiment, a vehicular monitoring and controlled response system includes a substance having a plurality of particles dispersed therein, the particles being tunable in response to an external stimulus; a sensor for measuring a disruption to a vehicle; and a computing device in communication with the sensor and the vehicle. The computing device has non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon executed by a digital processor to analyze data received by the sensor; determine a magnitude of the external stimulus based on the data received by the sensor; and activate the external stimulus.

A method for transmitting a value measured by a sensor. The measured value is copied onto a data word by a function in order to be transmitted.

An air bag ECU includes an ECU communication unit communicating with an external sensor (for example, a front right acceleration sensor) and a faulty sensor mount determination unit determining whether a faulty sensor having been diagnosed as being faulty before is connected to the air bag ECU based on failure history data indicating whether the external sensor has been diagnosed as being faulty before. The faulty sensor mount determination unit compares identification data recorded in, for example, a faulty sensor ID recording unit, for individually identifying an external sensor having been diagnosed as being faulty before with the identification data of the external sensor connected to the air bag ECU and determines whether a faulty sensor is connected to the air bag ECU.

In one embodiment, a vehicular monitoring and controlled response system includes a substance having a plurality of particles dispersed therein, the particles being tunable in response to an external stimulus; a sensor for measuring a disruption to a vehicle; and a computing device in communication with the sensor and the vehicle. The computing device has non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon executed by a digital processor to analyze data received by the sensor; determine a magnitude of the external stimulus based on the data received by the sensor; and activate the external stimulus.

Disclosed are systems and methods for driver performance assessment and improvement. The systems and methods may be: active for warning purposes only; passive for monitoring purposes only; and active and passive. Any of the foregoing system and methods may be cooperative as well.

Disclosed are systems and methods for driver performance assessment and improvement. The systems and methods may be: active for warning purposes only; passive for monitoring purposes only; and active and passive. Any of the foregoing system and methods may be cooperative as well.