Patent ID: 6504264
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An activating device of a vehicular passenger protection system comprising:a squib for activating a passenger protection device of a passenger protection system mounted on a vehicle in response to of an activating current; a plurality of electronic switching elements connected in series each other with the squib between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of a power source for supplying the activating current from the power source to the squib when turned on, the electronic switching elements including a diagnosis target switching element a non-diagnosis target switching element; a first acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration of the vehicle; a second acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle; first determination means for determining whether the vehicle has collided based on at least a detection output of the first acceleration sensor; second determination means provided independently of the first determination means as a hardware having a microcomputer for determining whether the vehicle has collided based on at least the detection output of the second acceleration sensor; drive means for driving the diagnosis target switching element to be turned on based on at least a vehicle collision made by the first determination means and for driving remaining electronic switching elements to be turned on based on at least a determination of vehicle collision made by the microcomputer; diagnosis means for diagnosing whether the diagnosis target switching element is in malfunction based on at least a diagnosis signal of the microcomputer; and concurrent operation inhibition means located outside the microcomputer for inhibiting concurrent ON-state of the diagnosis target switching element with ON-state of the non-diagnosis target switching element, wherein the concurrent operation inhibition means inhibits the concurrent ON-state of the diagnosis target switching element with the ON-state of the non-diagnosis target switching element regardless of an output state of the microcomputer.