Patent ID: 7676311

Claim:
A method for controlling a safety device in a motor vehicle, wherein the safety device is controlled as a function of a preset characteristic of a vehicle seat in the motor vehicle, comprising the acts of: adjusting the preset characteristic of the vehicle seat with an electric adjusting mechanism; detecting measured adjustments of the preset characteristic of the vehicle seat, including detecting measured adjustment values with a pulse generator which is connected to a drive motor or the gear of a drive motor of the adjusting mechanism; determining an adjusted preset characteristic of the vehicle seat based on a difference between a starting position of the preset characteristic of the vehicle seat and the measured adjustments of the preset characteristic of the vehicle seat; and controlling the safety device based upon the adjusted preset characteristic of the vehicle seat, wherein an inaccuracy in determining the adjusted preset characteristic is reduced or eliminated by a calibration, wherein the calibration is carried out as a function of a number of a plurality of adjustments of the preset characteristic of the seat for reducing or eliminating the inaccuracy in determining the adjusted preset characteristic.