Patent ID: 7902974

Claim:
A device for triggering a vehicle occupant protection device of a motor vehicle, the device comprising: a plurality of sensors disposed at a first location within the motor vehicle and provide at the first location a plurality of signals including an item of information on an emergency situation of the motor vehicle; a first and a second transmission link for transmitting the plurality of signals from the first location to a second location within the motor vehicle, said first and second transmission links disposed such that both said first and second transmission links transmit at least a first signal of said plurality of signals from the first location to the second location; and an evaluation device disposed at the second location and having a first evaluation apparatus, a second evaluation apparatus and an output device, said evaluation device constructed such that signals associated with a respective one of said sensors are supplied to said first evaluation apparatus and the first signal is supplied to the second evaluation apparatus, said first evaluation apparatus evaluates the signals supplied thereto for an existence of the emergency situation of the motor vehicle and passes on a corresponding first item of information to said output device, and the second evaluation apparatus evaluates the first signal supplied thereto for the existence of the emergency situation of the motor vehicle and passes on a corresponding second item of information to said output device, said output device only emits a second signal, for activating the vehicle occupant protection device of the motor vehicle, as an output signal of said evaluation device if both the first and the second items of information correspond to the emergency situation; the first location being different from and spaced away from the second location; wherein said first transmission link transmits only a first portion of said plurality of signals to said evaluation device; and wherein said second transmission link transmits only a second portion of said plurality of signals, different from said first portion of said plurality of signals, to said evaluation device.