Trw Limited

Trw Automotive U.S. LLC

Nartron Corporation

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Trw Automotive Gmbh

Carl Andrew Munch

Timothy Dezorzi

David W Shank

Stephen R Cooper

Chek-Peng Foo

Huahn-Fern Yeh

John C Hanisko

Michael J Rymut

Daniel J Wyman

Clyde Ko

Stephen R W Cooper

Peter H Strom

David Leonard Juzswik

Farid Khairallah

George P Lambropoulos

Paul Leo Sumner

Kevin Daniel Weiss

Michael C McCarthy

Mike Babala

Thomas R Krause

Steven Michael Cash

Mark R Desmarais

Nadi S Findikli

Oliver Buntz

Raad Konja

Dominik Weiland

Paul Melton

John Frederick Schimm

Paul Zatyko

Michael F O'Connor

Matthias Webert

Russell W Steele

A method for detecting a malfunction or defect of a sensor of a vehicle safety device uses a control unit of the vehicle safety device and at least one self-testing sensor which is separate from the control unit and transmits measuring values to the control unit. The following steps are performed:

Method for detecting a malfunction of a sensor of a vehicle safety device

An apparatus () is provided for controlling an actuatable restraint () in a vehicle (). An sensor () is mounted in the vehicle () and outputs an electrical signal having a characteristic indicative of a vehicle event. A discrimination circuit () is coupled to the sensor () and determines if a predetermined event occurred. A safing circuit () is copied to the sensor () signal and sequestered from the discrimination circuit () for determining if the predetermined event occurred. An actuation device is actuates the restraint when both the discrimination circuit () and the safing circuit () determine the predetermined event occurred.

Method and apparatus for providing a safing function in a restraining system

A measurement device () mounting arrangement includes a support member () and a sensing device () in a circuit housing (). The circuit housing () is electrically and mechanically connected to the support member () through a mounting structure (). The circuit housing () has a resonance frequency and the sensing device () has an operational resonance frequency. The sensing device () measures a physical parameter and provides a signal indicative thereof. An under-fill material () is located between the support member () and the circuit housing () for shifting the resonance frequency of the circuit housing () away from the operational resonance frequency of the sensing device ().

Measuring device mounting method and structure

An apparatus () is provided for controlling an actuatable restraint () in a vehicle (). An sensor () is mounted in the vehicle () and outputs an electrical signal having a characteristic indicative of a vehicle event. A discrimination circuit () is coupled to the sensor () and determines if a predetermined event occurred. A safing circuit () is coupled to the sensor () signal and sequestered from the discrimination circuit () for determining if the predetermined event occurred. An actuation device is actuates the restraint when both the discrimination circuit () and the safing circuit () determine the predetermined event occurred.

An apparatus is provided for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system. A central crash accelerometer senses crash acceleration at a central vehicle location provides a first crash acceleration signal. A side-satellite accelerometer senses crash acceleration substantially parallel with a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and provides a signal indicative thereof. A controller actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the central crash acceleration signal and the side-satellite signal.

Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraining device using XY side satellite accelerometers

A system () for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle () includes a vehicle occupant protection device (). An event sensor () is operative to sense a vehicle event condition such as a vehicle crash or rollover and provides a vehicle event condition signal () indicative of the sensed vehicle condition. A vehicle operating condition sensor () senses vehicle operation conditions such as ignition starts, vehicle speed, etc. A controller () is operative to determine the occurrence of a vehicle event in response to the vehicle condition signal (). The controller () is operative to provide an actuation signal () for actuating the vehicle occupant protection device () in response to determining the occurrence of the vehicle event. A software key () is provided having a disable mode () in which the controller () is inhibited from providing the actuation signal (). The software key is responsive to the signals from the vehicle operating sensors ().

Vehicle occupant protection system with disable mode

A sensor assembly () for sensing an impact to a vehicle () includes a light source () for emitting light and a sensing channel () for receiving the emitted light. The sensing channel () is configured to deform in response to an impact to the vehicle () and includes at least one void () with dimensions that vary in response to deformation of the sensing channel (). A detector () senses an intensity of the light propagating through the sensing channel () and provides a signal indicative of the sensed intensity. The sensed intensity varies as a function of the dimensions of the at least one void (). The sensor assembly () also includes a controller () for analyzing the signal from the detector () to determine whether the sensing channel () has been deformed and thereby, whether an impact to the vehicle () has occurred.

Sensor assembly including a sensing channel having a void and an associated method

An apparatus for sensing pressure in vehicle tires includes an interrogator () for providing a tire pressure interrogation signal, and a tire pressure monitor () for sensing pressure within a first tire () of the vehicle () and providing an actual tire pressure signal. A first wheel speed sensor () associated with the first tire () provides a reference wheel speed signal upon movement of the vehicle (). A second wheel speed sensor () associated with a second tire () of the vehicle () provides a wheel speed signal upon movement of the vehicle. A controller () activates the interrogator (), monitors the actual tire pressure signal, and correlates the reference wheel speed signal with the wheel speed signal from the second wheel speed sensor () for determining a tire pressure value of the second tire ().

Method and apparatus for sensing tire pressure

An apparatus ( ) helps protect an occupant ( ) of a vehicle ( ). The apparatus ( ) includes first means ( ) for non-intrusively sensing at least one health condition of the vehicle occupant ( ) and for producing a first output signal ( ) indicative of the health condition of the vehicle occupant ( ). The apparatus ( ) further includes 2ND means ( ) for transmitting a health condition signal derived from the first output signal ( ) to a person at a location remote from the vehicle ( ) to convey health condition information to the person and to enable the person to determine a suitable type of response.

Apparatus and method for responding to the health and fitness of a driver of a vehicle

An apparatus ( ) for tracking an abnormal condition of a vehicle tire ( ) includes a receiver ( ) that receives a data message having data indicative of a condition of the vehicle tire ( ). A controller ( ) is connected to the receiver ( ) and is responsive to the data message received by the receiver ( ). The controller ( ) includes a counter that has a value indicative of a duration of an abnormal tire condition. The controller ( ) adjusts the counter value as a function of the content of the received data message.

Apparatus and method for tracking an abnormal tire condition

A reflective surface positioning apparatus ( ) includes first locating device ( ), second locating device ( ), first utilizing device ( ), and second utilizing device ( ). The first locating device ( ) locates part ( ) of an occupant ( ) of a vehicle ( ) and produces a first location signal ( ) indicative of the location of the part ( ) of the vehicle occupant ( ). The second locating device ( ) locates an object ( ) external to the vehicle ( ) and produces a second location signal ( ) indicative of the location of the external object ( ). The first utilizing device ( ) utilizes the first location signal ( ) to cause positioning of a first reflective surface ( ) to a first default position. The second utilizing device ( ) utilizes the second location signal ( ) to reposition the first reflective surface ( ) to a first temporary position for providing a view of the external object ( ) to the part ( ) of the vehicle occupant ( ) for a predetermined time interval. Then, the second utilizing device ( ) returns the first reflective surface ( ) to the first default position.

Apparatus and method for positioning a reflective surface on a vehicle

A system ( ) for monitoring an operating parameter of a tire ( ) on a vehicle ( ) includes an identification ( ) connected to a vehicle rim ( ) that conveys a rim identification code. A tire-based unit ( ) senses an operating parameter of the tire ( ) and provides a radio frequency signal ( ) indicative of a sensed operating parameter of the tire and an identification code of the tire-based unit. A rim identification sensor ( ) detects the identification ( ) and provides a rim identification signal ( ) indicative of the rim identification code and the position of the rim ( ) on the vehicle ( ). The system also includes electronics ( ) for receiving the radio frequency signal ( ) and the rim identification signal ( ). The electronics ( ) correlate the radio frequency signal ( ) with the rim identification signal ( ) to associate the radio frequency signal with the position on the vehicle ( ) where the tire ( ) is mounted.

System and method for sensing an operating parameter of a vehicle tire

An apparatus ( ) for controlling actuation of at least one actuatable protection device ( ) includes a controller ( ) having a first sensor input effective to receive a first sensor signal ( ) having a value indicative of a first condition of an occupant of the vehicle seat ( ). The apparatus ( ) also includes a second sensor input effective to receive a second sensor signal ( ) having a value indicative of a second condition of the occupant of the vehicle seat ( ). The controller ( ) is operative to determine a default value for the value of the first sensor signal ( ) upon determining that the value of the first sensor signal is either outside an expected range of values or is absent. The controller ( ) is operative to provide a control signal ( ) to control actuation of at least one actuatable protection device ( ). The control signal ( ) has a value that varies as a function of the value of the second sensor signal and at least one of the received first sensor signal and the determined default value of the first sensor signal.

Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant protection device

A tire condition sensing apparatus (,) includes a tire condition sensor (,) for sensing a tire condition and providing a sensor signal indicative thereof. A transmitter (,) transmits a data message having a plurality of data locations for accommodating data. A controller (,) is electrically connected with the tire condition sensor (,) and the transmitter (,). The controller (,) controls the transmitter (,) to transmit tire condition data in selected data locations of the data message based on a parameter associated with the apparatus (,), such as an identification code of the apparatus (,).

Apparatus and method for transmitting data in a tire condition sensing system

A weight sensor (10) senses a load applied to a vehicle seat (12). The sensor includes a first mounting member (40; 120) and a second mounting member (42; 122) positioned opposite from and movable relative to the first mounting member (40; 120). A pair of spaced apart and opposed guide elements (44 and 46; 132 and 134) are connected between the first and second mounting members (40 and 42; 120 and 122), respectively. The pair of guide elements (44 and 46; 132 and 134) guide relative movement between the first and second mounting members (40 and 42; 120 and 122). Biasing means (44 and 46; 132 and 134) are provided for urging a spaced apart relationship between the first and second mounting members (40 and 42; 120 and 122). A variable reluctance sensor (90; 150) is operatively positioned between the first and second mounting members (40 and 42; 120 and 122) and has a variable reluctance condition responsive to the relative spacing between the first and second mounting members (40 and 42; 120 and 122) and indicative of the applied load in the seat.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Carl Andrew Munch