Trw Limited

Chek-Peng (Anson) Foo

Kevin Daniel Weiss

Huahn-Fern (Jeff) Yeh

Paul Leo Sumner

Timothy Chester Wright

Anne Marie Shields

Christopher John Hibner

Wei-Te Chiang

An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint (,) in a vehicle (,) includes an accelerometer (,) for providing a crash acceleration signal. A velocity determiner (,) determines a crash velocity value from the crash acceleration signal. A first comparator (,) compares the determined crash velocity value against a velocity threshold value (,). A displacement determiner (,) determines a crash displacement value from the crash acceleration signal. A second comparator (,) compares the determined crash displacement value against a displacement threshold value (,). A deployment determiner (,) is coupled to and responsive to the accelerometer (,) for determining if a deployment crash event is occurring and for providing a deployment control signal when it determines that a deployment crash event is occurring. The deployment control signal is further processed (,) so that the deployment control signal is prevented from actuating the actuatable restraint (,) when the determined velocity value is greater than said velocity threshold value and the determined displacement value is greater than the displacement threshold value.

Method and apparatus for disabling an actuatable restraint based on determined crash velocity and displacement

An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device for a vehicle (,) having first and second actuatable stages (,). The apparatus includes a crash sensor (,) mounted near the front of the vehicle (,) for providing a crash acceleration signal (,). An average crash acceleration determiner (,) determines an average crash acceleration value, and provides a signal indicative thereof. A controller (,) is operatively coupled to the actuatable stages (,). The controller effects actuation of the first actuatable stage when the determined average acceleration value exceeds a first threshold value (,). The controller (,) determines a crash severity index having a value according to a time interval from when the determined average crash acceleration value exceeds the first threshold value (,) to when it exceeds a second threshold value (,). The controller effects actuation of the second actuatable stage in response to the crash severity index value (,).

Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint device using crash severity indexing and crush zone sensor

An apparatus for controlling side actuatable restraint (14, 16) includes a side acceleration sensor (22, 34) mounted to a vehicle at a side location and having an axis of sensitivity (24, 36) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The side sensor provides a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed indicating a deployment crash event. A first central safing acceleration sensor (52) is mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (58) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The first safing sensor provides a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash acceleration is sensed in the transverse direction. A second central safing acceleration sensor (50) is mounted at the substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (56) oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle (11). The second safing sensor provides a second safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction. An actuatable restraint is actuated when the side crash sensor (22, 34) provides the discriminating crash signal indicating a deployment crash event and when either said first (52) or said second (50) crash sensor provides a safing crash signal indicating a deployment crash event.

Method and apparatus for sensing side impact crash conditions with an

A sensor (22) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A processor (54) sums the crash acceleration signal with an occupant spring-mass model (56, 60) so as to provide an adjusted or 'virtual' crash acceleration signal (64) more nearly representative of the actual acceleration of the vehicle occupant during a crash event. A discriminating circuit (70, 76, 80, 82, 90, 92, 84, 100, 104, 108, and 96) controls the actuatable restraining device (28) in response to the adjusted crash acceleration signal (64).

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Chek-Peng (Anson) Foo