Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Douglas Allen Nunan

Morgan Daniel Murphy

Charles A Gray

David R Little

Duane Donald Fortune

Stuart Stites Sullivan

Charles A Cluff

Phillip E Kaltenbacher, Ii

Peter A Thayer

Pamela Ann Roe

Gary Eugene Oberlin

Sheri Lynn Patterson

Christopher Michael Caruso

Richard J Ravas, Jr

Robert V Krakora

Greston T McCoy, Jr

Chiutsun Albert Lee

A vehicle lane departure warning system and method are provided. The system includes a position sensor for sensing position of a vehicle and memory storing learned vehicle path data. The system further includes a controller for processing the position data and determining a stored learned vehicle path that the vehicle is travelling on. The controller comprises logic for comparing the sensed position data to the stored learned vehicle path and determining if the vehicle is sufficiently departing from the stored learn vehicle path. The system further includes an output for providing a warning signal indicative of the vehicle departing from the stored learned vehicle path. The stored learned vehicle path is updated as the vehicle repeatedly travels on the path.

Vehicle lane departure warning system and method

An improved vehicle crash sensing apparatus quickly and reliably characterizes frontal impacts with only minimal data processing requirements. Two or more longitudinally separated piezoelectric strips strategically located in a frontal portion of the vehicle produce impact signals that are analyzed to characterize the type of impact and the structural crush rate. In a simple implementation involving only two piezoelectric strips, a first strip extends laterally along a forward portion of the front bumper, and a second strip extends laterally along a forward portion of the hood panel, above and rearward of the first strip. In cases where an impact signal is developed by only one of the two strips, a high (under-ride) or low (over-ride) impact is indicated. If impact signals are developed by both strips, the intervening time is measured as an indication of the structural crush rate. In a more complex implementation, the bumper and hood strips are divided into two or more individual strip segments so the center and distribution of impact and the impact vector may be quickly and reliably characterized as well.

Frontal impact characterization apparatus for a motor vehicle restraint system

An improved weight-based occupant characterization method that can inexpensively and reliably distinguish between a child or small adult and a tightly cinched child seat. When the sensed weight is in a specified range that could be produced by a tightly cinched child seat, the system characterizes the occupant based on a detected variation in sensed weight during movement of the vehicle. If the variance of the sensed weight is below a threshold for a predetermined interval, the occupant is characterized as a child seat, since a tightly cinched seat belt severely restricts variance. If the variance exceeds the threshold for a predetermined interval, the occupant is characterized as a child or small adult. A correlative factor that can be used in distinguishing between a child seat and a child or small adult is determined by computing a slope reversal rate, or frequency, of the measured weight. In this case, a child seat is indicated by the combination of low variance and a high frequency, whereas a child or small adult is indicated by the combination of high variance and a low frequency. Additionally, movement of the vehicle can be detected when the variance of the sensed weight is within a predetermined range for at least a predetermined interval.

Vehicle occupant characterization method based on sensed occupant weight

A side impact sensor processes side acceleration signals and upon a crash event develops a deploy signal which comprises accurately timed pulses of preset duration including a single pulse wake up message and a multiple pulse deploy message. A single wire interface couples the deploy signal to a microprocessor in a central controller which manages deployment of side and frontal air bags and runs frontal impact algorithm. The pulse edges cause interrupts used to measure the pulse widths which are compared to stored values to verify the messages. A wake up pulse causes the microprocessor to give priority to an algorithm for processing the deploy message over the frontal algorithm and still service the frontal algorithm without degradation. Signal drivers in the side impact sensor impose sharp pulse edges for the deploy signal and sloping edges for other signals monitoring the state of health of the side sensor to reduce radiated emissions.

Interface between impact sensor and controller for a supplemental

A system and a method are provided wherein an air bag deployment command is issued if a crash event exceeds both an energy boundary curve and an oscillation boundary curve, and, furthermore, following detection of an onset of the crash event, filtered acceleration data exceeds an acceleration threshold. The threshold is preferably two-tiered to help discriminate between deployment and non-deployment events.

Inflatable restraint system and method of controlling deployment thereof

The firing circuit for an inflatable restraint for a vehicle includes a storage capacitor which is charged from a 36 volt regulated power supply. The power supply is energized from the vehicle battery through the ignition switch. Both the battery and the capacitor are connected with the squib through impact sensor switches. A computer monitors the voltage at the squib to determine if an energy source is connected with the squib. The energization of the regulated power supply is delayed for a predetermined time interval following ignition switch activation to insure that the voltage initially monitored by the computer is applied to the monitoring junction from the battery and not from the capacitor.

Inflatable restraint firing circuit diagnostics

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Kokomo, IN, United States of America

Douglas Allen Nunan