Automotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.

Leonard W Behr

Craig W White

Kevin E Musser

Donald A Duda

Steven J Anderson

Robert B Colten

Tony Gioutsos

Edward J Gillis

James Paul Ebling

Shan Cong

A plurality of events representative of a situation in which the host vehicle is operated are selected, including at least one set of related events. Input data is provided to an inference engine from either a first set of data representative of a target in a field of view of the host vehicle, a second set of data representative of the position or motion of the host vehicle, or a third set of data is representative of an environment of said host vehicle. The inference engine operates in accordance with an inference method to generate an output representative of a probability of occurrence of at least one event of the set of events, responsive to the input data, and possibly to one or more outputs at a past time. A countermeasure may be invoked responsive to one or more outputs from one or more inference engines.

Situation awareness processor

A method and system (10) for controlling the tensioning of a vehicle seat belt utilizes a control processor (20) and a motor (12) to provide initial tensioning of the seat belt. After initial tensioning, the control processor (20) removes substantially all tension on the seat belt while continuously monitoring seat belt pay out via an encoder (18). The system provides out-of-position warnings, and is responsive to vehicle acceleration information from a crash discrimination system (22) and/or an object detecting radar system (26) to control tensioning of the seat belt. The system further provides for earlier seat belt tensioning activation by utilizing a pyrotechnic pretensioner (32) having a replaceable pyrotechnic cartridge (38).

Electronic seat belt tensioning system

An accelerometer (10) having a sensing mass (36) which is displaced in response to acceleration so as to alter the amount of light coupled between a pair of optical fibers (42, 44). An optical coupling is responsive to displacement of the sensing mass indicative of a vehicle crash situation. In operation, the sensing mass (36) interrupts the transmission of light through the output optical fiber (44) as the amount of sensing mass displacement reaches proximate a second position. The accelerometer further provides magnetic damping and testing/recalibration capabilities, and the ability to couple a plurality of accelerometers together in either a daisy chain configuration, or a star configuration.

Accelerometer with optical switch

An inflation system (10) for a gas-operated vehicle occupant safety restraint, such as an air bag (12), comprises an accelerometer (14) and an infrared transceiver (20) for receiving vehicle acceleration information (a) and occupant position information (x), respectively, for use by a processor (22) in selecting which of a plurality of gas generators (28) will be individually initiated, at selected actual times to fire, in a selected order, to provide optimal protection to the occupant in the event of a vehicle crash or marked vehicle deceleration.

Variable inflation system for vehicle safety restraint

A pretensioner for a seat belt utilizes a relatively inexpensive gas-producing cartridge that is easily replaced after activation so as to condition the pretensioner for subsequent use. The cartridge is similar to a shotgun shell and is chambered in a breech block. The cartridge contains a gas-producing pyrotechnic and a piston. Upon ignition, gas produced by the pyrotechnic effects advancement of the piston which, through an associated mechanism, takes up slack in the seat belt.

Seat belt pretensioner

An acceleration sensor comprises a tube formed of an electrically-conductive, nonmagnetic material; an annular magnetically-permeable element, such as a iron washer, encircling a longitudinal portion of the tube; a magnetic sensing mass in the tube which magnetically interacts with the washer so as to be magnetically biased towards a first or 'rest' position in the tube characterized in that a longitudinal portion of the sensing mass is situated within the portion of the tube encircled by the washer, the sensing mass being displaced from its rest position in the tube towards a second position therein in response to an accelerating force exceeding the magnetic bias thereon; and a switch operated by the sensing mass when the sensing mass is displaced to its second position in the tube. The instant accelerometer features a low threshold magnetic bias of the sensing mass of perhaps a fraction of 1 g to provide a quickened sensing mass response to acceleration inputs of short duration; whereafter the magnetic bias increases so as to peak when the sensing mass is displaced to a position within the passage intermediate its first and second positions therein, and thereafter decreases to a value equal to or slightly greater than 0.8 gs to maximize switch contact dwell time.

Quick-response accelerometer with increased contact dwell time

An acceleration sensor having a sensing mass supported relative to a frame by a plurality of beams having a plurality of resistors integral therewith. The resistance of the beam resistors varies as the sensing mass is displaced relative to the frame in response to acceleration of the frame in a direction generally normal to the plane of beam extension. The displacement of the sensing mass due to such acceleration produces a corresponding change in the output of a Wheatstone bridge incorporating the beam resistors in the legs thereof. At least one leg of the bridge additionally has a resistor of variable resistance in series with the beam resistor thereof, the resistance of which is controlled by a microprocessor, whereby the bridge output is adjusted to compensate for temperature effects and manufacturing tolerances. The output of the electrical control circuit for the sensor is periodically calibrated by electrostatically deflecting the sensing mass relative to the frame, whereby the sensing mass is subjected to the equivalent of a known accelerating field, and using the resultant change in bridge output as a reference value for calibrating the instantaneous changes in bridge output resulting from the acceleration of the sensor frame.

Method for calibrating an accelerometer

An acceleration sensor having a sensing mass supported relative to a frame by a plurality of beams having a plurality of resistors integral therewith. The resistance of the beam resistors varies as the sensing mass is displaced relative to the frame in response to acceleration of the frame in a direction generally normal to the plane of beam extension. The displacement of the sensing mass due to such acceleration produces a corresponding change in the output of a Wheatstone bridge incorporating the beam resistors in the legs thereof. At least one leg of the bridge additionally has a resistor of variable resistance in series with the beam resistor thereof, the resistance of which is controlled by a microprocessor, whereby the range of bridge outputs is adjusted to initially compensate for manufacturing tolerances and thereafter compensate for temperature effects and component aging. The resistance is varied by way of the microprocessor switching fixed resistors in paarallel connection with the leg of the bridge.

Self-compensating accelerometer

An acceleration sensor comprises a tube formed of an electrically-conductive, nonmagnetic material; an annular magnetically-permeable element, such as an iron washer, encircling a longitudinal portion of the tube; a magnetic sensing mass in the tube which magnetically interacts with the washer so as to be magnetically biased towards a first or 'rest' position in the tube characterized in that a longitudinal portion of the sensing mass is situated within the portion of the tube encircled by the washer, the sensing mass being displaced from its rest position in the tube towards a second position therein in response to an accelerating force exceeding the magnetic bias thereon; and a switch operated by the sensing mass when the sensing mass is displaced to its second position in the tube. The instant accelerometer features a low threshold magnetic bias of the sensing mass to provide a quickened sensing mass response to acceleration inputs of short duration; and a magnetic bias which increases in a substantially linear manner with increasing sensing mass displacement from its rest position towards its second position within the tube.

Quick-response accelerometer

A mounting system for a vehicle deceleration sensor comprises a mounting bracket complementary to the housing of the deceleration sensor so as to accept the sensor in a slidable lost motion relationship.

Mounting system for a deceleration sensor

An air bag firing circuit comprises a firing path which includes redundant acceleration sensors, i.e., two sensors of like threshold connected in parallel. Each sensor comprises normally-open switch means operated by an inertial mass and shunted by a resistor. A battery maintains a known voltage across the firing path while a microprocessor checks the integrity of the firing path by periodically reading and comparing the voltages achieved at various points thereabout. The microprocessor further tests each sensor individually by electromagnetically biasing the sensor's inertial mass in a manner so as to close the switch means thereof while determining the effect of such testing on the voltages achieved about the firing path. Upon the detection of a sensor failure, the microprocessor electromagnetically biases the sensor's inertial mass in a manner so as to maintain the switch means thereof in its open position, whereby the malfunctioning sensor is functionally removed from the firing path without impairing the function of the other sensor connected in parallel therewith.

Air bag firing circuit

A circuit for a actuating a vehicle passenger safety restraint such as an air bag includes pyroelectric sensors, pressure transducers, and ultrasonic acoustic sensors for sensing the presence, weight, and relative position of the passenger within a vehicle, respectively, which information is supplied to a control module controlling operation of the restraint. The control module, which includes processor means, calculates the likely effectiveness of the restraint in preventing or otherwise mitigating injury to the vehicle passenger in the event of subsequent operation of the restraint. A signal lamp is illuminated by the control module in the event that the passenger assumes a position which reduces the calculated likely effectiveness of the restraint below a threshold level therefor, thereby warning the passenger of the heightened risk of injury. Preferably, the control module uses the information generated by the sensors to supplement or otherwise corroborate other information received from inertia-type 'crash' sensors or frangible 'crush' sensors, thereby ensuring operation of the restraint only in those instances where the passenger is indeed placed as risk. Most preferably, the restraint is capable of providing a variable response, and the control module adjusts the response of the restraint prior to triggering the operation thereof so as to provide maximum protection to the passenger against injury.

Passenger out-of-position sensor

Self-calibrating accelerometer

An air bag firing circuit comprises a firing path including in series a safing sensor, a squib, and a crash sensor. Each sensor comprises normally-open switch means operated by an inertial mass and shunted by a resistor. A battery maintains a known voltage across the firing path while suitable control means checks the integrity of the firing path by reading and comparing the voltages achieved at various points thereabout. The control means further tests each sensor individually by sequentially operating suitable test means incorporated therein, such as means for biasing the inertial mass of each sensor towards its switch means to operate same, while determining the effect of such testing on the voltages achieved about the firing path. Upon the detection of a sensor failure, the malfunctioning sensor is removed from the firing path as by operating low-resistance shunt means therefor, or by operating means incorporated within the sensor for operating the switch means thereof without regard to acceleration, such as means for biasing its inertial mass towards its switch means to close same, thereby ensuring continued protection of the vehicle passengers until the sensor is serviced or replaced. If the malfunctioning sensor is the high-threshold crash sensor, the control means operates means on the low-threshold safing sensor to increase the threshold thereof upon removal of the crash sensor from the firing path, thereby providing continuing protection for vehicle passengers.

A knee bolster for protecting the passengers of a motor vehicle comprises one or more deformable members positioned generally forward of each vehicle passenger; ultrasonic sensors for determining the position of the knees and tibiae of each passenger within the motor vehicle relative to the deformable members; and means responsive to the sensing means for articulating and translating each deformable member relative to the vehicle interior and, hence, relative to the knees and tibiae of each passenger corresponding thereto to provide optimum protection to the passengers in the event of a subsequent collision or marked vehicle deceleration.

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Pontiac, MI, United States of America

Leonard W Behr