Trw Limited

Timothy Chester Wright

Chek-Peng Foo

Paul Leo Sumner

Kevin Daniel Weiss

Meng-Fu Tsai

Suthep Thanapathomsinchai

Huahn-Fern Yeh

Huahn Fern Yeh

Anne Marie Shields

Chek-Peng (Anson) Foo

Scott Andrew Martin

Shiyi Jia

Gustavo Andres Delfino

The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system ( ). A crash sensor ( ) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal ( ) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined ( ) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage ( ) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold ( ). A crush zone accelerometer ( ) senses crash acceleration at a crush zone location. The crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared ( ) against a crush zone threshold ( ). The value of the low threshold ( ) is switched to a different value ( ) when the crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold.

Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraining device using switched thresholds based on crush zone sensors

The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system ( ). A crash sensor ( ) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal ( ) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined ( ) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage ( ) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold ( ). A transverse accelerometer ( ) senses transverse crash acceleration. The transverse acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared ( ) against a transverse threshold ( ). The value of the low threshold ( ) is switched to a different value ( ) when the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse threshold.

Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraining device using switched thresholds based on transverse acceleration

An apparatus for switching the value of a spring constant K used in a spring mass model ( ) for modeling a vehicle occupant in an occupant restraint system ( ) includes a sensor ( ) for sensing a crash event and providing a crash signal ( ) indicative thereof. The spring mass model adjusts the acceleration signal and determines a virtual velocity value ( ) and a virtual displacement value ( ). The spring value K of the spring mass model is controlled in response to the determined virtual velocity value and the determined virtual displacement value relative to associated switching quadrants defined by predetermined velocity and displacement thresholds.

Enhanced occupant spring mass model for use with an actuatable restraint system including compensating for monotonicity of misuse conditions

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

An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device for a vehicle, the restraining device having a plurality of actuatable stages (24, 26), the apparatus including a crash sensor (14, 16) for sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (22) includes an integrator (72, 172) for determining a velocity value from the crash acceleration signal and for providing a velocity signal (74, 174). The controller (22) is coupled to the actuatable device for (i) effecting actuation of a first of the actuatable stages (24) when the determined velocity value exceeds a first threshold value, and (ii) upon the determined velocity value exceeding a second threshold value, determining a crash severity index (112, 212) having a value related to a time interval from when the determined velocity value (74, 174) exceeds the first threshold value (88, 188) to when the determined velocity value exceeds the second threshold value (96, 196). The controller effects actuation of a second of the actuatable stages (26) in response to the crash severity index value (112, 212).

Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint device

A vehicle crash sensing arrangement includes an accelerometer (12). A crash velocity value (26) is determined in response to sensed crash acceleration. A crash displacement value (32) is determined from the sensed crash acceleration. A velocity varying displacement threshold value (36) determined. The crash displacement value (32) is compared (38) against the variable displacement threshold value (36). The comparator (38) provides a signal indicative of a vehicle crash condition when the crash displacement value is greater than the displacement threshold value.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Timothy Chester Wright