Trw Limited

Wei-Te Chiang

Kevin Daniel Weiss

Anne Marie Shields

Chek-Peng (Anson) Foo

Huahn-Fern (Jeff) Yeh

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 (,).

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Wei-Te Chiang