Automotive Technologies International, Inc.

Wilbur E Du Vall

David S Breed

Wendell C Johnson

Method for controlling deployment of an airbag into a passenger compartment of a vehicle including detecting a position of an occupant whose forward-facing surface will be the surface which interacts with the airbag upon its deployment, determining a desired amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag based at least in part on the detected position of the occupant, and adjusting the amount of gas within the airbag during inflation of the airbag to provide the airbag with the desired amount of gas during its inflation. Adjustment of the amount of gas within the airbag may entail varying the amount of gas being directed into the airbag based on the morphology of the occupant (inflow control) and/or controlling the outflow of gas from the airbag based on the morphology of the occupant (outflow control).

Method for airbag inflation control

Arrangement and method for determining weight of an occupying item in a seat including one or more weight sensors arranged to obtain a measurement of the force applied to the seat, a forcing function determination arrangement for measuring a forcing function of the seat and a processor coupled to the weight sensor(s) and forcing function determination arrangement for receiving the measurement of the force applied to the weight sensor(s) and the measurement of the forcing function from the forcing function measurement system and determining the weight of the occupying item based thereon. The forcing function determination arrangement may include an accelerometer and measures effects on the seat caused by load of a seatbelt associated with the seat and/or effects on the seat of road roughness, steering maneuvers, and a vehicle suspension system.

Apparatus and method for measuring weight of an occupying item of a seat

Automotive electronic safety network including devices such as a crash sensor and an airbag module and at least one electrical bus each coupling at least a portion of the devices and conveying power and/or information to or from the devices coupled to the bus. Each crash sensor generates signals relating to an impact of the vehicle and each airbag module includes a module housing, an airbag associated with the housing, an inflator assembly arranged in the housing for inflating the airbag and an electronic controller arranged in or adjacent the housing and coupled to the bus. The controller controls inflation of the airbag by the inflator assembly in consideration of the signals generated by the crash sensor(s). Each crash sensor is arranged separate and at a location apart from the housing of each airbag module. The bus can consist of a single pair of wires.

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Kimberling City, MO, United States of America

Wilbur E Du Vall