The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 01, 1998
Chek-Peng Foo, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Huahn Fern Yeh, Novi, MI (US);
Paul Leo Sumner, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Timothy Chester Wright, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Shiyi Jia, Herndon, VA (US);
Scott Andrew Martin, Pontiac, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
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).