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:
May. 30, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 18, 1997
Craig W White, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Michael P Bruce, Brighton, MI (US);
Jeffrey S Bennett, Redford, MI (US);
Debra A Rice, Redford, MI (US);
Automotive Systems Laboratory, Inc., Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicular crash discrimination system (10) incorporates first (12) and second (14) crash sensors operatively coupled to a logic AND gate (16), which activates a safety restraint system (2). The first crash sensor (12) is mounted in a location which for a preferred sensing characteristic causes susceptibility to activation by crashes which are so directed that the safety restraint system (2) should not otherwise be activated. The second crash sensor (14), having a lower detection threshold than the first crash sensor (12), is mounted at a distinct location and is responsive to crashes for which the safety restraint system (2) is preferably activated, but is not responsive to those crashes which cause false activation of the first crash sensor (12). The instant invention thus provides for a preferred sensing characteristic determined by a first crash sensor mounted in an inferior location without being subject to false activation of the safety restraint system (2). In another aspect, the first crash sensor (2) incorporates a plurality of crash sensing characteristics and the selection of the active sensing characteristic is dependent upon the operative state of the second crash sensor (14).