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:
Sep. 26, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 11, 1998
Roger Frederick Wells, Yorba Linda, CA (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An occupant protection and signal apparatus (10) that is for a vehicle (12) has an air bag module (18). The air bag module (18) includes an inflatable air bag (20) and an inflation fluid source (24) actuatable for protecting a vehicle occupant (14). The air bag module (18) includes an initiator (30) for initiating actuation of the fluid source (24) in response to receipt of an electrical initiation signal (32). Circuitry (40-46) determines a vehicle crash event and, in response thereto, provides the electrical initiation signal (32) to the initiator (30). A sensor (56) detects the electrical initiation signal (32), and a radio beacon controller (50) and antenna (52) broadcast a signal (54) in response to the detection.