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. 22, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 25, 1998
David A. Saar, Titusville, NJ (US);
Raymond W. Simpson, Hamilton Square, NJ (US);
Timothy DeZorzi, South Lyon, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus (,) is preferably part of an occupant protection system (,), and the apparatus determines a characteristic of an object (,) that may be located on a seat (,) of a vehicle (,) for use in control of the system. The object (,) may be a vehicle occupant, and the preferred characteristic that is determined is distance between the object and an instrument panel (,) of the vehicle (,). An emitter array (,) and a detector array (,) are located on the instrument panel (,). Each emitter (,) emits a beam (,) along a different path on which the object (,) may be located. Each detector (,) receives beams (,) emitted from the emitter array (,) that are reflected from the object (,). Each reflected beam received at the detector array (,) is indicative of distance between the instrument panel (,) and the object (,). An object sensor controller (,) determines relative intensities at each detector (,) of each reflected and received beam, and also determines time-of-flight of each reflected and received beam(s). The controller (,) processes each determined relative intensity and each determined time-of-flight to determine the object characteristic.