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:
Aug. 13, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 13, 2000
Stephen R. W. Cooper, Fowlerville, MI (US);
Edward J. Gillis, South Lyon, MI (US);
Ron Behar, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Chek-Peng Foo, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
A vehicle crash determination arrangement ( ) includes a plurality of weight sensors ( ). The sensors ( ) are disposed beneath a vehicle seat ( ), and each sensor senses a weight value from the seat and an occupant ( ) located on the seat. A center of gravity determination portion ( ) of a controller ( ) determines center of gravity of the seat ( ) and the occupant ( ) using the sensed weight values. A C.O.G. crash determination portion ( ) of the controller ( ) determines occurrence of a vehicle crash using change in the determined center of gravity and outputs a signal ( ) indicative of the determination of crash occurrence. Preferably, the arrangement ( ) is part of an occupant protection system ( ) for the occupant ( ). The system ( ) includes an actuatable occupant protection device ( ). An actuation control portion ( ) of the controller ( ) controls actuation of the device ( ).