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:
Oct. 01, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 04, 2000
Edward J. Gillis, South Lyon, MI (US);
Stephen R. W. Cooper, Fowlerville, MI (US);
Raymond J. David, Dearborn Heights, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus ( ) determines a target (e.g., a vehicle occupant ) beyond a predetermined distance. In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus ( ) determines a distant target for use in control of air bag deployment. The apparatus ( ) includes a sensor ( ) for emitting and receiving first ( ) and second ( ) signals in an interspersed predetermined emission sequence toward the target. A controller ( ) successively determines a time interval between the emission of a current signal and the reception of an echo. The controller ( ) successively compares at least two time intervals to determine whether a sufficient difference exists to indicate that the target is beyond the predetermined distance and outputs a signal to the air bag actuation system ( ). The controller ( ) also performs a distance calculation to the target using at least one of the time-of-flight periods of the first and second signals, where the first time-of-flight period occurs between emission and echo reception of the first signal and where the second time-of-flight period occurs between emission and echo reception of the second signal, and outputs a signal to the air bag actuation system ( ).