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:
Nov. 04, 2008
Filed:
Feb. 11, 2005
Carl A. Munch, Troy, MI (US);
Michael C. Mccarthy, Birmingham, MI (US);
Carl A. Munch, Troy, MI (US);
Michael C. McCarthy, Birmingham, MI (US);
TRW Automotive U.S. LLC, Livonia, MI (US);
Abstract
A sensor assembly () for sensing an impact to a vehicle () includes a light source () for emitting light and a sensing channel () for receiving the emitted light. The sensing channel () is configured to deform in response to an impact to the vehicle () and includes at least one void () with dimensions that vary in response to deformation of the sensing channel (). A detector () senses an intensity of the light propagating through the sensing channel () and provides a signal indicative of the sensed intensity. The sensed intensity varies as a function of the dimensions of the at least one void (). The sensor assembly () also includes a controller () for analyzing the signal from the detector () to determine whether the sensing channel () has been deformed and thereby, whether an impact to the vehicle () has occurred.