Adjustable crash discrimination system with occupant position detection
April 15, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesAutomatic passenger safety system Position analyzer for vehicle drivers Method and apparatus for activating a motor vehicle safety system Passenger out-of-position sensor Air bag system for automobile Method and apparatus for protecting motor vehicle occupants Inflatable air bag safety device for motor vehicles Integral inflatable occupant restraint system Control unit for a passenger restraint system and/or passenger protection system for vehicles Occupant sensing apparatus InventorsApplicationNo. 048366 filed on 04/15/1993US Classes:701/45, Control of vehicle safety devices (e.g., airbag, seat-belt, etc.)180/273, Utilizing weight, or lack thereof, of operator on seat or other support to determine presence or absence180/282, Responsive to sensing of acceleration, deceleration, or tilt of vehicle280/735, Electric control and/or sensor means307/10.1, Automobile340/436Of collision or contact with external objectExaminersPrimary: Teska, Kevin J.Assistant: Walker, Tyrone V. Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassesB60R 021/12B60R 021/32 AbstractA method and system for discriminating motor vehicle crashes to actuate a safety restraint (10) utilizes an optical vehicle occupant position detector (12) to generate data (22) representative of the position of an occupant relative to fixed structure within the vehicle. The data (22) is subsequently used by a signal processor/discrimination unit (26) as criteria for a parameter based crash discrimination analysis, and for adjusting parameters of the discrimination analysis, such as changing the discrimination threshold values. The occupant position data optimizes the discrimination analysis used in the system (10) due to the system's ability to customize the discrimination analysis in real time to match actual conditions of a vehicle occupant. Occupant position is determined by detecting the relative intensity, or average of scattering angles of a light beam (34) reflectively scattered by the occupant (24). An optical, low threshold safing sensor (40) can further be used to provide system calibration, discrimination of spurious occupant movement, and data representative of vehicle acceleration.Field of SearchElectric control and/or sensor meansAutomobile WITH BELT OR HARNESS FOR RESTRAINING OCCUPANT, AND MEANS WHEREBY THE BELT OR HARNESS CONTROLS, OR IS CONTROLLED BY, THE FUNCTIONING OF A VEHICLE SYSTEM OR COMPONENT Responsive to sensing of acceleration, deceleration, or tilt of vehicle Utilizing weight, or lack thereof, of operator on seat or other support to determine presence or absence Of collision or contact with external object | |
