Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a crash accelerometer (32) for sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A side crash accelerometer (46, 48) senses transverse crash acceleration and provides a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (50) actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the first crash acceleration signal and the transverse crash acceleration signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device of a vehicle comprises a central crash accelerometer that senses crash acceleration at a vehicle location and that provides a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A side pressure sensor senses pressure in a chamber disposed at a side of the vehicle and provides a side pressure signal indicative thereof. A controller actuates the actuatable occupant restraint device in response to the first crash acceleration signal and the side pressure signal. The controller determines a first moving average of acceleration value comprising a moving average of acceleration in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle determined from the first crash acceleration signal. The controller determines a change in pressure value comprising a change in pressure in the chamber determined from the side pressure signal.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system. A central crash accelerometer senses crash acceleration at a central vehicle location provides a first crash acceleration signal. A side-satellite accelerometer senses crash acceleration substantially parallel with a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and provides a signal indicative thereof. A controller actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the central crash acceleration signal and the side-satellite signal.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and near opposite sides of the vehicle and providing second acceleration signals indicative thereof. The method further comprises the steps of determining a transverse crash value functionally related to the second acceleration signals and comparing the determined transverse crash value against a safing threshold. The method still further comprises the step of determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method further comprises the steps of determining a crash metric value functionally related to the sensed crash acceleration based on the second acceleration signal and comparing the determined crash metric value as a function of the sensed first crash acceleration signal against an associated threshold. The method still further comprises the step of determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle at a substantially central vehicle location and providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and providing a second acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method further comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in the first direction at two locations remote from the central vehicle location and near opposite sides of the vehicle and providing acceleration signals indicative thereof. The method still further comprises determining a transverse crash evaluation value functionally related to the second acceleration signal and determining remote crash evaluation values functionally related to the acceleration signals at the remote locations.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a discrimination crash sensor (32, 34, 36) for sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing a discrimination crash signal indicative thereof. A first crush zone sensor (40) is located at a first vehicle crush zone location and provides a first crush zone signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed by the first crush zone sensor. A second crush zone sensor (42) is located at a second vehicle crush zone location for providing a second crush zone signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed by the second crush zone sensor. A crush zone safing determining function (218) of the controller (50) monitors the first crush zone sensor and the second crush zone sensor and provides a crush zone safing signal in response to one of the first and the second crush zone sensors signals exceeding a first threshold and the other of the first and the second crush zone sensors signals being faulty.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an occupant protection system and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for detecting a vehicle rollover event using and enhanced sensor input architecture that uses both a roll over sensor and an electron stability control system.

Abstract: A method is provided including the steps of monitoring a lane departure event, monitoring a rollover event, and controlling actuation of an occupant restraining device in response to the monitored lane departure event and the monitored rollover even.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18) of a vehicle includes a crash sensor (32) sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle. A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) is provides a crush zone crash acceleration signal. A controller (50) a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal. A plurality a predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold maps (152-172) is provided, two of the plurality of threshold maps (170, 172) relating to a second stage (92, 96) of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system. The selects one of the two threshold maps relating to the second stage of in response to the crush zone acceleration signal and controls second stage actuation in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the selected one of the two threshold maps (170, 172).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a crash accelerometer (32) for sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A side crash accelerometer (46, 48) senses transverse crash acceleration and provides a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (50) actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the first crash acceleration signal and the transverse crash acceleration signal.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a central crash accelerometer sensing crash acceleration at a central vehicle location and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A crush zone crash accelerometer senses transverse crash acceleration at a forward location of the vehicle. A controller actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the central crash acceleration signal and the transverse crash acceleration signal from the crush zone sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system. A central crash accelerometer senses crash acceleration at a central vehicle location provides a first crash acceleration signal. A side-satellite accelerometer senses crash acceleration substantially parallel with a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and provides a signal indicative thereof. A controller actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the central crash acceleration signal and the side-satellite signal.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18) of a vehicle includes a crash sensor (32) sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle. A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) is provides a crush zone crash acceleration signal. A controller (50) a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal. A plurality a predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold maps (152-172) is provided, two of the plurality of threshold maps (170, 172) relating to a second stage (92, 96) of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system. The selects one of the two threshold maps relating to the second stage of in response to the crush zone acceleration signal and controls second stage actuation in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the selected one of the two threshold maps (170, 172).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a discrimination crash sensor (32, 34, 36) for sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing a discrimination crash signal indicative thereof. A first crush zone sensor (40) is located at a first vehicle crush zone location and provides a first crush zone signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed by the first crush zone sensor. A second crush zone sensor (42) is located at a second vehicle crush zone location for providing a second crush zone signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed by the second crush zone sensor. A crush zone safing determining function (218) of the controller (50) monitors the first crush zone sensor and the second crush zone sensor and provides a crush zone safing signal in response to one of the first and the second crush zone sensors signals exceeding a first threshold and the other of the first and the second crush zone sensors signals being faulty.

Abstract: An occupant sensing system (12) and an associated method provide for the sensing of an occupant (14). An illuminating element (46) of the system (12)selectively illuminates the interior of a vehicle (8). An image sensor (50) acquires a first image of the interior of the vehicle (8) when the interior of the vehicle is illuminated by ambient sources only and acquires a second image of the interior of the vehicle when the interior of the vehicle is illuminated by ambient sources and the illuminating element (46). A controller (34) removes the effect of ambient sources by comparing the first and second images to produce a third image of the interior of the vehicle (8) as illuminated by the illuminating element (46) only. The controller (34) determines the presence of an occupant (14) by comparing the third image to a produced map of the interior of the vehicle (8).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18). A crash sensor (32, 36) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal (110, 160) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined (118, 168) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage (90, 94) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold (130, 132, 180, 182). A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) senses crash acceleration at a crush zone location. The crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 256) against a crush zone threshold (220, 222, 250, 252). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold.

Abstract: A vehicle rollover event detector (10) includes a rollover sensor (14). A first accelerometer (80) senses vehicle acceleration in a direction offset from the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle (12) up to a maximum acceleration sensing level and provides a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. A second accelerometer (96) senses vehicle acceleration in the offset direction at acceleration levels in excess of the maximum acceleration sensing level of the first accelerometer and provides a second acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (26) selects the first accelerometer or second accelerometer and provides an actuation signal (110) when the signal from the rollover sensor and the selected first or second accelerometers both indicate a vehicle rollover event.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device having a plurality of actuatable stages (24, 26), the apparatus including a crash sensor (14, 16) for sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (22) determines a velocity value (74) and a displacement value (80) from the crash acceleration signal. A safing function controls enabling and disabling of a deployment control circuit in response to the determined velocity (74) and displacement (80) values. A displacement based velocity threshold (133) and a displacement threshold value (125) define an immunity box. The velocity threshold value (133) varies as a step function of displacement. If the velocity/displacement values are within the immunity box, the safing function is in a disabling condition. If either value is outside of the immunity box, the safing function is in an enabling condition.

Abstract: A rollover sensing system (10) includes a roll rate sensor (14) operative to sense a roll rate of rotation of a vehicle (12) and to provide a roll rate signal having an electrical characteristic indicative thereof. A controller (26) is connected to the roll rate sensor (14) and is operative to determine a roll angle of the vehicle (12) based on the roll rate signal. The controller (26) includes a threshold having a value functionally related to roll angle. The controller (26) determines the occurrence of a vehicle rollover condition in response to the sensed roll rate crossing the threshold.