Patents by Inventor Chek-Peng Foo
Chek-Peng Foo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6529810Abstract: 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 transverse accelerometer (34) senses transverse crash acceleration. The transverse acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 278) against a transverse threshold (268). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2001Date of Patent: March 4, 2003Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Paul Leo Sumner, Timothy Chester Wright, Meng-Fu Tsai, Suthep Thanapathomsinchai
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Patent number: 6520536Abstract: An apparatus (22) for controlling an actuatable side restraining device (24, 26) of a vehicle (20) includes crash sensors (28, 50, 52) sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing associated crash sensor signals (60, 62, 42) indicative thereof. An actuator controller (70) enables actuation of the actuatable side restraining device (24, 26) in response to enhanced discrimination and safing determinations.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2001Date of Patent: February 18, 2003Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Scott Andrew William Martin, Baozhu Paula Li, Shun-Hsin Chang
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Publication number: 20020181743Abstract: 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).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2001Publication date: December 5, 2002Applicant: TRW Inc.Inventors: Farid Khairallah, Stephen R.W. Cooper, Nicholas M. Zayan, Jon K. Wallace, Chek-Peng Foo
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Publication number: 20020163170Abstract: An apparatus (22) for controlling an actuatable side restraining device (24, 26) of a vehicle (20) includes crash sensors (28, 50, 52) sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing associated crash sensor signals (60, 62, 42) indicative thereof. An actuator controller (70) enables actuation of the actuatable side restraining device (24, 26) in response to enhanced discrimination and safing determinations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2001Publication date: November 7, 2002Applicant: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Scott Andrew William Martin, Baozhu Paula Li, Shun-Hsin Chang
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Publication number: 20020145273Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2001Publication date: October 10, 2002Applicant: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Paul Leo Sumner, Timothy Chester Wright, Meng-Fu Tsai, Suthep Thanapathomsinchai
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Publication number: 20020147533Abstract: 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 transverse accelerometer (34) senses transverse crash acceleration. The transverse acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 278) against a transverse threshold (268). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2001Publication date: October 10, 2002Applicant: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Paul Leo Sumner, Timothy Chester Wright, Meng-Fu Tsai, Suthep Thanapathomsinchai
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Patent number: 6459366Abstract: A system (10) for controlling an actuatable occupant protection device (44, 46, 52, 48, 50, 54) includes an actuatable headrest device (44, 48) which, when actuated, helps protect an occupant of a vehicle seat (42, 43). A crash sensor (22) is operative to sense a condition of a vehicle (20) and provide a crash sensor signal having an electrical characteristic indicative of the sensed vehicle condition. A controller (24) is coupled to the actuatable headrest device (44, 48) and the crash sensor (22). The controller (24) determines a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value based on the crash sensor signal. The controller (24) has a threshold value functionally related to the determined crash displacement value. The controller (24) controls actuation of the actuatable headrest device (44, 48) in response to the determined crash velocity value relative to the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2000Date of Patent: October 1, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn Fern Yeh
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Patent number: 6439007Abstract: An apparatus for switching the value of a spring constant K used in a spring mass model (54, 56, 60, 70, 76) for modeling a vehicle occupant in an occupant restraint system (20) includes a sensor (22) for sensing a crash event and providing a crash signal (40) indicative thereof. The spring mass model adjusts the acceleration signal and determines a virtual velocity value (72) and a virtual displacement value (78). The spring value K of the spring mass model is controlled in response to the determined virtual velocity value and the determined virtual displacement value relative to associated switching quadrants defined by predetermined velocity and displacement thresholds.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2000Date of Patent: August 27, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Paul Leo Sumner, Timothy Chester Wright, Kevin Daniel Weiss, Gustavo Andres Delfino
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Patent number: 6433681Abstract: A vehicle rollover event detector (10) includes an accelerometer (80) that senses vehicle acceleration in a direction offset from a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle (12) and provides an acceleration signal (101) indicative thereof. A rollover sensor (14) senses vehicle roll and provides a roll signal (32) indicative of vehicle roll about the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle. A controller (26) compares the roll signal (32) against a first rollover threshold (42) when the acceleration signal (101) is less than an acceleration threshold (113) and compares the roll signal (32) against a second rollover threshold (116) when the acceleration signal (101) is equal to or greater than the acceleration threshold (113) and for indicating a vehicle rollover condition when the roll signal is greater than the threshold (42, 116) it is compared against.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2001Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Shun-Hsin Chang
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Patent number: 6431593Abstract: A vehicle crash determination arrangement (20) includes a plurality of weight sensors (52,54). The sensors (52,54) are disposed beneath a vehicle seat (16), and each sensor senses a weight value from the seat and an occupant (14) located on the seat. A center of gravity determination portion (62) of a controller (34) determines center of gravity of the seat (16) and the occupant (14) using the sensed weight values. A C.O.G. crash determination portion (64) of the controller (34) determines occurrence of a vehicle crash using change in the determined center of gravity and outputs a signal (66) indicative of the determination of crash occurrence. Preferably, the arrangement (20) is part of an occupant protection system (10) for the occupant (14). The system (10) includes an actuatable occupant protection device (24). An actuation control portion (46) of the controller (34) controls actuation of the device (24).Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2000Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Stephen R. W. Cooper, Edward J. Gillis, Ron Behar, Chek-Peng Foo
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Patent number: 6416080Abstract: A system (10) protects a vehicle occupant. The system (10) includes an occupant protection device (24). A weight sensor (72) senses a weight value associated with an occupant (14). A portion (80) of a controller (34) determines a weight-based center characteristic (e.g., a center of gravity) associated with the occupant (14) using the sensed weight value. A distance sensor (e.g., 50) senses a distance to a surface associated with the occupant (14). A portion (46) of the controller (34) controls the protection device (24) utilizing the determined center characteristic and the sensed distance. The portion (46) of the controller (46) determines whether the sensed distance is to a surface of a head/thorax/torso of the occupant (14) utilizing the determined center characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2000Date of Patent: July 9, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Edward J. Gillis, Stephen R. W. Cooper, Chek-Peng Foo
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Publication number: 20020075142Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2001Publication date: June 20, 2002Applicant: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Shun-Hsin Chang, Kevin J. Schemansky
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Publication number: 20020075140Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2000Publication date: June 20, 2002Applicant: TRW Inc.Inventors: Huahn-Fern Yeh, Chek-Peng Foo, Steven Michael Cash, Shun-Hsin Chang, Flora Maior
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Publication number: 20020075143Abstract: A vehicle rollover event detector (10) includes an accelerometer (80) that senses vehicle acceleration in a direction offset from a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle (12) and provides an acceleration signal (101) indicative thereof. A rollover sensor (14) senses vehicle roll and provides a roll signal (32) indicative of vehicle roll about the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle. A controller (26) compares the roll signal (32) against a first rollover threshold (42) when the acceleration signal (101) is less than an acceleration threshold (113) and compares the roll signal (32) against a second rollover threshold (116) when the acceleration signal (101) is equal to or greater than the acceleration threshold (113) and for indicating a vehicle rollover condition when the roll signal is greater than the threshold (42, 116) it is compared against.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2001Publication date: June 20, 2002Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn Fern Yeh, Shun-Hsin Chang
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Patent number: 6341252Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling actuation of at least one actuatable protection device (18, 20, 22, 24) includes a controller (26) having a first sensor input effective to receive a first sensor signal (64, 66, 70) having a value indicative of a first condition of an occupant of the vehicle seat (14, 16). The apparatus (10) also includes a second sensor input effective to receive a second sensor signal (82, 84, 86, 88, 94) having a value indicative of a second condition of the occupant of the vehicle seat (14, 16). The controller (26) is operative to determine a default value for the value of the first sensor signal (64, 66, 70) upon determining that the value of the first sensor signal is either outside an expected range of values or is absent. The controller (26) is operative to provide a control signal (136, 174, 176) to control actuation of at least one actuatable protection device (18, 20, 22, 24).Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1999Date of Patent: January 22, 2002Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Carl A. Munch, Steven M. Cash, Timothy DeZorzi, Farid Khairallah, Stephen R. W. Cooper, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Paul Leo Sumner
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Patent number: 6036225Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device for a vehicle, the restraining 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) includes an integrator (72, 172) for determining a velocity value from the crash acceleration signal and for providing a velocity signal (74, 174). The controller (22) is coupled to the actuatable device for (i) effecting actuation of a first of the actuatable stages (24) when the determined velocity value exceeds a first threshold value, and (ii) upon the determined velocity value exceeding a second threshold value, determining a crash severity index (112, 212) having a value related to a time interval from when the determined velocity value (74, 174) exceeds the first threshold value (88, 188) to when the determined velocity value exceeds the second threshold value (96, 196).Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 1998Date of Patent: March 14, 2000Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn Fern Yeh, Paul Leo Sumner, Timothy Chester Wright, Shiyi Jia, Scott Andrew William Martin
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Patent number: 5826902Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling actuation of a first actuatable restraint (18) and a second actuatable restraint (20) includes a first crash accelerometer (22) for providing a discriminating crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction and a safing crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a second direction. A second crash accelerometer (34) provides a safing crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in the first direction and a discriminating crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in the second direction. A third crash accelerometer (90) provides another safing crash signal when a crash event is sensed in either the first or second directions. The first actuatable restraint (18) is actuated when the first accelerometer (22) provides the discriminating crash acceleration signal and either the second or third accelerometers provide a safing crash signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1996Date of Patent: October 27, 1998Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek Peng Foo, Huahn Fern Yeh, Roger A. McCurdy
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Patent number: 5758899Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling actuation of a first actuatable restraint (18) and a second actuatable restraint (20) includes a first crash accelerometer (22) for providing a primary crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction and a safing crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a second direction. A second crash accelerometer (34) provides a safing crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in the first direction and a primary crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in the second direction. The first actuatable restraint (18) is actuated when the first accelerometer (22) provides the primary crash acceleration signal and the second accelerometer (34) provides the safing crash signal. The second actuatable restraint (20) is actuated when the first accelerometer (22) provides the safing crash signal and the second accelerometer (34) provides said primary crash signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 1995Date of Patent: June 2, 1998Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek Peng Foo, Huahn Fern Yeh
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Patent number: 5746444Abstract: An apparatus (20) for controlling actuation of front restraints (12, 14) and side restraints (16, 18). The apparatus includes sideways crash sensors (42, 44) and a frontal crash sensor (40) all mounted at a single central location. Sideways crash acceleration is derived from one sideways sensors (42) and sideways crash velocity is derived from another sideways sensor (44). The side restraints are controlled using the sideways crash acceleration and sideways crash velocity for discrimination or safing purposes. Actuation of the side restraints is disabled for a time period if a frontal crash condition is sensed.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1996Date of Patent: May 5, 1998Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, James Edward Bormann
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Patent number: 5702124Abstract: A vehicle crash sensing arrangement includes an accelerometer (12). A crash velocity value (26) is determined in response to sensed crash acceleration. A crash displacement value (32) is determined from the sensed crash acceleration. A velocity varying displacement threshold value (36) determined. The crash displacement value (32) is compared (38) against the variable displacement threshold value (36). The comparator (38) provides a signal indicative of a vehicle crash condition when the crash displacement value is greater than the displacement threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 1996Date of Patent: December 30, 1997Assignee: TRW Inc.Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Timothy Chester Wright, Anne Marie Shields