Abstract: Pressure sensors on the bottom surface of a seat cushion respond to occupant weight. A microprocessor evaluates the sensor outputs according to total force, load rating, long term average, sensor groups and a fuzzy measure to discriminate between large and small occupants and allow air bag deployment for large but not small occupants. Allow and inhibit decisions are filtered avoid sudden response to transient pressure changes on the seat. When a large occupant is positively detected, an allow decision is locked in place as long as total force exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method of operation for a motor vehicle object detection system is described, in which the extent angle of an identified target is accurately determined by applying a point source scatterer identification technique to data at the periphery of a composite return. Return amplitude data from one or more complete scans of the sensor beam are collected and compared with a target threshold to identify objects in the viewing angle, thereby forming an array of amplitude data associated with successive beam positions for each identified object. In each array, the left-most and right-most pair of amplitude data points associated with successive beam positions are selected and individually used to compute the angle of a point source scatterer which would be responsible for that data pair.

Abstract: An airbag with two or more inflators can be inflated in successive stages separated by a time interval, inflated simultaneously or some not inflated at all, depending on crash severity. The first stage inflation is controlled in accordance with a conventional algorithm for single stage deployment. Deployment time and velocity parameters used for the first stage are employed to determine the crash severity and the time interval of the next stage. There is no time delay in the case of a very severe crash, but for a moderately severe crash the time interval is proportional to the difference of the time or velocity and a selected minimum time or velocity value.

Abstract: A vehicle window antenna comprises a grid of conductive frit material affixed to the inner side of a window glass in a confined area above a window heating element comprising a grid of similar material similarly affixed and covering most of the window viewing area. The window glass is retained in a channel surrounding an aperture edge of the vehicle body by a mounting and sealing member comprising a strip of a urethane material which is electrically conductive with a low impedance at radio frequencies. At least one electrically conducting ground element, made of the same frit material, is affixed to the inner side of the window glass and electrically coupled at radio frequencies through the mounting and sealing member to the vehicle body.