Patents by Inventor John E. Bessonen

John E. Bessonen 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).

  • Method and apparatus for sensing an occupant position using capacitance sensing
    Patent number: 5722686
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint system (20) in response to a sensed position of an occupant (36) in an occupant compartment of a vehicle includes a variable capacitor (60) mounted relative to a known reference location (30) within the vehicle. The variable capacitor (60) is adapted so that its capacitance value is functionally related to the occupant's position relative to the reference location (30). A controller (50) is coupled to a capacitance sensing circuit (80) for controlling the actuatable restraint (22) in response to the sensed occupant position relative to the reference location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian K. Blackburn, Scott B. Gentry, Joseph F. Mazur, Charles E. Steffens, Jr., John E. Bessonen, William M. Jarocha