Abstract: A child seat adapted for use in a vehicle, the child seat comprising: a shell portion; a harness for securing a child to the child seat, the harness comprising adjustable harness tether(s) secured to the shell portion at one end and having a latch plate at the other, the latch plate being configured to releasably engage a buckle of the harness; a tension sensor(s) for providing a signal indicative of a tension of the adjustable harness tether(s); and an electronic control unit secured to the shell portion, the electronic control unit being operably coupled to the tension sensor(s) to receive the signal, the electronic control unit being capable of processing the signal to compare the signal to a signal indicative of a predetermined range of acceptable tension, wherein the electronic control unit provides an output indicating whether the tension of the adjustable harness tether(s) is(are) within the predetermined range.

Abstract: The child restraint system comprises a harness that extends through one of a plurality of slots in the shell for restraining a child occupant within the child restraint system, and a control unit for determining whether the harness is properly adjusted based upon the size of the child. Belt location sensors are disposed at the slots to detect the presence of a harness belt. The child restraint system also includes temperature sensors responsive to body temperature of the child. The control unit processes the signals from the belt location sensors and the proximity sensors and issues an alert signal if the belt location is not the recommended belt location based upon the size of the child.

Abstract: An air bag restraint system and control system for controlling an air bag in a vehicle and compensating for ambient temperature variations. The control system includes a temperature sensor for sensing temperature of an air bag device, and an air bag controller for controlling actuation of an air bag. The controller controls restraining force produced by the air bag as a function of the sensed temperature. Accordingly, the air bag compensates to changes in temperature so as to optimize the air bag performance.

Abstract: An improved distributed architecture system including multiple electronic modules that communicate with each other over a communication bus through concurrent modulation of bus current and bus voltage, wherein the bus voltage detected by a receiver in the remote module is compensated to ensure reliable reception of a voltage modulated bus communication despite the modulation of bus current by the remote module. A remote module is coupled to the communication bus via input resistors to provide resistive isolation from the bus in the event of a short circuit failure in the remote module, and a charge pump and current mirror circuit in the remote module produce a compensation voltage across a resistor coupling the receiver to the bus, with the compensation voltage substantially canceling the influence of bus current modulation on the received bus voltage.

Abstract: An air bag restraint system and control system for controlling an air bag in a vehicle and compensating for ambient temperature variations. The control system includes a temperature sensor for sensing temperature of an air bag device, and an air bag controller for controlling actuation of an air bag. The controller controls restraining force produced by the air bag as a function of the sensed temperature. Accordingly, the air bag compensates to changes in temperature so as to optimize the air bag performance.

Abstract: An inflatable restraint system includes a diagnostic circuit which measures the resistance of an external deployment path containing a squib. The circuit supplies a test current through the path and measures the voltage across the path which is monitored by a microprocessor. A vehicle battery supplies the power to the system and is connected to a constant current source in series with the external path to provide the test current. A current limiting device between the external circuit and ground comprises a current sink allowing a maximum safe current in the external circuit in the event of inadvertent application of battery voltage to the external circuit and, during a normal resistance test, imposes only a small voltage drop on the test current circuit.

Abstract: Air bags are deployed by firing circuits each containing a squib in series with a common control switch, and a control containing an accelerometer and a microprocessor for operating the switch to deploy the air bags. To diagnose shorts, a current source feeds a trickle current through each squib and a current limited voltage regulator across the switch passes the combined trickle currents to ground. The microprocessor senses the voltage across the switch via an A/D converter. That voltage goes low for a short to ground and high for a short to battery voltage.

Abstract: A supplemental inflatable restraint deployment system comprises an energy reserve capacitor, a first supplemental inflatable restraint deployment circuit comprising a controllable current source in series with a first squib, a second supplemental inflatable restraint circuit comprising a second controllable current source in series with a second deployment squib and a control unit for providing a first pulse of first duration to the first controllable current source to activate the first squib and for providing a second pulse of second predetermined duration to the second controllable current source to activate the second squib, wherein the first and second pulses are staggered with respect to each other.

Abstract: Large reserve capacitors store energy sufficient to operate the firing circuit and the deployment circuit for an SIR in the event of loss of battery or ignition voltage in a crash. A voltage doubling or tripling circuit charges the reserve capacitors. Normally the capacitors are isolated from the deployment circuit to minimize the load on the charging circuit. An isolation circuit detects the loss of ignition voltage and then connects a reserve capacitor to the deployment circuit for continued control operation.