Patents by Inventor Kevin D. Weiss

Kevin D. Weiss 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 controlling an actuatable restraint device using crash severity indexing and crush zone sensor
    Patent number: 6186539
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device for a vehicle (11) having first and second actuatable stages (24, 26). The apparatus includes a crash sensor (17, 19) mounted near the front of the vehicle (11) for providing a crash acceleration signal (238, 270). An average crash acceleration determiner (246, 278) determines an average crash acceleration value, and provides a signal indicative thereof. A controller (31) is operatively coupled to the actuatable stages (24, 26). The controller effects actuation of the first actuatable stage when the determined average acceleration value exceeds a first threshold value (248, 250, 254, 256). The controller (31) determines a crash severity index having a value according to a time interval from when the determined average crash acceleration value exceeds the first threshold value (248, 250, 254, 256) to when it exceeds a second threshold value (252, 258).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: Chek-Peng (Anson) Foo, Huahn-Fern (Jeff) Yeh, Anne Marie Shields, Wei-Te Chiang, Kevin D. Weiss