Patents by Inventor Mark A. Carlin

Mark A. Carlin 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 a vehicle crash condition using velocity enhanced acceleration crash metrics
    Patent number: 5587906
    Abstract: An apparatus for sensing a vehicle crash condition includes an accelerometer (20) for sensing a vehicle crash condition and for providing a signal having a characteristic indicative of the vehicle crash condition. A crash velocity determining circuit (74) determines a crash velocity value (78) from the accelerometer. Crash metric determining circuits (80, 82, 94, 96, 104, 108) determine crash metric values functionally related to acceleration. Threshold determining circuits (88, 98, 112) determining associated threshold values functionally related to the determined crash velocity value (78). Comparators (90, 100, 116) compare the determined crash metric values against associated threshold values. A controller (34) provides a control signal to control actuation of a restraining device in response to the comparison. A shape monitoring circuit (120) determines if the shape of the acceleration signal matches a predetermined shape. If the shape matches, the controller provides the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventors: George W. McIver, Mark A. Carlin, James E. Bormann, Ronald A. Muckley, Roger A. McCurdy