Abstract: An optical sensing system detects pressure through attenuation of light in an optical fiber. The weight and position of a load on a mat including multiple optical fibers may be determined; for example, such a mat may be used in an automobile seat to determine theses parameters for a passenger in the seat. This information can be presented to an airbag deployment system to easily enable the airbag to be deployed or suppressed in a manner sensitive to the weight and position of the occupant. This methodology allows loads, load movement, and load position to be detected in vehicles. In applications for vehicles such as aircraft or boats, sensing weight, position and movement of cargo can warn an operator or pilot in sufficient time to correct dangerous shifts in weight within the cargo portion of the vehicle or to modify the operation of the vehicle to compensate for such shifts.

Abstract: An optical sensing system detects pressure through attenuation of light in an optical fiber. This is particularly useful for measuring the weight and position of a load on a mat including multiple such optical fibers, which may be positioned in an automobile seat to determine theses parameters for a passenger in that seat. This information can be presented to an airbag deployment system in a form that will easily enable the airbag to be deployed (when needed) in a manner sensitive to the weight and position of the occupant. It provides based on this detection system a technique to suppress airbag deployment based on passenger profile. Further, the system and method use an optical fabric methodology such that loads, load movement, load position can be detected in vehicles.

Abstract: A woven structure is described in which optical fibers are positioned and held in the structure in a manner to maximize their optical efficiency. The structure consists of non-optical fibers extending in both the warp and woof direction, the optical fibers are positioned in channels between supporting fibers in the warp direction. Selected ones of the non-optical fibers in the warp direction may be electrical conductors. The structure is manufactured using conventional weaving equipment by positioning both the optical fibers and the non-optical warp fibers, and then weaving the woof fibers into place without causing micro-bends or discontinuities in the optical fibers. The structure is woven with the optical fibers positioned in zero warp. The woven grid-like mat can be coated with a protective material that either enables it to form a flexible sheet or a rigid, hard, grid-like mat which has aligned zero warp optical fibers embedded therein.

Abstract: A woven material is described in which optical fibers are positioned and held in the material in a manner to maximize their optical efficiency. The material consists of fibers extending in both the warp and woof direction, the optical fibers are positioned in channels between the supporting fibers in the warp direction. The material is manufactured using conventional weaving equipment by positioning both the optical fibers and the warp fibers, and then weaving the woof fibers into place without bending the optical fibers. The fibers are thusly woven so that the optical fibers have zero warp. The woven grid-like mat can be coated with a protective material that either enables it to form a flexible sheet of ribbon or a rigid, hard, grid-like mat which has aligned zero warp optical fibers embedded therein. The material shown can be used to provide sensing, imaging or communications. It can be utilized for optical backplanes for optoelectronic systems or a housing for optoelectronic components.

Abstract: A woven material is described in which optical fibers are positioned and held in the material in a manner to maximize their optical efficiency. The material consists of fibers extending in both the warp and woof direction, the optical fibers are positioned in channels between the supporting fibers in the warp direction. The material is manufactured using conventional weaving equipment by positioning both the optical fibers and the warp fibers, and then weaving the woof fibers into place without bending the optical fibers. The fibers are thusly woven so that the optical fibers have zero warp. The woven grid-like mat can be coated with a protective material that either enables it to form a flexible sheet of ribbon or a rigid, hard, grid-like mat which has aligned zero warp optical fibers embedded therein. The material shown can be used to provide sensing, imaging or communications. It can be utilized for optical backplanes for optoelectronic systems or a housing for optoelectronic components.

Abstract: A woven material is described in which optical fibers are positioned and held in the material in a manner to maximize their optical efficiency. The material consists of fibers extending in both the warp and woof direction, the optical fibers are positioned in channels between the supporting fibers in the warp direction. The material is manufactured using conventional weaving equipment by positioning both the optical fibers and the warp fibers, and then weaving the woof fibers into place without bending the optical fibers. The fibers are thusly woven so that the optical fibers have zero warp. The woven grid-like mat can be coated with a protective material that either enables it to form a flexible sheet of ribbon or a rigid, hard, grid-like mat which has aligned zero warp optical fibers embedded therein. The material shown can be used to provide sensing, imaging or communications. It can be utilized for optical backplanes for optoelectronic systems or a housing for optoelectronic components.