Abstract: A method for controlling an actuatable restraining device includes sensing a plurality of crash event indications, classifying crash events in response to the sensed crash event indications to identify at least one of a forward rigid barrier crash event, an offset deformable barrier crash event, an angular crash event, and a small overlap crash event, and controlling deployment timing of the actuatable restraining device in response to the classification of the crash event.

Abstract: A method for controlling an actuatable restraining device includes sensing a plurality of crash event indications, classifying crash events in response to the sensed crash event indications to identify at least one of a forward rigid barrier crash event, an offset deformable barrier crash event, an angular crash event, and a small overlap crash event, and controlling deployment timing of the actuatable restraining device in response to the classification of the crash event.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition including sensing crash acceleration in a vehicle X-direction at a central vehicle location and providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof, sensing crash acceleration in a vehicle Y-direction, sensing crash acceleration in the X-direction at two locations near opposite sides of the vehicle remote from the central location and providing acceleration signals indicative thereof, determining a transverse crash evaluation value functionally related to the second acceleration signal, and determining remote crash evaluation values functionally related to the acceleration signals at the remote locations. The method further comprises the steps of comparing the determined transverse crash evaluation value as a function of the determined remote evaluation values against an associated threshold and determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method further comprises the steps of determining a crash metric value functionally related to the sensed crash acceleration based on the second acceleration signal and comparing the determined crash metric value as a function of the sensed first crash acceleration signal against an associated threshold. The method still further comprises the step of determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle at a substantially central vehicle location and providing a first acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and providing a second acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method further comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in the first direction at two locations remote from the central vehicle location and near opposite sides of the vehicle and providing acceleration signals indicative thereof. The method still further comprises determining a transverse crash evaluation value functionally related to the second acceleration signal and determining remote crash evaluation values functionally related to the acceleration signals at the remote locations.

Abstract: A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method further comprises the steps of determining a crash metric value functionally related to the sensed crash acceleration based on the second acceleration signal and comparing the determined crash metric value as a function of the sensed first crash acceleration signal against an associated threshold. The method still further comprises the step of determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a discrimination crash sensor (32, 34, 36) for sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing a discrimination crash signal indicative thereof. A first crush zone sensor (40) is located at a first vehicle crush zone location and provides a first crush zone signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed by the first crush zone sensor. A second crush zone sensor (42) is located at a second vehicle crush zone location for providing a second crush zone signal indicative of crash acceleration sensed by the second crush zone sensor. A crush zone safing determining function (218) of the controller (50) monitors the first crush zone sensor and the second crush zone sensor and provides a crush zone safing signal in response to one of the first and the second crush zone sensors signals exceeding a first threshold and the other of the first and the second crush zone sensors signals being faulty.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling a multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18) of a vehicle includes a crash sensor (32) sensing crash acceleration at a substantially central location of the vehicle. A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) is provides a crush zone crash acceleration signal. A controller (50) a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the crash acceleration signal. A plurality a predetermined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement threshold maps (152-172) is provided, two of the plurality of threshold maps (170, 172) relating to a second stage (92, 96) of said multistage actuatable occupant restraining system. The selects one of the two threshold maps relating to the second stage of in response to the crush zone acceleration signal and controls second stage actuation in response to a comparison of the crash velocity signal against the selected one of the two threshold maps (170, 172).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18). A crash sensor (32, 36) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal (110, 160) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined (118, 168) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage (90, 94) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold (130, 132, 180, 182). A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) senses crash acceleration at a crush zone location. The crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 256) against a crush zone threshold (220, 222, 250, 252). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device having a plurality of actuatable stages (24, 26), the apparatus including a crash sensor (14, 16) for sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (22) determines a velocity value (74) and a displacement value (80) from the crash acceleration signal. A safing function controls enabling and disabling of a deployment control circuit in response to the determined velocity (74) and displacement (80) values. A displacement based velocity threshold (133) and a displacement threshold value (125) define an immunity box. The velocity threshold value (133) varies as a step function of displacement. If the velocity/displacement values are within the immunity box, the safing function is in a disabling condition. If either value is outside of the immunity box, the safing function is in an enabling condition.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18). A crash sensor (32, 36) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal (110, 160) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined (118, 168) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage (90, 94) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold (130, 132, 180, 182). A transverse accelerometer (34) senses transverse crash acceleration. The transverse acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 278) against a transverse threshold (268). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse threshold.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18). A crash sensor (32, 36) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal (110, 160) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined (118, 168) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage (90, 94) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold (130, 132, 180, 182). A crush zone accelerometer (40, 42) senses crash acceleration at a crush zone location. The crush zone acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 256) against a crush zone threshold (220, 222, 250, 252). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the crush zone acceleration exceeds the crush zone threshold.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to controlling a vehicle multistage actuatable occupant restraining system (14, 18). A crash sensor (32, 36) senses crash acceleration and provides a crash acceleration signal (110, 160) indicative thereof. Crash velocity and crash displacement are determined (118, 168) in response to the crash acceleration signal. A first stage (90, 94) of the multistage actuatable occupant restraining system is actuated when the determined crash velocity as a function of crash displacement exceeds a low threshold (130, 132, 180, 182). A transverse accelerometer (34) senses transverse crash acceleration. The transverse acceleration as a function of the crash displacement is compared (226, 278) against a transverse threshold (268). The value of the low threshold (130, 180) is switched to a different value (132, 182) when the transverse acceleration exceeds the transverse threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus for switching the value of a spring constant K used in a spring mass model (54, 56, 60, 70, 76) for modeling a vehicle occupant in an occupant restraint system (20) includes a sensor (22) for sensing a crash event and providing a crash signal (40) indicative thereof. The spring mass model adjusts the acceleration signal and determines a virtual velocity value (72) and a virtual displacement value (78). The spring value K of the spring mass model is controlled in response to the determined virtual velocity value and the determined virtual displacement value relative to associated switching quadrants defined by predetermined velocity and displacement thresholds.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling actuation of at least one actuatable protection device (18, 20, 22, 24) includes a controller (26) having a first sensor input effective to receive a first sensor signal (64, 66, 70) having a value indicative of a first condition of an occupant of the vehicle seat (14, 16). The apparatus (10) also includes a second sensor input effective to receive a second sensor signal (82, 84, 86, 88, 94) having a value indicative of a second condition of the occupant of the vehicle seat (14, 16). The controller (26) is operative to determine a default value for the value of the first sensor signal (64, 66, 70) upon determining that the value of the first sensor signal is either outside an expected range of values or is absent. The controller (26) is operative to provide a control signal (136, 174, 176) to control actuation of at least one actuatable protection device (18, 20, 22, 24).

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling side actuatable restraint (14, 16) includes a side acceleration sensor (22, 34) mounted to a vehicle at a side location and having an axis of sensitivity (24, 36) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The side sensor provides a discriminating crash signal when a transverse crash acceleration of the vehicle is sensed indicating a deployment crash event. A first central safing acceleration sensor (52) is mounted at a substantially central location of the vehicle (11) and having an axis of sensitivity (58) oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis (25) of the vehicle. The first safing sensor provides a first safing crash signal when a deployment crash acceleration is sensed in the transverse direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device for a vehicle, the restraining device having a plurality of actuatable stages (24, 26), the apparatus including a crash sensor (14, 16) for sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller (22) includes an integrator (72, 172) for determining a velocity value from the crash acceleration signal and for providing a velocity signal (74, 174). The controller (22) is coupled to the actuatable device for (i) effecting actuation of a first of the actuatable stages (24) when the determined velocity value exceeds a first threshold value, and (ii) upon the determined velocity value exceeding a second threshold value, determining a crash severity index (112, 212) having a value related to a time interval from when the determined velocity value (74, 174) exceeds the first threshold value (88, 188) to when the determined velocity value exceeds the second threshold value (96, 196).