Abstract: A vehicle restraint control system provides sophisticated, adaptable control of occupant restraints through the use of a system level architecture to predict the nature of a crash event at the earliest possible time and an occupant injury model to tailor the restraint deployment in an adaptable way to characteristics of the protected vehicle occupant(s) and the nature of the crash event. The occupant injury model derives the potential for injury in a particular vehicle crash in real time as a function of occupant mass, vehicle interior stiffness and occupant impact velocity with respect to the vehicle interior. Peak vehicle crush zone velocity is used as a predictor of occupant impact velocity with the vehicle interior. Predicted occupant impact velocity is preferably adjusted in response to derived impact angle factor, which is derived from orthogonal lateral and longitudinal accelerometers in the vehicle occupant compartment.

Abstract: A vehicle restraint control system provides sophisticated, adaptable control of occupant restraints through the use of a system level architecture to predict the nature of a crash event at the earliest possible time and an occupant injury model to tailor the restraint deployment in an adaptable way to characteristics of the protected vehicle occupant(s) and the nature of the crash event. The occupant injury model derives the potential for injury in a particular vehicle crash in real time as a function of occupant mass, vehicle interior stiffness and occupant impact velocity with respect to the vehicle interior. Peak vehicle crush zone velocity is used as a predictor of occupant impact velocity with the vehicle interior. Predicted occupant impact velocity is preferably adjusted in response to derived impact angle factor, which is derived from orthogonal lateral and longitudinal accelerometers in the vehicle occupant compartment.

Abstract: An improved occupant position detection system and method in which a periodically updated position output of an occupant recognition system (ORS) is dynamically augmented for purposes of determining if the occupant is out-of-position (OOP) so as to inhibit or allow deployment of occupant restraints in a timely manner. Vehicle acceleration data developed by an accelerometer of the restraint system is double integrated to form an incremental occupant displacement value. The incremental displacement value is reset to zero each time the ORS updates its position output, and between updates is used to modify the last position output to provide a dynamic position value for OOP determination. If the occupant is not wearing a seat belt, the incremental displacement value is combined with the last ORS position output both prior to and during the crash event.