Electric Control And/or Sensor Means Patents (Class 280/735)
  • Publication number: 20100123302
    Abstract: An inductive vehicle seat position sensor assembly determines a linear vehicle seat position and has a circuit board member. First and second transmitter coils are proximate to a periphery of the circuit board member and radiate an out of phase magnetic field in response to an alternating current input. First and second receiver coils are offset relative to one another. The first and second transmitter coils and the first and second receiver coils span along the circuit board member. A loop coil member is provided for relative motion to the circuit board member. The first and second receiver coils generate a voltage with phase information corresponding to a position of the loop coil member relative to the circuit board member. A signal conversion unit produces a seat position output corresponding to the vehicle seat position based on the voltage with phase information of the first and second receiver coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Richard Bujak, Manoharprasad K. Rao
  • Patent number: 7717459
    Abstract: An air-bag arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed to provide protection for the occupants (1, 2) of two adjacent seats (11, 12). Each seat is associated with two air-bag units (15, 16, 20, 21), one of which contains an air-bag to be deployed so as to occupy a space on the inboard side of the seat, and the other of which contains an air-bag to be deployed so as to occupy a space on the outboard side of the seat. There is a sensor and control arrangement (23) to sense impact and to determine which side of the vehicle has been impacted. The sensor and control arrangement (23) generates actuation signals capable of actuating the air-bag unit (15) associated with the first seat (11) closest to the point of impact I, and the air-bag unit (21) of the second seat (12) closest to the point of impact I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Ola Bostrom, Yngve Haland
  • Patent number: 7720585
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a passenger protection device that includes, a brake pedal sensor configured to detect the amount by which a brake pedal of a vehicle is operated, a webbing, one end of the webbing fixed to the vehicle, configured to restrain a passenger seated on a seat of the vehicle, a retractor connected to the other end of the webbing, the rector configured to retract the webbing and inhibit of the webbing extraction, and an ECU electrically coupled to the brake pedal sensor, the ECU configured to detect that the brake pedal operation amount detected by the pedal sensor exceeds a first threshold value, the ECU configured to revise the threshold value based on safety related information of the vehicle to control the inhibition of the webbing extraction of the retractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Nisson Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Fukuda, Kazunori Tomimatsu
  • Patent number: 7717217
    Abstract: A collision detecting device which is installed in a vehicle comprises a metallic object to be detected having an extending surface which can be displaced toward a coil sensor according a vehicle collision and is arranged to face the sensor surface of the coil sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Aoki, Kazuya Ooi
  • Patent number: 7715965
    Abstract: A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a controller (26) that determines whether or not a potential load change has occurred in a load change detector (59). A load change detector (59) may be coupled to various sensors to determine whether or not a change in load has occurred. If a change in load has occurred an adaptively determined roll condition parameter such as a roll acceleration coefficient, a roll rate parameter or a roll gradient may be reset. If a potential load change has not occurred, then a newly determined value for an adaptive roll condition may be included in a revised adaptive roll condition average. A safety device (44) may be controlled in response to the revised adaptive roll condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: David Messih, Jianbo Lu
  • Patent number: 7712776
    Abstract: A side-impact control system (10) for a vehicle (12) includes an adaptive restraint (15). A side sensor (30) is configured to detect an object, in a restraint dependent detection zone (60) along a side (13) of the vehicle (12), and generates an object detection signal. A controller (16) determines an activation time for and a deployment status of the adaptive restraint (15), and activates the adaptive restraint (15) before or after contact between the object and the side (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Kawku O. Prakah-Asante, Manoharprasad K. Rao, Gary S. Strumolo
  • Patent number: 7712777
    Abstract: Method for controlling outflow of gas from an airbag includes deploying the airbag toward an occupant prior to or during an accident involving the vehicle, detecting contact between the airbag and the occupant by means of a sensor, and controlling outflow of gas from the airbag based on the detected contact. Contact between the airbag and the occupant may be detected by analyzing deceleration of the airbag, e.g., via an accelerometer arranged on a surface of the airbag, a pressure sensor arranged to sense the pressure in the airbag which is correlatable to the deceleration of the airbag and tension sensors arranged on tethers between opposed inner surfaces of the airbag. Outflow of fluid from the airbag may be controlled by arranging an exit control valve or vent in, on or in connection with the airbag and which is adjustable to provide variable outflows of gas from the airbag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Patent number: 7711467
    Abstract: In a side door collision detecting system for a vehicle, an internal pressure sensor detects a door internal pressure of a side door of the vehicle. The internal pressure sensor outputs an internal pressure signal based on the door internal pressure, and the internal pressure sensor is installed in an interior space of the side door. A physical value sensor detects a physical value and outputs a physical value signal based on the physical value. The physical value sensor is installed in the interior space of the side door. A collision determining circuit determines whether the side collision occurs based on the internal pressure signal and the physical value signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihito Nonaka, Satoru Takehara, Minoru Fujioka
  • Patent number: 7703801
    Abstract: A vehicle safety device includes a seat mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a seat position adjusting mechanism that allows the seat to move along an axis between a forward-most position and a rearward-most position. An air-bag is mounted within the passenger compartment in front of the forward-most position. In the forward-most position a distance between a passenger seated in the seat and the air-bag is equal to a minimum safe clearance. A method of maintaining a minimum safe clearance between an air-bag mounted in a vehicle and a vehicle passenger includes preventing motion of a seat toward the air-bag beyond a forward-most position, and providing a position adjusting mechanism for at least one vehicle control pedal to allow a passenger to adjust a distance between the seat and the at least one pedal seat positioning system may be used to position a passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Vehicle Safety Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard W. Levine
  • Patent number: 7702439
    Abstract: A system and method for characterizing piezoelectric sensor responses for automotive vehicle crash analysis, is disclosed. The method employs Daubechies wavelet analysis (1006) to plot signal response amplitudes (1008) in three-dimensional space of at least one piezoelectric sensor. A cluster, signifying a combination of Daubechies amplitudes of the at least one piezoelectric sensor in three-dimensional space, is compared to reference clusters (1010) stored in the automotive vehicle. Based on results from comparing the cluster to the reference clusters, instructions are transmitted to an occupant restraint control system (1013) in the vehicle to deploy a specific airbag at a specific power level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Methode Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip Kithil
  • Publication number: 20100090445
    Abstract: An inflatable airbag cushion assembly with a release device and a release device mounting bracket. The release device is in electronic communication with at least one sensor in a vehicle and is configured to release one or more active vent tethers or airbag restraining tethers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Williams, Larry Rose
  • Patent number: 7695002
    Abstract: A selectively deployable airbag apparatus for vehicles includes: an impact detection sensor; a seat belt sensor; a first inflator and a second inflator; an airbag supplied with gas emitted from the first inflator and the second inflator and having a base chamber and a chest chamber separated from each other by a partition with at least one inner vent hole such that the base chamber and the chest chamber fluidly communicate with each other; and a controller receiving signals from the impact detection sensor and the seat belt sensor and operating the airbag to deploy, and determining whether to deploy the chest chamber or not based on whether the passenger has fastened the seat belt or not and an impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hyeong Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 7695008
    Abstract: A sensor setup structure includes a pair of front side frames that are provided on vehicle widthwise opposite sides of a vehicle front part, and extended along a vehicle lengthwise direction, a pair of upper members that are provided to the vehicle widthwise outsides from these front side frames, and extended from respective front pillars on vehicle widthwise opposite sides downwards to the front, a joining frame that joins in the vehicle widthwise direction between the vicinity of front ends of these upper members and the front side frames on the same sides in the vehicle widthwise direction, and satellite sensors of an airbag apparatus which, in plan view, are setup in positions that are to the vehicle widthwise insides from vehicle widthwise outer surfaces of the respective upper members, and are to the vehicle widthwise outsides from vehicle widthwise outer surfaces of the respective front side frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kuze, Fumitoshi Kase, Yoshihisa Sugamata
  • Patent number: 7690679
    Abstract: A passenger-protecting system includes a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in an inner space of a door and a side airbag installed in the door. The pressure in the inner space increases when a side collision occurs. When the pressure in the inner space of the door exceeds a predetermined threshold level, the side airbag is inflated to protect a passenger from a side collision. There are certain situations where the operation of the side airbag is not necessary even if the pressure in the inner space of the door exceeds the threshold level. Such situations include: when the door is abruptly closed and a front airbag is inflated to protect a passenger from a frontal collision. According to the present invention, unnecessary operations of the side airbag are effectively avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Wanami, Kazuhisa Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20100078917
    Abstract: A side impact crash sensor that operates in conjunction with displacement of a door outer panel of a vehicle door in the event of a side impact crash. The side impact crash sensor comprises a sensor housing coupled to a vehicle door member in a sectioned region of the door and a pendulum rotates around a rotating shaft secured to the sensor housing in the event of a side impact crash. The pendulum is conductive and is housed in a housing space of the sensor housing. The side impact crash sensor further comprises a detecting section including a conductive coil energized by an alternating current secured to the sensor housing. The detecting section detects a rotation operation mode of the pendulum on the basis of a change in impedance of a conductive coil which occurs in conjunction with a rotation operation of the pendulum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Atsushiko Oigawa, Yasuo Itoga, Hiroo Kawaguchi, Kohtaroh Yoshida, Masaki Kobayashi, Hisayoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7686117
    Abstract: A safety arrangement incorporates a seat-belt (3) to protect an occupant (2) of a vehicle seat (1). A control unit (11) incorporates a calculator (18) to calculate the weight of the occupant (2) of the seat occupant, by comparing the force (6) applied to the seat-belt by the seat occupant with the acceleration (14) of the compartment. A controller (19) controls a restraining force applied to the seat occupant by the safety-belt and, possibly, additional force limiting or energy absorbing devices such as an air-bag (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Anders Lenning, Peter HardĂ¥, Andreas Sandahl, Jörgen Persson
  • Patent number: 7684913
    Abstract: A method (60) for adjusting the zero point of a vehicle seat weight sensing system (10) includes the step of determining a zero point error (64) of the seat weight sensing system. The method (60) also includes the step of adjusting the zero point error (68) in response to determining that the zero point error was influenced by an object on the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Hibner, Raymond J. David, Nick L. Smith
  • Patent number: 7681912
    Abstract: A system for inhibiting deployment of an airbag includes a rollover sensor and a circuit that are enclosed in an enclosure. The enclosure is mounted on a surface that is at a predetermined potential. The circuit detects presence of the predetermined potential when the enclosure is mounted on the surface. The circuit detects absence of the predetermined potential when the enclosure is dismounted from the surface. The circuit inhibits deployment of the airbag when absence of the predetermined potential is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventors: Lee M. Dziekan, James E. Van Hout
  • Patent number: 7679378
    Abstract: A dual function capacitive occupant detection sensor includes a capacitive load cell disposed below a seat cushion, an electric field emitter disposed above the seat cushion and a capacitance-responsive control circuit. The control circuit determines a seated weight of an occupant based on the load cell capacitance, and a coupling of the electric field through an occupant based on the capacitance between the electric field emitter and the vehicle ground. The measured seated weight and electric field coupling parameters are logically combined to detect an occupant and to distinguish between a normally seated occupant and a cinched down infant or child seat of similar apparent weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Hawes, Morgan D. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20100057302
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Kevin Daniel Weiss, Paul Leo Sumner, Timur Unlu, Adriano Putetto
  • Patent number: 7664585
    Abstract: A seat belt apparatus includes a belt reel having a belt wound thereon, a motor for driving the reel to take up the belt; a control section for adjusting an amount of electric current supply to the motor to thereby control a belt-taking-up driving force of the motor, a current detection section for detecting the current supplied to the motor, and a rotation detection section for detecting a rotational position of the reel. The control section includes a constant current control section for executing a constant current control mode so that the current supply to the motor takes a target value, and a target current supply value change section for changing the target value when a detection signal from the rotation detection section has satisfied a predetermined condition in the constant current control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shotaro Odate
  • Patent number: 7664609
    Abstract: A device for impact sensing having at least two pressure sensors is described, where pressure values are communicated from the pressure sensors to a processor, and the processor performs impact sensing on the basis of the pressure value. The processor communicates the pressure values to additional vehicle systems, which use them to fulfill their own functions, or at least to carry out a plausibility check of their own pressure values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Boris Adam, Christian Ohl
  • Patent number: 7661500
    Abstract: A snowmobile is provided with airbag systems including airbag bodies expanding from a portion near a steering handle bar respectively, one of the airbag bodies expanding rearward of a handle bar and outward of both the ends of the handle bar, and the other airbag body expanding toward a front side of rider's knees. Another airbag system includes an airbag body expanding from an upper surface of an engine hood on the front portion of a vehicle body frame and blowing up toward a windshield of the engine hood. The respective airbag systems are detachable from the vehicle body, and hence, can be stored indoors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sonoda, Takashi Shimizu, Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 7661706
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant sensing system includes a plurality of image pickup devices arranged to capture a three-dimensional image in a region including at least a cover part of the front airbag system and an upper part of the front passenger seat, and a signal processing unit for processing image signals taken by the image pickup devices to determine a three-dimensional position of the captured image. The signal processing unit is configured to determine a three-dimensional position of a part of the captured image pertaining to the cover part and includes a storage section which stores in advance a reference three-dimensional position corresponding to an external configuration of the cover part, and a comparing section which compares the three-dimensional position of the image part pertaining to the cover part with the reference three-dimensional position to determine if there is an object placed on the cover part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Yoshifuku, Naotaka Kumakiri, Takashi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 7660654
    Abstract: A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a pitch rate sensor (37) generating a pitch rate signal, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (36) generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, and a yaw rate sensor (28) generating a yaw rate signal. A safety system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller. From the sensors, the controller (26) determines an added mass and a position of the added mass, a pitch gradient and/or a pitch acceleration coefficient that takes into account the added mass and position. The controller controls a vehicle system in response to the added mass and the position of the added mass, the pitch gradient and/or pitch acceleration coefficient variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jianbo Lu, Keith Mattson, Joe Meyers
  • Patent number: 7660655
    Abstract: Occupant displacement corresponding to sensed acceleration in a crash event is determined and used to enable and disable deployment of supplemental restraints based on crash severity. The determined occupant displacement is compared to a first threshold calibrated to discriminate against disturbances due to rough roads and other non-crash events, and a second threshold calibrated to discriminate against non-deployment crash events. Deployment of supplemental restraints based on crash severity is enabled only when the determined displacement is between the first and second thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Junqiang Shen
  • Publication number: 20100025974
    Abstract: A low-cost automatic suppression apparatus allows or suppresses deployment of a low risk deployment airbag based solely on occupant seat load and seat belt tension. The seat load and belt tension parameters are detected by low-cost sensors, and an airbag control unit suppresses airbag deployment when the occupant load is below a specified load threshold or the belt tension is above a specified tension threshold, and otherwise allows airbag deployment. The sensors are preferably switch-based so that the signals provided to the airbag control unit are in the form of a differential electrical current, and only two wires are needed to interface each sensor to the airbag control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Charles A. Gray, Lisa A. Hanson, Morgan D. Murphy, Kevin J. Hawes, Thomas Fischer
  • Patent number: 7656169
    Abstract: A capacitive occupant detection system has an oscillator and an electrode operatively coupled to the oscillator, to which the oscillator applies an oscillating voltage signal. In response to the oscillating voltage being applied, an electric current is caused to flow in the electrode, the current being responsive to an electric-field-influencing property of an object or occupant proximate to the electrode. The current caused to flow in the electrode has a first current component in phase with the oscillating voltage signal and a second current component 90°-phase-offset with respect to the oscillating voltage signal. A sensing circuit is operatively coupled to the electrode and to the oscillator so as to generate a first signal indicative of the first current component and a second signal indicative of the second current component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering S.A.
    Inventors: Ingrid Scheckenbach, Stephen Fuks, Frank Althaus, Thomas Krautheim, Christoph Wendt
  • Patent number: 7654564
    Abstract: An occupant protection device controller includes a main sensor, a safing sensor, a main control circuit, a sub control circuit, and a trigger signal output circuit. Whereas the main control circuit has a CPU, and the sub control circuit has no CPU. The main control circuit determines whether to output a main control signal based on both an output of the main sensor and an output of the safing sensor. The sub control circuit has a comparator and determines whether to output a sub control signal based on a comparison of the output of the main sensor with a threshold value. The trigger signal output circuit outputs a trigger signal for activating an occupant protection device upon receipt of both the main control signal and the sub control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Seiya Ide
  • Patent number: 7655895
    Abstract: Land-based vehicle including an arrangement for monitoring objects in or about a vehicle which includes a source from which illumination is emitted into an area in or about the vehicle, a receiver arranged to receive illumination reflected from an object in the path of the illumination, a light-regulating component arranged in front of the receiver to regulate reception of illumination by the receiver, and circuitry coupled to the source, the receiver and the light-regulating component. The light-regulating component is modulated to enable a determination of a distance between an object from which the illumination has been reflected and the receiver. The circuitry obtains information about objects from which the received illumination has been reflected other than distance information and associates with the objects distances between the objects and the receiver. This improves the ability to control vehicular systems based on the presence of objects in or about the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Patent number: 7653468
    Abstract: Described is a control unit and an acceleration sensor system, the control unit having an electronic safety switch which, as a function of a signal of an acceleration sensor system, releases output stages for actuating passenger protection means independently of a processor and the processor actuates the output stages as a function of the signal. The safety switch analyzes an integrated acceleration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Wellhoefer, Volker Frese
  • Patent number: 7651127
    Abstract: A complex blasting cap apparatus of an airbag for a vehicle includes: a detector detecting impact acting on a vehicle body during a vehicle accident; a controller receiving a signal detected by the detector, computing the received signal, and applying different voltages so as to operate an inflator depending on a pre-input impact force; and a complex blasting cap formed as integration of a first blasting cap which is operated by a control signal of the controller and is exploded by a first voltage signal applied from the controller and a second blasting cap which is connected to a circuit to which the first blasting cap is connected and is exploded by a second voltage signal applied from the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Kee Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 7650212
    Abstract: System and method for adjusting at least one pedal for a driver in a vehicle in which a determining system determines one or more morphological characteristics of the driver, a motor is coupled to the pedal(s) and is at least automatically controllable without manual intervention to move the pedal(s) relative to a floor of the vehicle and thus adjust the position of the pedal(s) relative to the driver, and a control circuit is coupled to the determining system and the motor for automatically controlling the motor based on the determined morphological characteristic(s) of the driver. The pedal may be an accelerator pedal and/or a brake pedal of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Breed, Jeffrey L. Morin, Wilbur E. DuVall
  • Patent number: 7648164
    Abstract: Method for controlling flow of gas into an airbag includes generating gas, directing the gas into the airbag, and controlling the flow of gas into the airbag based on conditions at the time of deployment such that the airbag is variably deployed dependent on ambient conditions. A related arrangement for controlling flow of gas into an airbag includes a system for generating gas, a system for directing the gas into the airbag and a system for controlling the flow of gas into the airbag based on conditions at the time of deployment such that the airbag is variably deployed dependent on ambient conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Patent number: 7644798
    Abstract: A safety arrangement for detecting the position of an occupant (4) of a seat (1) which is provided with a safety belt (9) which is mounted on a retractor (10) includes a sensor (11) which measures the length of belt withdrawn from the retractor The sensor is associated with a processor unit (8) which is associated with a seat position sensor (7). By determining the position of the seat and by determining the minimum length of belt paid-out from the retractor (10) after the seat belt has been buckled in position, and by determining how additional belt has been paid-out at any incident, the position of the seat occupant (4) relative to an air-bag (19) can be determined. If the seat occupant is very close to the air-bag, the nature of deployment of the air-bag can be moderated by the central processor unit (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Anders Lenning
  • Patent number: 7641229
    Abstract: An occupant classification system is provided based upon the use of an array of electrical switches arranged between a seat trim and a reactive surface. The switches produce selective outputs signals as an engaging surface makes contact with one or more of the switches when an occupant occupies the seat. The output signals are interpreted into a control signal to distinguish between occupants for controlling an inflatable restraint system. The occupant classification system also includes a control structure which defines a distance between the array of switches and the engaging surface that is greater than zero when the seat is unoccupied so that the switches are insensitive to the initial forces applied to the seat through the seat trim. The distance between one or more of the switches and the engaging surface decreases to zero when the occupant occupies the seat to produce the selective output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan A. Boisvert, Joshua Forwerck, Michael Zink
  • Patent number: 7643919
    Abstract: A crash sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The crash sensor arrangement includes a first set of sensors (3,4) comprising a respective sensor on each side of the vehicle. Each sensor (3,4) is an accelerometer and has a predetermined sensing axis (5,7). Each sensor (3,4) is mounted on the vehicle (1) close to the outer skin of the vehicle and at a first longitudinal position such that the sensing axis (5,7) of each sensor (3,4) makes a predetermined angle to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1). The predetermined angle is between 30° and 60°, or between ?30° and ?60°. The sensing axes (5,6) are mirror symmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1), so that at said first longitudinal position, there are said two respective sensors (3,4), the sensing axes of the two sensor extending in different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Nicaise
  • Patent number: 7637533
    Abstract: A gas generator includes: a housing having a gas discharge port; a molded article of gas generating composition disposed within the housing and generating gas on combustion, the molded article of the gas generating composition having a single or plural combustion starting end surfaces where ignition and combustion is started by the ignition means; ignition means provided within the housing and igniting and burning the molded article of the gas generating composition; and the ignition means being a surface heating element which is in contact with the combustion starting end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Yamazaki, Shogo Tomiyama
  • Patent number: 7637532
    Abstract: The present invention facilitates the construction of a waterproof sensor assembly having, for example, a sensor main body arranged in a vehicle seat, a sensor terminal, a sensor terminal protection portion, a first packing having a hollow ring shape, a second packing having a hollow ring shape, a connector casing having a hollow ring shaped opening, and a connector cover for covering the opening connector casing opening. The sensor terminal protection portion has a hollow ring shape and is integrated with a periphery of the sensor main body. The sensor terminal is integrated with the sensor terminal protection portion such that the sensor terminal protrudes from an inner periphery of the sensor terminal protection portion toward an inside of the sensor terminal protection portion. The arrangement of the first and second packing and the connector case and cover provide a high performance waterproof sealing of the sensor and parts thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shoichi Yamanaka, Hiroyuki Ito, Tsutomu Kamizono
  • Patent number: 7635043
    Abstract: Crash sensor arrangement for determining whether a crash involving the vehicle requires deployment of an occupant restraint device including a first electronic crash sensor mounted in the crush zone of the vehicle for measuring a reaction of the crush zone to a crash and outputting a signal representative of the measurements and a processor coupled to the first sensor for processing the signal to determine whether the restraint device should be deployed. The first sensor may include an accelerometer, a gyroscope or an elongate member arranged to sense the reaction of the crush zone over a substantial part of the front, side or rear of the vehicle. Optionally, a second electronic crash sensor is mounted outside the crush zone to measure a reaction of the vehicle other than crush of the crush zone. Both sensors input signals to the processor which is programmed to determine whether the restraint device should be deployed using an algorithm and data from the first and/or second sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Patent number: 7635146
    Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes an occupant restraint device on a side face of an automobile interior, at least one of an acceleration sensor for detecting a lateral acceleration of the automobile and a roll sensor for detecting a roll of the automobile, and a determining unit. A detected signal is input into the determining unit. The determining unit determines a rollover or an overthrow of the automobile based on the detected signals, and calculates a head position of the occupant using the detected signals. Then, the determining unit activates the occupant restraint device, when the rollover is determined to have happened and the calculated head position is determined to be close to the occupant restraint device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Ogata
  • Publication number: 20090309341
    Abstract: An airbag is inflated by gas for deployment to the front of and for restraining an occupant. A tether allows an inner capacity of the airbag to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined value by restricting a distance between a proximal end of the airbag and a surface of the airbag at deployment. A control unit acquires information relating to at least one of an occupant seat position, an occupant position to an instrument panel, an occupant physique, an occupant weight, and a magnitude of a collision impact. A release unit controls capacity and configuration of the airbag by releasing an end of the tether at a side of the proximal end according to the information acquired by the control unit. A vent discharges the gas before activation of the release unit and is closed on activation of the release unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Inventor: Tobias Pausch
  • Publication number: 20090306857
    Abstract: A motor vehicle impact sensing system for a vehicle that includes a controller that is connected to a pressure sensor that cooperates with a discrete deformable vessel. The pressure sensor is operatively positioned relative to the deformable vessel such that changes in the vessel generate a signal indicative of a pressure change. The signal associated with the pressure change is communicated from the pressure sensor to the controller. If the signal exceeds a threshold, such as where there is a rapid pressure increase in the vessel, the controller initiates one or more safety measures, such as deploying airbags or the like, to reduce the effects of an undesired impact. The deformable vessel and pressure sensor form a sensor assembly that can be located in one or more of various locations throughout the vehicle including its front end, its doors, quarter panels, side panels, and/or its rear end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Beverly M. Katz, Michael W. Sulkowski, Stephen Greene
  • Patent number: 7630806
    Abstract: System and method for reacting to an impact involving a motor vehicle in which an anticipatory sensor system assesses the probable severity of the impact based on data obtained prior to the impact and initiates deployment of an external safety device via an actuator in the event an impact above a threshold probable severity is assessed. The anticipatory sensor system includes receivers for receiving waves or energy and a pattern recognition system for analyzing the received waves or energy, or data representative thereof, to assess the probable severity of the impact. The pattern recognition system ascertains the identity of an object from which the waves or energy have been emitted, reflected or generated. The pattern recognition system includes a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm designed to provide an output of one of a number of pre-determined identities of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Automotive Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: David S. Breed
  • Patent number: 7624834
    Abstract: A single high-frequency transmitter emits radiation in a vehicle (1) comprising several seats (2), said high-frequency radiation being reflected depending on whether a seat is occupied, transmitted to a receiver and evaluated with regard to the radiation intensity. In addition, the reliability of the identification is increased, even when the occupant is out of position, by the provision of at least one reflector (9) per seat in or on an allocated seat-belt (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Hofbeck, Thomas Klement, Birgit Rösel, Arnd Stielow, Michael Stippler
  • Patent number: 7625006
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Chek-Peng Foo, Huahn-Fern Yeh, Paul Leo Sumner
  • Patent number: 7627409
    Abstract: A method is provided for triggering a vehicle occupant restraint device, in which a sensor signal generated by a crash sensor is fed to a triggering device and to a clearing device supplying a clearing signal. The sensor signal is integrated in the clearing device and subjected to an examination algorithm. The output signal of at least one additional crash sensor is fed to the clearing device. Then, the two output signals are linked to one another and are subsequently integrated during an observation period. A clearing signal is generated when the integral exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrea Link, Willibald Watzka, Jan Urbahn
  • Publication number: 20090289443
    Abstract: An apparatus for a vehicle is provided comprising a first seat occupant detector, a first seat belt buckled sensor, and a seat belt warning device. The seat belt warning device may be configured to communicate with the first seat occupant detector and the first seat belt buckled sensor. The seat belt warning device may be programmed to cause an audible warning when the first seat occupant detector detects the presence of an individual in a first seat of the vehicle and the first seat belt buckled sensor detects that a first seat belt corresponding to the first seat is not buckled. The apparatus may include a first seat belt contacting seat sensor, wherein the first seat belt contacting seat sensor may determine if the first seat belt is in contact with the first seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Inventor: Pathfins C. Okezie
  • Publication number: 20090283995
    Abstract: An airbag inflator that contains a first quantity of inflation gas. This gas may be housed in a chamber. A quantity of liquid fuel may also be added. This fuel may be housed within a liquid fuel chamber. The quantity of inflation gas may operate to pressurize the liquid fuel chamber. A piezo-valve is also added. The piezo-valve seals the liquid fuel chamber. The piezo-valve is capable of variably releasing liquid fuel from the chamber such that when this secondary liquid is ignited, the airbag inflation gas can be augmented as desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Bradley W. Smith, Brent A. Parks
  • Patent number: 7618058
    Abstract: An airbag control apparatus has an acceleration detecting section 11 for detecting acceleration in the longitudinal direction and lateral direction of a vehicle 1; a collision decision section 12 for making a decision about a frontal collision and side-impact collision of the vehicle in response to the detection outputs of the acceleration detecting section 11; and a driving section 13 for inflating airbags 14 mounted in the front or sides of the vehicle in response to the decision output of the collision decision section 12. The collision decision section suppresses the decision about the side-impact collision in accordance with collision information in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle contained in the detection outputs of the acceleration detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Harase, Toshiyuki Yamashita