Method for suppressing deployment of an inflatable restraint based on sensed occupant capacitance
First Claim
1. A method of determining whether to allow or suppress deployment of a vehicular inflatable restraint for a vehicle occupant based at least in part on an output signal of a sensor responsive to occupant capacitance relative to a vehicle seat, the method comprising the steps of:
- comparing a filtered version of said output signal to a threshold having a default value corresponding to a predetermined occupant capacitance under a given set of conditions;
determining a value of a parameter that affects a magnitude of said output signal;
adjusting said threshold above or below said default value when the determined parameter value is outside a predetermined range of values; and
allowing deployment of said restraint when the filtered version of said output signal is above said threshold, and suppressing deployment of said restraint when the filtered version of said output signal is below said threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved method of selectively suppressing deployment of a vehicular inflatable restraint utilizes both static and dynamic variation in the measured capacitance of a vehicle occupant in a complementary manner that reduces overall system variability. The decision to allow or suppress deployment of the restraint is determined based on a comparison of the static capacitance reading with at least one threshold, and the dynamic variation of the measured capacitance and other parameters such as seat belt tension, seat humidity and seat temperature are used to adjust the threshold in a direction to minimize the overall variability of the system. In a preferred embodiment, the variation of the measured capacitance with respect to the variation in vertical acceleration of the vehicle is used to estimate the free capacitance of the occupant, and such free capacitance is used to adjust the threshold.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of determining whether to allow or suppress deployment of a vehicular inflatable restraint for a vehicle occupant based at least in part on an output signal of a sensor responsive to occupant capacitance relative to a vehicle seat, the method comprising the steps of:
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comparing a filtered version of said output signal to a threshold having a default value corresponding to a predetermined occupant capacitance under a given set of conditions;
determining a value of a parameter that affects a magnitude of said output signal;
adjusting said threshold above or below said default value when the determined parameter value is outside a predetermined range of values; and
allowing deployment of said restraint when the filtered version of said output signal is above said threshold, and suppressing deployment of said restraint when the filtered version of said output signal is below said threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification