Method and apparatus for providing a safing function for side impact crash sensing systems
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint, comprising:
- first acceleration sensing means having an axis of sensitivity and mounted to a vehicle with the axis of sensitivity of said first acceleration sensing means oriented in a first direction, said first acceleration sensing means providing a primary crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction;
second acceleration sensing means having an axis of sensitivity and mounted to the vehicle with the axis of sensitivity of said second acceleration sensing means being oriented substantially parallel with said first direction and 180 degrees from the axis of sensitivity of said first acceleration sensing means, said second acceleration sensing means providing a safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction; and
means for actuating said actuatable restraint when said first crash sensing means provides said primary crash signal and said second crash sensing means provides said safing crash signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus (10) for controlling actuation of a first actuatable restraint (18) and a second actuatable restraint (20) includes a first crash accelerometer (22) for providing a primary crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction and a safing crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a second direction. A second crash accelerometer (34) provides a safing crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in the first direction and a primary crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in the second direction. The first actuatable restraint (18) is actuated when the first accelerometer (22) provides the primary crash acceleration signal and the second accelerometer (34) provides the safing crash signal. The second actuatable restraint (20) is actuated when the first accelerometer (22) provides the safing crash signal and the second accelerometer (34) provides said primary crash signal.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraint, comprising:
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first acceleration sensing means having an axis of sensitivity and mounted to a vehicle with the axis of sensitivity of said first acceleration sensing means oriented in a first direction, said first acceleration sensing means providing a primary crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction; second acceleration sensing means having an axis of sensitivity and mounted to the vehicle with the axis of sensitivity of said second acceleration sensing means being oriented substantially parallel with said first direction and 180 degrees from the axis of sensitivity of said first acceleration sensing means, said second acceleration sensing means providing a safing crash signal when crash acceleration is sensed in said first direction; and means for actuating said actuatable restraint when said first crash sensing means provides said primary crash signal and said second crash sensing means provides said safing crash signal.
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2. An apparatus for controlling actuation of a first actuatable restraint and a second actuatable restraint in a vehicle, comprising:
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first crash sensing means for providing a primary crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction and a safing crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a second direction; second crash sensing means for providing a safing crash signal when a crash event is sensed in said first direction and a primary crash signal when a crash event is sensed in said second direction; means for actuating said first actuatable restraint when said first crash sensing means provides said primary crash signal and said second crash sensing means provides said safing crash signal; and means for actuating said second actuatable restraint when said first crash sensing means provides said safing crash signal and said second crash sensing means provides said primary crash signal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for controlling actuation of a first actuatable restraint and a second actuatable restraint, comprising:
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a first crash accelerometer for providing a positive crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction and a negative crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in a second direction; a second crash accelerometer for providing a negative crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in said first direction and a positive crash acceleration signal when a crash event is sensed in said second direction; means for actuating said first actuatable restraint when said first accelerometer provides said positive crash acceleration signal and said second accelerometer provides said negative crash signal; and means for actuating said second actuatable restraint when said first accelerometer provides said negative crash signal and said second accelerometer provides said positive crash signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. Apparatus for use in a vehicle having a side impact restraint for protecting a driver against side impacts and a side impact restraint for protecting a passenger against side impacts, comprising:
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a first accelerometer;
mounted on a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle and positioned with an axis of sensitivity of said first accelerometer substantially transverse to a vehicle direction of travel so as to be sensitive to sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing an output signal indicative thereof;a second accelerometer, mounted on a passenger'"'"'s side of the vehicle and positioned with an axis of sensitivity of said second accelerometer substantially transverse to the vehicle direction of travel and 180°
offset from said axis of sensitivity of said first accelerometer so as to be sensitive to sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing an output signal indicative thereof; andcontrol means for actuating the side impact restraint for the driver only when said output signal from said first accelerometer exceeds a primary threshold and said output signal from said second accelerometer is less than a safing threshold thereby indicating that an impact is occurring on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle, and for actuating the side impact restraint for the passenger only when said output signal from said second accelerometer exceeds said primary threshold and said output signal from said first accelerometer is less than said safing threshold thereby indicating that an impact is occurring on the passenger'"'"'s side of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for controlling actuation of a first actuatable restraint and a second actuatable restraint in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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sensing a crash acceleration using a first acceleration sensor, said first acceleration sensor providing a primary crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a first direction and providing a safing crash signal when a crash event is sensed in a second direction; sensing a second crash acceleration using a second acceleration sensor, said second acceleration sensor providing a safing crash signal when a crash event is sensed in said first direction and providing a primary crash signal when a crash event is sensed in said second direction; actuating said first actuatable restraint when said first and second acceleration sensors indicate a crash event in said first direction; and actuating said second actuatable restraint when said first and second acceleration sensor indicate a crash event in said second direction. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for protecting a vehicle driver against side impacts and for protecting a vehicle passenger against side impacts, said method comprising of the steps of:
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mounting a first accelerometer on a driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle and positioning an axis of sensitivity of said first accelerometer substantially transverse to a vehicle direction of travel so as to be sensitive to sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing an output signal indicative thereof; mounting a second accelerometer on a passenger'"'"'s side of the vehicle and positioning an axis of sensitivity of said second accelerometer substantially transverse to the vehicle direction of travel and 180°
offset from said axis of sensitivity of said first accelerometer so as to be sensitive to sideways acceleration of the vehicle and providing an output signal indicative thereof;actuating the side impact restraint for the driver only when said output signal from said first accelerometer exceeds a primary threshold and said output signal from said second accelerometer is less than a safing threshold thereby indicating that an impact is occurring on the driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle; and actuating the side impact restraint for the passenger only when said output signal from said second accelerometer exceeds said primary threshold and said output signal from said first accelerometer is less than said safing threshold thereby indicating that an impact is occurring on the passenger'"'"'s side of the vehicle.
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Specification