Occupant sensing and crash behavior system
First Claim
1. An occupant sensing and crash behavior system in a motor vehicle, the system comprising:
- a crash sensor for determining the presence of a crash condition of the vehicle and generating a crash signal;
inflator means responding to a firing signal and operable to release an inflatable gas;
restraint means responding to said inflatable gas and operable to restrain the occupant movement as a result of the crash; and
child seat sensor means for detecting the presence and front facing orientation of child seat on the vehicle seat, said means operable to generate a child seat electrical signal indicating both the presence and the orientation of the child seat;
weight sensing means responding to the weight on the vehicle seat and generating a weight sensing signal as one of a plurality of vehicle parameter signals;
a presence and location sensor for generating an electrical signal indicating the presence of an occupant in the vehicle seat and the location of the occupant relative to said presence and locating sensor and supplying said presence and location signal to said electronic control means as another of said vehicle parameters signals; and
an electronic control unit responding to said crash signal, said child seat electrical signal and said other vehicle parameter signals for generating an electrical firing signal to said inflator means thereby releasing said inflatable gas to controllably inflate said restraint means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An occupant sensing and crash behavior system for a motor vehicle determines the presence and location of an occupant to then control the deployment of supplemental restraint systems such as air bags or inflatable seat/shoulder belts. Crash anticipation and crash severity sensors provide additional inputs to the system to determine the behavior of the crash and the occupants therein. An infrared sensor emits a plurality of beams to determine the location and position of the occupant as does a proximity sensor located on the air bag door or the occupant seat. Occupant weight plus the presence and orientation of a child seat are considered. Seat belt control is provided to control the length of the seat belt during an impact or crash.
250 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An occupant sensing and crash behavior system in a motor vehicle, the system comprising:
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a crash sensor for determining the presence of a crash condition of the vehicle and generating a crash signal; inflator means responding to a firing signal and operable to release an inflatable gas; restraint means responding to said inflatable gas and operable to restrain the occupant movement as a result of the crash; and child seat sensor means for detecting the presence and front facing orientation of child seat on the vehicle seat, said means operable to generate a child seat electrical signal indicating both the presence and the orientation of the child seat; weight sensing means responding to the weight on the vehicle seat and generating a weight sensing signal as one of a plurality of vehicle parameter signals; a presence and location sensor for generating an electrical signal indicating the presence of an occupant in the vehicle seat and the location of the occupant relative to said presence and locating sensor and supplying said presence and location signal to said electronic control means as another of said vehicle parameters signals; and an electronic control unit responding to said crash signal, said child seat electrical signal and said other vehicle parameter signals for generating an electrical firing signal to said inflator means thereby releasing said inflatable gas to controllably inflate said restraint means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25)
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22. An infrared sensor for sensing the presence and location of an occupant relative to a restraint means in a motor vehicle having an air bag, said sensor comprising:
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a plurality of infrared emitters for generating fan-shaped infrared light beams from each emitter; a number of infrared detectors equal to the number of infrared emitters and each said detector responsive to said light beam from only one of said emitters; lens means for focusing said infrared light beams to predetermined locations in the motor vehicle around the occupant to determine the location of the occupant relative to restraint means; and electronic means electrically connected to each of said emitters and detectors and operable to selectively activate pairs of emitters and detectors and to generate electrical signals responsive to the distance from the emitter where the light beam is broken. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27)
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Specification