Air bag controller

• US 5,918,899 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 07/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yasuharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brooks, Jason S.
• Application Number:
  US08/965,156
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 340/438
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01286 Electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01564 Manually or key-actuated inhibition switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01566 Devices for warning or indicating mode of inhibition

Abstract

Expansion enable/disable information expressing enable or disable of the expansion of an air bag at an assistant driver'"'"'s seat is input from a cut-off switch, and the expansion enable/disable information is once retained in a register in a CPU. If an acceleration detected by a G-sensor and applied to a motor vehicle exceeds 2G for example, then any change in the expansion enable/disable information retained in the register of the CPU is inhibited by the CPU itself; and thus a change of the expansion enable/disable information retained in the register is inhibited even though the expansion enable/disable information input to the cut-off switch has been changed by the force majeure during the collision of the motor vehicle. Thus, any erroneous expansion of the air bag by the acceleration can be prevented during collision as long as the expansion inhibit state is continuing.

Claims

1. An air bag controller for controlling a certain expansion of an air bag module provided for an assistant driver'"'"'s seat by detecting a collision of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an operation input means operated by an operator for generating either one of an expansion able signal and an expansion disable signal expressing the enablement or disablement of the expansion of the air bag module at said assistant driver'"'"'s seat respectively;

an information holding means for holding either of said expansion enable information and expansion disable information, selection of either of said expansion enable information and said expansion disable information being based on the signal from said operation input means;

an acceleration detection means for detecting an acceleration applied to the motor vehicle;

an information change inhibit means for inhibiting any change in said expansion enable information and said expansion disable information held in said information holding means if either said expansion able or disable signal changes to the expansion disable or able signal while an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection means is exceeding a predetermined value, and for allowing change in said expansion enable information and said expansion disable information when an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection means is below a predetermined value; and

an expansion control means for controlling the expansion of said air bag module at said assistant driver'"'"'s seat based on said either one of the expansion enable information and expansion disable information held in said information holding means if the acceleration detected by said acceleration detection means has exceeded the predetermined value.

2. The air bag controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information change inhibit means is intended to inhibit the change of said either one of the expansion enable /disable! information and expansion disable information held in said information holding means for a predetermined duration required at least for expanding the air bag module if the acceleration applied to the motor vehicle has exceeded the predetermined value.

3. An air bag controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information holding means comprises a memory of a microprocessor.

4. An air bag controller for controlling a certain expansion of an air bag module provided for an assistant driver'"'"'s seat by detecting a collision of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an operation input circuit operated by an operator for generating either one of an expansion able signal and an expansion disable signal expressing the enablement or disablement of the expansion of the air bag module at said assistant driver'"'"'s seat respectively;

an information holding unit for holding either of said expansion enable information and expansion disable information, selection of either of said expansion enable information and said expansion disable information being based on the signal from said operation input circuit;

an acceleration detection unit for detecting an acceleration applied to the motor vehicle;

an information change inhibit unit for inhibiting any change in said expansion enable information and said expansion disable information held in said information holding unit if either said expansion able or disable signal changes to the expansion disable or able signal while an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit is exceeding a predetermined predetermined value, and for allowing change in said expansion enable information and said expansion disable information when an acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit is below a predetermined value; and

an expansion control circuit for controlling the expansion of said air bag module at said assistant driver'"'"'s seat based on said either one of the expansion enable information and expansion disable information held in said information holding unit if the acceleration detected by said acceleration detection unit has exceeded the predetermined value.

5. The air bag controller as claimed in claim 4, wherein said information change inhibit unit is intended to inhibit the change of said either one of the expansion enable information and expansion disable information held in said information holding unit for a predetermined duration required at least for expanding the air bag module if the acceleration applied to the motor vehicle has exceeded the predetermined value.

6. The air bag controller as claimed in claim 4, wherein said information holding unit comprises a memory of a microprocessor.