Control method for variable level airbag inflation
First Claim
1. A method of controlling deployment of multiple stages of a vehicle inflatable restraint comprising the steps of:
- sensing vehicle acceleration;
initiating a deployment algorithm for a first stage of the restraint when the sensed acceleration exceeds a threshold, and if such deployment algorithm determines that the first stave should be deployed;
producing at least one first stage deployment parameter including a deployment time between the initiation of said deployment algorithm and the deployment of said first stage;
comparing the produced first stage deployment parameter to predetermined thresholds to determine crash severity; and
determining if and when to deploy a second stage of the restraint based on the determined crash severity.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag with two or more inflators can be inflated in successive stages separated by a time interval, inflated simultaneously or some not inflated at all, depending on crash severity. The first stage inflation is controlled in accordance with a conventional algorithm for single stage deployment. Deployment time and velocity parameters used for the first stage are employed to determine the crash severity and the time interval of the next stage. There is no time delay in the case of a very severe crash, but for a moderately severe crash the time interval is proportional to the difference of the time or velocity and a selected minimum time or velocity value.
47 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of controlling deployment of multiple stages of a vehicle inflatable restraint comprising the steps of:
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sensing vehicle acceleration; initiating a deployment algorithm for a first stage of the restraint when the sensed acceleration exceeds a threshold, and if such deployment algorithm determines that the first stave should be deployed; producing at least one first stage deployment parameter including a deployment time between the initiation of said deployment algorithm and the deployment of said first stage; comparing the produced first stage deployment parameter to predetermined thresholds to determine crash severity; and determining if and when to deploy a second stage of the restraint based on the determined crash severity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of controlling deployment of multiple stages of a vehicle inflatable restraint comprising the steps of:
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sensing vehicle acceleration; initiating a deployment algorithm for a first stage of the restraint when the sensed acceleration exceeds a threshold, and if such deployment algorithm determines that the first stage should be deployed; producing a first stabe deployment time TD corresponding to a time between initiation of said deployment algorithm and deployment of the first stage, and a first stage velocity VD corresponding to a change in vehicle velocity at the deployment of said first stage; establishing first and second time thresholds TA and TB with TA <
TB, and first and second velocity thresholds VA and VB with VA <
VB ;comparing the deployment time TD to the thresholds TA and TB, and comparing the velocity VD to the thresholds VA and VB to determine crash severity; and determining if and when to deploy a second stage of the restraint based on the determined crash severity. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification