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Fault tolerant power supply and bus topology for a distributed architecture supplemental restraint system

  • US 6,046,511 A
  • Filed: 05/08/1998
  • Issued: 04/04/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A vehicular supplemental restraint system including a plurality of sensing modules and deployment modules in distributed locations of the vehicle, comprising:

  • a power and communications bus coupled to each of said sensing and deployment modules for supplying power to said modules and for enabling communication among said modules, said bus including a ground wire and a power wire;

    a power supply circuit coupled to a vehicle storage battery and to said bus for developing a regulated voltage across the ground and power wires of said bus, said power supply including a transformer having primary and secondary windings, a power device switched on and off to periodically connect said primary winding to said vehicle battery, an energy storage circuit referenced to the ground wire of said bus and connected between said secondary winding and the power wire of said bus for transferring energy coupled between said primary and secondary windings to the power wire of said bus; and

    a control circuit for controlling the switching of said power device based on a measured voltage across said primary winding while said power device is switched off.

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