Integrated occupant protection system
First Claim
1. An integrated occupant protection system for a vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle seat mountable in the vehicle and having a lower seat portion and a seat back portion;
an electrical communications bus located within said vehicle seat;
a crash sensor for sensing a crash event and providing a signal indicative thereof, said crash sensor located within said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus; and
an actuatable occupant protection device located within said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus for, when actuated, helping to protect a vehicle occupant, said occupant protection device being controlled over said communications bus in response to the crash sensor signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated occupant protection system (10) for a vehicle comprises a vehicle seat (12), which may be mounted in the vehicle. The seat (12) has a lower seat portion (14) and a seat back portion (16). An electrical communications bus (26) is mounted to the vehicle seat (12). A crash sensor (44) also is mounted to the vehicle seat (12) and electrically coupled to the communications bus (26). The crash sensor (44) senses a crash event and provides a signal indicative thereof to the communications bus (26). An actuatable occupant protection device (46, 48, 50 or 64) is mounted to the vehicle seat (12) and electrically coupled to the communications bus (26). When the protection device (46, 48, 50 or 64) is actuated, it helps to protect a vehicle occupant. The occupant protection device (46, 48, 50 or 64) is controlled over the communications bus (26) by a controller (47, 34).
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An integrated occupant protection system for a vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle seat mountable in the vehicle and having a lower seat portion and a seat back portion; an electrical communications bus located within said vehicle seat; a crash sensor for sensing a crash event and providing a signal indicative thereof, said crash sensor located within said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus; and an actuatable occupant protection device located within said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus for, when actuated, helping to protect a vehicle occupant, said occupant protection device being controlled over said communications bus in response to the crash sensor signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21)
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16. An integrated occupant protection system for a vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle seat mountable within the vehicle and having a lower seat portion and a seat back portion; an internal electrical communications bus located within said vehicle seat for providing control signals to and from a plurality of components and for providing power to at least some of said plurality of components, said plurality of components comprising; a crash sensor for sensing a crash event and providing a signal indicative thereof, said crash sensor located within said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said internal communications bus; an actuatable occupant protection device mounted to said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said internal communications bus for, when actuated, helping to protect a vehicle occupant in response to said crash sensor signal, said occupant protection device being controlled over said internal communications bus; a seat belt buckle having a switch element electrically coupled to said internal communications bus, said buckle switch element detecting a belted or unbelted condition and providing a switch signal indicative of said condition to said internal communications bus, said seat belt buckle being mounted to said vehicle seat; a seat belt pretensioner device mounted to said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said internal communications bus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in response to said switch signal and said crash sensor signal; and a connector electrically coupled to said internal communications bus for providing an electrical interface to said internal communications bus from a location external to said vehicle seat. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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22. An integrated occupant protection system for a vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle seat mountable within the vehicle and having a lower seat portion and a seat back portion; an electrical communications bus mounted to said vehicle seat for providing control signals to and from a plurality of components and for providing power to at least some of said plurality of components, said plurality of components comprising; a crash sensor for sensing a crash event and providing a signal indicative thereof, said crash sensor mounted to said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus; an actuatable occupant protection device mounted to said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus for, when actuated, helping to protect a vehicle occupant in response to said crash sensor signal, said occupant protection device being controlled over said communications bus; a seat belt buckle having a switch element electrically coupled to said communications bus, said switch element detecting a belted or unbelted condition of said buckle and providing a switch signal indicative of the detected condition to said communications bus, said buckle being mounted to said vehicle seat; a seat belt pretensioner device mounted to said vehicle seat and electrically coupled to said communications bus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in response to said switch signal and said crash sensor signal; a connector electrically coupled to said communications bus for providing an electrical connection to said communications bus, said connector being accessible from a location external to said vehicle seat; an internal controller electrically coupled to said communications bus and mounted to said vehicle seat, said internal controller receiving signals from at least some of said plurality of components over said communications bus and, in response to said signals from said at least some of said plurality of components, providing control signals to said communications bus to control at least some of said plurality of components; and an external controller mounted external to said vehicle seat, said external controller electrically coupled to said internal controller through said communications bus and said connector, said external controller providing control signals to said internal controller to control at least some of said plurality of components.
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23. An integrated occupant protection system for a vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle seat mountable within the vehicle; an electrical communications bus located within said vehicle seat for providing control signals to and from a plurality of electrical components located within said vehicle seat, said communications bus providing power to at least some of said plurality of components; a connector electrically coupled to said communications bus for providing an electrical interface to said communications bus from a location external to said vehicle seat; an internal controller electrically coupled to said communications bus and mounted to said vehicle seat, said internal controller receiving signals from at least some of said plurality of components over said communications bus and, in response to said signals from said at least some of said plurality of components, providing control signals to said communications bus to control selected ones of said plurality of components; and an external controller located external to said vehicle seat, said external controller electrically coupled to said communications bus through said connector, said external controller providing control signals to said communications bus to control at least some of said internal controller and said plurality of components.
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Specification