Vehicle air bag deployment system and method

• US 6,561,542 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chitalia, Janak, Ryan, Sean Timothy, Vinton, Jeffrey Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US09/681,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20020195805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 280/734, 280/735, 296/68.1, 701/49, 745/12, 745/13, 745/14
• US Class Current: 280/734
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A method of adjusting air bag deployment in a vehicle having a seat adjustable along a seat track and an adjustable pedal includes sensing the adjusted position of the seat along the seat track and sensing the adjusted position of the adjustable pedal. Air bag deployment is then adjusted based upon the sensed positions of the seat and pedal. Preferably, the air bag is deployable at low output and high output, and the adjusting step includes sending a signal operative to enable or disable the high output of air bag deployment.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting air bag deployment in a vehicle having a seat adjustable along a seat track and an adjustable pedal, the method comprising:

sensing the adjusted position of the seat along the seat track;

sensing the adjusted position of the adjustable pedal; and

adjusting deployment of the air bag based upon said sensed positions of the seat and pedal, wherein the air bag is deployable at low output and high output and the step of adjusting deployment of the air bag comprises sending a signal operative to enable or disable the high output, and further wherein the seat is adjustable between first, second and third zones, and said adjusting step comprises disabling the high output when the seat is in the first zone, enabling the high output when the seat is in the third zone, and enabling or disabling the high output based upon the sensed pedal position when the seat is in the second zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step comprises sending an enable or disable signal from a driver seat track position module (dstp) to a restraints control module, wherein the dstp is operatively connected to a linear seat track position sensor and a pedal position sensor, and the restraints control module is operatively connected to the air bag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting step is performed at regular predetermined time intervals.

4. A vehicle air bag deployment system comprising:

a seat adjustable along a seat track and including a seat position sensor;

an adjustable pedal with a pedal position sensor;

an air bag with adjustable deployment; and

a control system operatively connected to the seat position sensor, pedal position sensor and air bag for adjusting air bag deployment based upon signals received from the seat position sensor and pedal position sensor, wherein the air bag is deployable in first and second stages and the control system is operative to enable or disable the second stage, and further wherein the seat is adjustable between first, second and third zones, and the control system is operative to disable the second stage when the seat is in the first zone, enable the second stage when the seat is in the third zone, and enable or disable the second stage based upon the sensed pedal position when the seat is in the second zone.

5. The vehicle air bag deployment system of claim 4, wherein the control system includes a driver seat track position module operatively connected to a restraints control module, wherein the driver seat track position module is operatively connected to the seat position sensor and pedal position sensor, and the restraints control module is operatively connected to the air bag.

6. A method of adjusting deployment of an air bag in a vehicle, wherein the air bag is deployable at a low output and at a high output upon receipt of a high-output enable signal, and wherein the vehicle includes a seat adjustable along a seat track over a range of positions including a first zone, a second zone and a third zone, and an adjustable pedal, the method comprising:

sensing the adjusted position of the seat along the seat track;

sensing the adjusted position of the adjustable pedal; and

generating the low output enable signal when the seat is adjusted to the first zone, the low output enable signal and selectively enabling the high-output enable signal to thereby adjust deployment of the air bag based upon the sensed position of the adjustable pedal when the sensed position of the seat is in the intermediate range, and both the low output and high output signal when the seat is adjusted to the third zone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating is further based upon the relative sensed position of the seat within the intermediate range.