Airbag deployment control based on seat parameters
First Claim
1. A vehicle comprising:
- an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters;
a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag;
a seat position sensor system arranged to determine the position of said seat;
a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; and
a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag,said control system being coupled to said seat position sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of said seat,said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag for the duration of the crash such that said at least one airbag is not deployed during the entire crash or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag during the crash based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Airbag control arrangement for a vehicle including an airbag system having at least one airbag, a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by the airbag(s), a seat position sensor system for determining the seat'"'"'s position, and a control system for controlling deployment of the airbag(s). The control system is coupled to the seat position sensor system and determines deployment for the airbag(s) based on the determined position of the seat. Deployment of each airbag may be based only on the determined position of the seat, i.e., not based on information about the occupant or occupying item of the seat. The control system can suppress deployment of the airbag(s) or provide for a depowered deployment when the seat position sensor system indicates that the seat is in a forwardmost position.
50 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag; a seat position sensor system arranged to determine the position of said seat; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat position sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of said seat, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag for the duration of the crash such that said at least one airbag is not deployed during the entire crash or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag during the crash based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag; a seat sensor system arranged to determine parameters relating to said seat; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment parameters for said at least one airbag upon detection of a crash by said crash sensor system based only on the determined parameters relating to said seat and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of said seat, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag for the duration of the crash such that said at least one airbag is not deployed during the entire crash or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag during the crash based on the determined parameters relating to said seat. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 20)
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13. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a crash involving the vehicle; determining a position of a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; and determining deployment for the airbag, upon the detection of a crash involving the vehicle, based on the determined position of the seat and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of the seat, the step of determining deployment for the airbag including suppressing deployment of the airbag for the duration of the crash such that the airbag is not deployed during the entire crash or providing for a depowered deployment of the airbag during the crash based on the determined position of the seat. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a crash involving the vehicle; determining parameters relating to a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; and determining deployment for the airbag, upon the detection of a crash involving the vehicle, based only on the determined parameters relating to the seat and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of the seat, the step of determining deployment for the airbag including suppressing deployment of the airbag for the duration of the crash such that the airbag is not deployed during the entire crash or providing for a depowered deployment of the airbag during the crash based only on the determined parameters relating to the seat. - View Dependent Claims (19, 21)
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22. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag; a seat position sensor system arranged to determine the position of said seat; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat position sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag upon detection of a crash by said crash sensor system and when said seat position sensor system indicates that said seat is in a forwardmost position.
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23. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag, said seat including a bottom portion and a back portion arranged at an angle to said bottom portion; a seat position sensor arranged to determine the position of said seat; a seat back angle sensor system arranged to determine an angle between said back portion and said bottom portion; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat position sensor system, said seat back angle sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based only on detection of a crash by said crash sensor system, the determined position of said seat and the determined angle between said back portion and said bottom portion, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system.
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24. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag; a seat position sensor system arranged to determine the position of said seat; a seatbelt associated with said seat and having a buckle; a seat belt buckle sensor system arranged to determine whether said seatbelt is buckled; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat position sensor system, said seat belt buckle sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment for said at least one airbag based only on detection of a crash by said crash sensor system, the determined position of said seat and whether said seatbelt is buckled, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag during the crash based on the determined position of said seat and detection of a crash by said crash sensor system.
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25. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag, said seat includes an associated seatbelt having a buckle; a seat sensor system arranged to determine parameters relating to said seat, said seat sensor system including a seat belt buckle sensor system arranged to determine whether said seatbelt is buckled; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment parameters for said at least one airbag upon detection of a crash by said crash sensor system based only on the determined parameters relating to said seat and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of said seat, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag based on the determined parameters relating to said seat, said control system determining deployment for said at least one airbag based on whether said seatbelt is buckled.
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26. A vehicle comprising:
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an airbag system including at least one airbag having variable deployment parameters; a crash sensor system for detecting a crash involving the vehicle; a seat for occupancy by an occupant to be protected by said at least one airbag; a seat sensor system arranged to determine parameters relating to said seat, said seat sensor system including a seat position sensor arranged to determine a position of said seat; and a control system for controlling deployment of said at least one airbag, said control system being coupled to said seat sensor system and said crash sensor system and determining deployment parameters for said at least one airbag upon detection of a crash by said crash sensor system based only on the determined position of said seat, and no other parameters relating to said seat, and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of said seat, said control system being arranged to suppress deployment of said at least one airbag or provide for a depowered deployment of said at least one airbag based on the determined parameters relating to said seat.
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27. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a crash involving the vehicle; determining a position of a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; and determining deployment for the airbag, upon the detection of a crash involving the vehicle, based on the determined position of the seat, the step of determining deployment for the airbag including suppressing deployment of the airbag or providing for a depowered deployment of the airbag based on the determined position of the seat, wherein deployment of the airbag, upon detection of the crash involving the vehicle, is based only on the determined position of the seat.
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28. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a crash involving the vehicle; determining a position of a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; determining an angle between a back portion and a bottom portion of the seat; and determining deployment for the airbag, upon the detection of the crash involving the vehicle, based only on the determined position of the seat and the determined angle between the back portion and the bottom portion, the step of determining deployment for the airbag including suppressing deployment of the airbag or providing for a depowered deployment of the airbag based on the determined position of the seat.
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29. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a crash involving the vehicle; determining a position of a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; determining whether a seatbelt associated with the seat is buckled; and determining deployment for the airbag, upon the detection of the crash involving the vehicle, based only on the determined position of the seat and whether the seatbelt is buckled, the step of determining deployment for the airbag including suppressing deployment of the airbag or providing for a depowered deployment of the airbag based on the determined position of the seat.
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30. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag in a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a crash involving the vehicle; determining parameters relating to a seat of an occupant to be protected by the airbag; and determining deployment for the airbag, upon the detection of a crash involving the vehicle, based only on the determined parameters relating to the seat and not on determined morphological parameters of the occupant of the seat, the step of determining parameters relating to the seat consists of determining a fore and aft position of a bottom portion of the seat such that only the seat position is determined and no other parameters relating to the seat, the step of determining deployment for the airbag including suppressing deployment of the airbag or providing for a depowered deployment of the airbag based only on the determined parameters relating to the seat.
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Specification