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US5490069A
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Multiple-strategy crash discrimination system
Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory Inc
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Filing: 1994-01-14
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Granted: 1996-02-06
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Expires: 2014-01-14
Abstract
Abstract A system (10) and method for actuating a vehicle air bag (38) uses an optical detector (12) to generate an output (22) representative of the distance between a vehicle occupant and a fixed structure within the vehicle. The output (22) is subsequently used by a signal processor/discrimination unit (26) to generate data representative of actual occupant conditions, such as transitory occupant position, velocity and/or acceleration. The occupant condition data is used to select the temporally optimal one of a plurality of different predetermined parameter-based crash discrimination strategies (R,S,T,X,Y,Z), and perhaps further used as a decisional criterion in at least one strategy. Each strategy employs different decisional criteria to provide a different range of actual times to fire. The different decisional criteria of the available strategies may be the result of uniquely-different parameter-based crash discrimination algorithms, or otherwise-identical parameter-based algorithms employing different thresholds, or both. The air bag is actuated when the decisional criteria of the selected strategy are satisfied to generate an actual time to fire. The present system and method thus optimize crash discrimination analysis by customizing the analysis in real time to match actual rather than assumed occupant conditions.
Inventors
- 👤 Tony Gioutsos
- 👤 Edward J. Gillis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:37
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/01; B60R21/013; B60R21/015; B60R21/01512; B60R21/0153; B60R21/01534; B60R2021/01013; B60R2021/01027; B60R2021/01315; B60Y; B60Y2400/00; B60Y2400/30; B60Y2400/301
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
209 words
A system for actuating a vehicle safety restraint comprising: means for detecting a distance between a vehicle occupant and a fixed structure within the vehicle; means for receiving information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; processor means responsive to said detected distance and said received vehicle acceleration information for determining a first actual time to fire, wherein said processor means generates occupant condition data based on said detected distance, said occupant condition data being representative of at least one of the group consisting of transitory occupant position, transitory occupant velocity and transitory occupant acceleration; and wherein said processor means selects in real time one of a plurality of crash discrimination strategies for use in a crash discrimination analysis based on said generated occupant condition data, each of said strategies using said received vehicle acceleration information to provide a range of actual times to fire, said range of actual times to fire provided by one of the strategies being different from the range of actual times to fire provided by another of the strategies; and wherein said processor means determines said first actual time to fire in accordance with the selected strategy; and means responsive to said processor means for actuating the safety restraint at said first actual time to fire.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
209 words
A system for actuating a vehicle safety restraint comprising: means for detecting a distance between a vehicle occupant and a fixed structure within the vehicle; means for receiving information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; processor means responsive to said detected distance and said received vehicle acceleration information for determining a first actual time to fire, wherein said processor means generates occupant condition data based on said detected distance, said occupant condition data being representative of at least one of the group consisting of transitory occupant position, transitory occupant velocity and transitory occupant acceleration; and wherein said processor means selects in real time one of a plurality of crash discrimination strategies for use in a crash discrimination analysis based on said generated occupant condition data, each of said strategies using said received vehicle acceleration information to provide a range of actual times to fire, said range of actual times to fire provided by one of the strategies being different from the range of actual times to fire provided by another of the strategies; and wherein said processor means determines said first actual time to fire in accordance with the selected strategy; and means responsive to said processor means for actuating the safety restraint at said first actual time to fire.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said processor means further predicts a first required time to fire using said generated occupant condition data; and wherein said first actual time to fire is less than said first required time to fire.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said generated occupant condition data is used by said processor means in determining said first actual time to fire in accordance with at least one of said strategies.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said processor means compares said generated occupant condition data to a first threshold value in accordance with at least one of said strategies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the first threshold varies as a function of said detected distance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said processor means compares said detected distance to a second threshold in accordance with at least one of said strategies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said processor means compares said vehicle acceleration information to a third threshold value in determining said first actual time to fire in accordance with at least one of said strategies, and wherein the third threshold value varies as a function of said detected distance.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of actuating a vehicle safety restraint in response to a crash comprising the steps of: detecting a distance between a vehicle occupant and a fixed structure within the vehicle; generating occupant condition data based on said detected distance, said generated occupant condition data being representative of at least one of the group consisting of transitory occupant position, transitory occupant velocity and transitory occupant acceleration; receiving information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; selecting in real time one of a plurality of crash discrimination strategies for use in a crash discrimination analysis based on said generated occupant condition data, wherein each strategy uses said received vehicle acceleration information to provide a range of actual times to fire, said range of actual times to fire provided by one of the strategies being different from the range of actual times to fire provided by another of the strategies; determining a first actual time to fire in accordance with the selected strategy; and actuating the safety restraint at said first actual time to fire.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
171 words
A method of actuating a vehicle safety restraint in response to a crash comprising the steps of: detecting a distance between a vehicle occupant and a fixed structure within the vehicle; generating occupant condition data based on said detected distance, said generated occupant condition data being representative of at least one of the group consisting of transitory occupant position, transitory occupant velocity and transitory occupant acceleration; receiving information representative of instantaneous vehicle acceleration; selecting in real time one of a plurality of crash discrimination strategies for use in a crash discrimination analysis based on said generated occupant condition data, wherein each strategy uses said received vehicle acceleration information to provide a range of actual times to fire, said range of actual times to fire provided by one of the strategies being different from the range of actual times to fire provided by another of the strategies; determining a first actual time to fire in accordance with the selected strategy; and actuating the safety restraint at said first actual time to fire.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said selecting step includes the step of determining a first required time to fire using said generated occupant condition data; and wherein said first actual time to fire is less than said first required time to fire.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of said strategies uses said generated occupant condition data in determining said first actual time to fire.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the use of at least one of said strategies includes comparing said generated occupant condition data to a first threshold value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 11, further including the step of adjusting the first threshold using said detected distance.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the use of at least one of said strategies includes comparing said detected distance to a second threshold value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the use of said vehicle acceleration information includes comparing said vehicle acceleration information to a third threshold value, and adjusting the third threshold value based on said detected distance.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-02-05 | 1999-08-07 | 2000-02-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-02-05 | 2003-08-07 | 2004-02-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-02-05 | 2007-08-07 | 2008-02-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |