US5546307A — Method and apparatus for discriminating vehicle c…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 81 words

An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: means for determining an instantaneous power value of said vehicle when involved in a crash condition; means for determining a vehicle delta velocity value of said vehicle when involved in said crash condition; and means for actuating the occupant restraint system when both said determined vehicle delta velocity value and said determined instantaneous power value indicate a predetermined type of vehicle crash condition is occurring.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 81 words

An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: means for determining an instantaneous power value of said vehicle when involved in a crash condition; means for determining a vehicle delta velocity value of said vehicle when involved in said crash condition; and means for actuating the occupant restraint system when both said determined vehicle delta velocity value and said determined instantaneous power value indicate a predetermined type of vehicle crash condition is occurring.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for determining said vehicle delta velocity value includes means for monitoring deceleration of the vehicle and providing a signal indicative of said deceleration, and means for integrating said deceleration signal.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for determining the instantaneous power value includes means for monitoring deceleration of the vehicle at a plurality of times, said instantaneous power value being functionally related to the vehicle deceleration.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for determining the instantaneous power value includes means for determining a plurality of root-mean-square energy values from the monitored deceleration.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 78 words

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for determining a plurality of root-mean-square values from the vehicle deceleration includes means for monitoring the vehicle deceleration at a plurality of times to determine a plurality of vehicle deceleration values, means for determining the square of each of the vehicle deceleration values, means for summing the squares of the vehicle deceleration values, and means for taking the square-root of the sum of the squares of the vehicle deceleration values.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 29 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for determining said instantaneous power of the vehicle crash includes means for computing the derivatives of the plurality of root-mean-square values.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 117 words

An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: means for determining the instantaneous power value of said vehicle when involved in a crash condition; means for comparing said determined instantaneous power value of a vehicle crash condition against a first threshold value; means for determining a vehicle delta velocity value of said vehicle when involved in said crash condition; means for comparing said determined vehicle delta velocity value against a second threshold value; and means for actuating the occupant restraint system when said determined vehicle delta velocity value exceeds said second threshold value within a time period from when said determined instantaneous power value exceeds said first threshold value.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 117 words

An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: means for determining the instantaneous power value of said vehicle when involved in a crash condition; means for comparing said determined instantaneous power value of a vehicle crash condition against a first threshold value; means for determining a vehicle delta velocity value of said vehicle when involved in said crash condition; means for comparing said determined vehicle delta velocity value against a second threshold value; and means for actuating the occupant restraint system when said determined vehicle delta velocity value exceeds said second threshold value within a time period from when said determined instantaneous power value exceeds said first threshold value.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for determining said vehicle delta velocity value includes means for monitoring deceleration of the vehicle and providing a signal indicative of said deceleration, and means for integrating said deceleration signal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for determining the instantaneous power value includes means for monitoring deceleration of the vehicle at a plurality of times, said instantaneous power value being functionally related to the vehicle deceleration.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for determining the instantaneous power value includes means for determining a plurality of root-mean-square energy values from the monitored deceleration.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 78 words

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said means for determining a plurality of root-mean-square values from the vehicle deceleration includes means for monitoring the vehicle deceleration at a plurality of times to determine a plurality of vehicle deceleration values, means for determining the square of each of the vehicle deceleration values, means for summing the squares of the vehicle deceleration values, and means for taking the square-root of the sum of the squares of the vehicle deceleration values.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 29 words

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for determining said instantaneous power of the vehicle crash includes means for computing the derivatives of the plurality of root-mean-square values.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 164 words

An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: sensing means for providing a signal indicative of vehicle deceleration; means for determining the root-mean-square value of said deceleration signal; means for determining a first time derivative of said determined root-mean-square value of said deceleration signal; first comparing means for comparing said determined derivative of said determined root-means-square value of said deceleration signal against a first threshold value; means for determining a value indicative of vehicle delta velocity from said signal indicative of vehicle deceleration; second comparing means for comparing the determined vehicle delta velocity against a second threshold value; and means for actuating the occupant restraint system when said means for second comparing means determines that said delta velocity value is greater than said second threshold value within a time period from when said first comparing means determines that the derivative of said determined root-means-square value of said deceleration signal is greater than said first threshold value.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 164 words

An apparatus for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: sensing means for providing a signal indicative of vehicle deceleration; means for determining the root-mean-square value of said deceleration signal; means for determining a first time derivative of said determined root-mean-square value of said deceleration signal; first comparing means for comparing said determined derivative of said determined root-means-square value of said deceleration signal against a first threshold value; means for determining a value indicative of vehicle delta velocity from said signal indicative of vehicle deceleration; second comparing means for comparing the determined vehicle delta velocity against a second threshold value; and means for actuating the occupant restraint system when said means for second comparing means determines that said delta velocity value is greater than said second threshold value within a time period from when said first comparing means determines that the derivative of said determined root-means-square value of said deceleration signal is greater than said first threshold value.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 22 words

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for determining said vehicle delta velocity includes means for integrating said vehicle deceleration signal.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said sensing means for providing a signal indicative of vehicle deceleration includes an accelerometer.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 118 words

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for determining the root-mean-square value of said deceleration signal includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the accelerometer output signal into a digital signal having a value indicative of vehicle deceleration, a microcomputer for monitoring a plurality of deceleration signals at different times and for determining the square of the value of each of the deceleration signals, memory means for storing a plurality of said squared values, said microcomputer having means for summing a plurality of squared values stored in memory, and means for taking the square-root of the sum of the squared values, the square-root of the sum of the squared values being said root-mean-square value of the deceleration signal.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 77 words

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for determining a first time derivative of said determined root-mean-square value of said deceleration signal is said microcomputer, said microcomputer storing (a) a previous determined root-mean-square value and (b) a present determined root-mean-square value of the deceleration signal determined a known time period after said previous determined root-mean-square value, said microcomputer subtracting the previous determined root-mean-square value from the present root-mean-square value and dividing by said known time period.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said microcomputer includes said means for comparing said determined derivative of said determined root-means-square value of said deceleration signal against a first threshold value stored in said microcomputer's internal memory.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 31 words

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for actuating said occupant restraining device includes a one-shot operatively connected to an electric switch connected in series with said occupant restraining device.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 78 words

A method for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: determining an instantaneous power value of said vehicle when involved in a crash condition; determining a vehicle delta velocity value of the vehicle when involved in the crash condition; and actuating the occupant restraint system when both said determined vehicle delta velocity value and said determined instantaneous power value indicate a predetermined type of vehicle crash condition is occurring.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 78 words

A method for controlling actuation of an occupant restraint system in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: determining an instantaneous power value of said vehicle when involved in a crash condition; determining a vehicle delta velocity value of the vehicle when involved in the crash condition; and actuating the occupant restraint system when both said determined vehicle delta velocity value and said determined instantaneous power value indicate a predetermined type of vehicle crash condition is occurring.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 20 wherein the step of determining a vehicle delta velocity value includes the steps of providing a signal indicative of vehicle deceleration and integrating said deceleration signal.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 20 wherein said step of determining the instantaneous power value includes monitoring deceleration of the vehicle at a plurality of times, the instantaneous power value being functionally related to the vehicle deceleration.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 22 wherein said step of determining the instantaneous power value includes determining a plurality of root-mean-square energy values from the monitored deceleration.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 23 wherein said step of determining a plurality root-mean-square values from the vehicle deceleration includes monitoring the vehicle deceleration at a plurality of times, determining a plurality of vehicle deceleration values, determining the square of each of the vehicle deceleration values, summing the squares of the vehicle deceleration values, and taking the square-root of the sum of the squares of the vehicle deceleration values.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 24 wherein said step of determining said instantaneous power of the vehicle crash includes computing the derivatives of the plurality of root-mean-square values.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-08-13	2000-02-12	2000-08-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-08-13	2004-02-12	2004-08-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-08-13	2008-02-12	2008-08-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for discriminating vehicle crash conditions

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