Patent ID: 8430424
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. An apparatus in a transportation vehicle comprising: a driver seating location for receiving a driver on a first side of the vehicle; a passenger seating location for receiving a passenger on a second side of the vehicle in a side-to-side row with the driver seating location; crash sensors responsive to occurrences of a frontal impact and a side impact; an occupant sensor for detecting whether the passenger seating location is occupied by a passenger or is empty; an inflatable restraint mounted proximate to the passenger seating location and configured to inflate in a manner to interact with a passenger in the passenger seating location, wherein the inflatable restraint is not inflated in response to a frontal impact when the passenger seating location is empty; and a restraint controller coupled to the crash sensors, the occupant sensor, and the inflatable restraint for 1) detecting a far side impact that initiates at the second side of the vehicle, 2) detecting that the passenger seating location is empty; wherein the inflatable restraint is inflated with a first inflation configuration when the passenger seating location is occupied by a passenger during an impact, and wherein the inflatable restraint is inflated with a second inflation configuration different from the first inflation configuration when the passenger seating location is empty during the far side impact, and 3) causing inflation of the inflatable restraint to interact with the driver in response to the far side impact and the passenger seating location being empty.