Patent ID: 6448890
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An occupant sensing apparatus for controlling the operating characteristics of a vehicle's safety restraint system, comprising:at least one air bag module (30) having an inflator (50) capable of generating a low-level output (52) and a high-level output (54); at least one crash sensor (25), producing a first signal indicative of the deceleration of the vehicle during a crash event; a controller (62) receiving the first signal, said controller having a first lower threshold (84) indicative of the minimum change in velocity at which the lower-level output (52) should be initiated, and a first must-fire high threshold (86) indicative of a minimum change in velocity and generating a control signal that is used to control the operating characteristics of the vehicle's safety restraint system and a biological gray zone defined between the first lower threshold and the must fire threshold, the controller (62) further having a sensing gray zone between a second lower threshold and a second upper threshold, said sensing gray zone being a region where the controller is unable to determine whether to initiate a low level output or a high level output, and wherein said first lower threshold is the highest speed where the low-output inflator (52) produces higher in-position occupant performance values than the high-output inflator, but does not exceed the out-of-position Injury Assessment Reference Value goals for out of position occupants; and wherein the sensing gray zone is above the first lower threshold and below the must fire high threshold, wherein the must-fire high-level inflator output threshold (86) speed is the lowest speed where the occupant performance with the low-level output inflator exceeds the Injury Assessment Reference Value goals.