Patent ID: 6363307
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
A control system for an occupant protection apparatus of a vehicle comprising:first and second activating devices adapted to activate the occupant protecting apparatus; a control unit operatively coupled to said first and second activating devices, said control unit including a collision diagnostic portion that determines a level of a collision of the vehicle based on deceleration of the vehicle during the collision; a deceleration sensor operatively coupled to said control unit to provide information on the deceleration of the vehicle during the collision; a first activation circuit operatively coupling said control unit to said first activating device; and a second activation circuit operatively coupling said control unit to said second activating device, said first and second activation circuits share a commonly connected portion; said control unit selectively energizing at least one of said first and second activation circuits to selectively activate at least one of first and second activating devices for first and second predetermined activation time periods, respectively, based on said level of the collision determined with said collision diagnostic portion, said control unit being configured to receive a first activation requirement signal from said collision diagnostic portion to activate said first activating device and a second activation requirement signal from said collision diagnostic portion to activate said second activating device when said level of the collision determined by said collision diagnostic portion requires activation of both said first and second activation circuits, said control unit selectively activates said second activation circuit after completion of said first predetermined activation time period of said first activation circuit, when said second activation requirement signal overlaps with said first activation requirement signal.