Patent ID: 8527151

Claim:
A motor vehicle comprising: a blind-spot detection system comprising a remote sensor located adjacent a rear corner of the vehicle and having a beam pattern covering a blind spot sensing zone disposed in a rear quadrant of the vehicle, the remote sensor further having a side impact sensing zone disposed in a forward quadrant of the vehicle; a side impact sensor mounted at a side impact portion of the vehicle; an occupant safety device operable to protect an occupant during an impact on the side impact portion of the vehicle; and a control module receiving signals from the side impact sensor and the blind-spot detection sensor and operative to: calculate an approach vector of an object detected in the side impact sensing zone and/or the blind spot sensing zone; determine, based on the approach vector, that the object is likely to impact the side impact portion of the vehicle; establish a side impact threshold value based at least in part upon the approach vector, the threshold value being less than a contact-only threshold value applied when approach vector information is not available; detect, based on the signals received from the impact sensor, an impact on the side impact portion of the vehicle and determine a magnitude of the impact; compare the magnitude of the impact with the side impact threshold value; and activate the occupant safety device if the magnitude of the impact exceeds the threshold value.