Patent ID: 7445073

Claim:
A sensor assembly for sensing an impact to a vehicle, the sensor assembly comprising: a light source for emitting light; a sensing channel for receiving and propagating the emitted light, the sensing channel configured to deform in response to an impact to the vehicle and including at least one void with dimensions that vary in response to deformation of the sensing channel, light propagating through said sensing channel escaping through said at least one void so that propagated light intensity is functionally related to an impact to the vehicle; a detector for sensing the intensity of the light propagating through the sensing channel and for providing a signal indicative of the sensed intensity; a reference channel also receiving the emitted light; a reference detector sensing an intensity of the light propagating through the reference channel and providing a reference signal indicative of the sensed intensity of the light propagating through the reference channel; and a controller for analyzing the signal from the detector to determine whether the light intensity is indicative of an impact to the vehicle, the controller using the reference signal for compensating for variations in an intensity of the light emitted from the light source.