Patent ID: 7758069

Claim:
A passenger restraint system for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising: a first inflatable passenger-side restraint cushion that is configured to engage a lower extremity region of a passenger in the automotive vehicle when the first inflatable restraint cushion is in an inflated state, wherein the first inflatable passenger-side restraint cushion has a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the lower portion and upper portion each have a chamber and the chambers are in fluid communication, wherein the lower portion is shaped to provide knee/upper leg protection for a passenger, wherein the upper portion is shaped to provide torso region protection for a passenger, and wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are configured such that the lower portion expands before the upper portion upon deployment; a second inflatable passenger-side restraint cushion that is configured to engage an upper body region of the passenger when the second inflatable passenger-side restraint cushion is in an inflated state; wherein the first and second inflatable passenger-side restraint cushions are capable of separate, non-simultaneous inflation; and an electronic control unit capable of making an evaluation as a condition for selecting deployment of only one of the inflatable passenger-side restraint cushions or both of the inflatable passenger-side restraint cushions and initiating deployment of only one of the inflatable passenger-side restraint cushions or both of the inflatable passenger-side restraint cushions.