Patent ID: 8086430

Claim:
A computer-based method for positioning a finite element occupant model including a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a starting position of the finite element occupant model in a pre-crash simulation; receiving an ending position of the finite element occupant model in a pre-crash simulation; associating one or more spring models with the starting position of the finite element occupant model so that a first end of each spring model is attached to a component of the finite element occupant model in the starting position; defining spring parameters associated with each spring model, the defined spring parameters describing characteristics of the spring models affecting movement of one or more components during the pre-crash simulation and comprising one or more parameters describing motion of a second end of each spring model and one or more parameters describing a response of each spring model to tension; and responsive to the spring parameters associated with the spring models, moving the one or more components during the pre-crash simulation from the starting position to the ending position to position the finite element occupant; and using, for a crash-simulation starting position of the finite element occupant in a crash simulation, the pre-crash simulated ending position of the finite element occupant.