Patent ID: 8406959

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a central crash acceleration sensor for sensing crash acceleration in a direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle at a central vehicle location and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof; a side pressure sensor for sensing pressure in a chamber disposed at a side of the vehicle and providing a side pressure signal indicative thereof; and a controller for actuating the actuatable occupant restraint device in response to the first crash acceleration signal and the side pressure signal, said controller (a) determining a first acceleration value from a moving average of absolute values of the first crash acceleration signal, (b) determining a change in pressure value comprising a change in pressure in said chamber determined from the side pressure signal, and (c) actuating said actuatable occupant restraint device when both said determined first acceleration value exceeds a first threshold and said determined change in pressure value exceeds a second threshold.