Patent ID: 7575248

Claim:
A method for controlling inflation of an airbag in a vehicle which protects an occupant from injury in an accident involving the vehicle, comprising: sensing an accident involving the vehicle for which deployment of the airbag is desired; inflating the airbag to protect the occupant in the accident involving the vehicle upon sensing of the accident; arranging an accelerometer in connection with the airbag such that the accelerometer moves with the airbag upon inflation of the airbag and provides a variable output indicative of measured acceleration upon inflation of the airbag, the acceleration being measured by the accelerometer corresponding to the occupant's acceleration when the airbag is in contact with the occupant; sensing contact between the airbag and the occupant during inflation of the airbag based on changes in the measured acceleration; and adjusting the continued inflation of the airbag after contact of the airbag with the occupant based on the sensed contact between the airbag and the occupant and to maintain the occupant's acceleration below a threshold by considering the acceleration being measured by the accelerometer when the airbag is in contact with the occupant.