Patent ID: 7861817

Claim:
An occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle comprising: a plurality of communication devices for communicating an external device; a controller for determining a collision of the vehicle based on information transmitted from the external device via the plurality of communication devices and for activating an occupant protection device corresponding to the collision; and a circuit board having upper and lower surfaces; wherein the controller prohibits activation of the occupant protection device when the controller detects communication anomaly occurred at more than one communication device; the controller determines the collision based on the information about an impact applied to the vehicle; the controller prohibits activation of the occupant protection device based on the communication anomaly other than communication anomaly caused by the impact; the controller is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board; at least two of the plurality of communication devices are mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board; other communication devices are mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board; the controller prohibits activation of the occupant protection device based on the communication anomaly at the at least two of the plurality of communication devices on the lower surface of the circuit board; the communication anomaly caused by the impact occurs at the other communication devices on the upper surface of the circuit board; the other communication devices are coupled with external collision sensors, respectively; the at least two of the plurality of communication devices are coupled with external sensors other than the collision sensors, respectively; and the circuit board is disposed under a floor of a compartment of the vehicle.