Patent ID: 8260502

Claim:
A process for operating an active safety system of a motor vehicle, the process comprising: providing a motor vehicle with an ultrasonic array having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a three-dimensional (3D) imaging system, an electronic control unit and an occupant safety system. energizing the ultrasonic array such that a plurality of sound waves are propagated and a plurality of echo waves are received by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the plurality of echo waves transformed into a plurality of electrical pulses by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers; providing an occupant warning system operable to transmit an occupant warning signal to an occupant of the motor vehicle; generating a 3D image from the plurality of electrical pulses with the 3D imaging system; determining a location, size and geometric orientation of the 3D image relative to the motor vehicle with the electronic control unit; providing an occupant safety parameter as a function of the location, size and geometric orientation of the 3D image; transmitting of the occupant safety parameter to the occupant warning system by the electronic control unit; receiving of the occupant safety parameter by the occupant warning system; determining whether or not to transmit the occupant warning signal to the occupant of the motor vehicle as a function of the occupant safety parameter, wherein the occupant warning system provides a warning to sit facing forward based on the occupant safety parameter; and determining whether or not to deploy an occupant safety device as a function of the occupant safety parameter.