Patent ID: 7463987

Claim:
A method of sensing a magnetic condition of a door of a vehicle, comprising: a. locating at least one first coil at at least one first location in magnetic communication with a first door of the vehicle; b. applying at least one first time-varying signal to said at least one first coil; c. generating at least one first magnetic field with said at least one first coil responsive to said at least one first time-varying signal, wherein at least a portion of said at least one first magnetic field is in magnetic communication with said first door, said at least one first location and said at least one first coil are adapted so that said at least one first magnetic field is influenced by an opening state of said first door, and said at least one first location and said at least one first coil are adapted so that said at least one first magnetic field is influenced by a crash involving said first door; and d. generating at least one first signal from said at least one first coil responsive to said at least one first time-varying electrical signal and responsive to at least said at least one first magnetic field, wherein said at least one first signal provides for sensing an opening state of said first door, and said at least one first signal provides for sensing a crash involving said first door.