Method of enabling and disabling occupant restraints

US6088639A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• DELCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Salem Ahmad Fayyad · Ann Arbor, US
• Michael Walden · Noblesville, US
• David M. Spell · Kokomo, US
• Sheri Lynn Patterson · Greentown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 3, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 11, 2000
• Expiry date: Oct 3, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60R21/01
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A controller for airbags and seat belt pretensioners stores a digital flag for each restraint to enable or disable the corresponding deployment loop. A diagnostic tester is coupled by a communications link to the controller to selectively set the flags as desired. The controller stores a seed and a key and the tester is provided with an algorithm which can calculate the key from the seed. The tester requests the seed, which is supplied, and then calculates the key and sends the key to the controller along with a request to set the status of the deployment loops. If the transmitted key matches the stored key, the controller will comply with the request and set the flags accordingly.