Method and apparatus for determining deployment of a safety restraint device in an occupant restraining system

US6766235B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Seimens VDO Automotive Corporation · US

Inventors

• Manfred Frimberger
• Telmo Glaser · Regensburg, DE
• Jeffrey Gleacher · Canton, US
• Reinhard Hamperl · Altötting, DE
• Matthias Kiening · Bad Abbach, DE
• Douglas McConnell · Rochester Hills, US
• Reinhart Weber · Schreiber, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 23, 2003
• Grant date: Jul 20, 2004
• Expiry date: Feb 19, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60W2520/125
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle occupant restraining system includes a plurality of safety restraint devices and utilizes a main controller and a safing controller to determine whether or not conditions are proper for deploying each safety restraint device. The system discriminates between front, side, rear, and roll-over impact events and determines which safety restraint devices should be deployed in response to an impact event. The system also independently determines whether to activate a fuel cut-off switch in response to an impact event. The main and safing controllers utilize vehicle data from a main center tunnel sensor assembly and various satellite sensors to make deployment decisions. The safing controller is used to independently verify whether or not the safety restraint should be deployed.