Method and apparatus for controlling a front actuatable restraining device using side satellite safing sensors
View Patent ↗An apparatus ( 10 ) for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system including a crash accelerometer ( 32 ) for sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A side crash accelerometer ( 46, 48 ) senses transverse crash acceleration and provides a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller ( 50 ) actuates the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the first crash acceleration signal and the transverse crash acceleration signal.
1. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
a crash accelerometer for sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
a side crash accelerometer sensing transverse crash acceleration and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof; and
a controller determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the first crash acceleration signal, comparing the determined crash velocity value as a function of crash displacement value against a threshold value selected as a function of said second crash acceleration value, said controller actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the comparison of the determined crash velocity value as a function of the crash displacement value against the selected threshold value.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a crush-zone sensor located in a crush-zone location of the vehicle, said controller actuating said actuatable occupant restraining system in further response to an output from said crush-zone sensor.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said crush-zone sensor is an accelerometer.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said crash accelerometer is centrally located within the vehicle having an axis of sensitivity parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle.
5. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising the steps of:
sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
sensing transverse crash acceleration and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the first crash acceleration signal;
comparing the determined crash velocity value as a function of crash displacement value against a threshold value selected as a function of said second crash acceleration value; and
actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the comparison of the determined crash velocity value as a function of the crash displacement value against the selected threshold value.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of sensing crash acceleration at a crush-zone location of the vehicle and actuating said actuatable occupant restraining system in further response to the sensed crash acceleration at the crush-zone location.
7. An apparatus for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising:
a crash accelerometer for sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
a crush zone accelerometer sensing crash acceleration and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof; and
a controller determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the first crash acceleration signal, comparing the determined crash velocity value as a function of crash displacement value against a threshold value selected as a function of said second crash acceleration value, said controller actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the comparison of the determined crash velocity value as a function of the crash displacement value against the selected threshold value.
8. A method for controlling a vehicle actuatable occupant restraining system comprising the steps of:
sensing frontal crash acceleration and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
sensing crash acceleration at a crush zone location and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof;
determining a crash velocity value and a crash displacement value in response to the first crash acceleration signal,
comparing the determined crash velocity value as a function of crash displacement value against a threshold value selected as a function of said second crash acceleration value, said controller; and
actuating the actuatable occupant restraining system in response to the comparison of the determined crash velocity value as a function of the crash displacement value against the selected threshold value.