Biometric vulnerability-based control of a passenger restraint system aboard a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body defining a vehicle interior;
• a vehicle seat positioned in the vehicle interior;
• and
• a sensor suite having at least one of an in-seat sensor connected to the vehicle seat, a remote sensor connected to a structure within the vehicle interior, and a biometric sensor located in the vehicle interior;
• a passenger restraint system positioned in the vehicle interior;
• and
• a controller operable for controlling an actual capacity setting of the passenger restraint system, wherein execution of instructions by a processor of the controller causes the processor to:
• detect vulnerability characteristics of a passenger of the motor vehicle using the sensor suite;
• generate one or more biometric vulnerability classifier signals indicative of the vulnerability characteristics;
• and
• in response to the one or more biometric vulnerability classifier signals and a detected vehicle event requiring an actuation of the passenger restraint system, automatically adjust an actual capacity setting of at least a portion of the passenger restraint system.

A method for controlling a passenger restraint system aboard a motor vehicle, comprising:

• detecting vulnerability characteristics of one or more passengers of the motor vehicle using a sensor suite, the sensor suite including an in-seat sensor connected to a passenger seat of the motor vehicle, a remote sensor, and/or a biometric sensor positioned within an interior of the motor vehicle, wherein detecting the vulnerability characteristics includes detecting a physical characteristic and/or an internal characteristic of each of the one or more passengers using the in-seat sensor and/or the remote sensor, respectively;
• generating one or more biometric vulnerability classifier signals indicative of vulnerability characteristics indicative of the passenger;
• receiving the one or more biometric vulnerability classifier signals via a controller of the motor vehicle;
• and
• in response to the one or more biometric vulnerability classifier signals and a detected vehicle event requiring a deployment of the passenger restraint system, automatically adjusting an actual capacity setting of the passenger restraint system via the controller, wherein the passenger restraint system includes a seatbelt and a deployable airbag system.