Method and apparatus for controlling an occupant restraint system using real time vector analysis

An apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant during a crash of the vehicle comprising:

• first crash sensor means securable to the vehicle and having a sensitivity axis parallel with a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle for providing a signal having a value functionally related to crash energy directed parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and substantially impervious to crash energy directed parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle;
• second crash sensor means securable to the vehicle and having a sensitivity axis parallel with the side-to-side axis of the vehicle for providing a signal having a value functionally related to crash energy directed parallel to the side-to-side axis of the vehicle and substantially impervious to crash energy directed parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle, said first crash sensor means and said second crash sensor means having their sensitivity axes oriented along mutually orthogonal axes;
• control means electrically connected to said first crash sensor means and to said second crash sensor means for determining a direction of a crash condition in response to the signals from said first crash sensor means and said second crash sensor means;
• and
• a plurality of actuatable occupant restraint devices, each electrically connected to said control means, said control means controlling which of said plurality of actuatable occupant restraint systems is or are actuated in response to the determined crash direction.

A method for restraining a vehicle occupant during a crash of the vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

• mounting a first crash sensor to the vehicle with a sensitivity axis of the first crash sensor being parallel with a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle, the first crash sensor providing a signal having a value functionally related to crash energy directed parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and substantially impervious to crash energy directed parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle;
• mounting a second crash sensor to the vehicle with a sensitivity axis of the second crash sensor parallel with the side-to-side axis of the vehicle, the second crash sensor providing a signal having a value functionally related to crash energy directed parallel to the side-to-side axis of the vehicle and impervious to crash energy directed parallel to the front-to-rear axis of the vehicle, the sensitivity axis of the first crash sensor and the sensitivity axis of the second crash sensor being oriented along mutually orthogonal axes;
• mounting a plurality of actuatable occupant restraint devices in the vehicle;
• determining a crash vector of a crash condition in response to the signals form the first crash sensor and the second crash sensor;
• and
• controlling which of said plurality of actuatable occupant restraint devices is or are actuated in response to the determined crash vector.