Adjustable crash discrimination system with occupant position detection

A method of actuating a vehicle safety restraint comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a beam of light at a designated area within the vehicle potentially occupied by a person;
• measuring a relative intensity level or average of scattering angles of at least a portion of the light beam which is reflectively scattered by a surface within the designated area;
• determining the distance between the scattering surface and a fixed structure within the vehicle based on the measured relative intensity level or average of scattering angles;
• determining a change in distance between the scattering surface and the fixed structure over a period of time;
• adjusting a discrimination threshold value used for discriminating whether safety restraint actuation is desired based on the distance between the scattering surface and the fixed structure;
• comparing the change in distance between the scattering surface and the fixed structure over a period of time to the predetermined threshold value;
• and
• actuating the safety restraint if the change in distance exceeds the threshold value.

A system for actuating a vehicle occupant safety restraint in response to a vehicle collision comprising:

• means for continuously detecting a static position of a vehicle occupant relative to a fixed structure within the vehicle;
• means responsive to the detecting means for generating data representative of the detected static occupant position;
• and
• processor means comprising a means for discriminating a vehicle crash requiring actuation of the occupant safety restraint, said discrimination means having a predetermined discrimination threshold value for use in the discrimination analysis, and
• a means responsive to the data representative of the detected static occupant position for adjusting the discrimination threshold value.