Occupant sensing and crash behavior system

An occupant sensing and crash behavior system in a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

• a crash sensor for determining the presence of a crash condition of the vehicle and generating a crash signal;
• inflator means responding to a firing signal and operable to release an inflatable gas;
• restraint means responding to said inflatable gas and operable to restrain the occupant movement as a result of the crash;
• and
• child seat sensor means for detecting the presence and front facing orientation of child seat on the vehicle seat, said means operable to generate a child seat electrical signal indicating both the presence and the orientation of the child seat;
• weight sensing means responding to the weight on the vehicle seat and generating a weight sensing signal as one of a plurality of vehicle parameter signals;
• a presence and location sensor for generating an electrical signal indicating the presence of an occupant in the vehicle seat and the location of the occupant relative to said presence and locating sensor and supplying said presence and location signal to said electronic control means as another of said vehicle parameters signals;
• and
• an electronic control unit responding to said crash signal, said child seat electrical signal and said other vehicle parameter signals for generating an electrical firing signal to said inflator means thereby releasing said inflatable gas to controllably inflate said restraint means.