Address communication method for a distributed architecture supplemental inflatable restraint system

In a vehicular supplemental restraint system including a plurality of occupant position sensor modules associated with respective passenger seating positions, and a plurality of deployment modules in distributed locations of the vehicle for deploying respective supplemental restraint devices, said occupant position sensor modules and said deployment modules being inter-connected for communication over a common data bus, a communication method comprising the steps of:

• assigning an Occupant Zone identification code to each of said deployment modules identifying a vehicle passenger seating position associated with the respective supplemental restraint device;
• transmitting a message to said deployment modules from a given one or more of said occupant position sensor modules over said common data bus, said message including information indicative of the presence of a vehicle occupant in a respective passenger seating position, and an Occupant Zone identification code corresponding to that passenger seating position;
• and
• in each of said deployment modules, receiving said transmitted message and responding to the information included in said message if the Occupant Zone identification code included in said message corresponds to the Occupant Zone identification code assigned to that deployment module.

In a vehicular supplemental restraint system including a plurality of vehicle crash sensor modules associated with respective zones of the vehicle, and a plurality of deployment modules in distributed locations of the vehicle for deploying respective supplemental restraint devices, said crash sensor modules and said deployment modules being inter-connected for communication over a common data bus, a communication method comprising the steps of:

• assigning one or more Deployment Event identification codes to each of said deployment modules identifying one or more types of crash events for which the respective supplemental restraint device is to be deployed;
• in response to sensing of a crash event by one or more of said crash sensor modules, transmitting a message to said deployment modules over said common data bus, said message including a command related to such sensed crash event, and a Deployment Event identification code corresponding to the type of such sensed crash event;
• and
• in each of said deployment modules, receiving said transmitted message and responding to the command included in said message if the Deployment Event identification code included in said message corresponds to the Deployment Event identification code assigned to that deployment module.