Automotive electronic safety network

A vehicle having an occupant protection system, the system comprising:

• a plurality of occupant protection devices, each of said occupant protection devices comprising a housing and a component deployable to provide protection for the occupant;
• deployment determining means for generating a signal indicating for which of said deployable components deployment is desired, said deployment determining means comprising at least one crash sensor arranged separate and at a location apart from said housings;
• and
• an electronic controller arranged in or adjacent each of said housings and coupled to said deployment determining means, each of said controllers controlling deployment of said deployable component of the respective one of said occupant protection devices in response to the signal generated by said deployment determining means.

A vehicle having an occupant protection device system, the system comprising:

• occupant protection devices, each of said occupant protection devices comprising a housing and a component deployable to provide protection for an occupant;
• at least one sensor system for providing an output signal relevant to deployment of at least one of said deployable components;
• deployment determining means for generating a signal indicating for which of said deployable components deployment is desired, said deployment determining means comprising at least one crash sensor arranged separate and at a location apart from said housings;
• an electronic controller arranged in or adjacent each of said housings and coupled to said at least one sensor system and said deployment determining means;
• and
• an electrical bus electrically coupling said at least one sensor system, said deployment determining means and said controllers, the signals from said at least one sensor system and said deployment determining means being sent over said bus to said controllers, each of said controllers controlling deployment of said deployable component of the respective one of said occupant protection devices in consideration of the signals from said at least one sensor system and said deployment determining means.

A vehicle having an occupant protection system, the system comprising:

• an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant in the event of a crash involving the vehicle;
• initiation means for initiating deployment of said occupant protection device;
• power means for storing sufficient energy to enable said initiation means to initiate deployment of said occupant protection device;
• an electronic controller connected to said power means for monitoring voltage of said power means and controlling said initiation means;
• a diagnostic module arranged to receive a signal from said controller as to whether the voltage of said power means is sufficient to enable said initiation means to initiate deployment of said occupant protection device;
• and
• an electrical bus electrically coupling said controller and said diagnostic module.

A vehicle having an occupant protection system, the system comprising:

• an occupant protection device having an activatable component for providing occupant protection;
• activation determining means for generating a coded signal indicative of whether activation of said component of said occupant protection device is desired;
• and
• an electrical bus electrically coupling said occupant protection device and said determining means, the coded signal generated by said determining means being sent over said bus from said determining means to said occupant protection device to enable activation of said component of said occupant protection device.

A method for controlling activation of an occupant protection system for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• arranging an occupant protection device having an activatable component for providing occupant protection in the vehicle;
• generating a coded signal in a crash sensor indicative of whether activation of the component is desired;
• electrically coupling the occupant protection device and the crash sensor by means of an electrical bus;
• and
• directing the coded signal generated in the crash sensor over the bus from the crash sensor to the occupant protection device to enable activation of the component of the occupant protection device.