Back to results
US 8,463,500 B2Granted
Method for operating a pre-crash sensing system to deploy airbags using inflation control
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMark Cuddihy, Manoharprasad K. Rao, Ian Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating a restraint system comprises deploying an airbag in response to a pre-crash sensing system prior to collision in a first stage and controlling an inflation of the airbag in a second stage in response to acceleration signals of the vehicle.
Claims15
A method of operating a restraint system comprising:
- deploying an airbag prior to a collision in pre-collision mode in response to a pre-crash sensing system output signal including a predicted time to impact;
- activating active vents based on the predicted time to impact;
- confirming a collision using vehicle acceleration signals, wherein the collision is confirmed at an elapsed time that differs from the predicted time to impact;
- adjusting the predicted time to impact based on the vehicle acceleration signals;
- and
- controlling the active vents according to the adjusted predicted time to impact.
3 more elements
A method of operating an airbag having a controllable vent comprising:
- deploying an airbag prior to a crash in response to a pre-crash sensing system output including a predicted time to impact;
- operating an airbag vent to control a rate of inflation;
- determining a crash severity;
- determining occupant information;
- confirming a crash using vehicle acceleration signals wherein the crash is confirmed at a point in time other than the predicted time to impact;
- adjusting a predicted time to impact based on the vehicle acceleration signals;
- and
- operating the airbag vent in response to confirmation of the crash, the crash severity, the occupant information, and the adjusted predicted time to impact.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.