System and method for minimizing occupant injury during vehicle crash events

An occupant restraint method of regulating an occupant restraint system in a vehicle to an event, the method comprising:

• linking the occupant restraint system to:
• at least one sensor;
• an event catalog comprising a predetermined and finite plurality of discrete possible events involving the vehicle,
• an occupant catalog comprising a predetermined and finite plurality of discrete possible occupant states in the vehicle;
• a catalog of predetermined restraint laws comprising a set of rules that dictate the behavior of at least one restraint mechanism during an event;
• an event identifier;
• and
• at least one restraint controller controlling the at least one restraint mechanism;
• receiving a sensor data from the at least one sensor;
• evaluating in real-time the probability that each possible event in the event catalog and each possible occupant state in the occupant catalog is consistent with the sensor data;
• assessing, using a database, each predetermined set of rules for each combination of each probabilistically assessed possible event in the event catalog and each probabilistically assessed possible occupant state in the occupant catalog, wherein the database is at least one of created one of prior to system use and during system use, but prior to an event;
• selecting an element of the restraint law catalog based on the probabilistic assessment, wherein a restraint law optimizer uses the database to select the element of the restraint law catalog;
• sensing the event with the at least one sensor;
• and
• operating the at least one restraint controller to perform the selected element of the restraint law catalog.