US 7,320,478 B2 | ||
Smart airbag for vehicular applications | ||
Scott Gaboury, Ann Arbor, Mich. (US); David Tippy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (US); Ian Hall, Ann Arbor, Mich. (US); and Mariquis Edwards, Belleville, Mich. (US) | ||
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies LLC, Dearborn, Mich. (US) | ||
Filed on Oct. 18, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/711,984. | ||
Prior Publication US 2006/0082110 A1, Apr. 20, 2006 | ||
Int. Cl. B60R 21/16 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 280—735 [701/45] | 20 Claims |
1. A smart airbag for being deployed and monitored by a restraint control module onboard a vehicle, said smart airbag comprising:
an inflatable bag having a monitorable deployment characteristic;
a triggerable inflator for deploying said bag;
a trigger device adapted for being coupled to said restraint control module and said inflator, said trigger device having
a predetermined circuit characteristic associated therewith;
a trigger substitute adapted for being coupled to said restraint control module, said trigger substitute having a predetermined
circuit characteristic associated therewith that is detectably different than said predetermined circuit characteristic associated
with said trigger device;
an airbag-state sensor for sensing said deployment characteristic of said bag and generating an airbag-state signal in response
thereto; and
an airbag-state monitor coupled to said airbag-state sensor and adapted for selectively coupling a trigger to said restraint
control module according to said airbag-state signal, said trigger being selected from the group consisting of said trigger
device and said trigger substitute;
whereby said restraint control module is able to initiate deployment of said bag and also monitor said deployment of said
bag by detecting said predetermined circuit characteristic of said trigger as selectively coupled to said restraint control
module by said airbag-state monitor.
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