Appeal No. 2003-1648 Page 5
Application No. 09/648,359
11. A method of deploying a driver side inflatable restraint and a passenger
side inflatable restraint of a restraint system for a vehicle, said method
comprising:
sensing a position of a driver side seat;
sensing weight in a passenger side seat;
determining whether a first sensor experiences sufficient deceleration to
warrant either a first stage deployment or a second stage deployment of the
driver side inflatable restraint and the passenger side inflatable restraint;
verifying the deceleration from a separate second sensor;
determining whether the position of the driver side seat is rearward of a
predetermined proximity;
deploying a first stage of the driver side inflatable restraint if the
deceleration warrants a first stage deployment and deploying a second stage of
the driver side inflatable restraint if the deceleration warrants a second stage of
deployment and the position of the driver side seat is rearward of the
predetermined proximity;
determining whether the weight of the passenger side seat is above a
predetermined threshold; and
deploying a first stage of the passenger side inflatable restraint if the
deceleration warrants a first stage deployment and the weight of the passenger
side seat is above a predetermined threshold and deploying a second stage of
the passenger side seat if the deceleration warrants a second stage of
deployment.
21. A restraint system for a motor vehicle comprising:
a first sensor for sensing deceleration;
a second sensor for verifying the sensed deceleration;
a seat position sensor for sensing whether a driver side seat is rearward
of a predetermined proximity;
a weight sensor for sensing whether an occupant in a passenger side seat
is above a weight deployment threshold;
a driver side air bag;
a passenger side air bag; and
an electronic controller electrically connected to said first sensor and said
second sensor for determining whether said first sensor and said second sensor
experience sufficient deceleration and operatively connected to said driver side
air bag and said passenger side air bag for deployment thereby in a first stage if
the deceleration warrants a first stage deployment and in a second stage if the
deceleration warrants a second stage deployment and electrically connected to
said seat position sensor to allow deployment of the second stage of the driver
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