Anne Marie Shields

US Patent:

6549836, Apr 15, 2003

Filed:

Jun 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/589444

Inventors:

Paul Leo Sumner - Farmington Hills MI
Anne Marie Shields - Ann Arbor MI
Tien Hsiung Lee - Ann Arbor MI

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Lyndhurst OH

International Classification:

G06F 700

US Classification:

701 45, 180282, 2807281, 280735, 340436

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device having a plurality of actuatable stages ( ), the apparatus including a crash sensor ( ) for sensing crash acceleration and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. A controller ( ) determines a velocity value ( ) and a displacement value ( ) from the crash acceleration signal. A safing function controls enabling and disabling of a deployment control circuit in response to the determined velocity ( ) and displacement ( ) values. A displacement based velocity threshold ( ) and a displacement threshold value ( ) define an immunity box. The velocity threshold value ( ) varies as a step function of displacement. If the velocity/displacement values are within the immunity box, the safing function is in a disabling condition. If either value is outside of the immunity box, the safing function is in an enabling condition.

US Patent:

6840538, Jan 11, 2005

Filed:

Dec 28, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/034092

Inventors:

Anne Marie Shields - Ann Arbor MI, US
Paul Kirk Zoratti - South Lyon MI, US
Mark Edward Shields - Plymouth MI, US

Assignee:

Autoliv ASP, Inc. - Ogden UT

International Classification:

B60R 2132

US Classification:

280735, 180274, 701 45

Abstract:

The present invention involves a method of actuating a deployment of a vehicle airbag during an impact event of a vehicle. The method includes providing a vehicle impact sensor having a plurality of elements, wherein each element is adapted to generate an impact sensor signal having a sensor signal value representing a level of impact. The method further comprising receiving an impact sensor signal from each element during the impact event of the vehicle and summing the sensor signal values of the impact sensor signals to define an aggregate sensor signal value. The method further includes determining a number of impact sensor signals having respective sensor signal values greater than an active element threshold value to define a number of active elements and determining a threshold aggregate sensor signal value based on the number of active elements. The method further includes generating an actuating signal for deploying the airbag, when the aggregate sensor signal value is greater than the threshold aggregate sensor signal value.

US Patent:

7519466, Apr 14, 2009

Filed:

May 8, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/801128

Inventors:

Daniel G. Brennan - Brighton MI, US
Jeffrey M. Kaiser - Highland MI, US
Bryan R. Snyder - Waterford MI, US
Gregory J. York - Fenton MI, US
Anne M. Shields - Ann Arbor MI, US
Leonard G. Wozniak - Ann Arbor MI, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations, Inc. - Detroit MI

International Classification:

F02D 28/00
G06F 19/00
F01L 1/34

US Classification:

701103, 123 9017, 123352

Abstract:

A method of regulating a torque output of an internal combustion engine in a hybrid electric vehicle includes determining whether a cam phaser system of the engine is in one of an inactive state and an active state and monitoring at least one engine operating parameter. An engine torque array is selected from a plurality of engine torque arrays based on the one of the inactive state and the active state. An available engine torque is determined based on the engine torque array and the at least one engine operating parameter and the engine is regulated based on the available engine torque.

US Patent:

57021244, Dec 30, 1997

Filed:

Apr 22, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/635698

Inventors:

Timothy Chester Wright - Ann Arbor MI
Anne Marie Shields - Ann Arbor MI

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Lyndhust OH

International Classification:

B60R 2132

US Classification:

280735

Abstract:

A vehicle crash sensing arrangement includes an accelerometer (12). A crash velocity value (26) is determined in response to sensed crash acceleration. A crash displacement value (32) is determined from the sensed crash acceleration. A velocity varying displacement threshold value (36) determined. The crash displacement value (32) is compared (38) against the variable displacement threshold value (36). The comparator (38) provides a signal indicative of a vehicle crash condition when the crash displacement value is greater than the displacement threshold value.

US Patent:

61865397, Feb 13, 2001

Filed:

Nov 20, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/197143

Inventors:

Anne Marie Shields - Ann Arbor MI
Wei-Te Chiang - Novi MI
Kevin D. Weiss - Farmington Hills MI

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Lyndhurst OH

International Classification:

B60R 2132

US Classification:

280735

Abstract:

An apparatus for controlling an actuatable occupant restraint device for a vehicle (11) having first and second actuatable stages (24, 26). The apparatus includes a crash sensor (17, 19) mounted near the front of the vehicle (11) for providing a crash acceleration signal (238, 270). An average crash acceleration determiner (246, 278) determines an average crash acceleration value, and provides a signal indicative thereof. A controller (31) is operatively coupled to the actuatable stages (24, 26). The controller effects actuation of the first actuatable stage when the determined average acceleration value exceeds a first threshold value (248, 250, 254, 256). The controller (31) determines a crash severity index having a value according to a time interval from when the determined average crash acceleration value exceeds the first threshold value (248, 250, 254, 256) to when it exceeds a second threshold value (252, 258). The controller effects actuation of the second actuatable stage in response to the crash severity index value (287, 291).