Christopher B Lagrave

US Patent:

20030120408, Jun 26, 2003

Filed:

Dec 20, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/029213

Inventors:

Christopher Caruso - Kokomo IN, US
Charles Cluff - Zionsville IN, US
Russell Simpson - Noblesville IN, US
David Nelson - Kokomo IN, US
Christopher Lagrave - El Paso TX, US
Mary Olsavsky - Cicero IN, US

International Classification:

B60R021/32

US Classification:

701/045000, 280/735000, 180/282000

Abstract:

An occupant restraint deployment apparatus for a vehicle has a passenger compartment crash sensor and a plurality of satellite crash sensors, typically in vehicle crush zones. The satellite sensors are each responsive to local acceleration to generate a satellite deploy level signal having discrete values. The passenger compartment sensor is responsive to a passenger compartment (i.e. vehicle) acceleration to generate a passenger compartment deploy level signal and a passenger compartment safing signal. A multi-stage restraint in the passenger compartment is deployable by a control acting in three parallel modes, each requiring a deploy signal from one of the crash sensors based on full deploy requirements and a safing signal, typically based on lesser requirements, from a different one of the crash sensors. The three modes differ in which sensors provide each of the signals: (1) satellite deploy, passenger safe; (2) satellite deploy, different satellite safe; and (3) passenger deploy, satellite safe. Each satellite deploy level signal can be used either as a deploy signal or a safing signal, with predetermined values signifying deploy or safe at each deployment stage.

US Patent:

20070090766, Apr 26, 2007

Filed:

Oct 25, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/257814

Inventors:

Christopher LaGrave - Madison AL, US
Raymond Notarantonio - Novi MI, US
Robert Beier - St. Clair MI, US

International Classification:

B60Q 1/02

US Classification:

315082000

Abstract:

A load driver circuit includes an output transistor configured to drive a load. The circuit further includes a power supply, and a power supply evaluation circuit configured to sense a characteristic of the power supply, and generate a control signal in response thereto. In addition, a controller circuit is provided and is configured to drive the output transistor with a pulse width modulation signal coupled to the control terminal, wherein a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal is a function of the control signal of the power supply evaluation circuit.