Patent attributes
A roll angular velocity sensor and an occupant sensor are operatively coupled to a processor, which provides for detecting a rollover condition responsive to a measure of roll angular velocity and controlling a safety restraint system responsive thereto, wherein a detection criteria associated with the rollover detection process is responsive to a signal from the occupant sensor. In one embodiment, a closure time is estimated from estimates or measurements of occupant velocity or acceleration, and the estimated closure time is compared with a threshold. If the estimated closure time is less than the threshold, activation of the safety restraint system is either inhibited or advanced relative to that otherwise provided by the rollover detection process alone. Otherwise, the activation may be delayed to provide additional time for the rollover detection.
