AOS fan modulation systems

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example, not by way of limitation of the principles of the invention.
This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what I presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention.
FIG.
1 illustrates the process of the invention 1.
In the normal occupant sensing operation, the IR and US sensors mounted at a selected interior position (e.
g.
, in the headliner adjacent the windshield or side window) provide direct IR input 2 and US input 3 to the processor 4 which also combines IR and US inputs 5.
The processor 4, by sensor fusion 44, evaluates signals, extracts signal features, combines selected signal features to obtain fused features, associates the signal features and fused features with a predetermined, vehicle-specific set of confidence values and empirical relationships related to known occupancy scenarios to determine a feature state value, and generates a state signal 6 depending on the occupancy state.
The signal can include generating an airbag enable or do not disable (continue original state) 46.
The sensor fusion algorithm 44 can also generate a deactivate signal 7 if the current state value is one of a subset of state values for which the passive restraint deployment system 8 is to be deactivated 7 or controlled 9, e.
g.
, in a smart airbag system.
Additionally, a signal 50 can be generated as a function of sensor fusion 44 to modulate the fan operation, e.
g.
turning off the fan periodically.
In the "normal" operating state, the US is cycled to ping and receive at its normal ping rate (NPR) 10 at the rate of about 2.
times.
/sec.
If, however, there is detected 12 by return signal amplitude and/or other feature that the occupant is moving toward the KOZ, then the ping cycle rate is increased 14 to every 10-20 milliseconds (50-100 Hz)