Side impact airbag system with anticipatory sensor

摘要

An airbag passive restraint system for protecting an occupant adjacent the door in a side impact including an airbag arranged in the door to inflate inward from the door and a side impact anticipatory sensor determining that an accident requiring deployment of the airbag is about to occur prior to the accident. The sensor is arranged to receive waves generated by, modified by or reflected from an object about to impact the vehicle resulting in the accident and is designed to identify the object based on a pattern of the received waves and determining whether the identified object will cause an accident requiring deployment of the airbag. The system also includes an inflator coupled to the sensor for inflating the airbag if the sensor determines that an accident requiring deployment of the airbag is about to occur.