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System and method for reacting to an expected impact involving a vehicle including an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur prior to the impact and an impact responsive system coupled to the sensor system and actuated after its determinatio

System and method for reacting to an expected impact involving a vehicle including an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur prior to the impact and an impact responsive system coupled to the sensor system and actuated after its determination of the expected impact. The sensor system includes wave receivers spaced apart from one another, each receiving waves generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle. The impact responsive system attempts to reduce the potential harm resulting from the impact and can be a protection apparatus which protects a vehicular occupant or a pedestrian, such as one including an airbag and an inflator for inflating the airbag.

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The invention claimed is: 1. In a motor vehicle, a system for reacting to an expected impact involving the vehicle, comprising: an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur prior to the impact, said sensor system comprising a plurality of wave

The invention claimed is: 1. In a motor vehicle, a system for reacting to an expected impact involving the vehicle, comprising: an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur prior to the impact, said sensor system comprising a plurality of wave receivers spaced apart from one another and each being structured and arranged to receive waves generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle, said sensor system including a processor arranged to apply a pattern recognition technique to the received waves or signals derived therefrom in order to obtain information about the common object exterior of the vehicle and assess the probability or effect of an impact with the common object exterior of the vehicle based on the obtained information; and an impact-determination responsive system coupled to said sensor system and actuated after the determination by said sensor system of an expected impact involving the vehicle and being arranged to attempt to reduce the potential harm resulting from the impact. 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said impact-determination responsive system comprises an occupant protection apparatus arranged to protect an occupant of the vehicle in the impact. 3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said impact-determination responsive system comprises an inflatable airbag and an inflator for inflating said airbag after the determination by said sensor system of the expected impact involving the vehicle. 4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein said airbag is arranged to deploy external to the vehicle at a location between the object and an expected point of impact of the object with the vehicle. 5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting waves receivable by said wave receivers after reflection from the object. 6. Vehicle of claim 5, wherein said plurality of wave receivers consists of two wave receivers. 7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein said transmitter is arranged apart from said two wave receivers. 8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said transmitter is arranged to generate a visible or infrared laser beam and said wave receivers each comprise a charge coupled or CMOS device which receive reflected light. 9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said wave receivers are arranged on a side of the vehicle to sense a side impact. 10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said impact-determination responsive system comprises an inflatable airbag arranged to inflate along the side of the vehicle and an inflator for inflating said airbag after the determination by said sensor system of the expected impact involving the vehicle. 11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein said wave receivers are arranged in a B-pillar of the vehicle. 12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said wave receivers are arranged at a front of the vehicle to sense a frontal impact. 13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to process signals from said wave receivers representative of the waves received by said wave receivers into an indication of the probable severity of an impact between the object and the vehicle. 14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to ascertain the identity of the object based on a pattern of the received waves obtained over a period of time by said wave receivers and determine whether the identified object will cause an impact requiring actuation of said impact-determination responsive system. 15. A vehicular system for reacting to an expected impact in order to attempt to reduce the potential harm resulting from the impact, comprising: receiving means for receiving waves at a plurality of spaced apart locations generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle; processing means coupled to said receiver means for processing signals from said receiving means representative of waves received by said receiving means into an indication of the probable severity of an expected impact between the object and the vehicle, said processing means being arranged to apply a pattern recognition technique to the received waves or signals derived therefrom in order to obtain information about the common object exterior of the vehicle and assess the probable severity of an impact with the common object exterior of the vehicle based on the obtained information; and an impact-determination responsive system coupled to said processing means and actuated based on the probable severity of the expected impact and being arranged to attempt to reduce the potential harm resulting from the impact. 16. The system of claim 15, further comprising transmitter means for transmitting waves receivable by said receiving means after reflection from the object. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said transmitter means are arranged to generate a visible or infrared laser beam and said receiving means comprise a plurality of charge coupled or CMOS devices which receive reflected light. 18. The system of claim 15, wherein said processing means are arranged to ascertain the identity of the object based on a pattern of the received waves obtained over a period of time by said receiving means and determine whether the identified object will cause an impact requiring actuation of said impact-determination responsive system. 19. The system of claim 15, wherein said impact-determination responsive system comprises an occupant protection apparatus arranged to protect an occupant of the vehicle in the impact. 20. The system of claim 15, wherein said impact-determination responsive system comprises an inflatable airbag and an inflator for inflating said airbag based on the probable severity of the expected impact. 21. A method for reducing injury to a vehicular occupant in an impact involving the vehicle, comprising: arranging a deployable protection apparatus on the vehicle; arranging a plurality of wave receivers in spaced apart positions on the vehicle in which they are receivable of waves generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle; receiving waves via the wave receivers; determining whether an expected impact of the object with vehicle will require deployment of the protection apparatus based on the received waves, the step of determining whether the expected impact will require deployment of the protection apparatus comprising applying a pattern recognition technique to the received waves or signals derived therefrom in order to obtain information about the common object exterior of the vehicle and assessing the probability or effect of an impact with the common object exterior of the vehicle based on the obtained information; and deploying the protection apparatus when the expected impact is determined to require such deployment. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting waves outward from the vehicle and which are receivable by the wave receivers after reflection from the object. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the wave receivers are arranged on a side of the vehicle to sense a side impact and the protection apparatus is an airbag arranged to inflate along the side of the vehicle. 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the wave receivers are arranged at a front of the vehicle to sense a frontal impact and the protection apparatus is an airbag arranged to inflate along the front of the vehicle. 25. The method of claim 21, wherein the protection apparatus is an airbag and deploying the protection apparatus comprises inflating the airbag. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the airbag is arranged to deploy external to the vehicle at a location between the object and an expected point of impact of the object with the vehicle. 27. In a motor vehicle, a system for reacting to an expected impact involving the vehicle, comprising: an anticipatory sensor system for determining that an impact involving the vehicle is about to occur prior to the impact, said sensor system comprising a plurality of wave receivers spaced apart from one another and each being structured and arranged to receive waves generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle; and an impact-determination responsive system coupled to said sensor system and actuated after the determination by said sensor system of an expected impact involving the vehicle and being arranged to attempt to reduce potential injury to an occupant resulting from the impact, said impact-determination responsive system including a deployable occupant protection apparatus and being arranged to deploy said protection apparatus prior to the impact such that the deployed protection apparatus reduces injury to the occupant during the impact. 28. A vehicular system for reacting to an expected impact in order to attempt to reduce potential injury to an occupant resulting from the impact, comprising: receiving means for receiving waves at a plurality of spaced apart locations generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle; processing means coupled to said receiver means for processing signals from said receiving means representative of waves received by said receiving means into an indication of the probable severity of an expected impact between the object and the vehicle; and an impact-determination responsive system coupled to said processing means and actuated based on the probable severity of the expected impact and being arranged to attempt to reduce the potential injury to the occupant resulting from the impact, said impact-determination responsive system including a deployable occupant protection apparatus and being arranged to deploy said protection apparatus prior to the impact such that the deployed protection apparatus reduces injury to the occupant during the impact. 29. A method for reducing injury to a vehicular occupant in an impact involving the vehicle, comprising: arranging a deployable protection apparatus on the vehicle; arranging a plurality of wave receivers in spaced apart positions on the vehicle in which they are receivable of waves generated by, modified by, or reflected from a common object exterior of the vehicle; receiving waves via the wave receivers; determining whether an expected impact of the object with vehicle will require deployment of the protection apparatus during the impact based on the received waves; and deploying the protection apparatus prior to the impact when the expected impact is determined to require such deployment during the impact.