Relocatable/replaceable pad for accurate vehicle occupant weight measurement

• US 10,017,078 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yefim G. Kriger
• Original Assignee: Yefim G. Kriger
• Inventors: Kriger, Yefim G
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy
• Application Number:
  US15/787,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20180043795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and method for providing an accurate and convenient weighing of a vehicle occupant using a relocatable/replaceable multi-purpose on-board vehicle occupant weighing (REMBOW) methodology including a REMBOW pad mounted on a REMBOW seat frame in a vehicle to improve safe engagement of an air bag as well as raising and monitoring possible health related issues of the vehicle occupant(s). The occupant weighing can be performed, using, as a non-limiting example, a kemoder elimination of a separate occupant'"'"'s feet weighing (KEF) technology, where kemoder is a key element for moderating of an accuracy and convenience of an occupant weighing (i.e., a weighing moderator) and for starting a measuring process.

Claims

1. A relocatable/replaceable multi-purpose on-board vehicle occupant weighing (REMBOW) pad for occupant weighing in a vehicle, the REMBOW pad comprising:

a lower frame detachably mounted manually without tools on a sliding portion of a REMBOW seat frame;

a weighing unit, attached to said lower frame, having corresponding components and optimized for a predefined weighting range, configured to provide a weight signal indicative of a weight of an occupant of the vehicle sitting on the REMBOW pad for generating a measured weight signal indicative of a measured weight of the occupant in order to secure a safe use of a corresponding air bag; and

an upper frame comprising a seat cushion to cover parts of the REMBOW pad.

2. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the occupant weighing is performed using a kemoder elimination of a separate occupant'"'"'s feet weighing (KEF) technology, where the kemoder is a key element for moderating (a weighing moderator) of accuracy and convenience of weighing and for generating a starting signal for measuring process.

3. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver for providing communications, using wireless or wired connection, between the REMBOW pad and components/devices outside of the REMBOW pad in the vehicle or outside the vehicle.

4. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the lower frame is detachably mounted on side frames that are fixed on sliding rails of the REMBOW seat frame.

5. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the weighing unit is located in the lower frame.

6. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a self-driving car.

7. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, further comprising a controller/processor with a memory, for managing and coordinating performance of the weighing unit.

8. The REMBOW pad of claim 7, wherein the controller/processor is configured to identify the occupant of the vehicle and a corresponding record, using a fingerprint identifier.

9. The REMBOW pad of claim 7, wherein the controller/processor is configured to start recording weight measurements performed by the weighing unit in response to a corresponding starting signal for measuring process from a kemoder, where the kemoder is a weighing moderator and a key element for moderating of accuracy and convenience of weighing and for generating the starting signal for measuring process.

10. The REMBOW pad of claim 9, wherein the weighing moderator comprises an audio command module configured to provide the corresponding starting signal activated by a voice of the occupant of the vehicle.

11. The REMBOW pad of claim 9, further comprising a processing electronic module, for providing to the controller/processor, when the starting signal is received by the controller/processor, the processed weight signal which is indicative of the weight in predefined units of the occupant of the vehicle sitting on the REMBOW pad, and generated in response to the weight signal indicative of the weight of the occupant from the weighing unit, so that the controller/processor is further configured, in response to the processed weight signal, to provide the measured weight signal indicative of a measured weight of the occupant to any of a) a vehicle safety system to adjust a force of the corresponding air bag in action, b) a health indication and preventive system in the vehicle and c) a health indication and prevention system outside the vehicle.

12. The REMBOW pad of claim 11, wherein the controller/processor is configured to provide a warning signal that the measured weight of the occupant exceeds the predefined weighting range of the weighing unit and that it is necessary to substitute for a further RENBOW pad with a larger weighing capacity, so that the REMBOW pad is replaced manually without tools to the further REMBOW pad with the larger weighing capacity.

13. The REMBOW pad of claim 11, wherein the REMBOW pad is detachably mounted on the REMBOW seat frame of a driver of the vehicle, so that when the measured weight is in a predetermined range, the REMBOW pad is configured to disable an ignition system of the vehicle.

14. The REMBOW pad of claim 10, wherein the controller/processor is configured to estimate a clothes weight of the occupant based at least on a geographical location of the vehicle, atmospheric temperature and a current date, and to subtract the estimated clothes weight from the measured weight of the occupant to determine an approximate true weight of the occupant.

15. The REMBOW pad of claim 14, wherein the REMBOW pad is configured to provide the approximate true weight of the occupant to one or more of a) a health indication and preventive system in the vehicle and b) a health indication and prevention system outside the vehicle.

16. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the weighing unit comprises strain gages that are fixed on the lower frame of the REMBOW pad, the upper frame of the REMBOW pad is fixed on the strain gages.

17. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the weight signal is generated without a seat belt being fastened, so that the measured weight signal indicative of the measured weight of the occupant directly corresponds to the weight signal.

18. The REMBOW pad of claim 1, wherein the weight signal is generated with a seat belt being fastened, so that the measured weight signal indicative of the measured weight of the occupant without the seat belt being fastened is extrapolated using a statistically derived coefficient between weight measurements with or without seat belt being fastened, using a Weight Error from the Belt Elimination (WEBEL) method.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor, the computer program instructions defining code for:

receiving a starting signal for recording weigh measurements of an occupant in a vehicle sitting on a relocatable/replaceable multi-purpose on-board vehicle occupant weighing (REMBOW) pad having a lower frame detachably mounted manually without tools on a sliding portion of a REMBOW seat frame, where the REMBOW pad comprises a weighing unit, attached to said lower frame, having corresponding components and optimized for a predefined weighting range, and configured to provide a weight signal indicative of a weight of an occupant of the vehicle sitting on the REMBOW pad

receiving, in response to the starting signal, a processed weight signal, in predefined units, of the occupant of the vehicle sitting on the REMBOW pad from a processing electronic module of the REMBOW pad which is responsive to the weight signal indicative of the weight of the occupant from the at least one weighing unit;

providing, based on the received the processed weight signal, a measured weight signal indicative of a measured weight of the occupant of the vehicle to a vehicle safety system in order to secure a safe use of a corresponding air bag.

20. A relocatable multi-purpose on-board vehicle occupant weighing (REMBOW) system comprising:

a vehicular seat frame comprising a sliding portion,

a relocatable/replaceable multi-purpose on-board vehicle occupant weighing (REMBOW) pad for occupant weighing in a vehicle, the REMBOW pad comprising;

a lower frame detachably mounted manually without tools on the sliding portion of a REMBOW seat frame; and

a weighing unit, attached to said lower frame, having corresponding components and optimized for a predefined weighting range, configured to provide a signal indicative of a weight of an occupant of the vehicle sitting on the REMBOW pad for generating a measured weight signal indicative of a measured weight of the occupant of the vehicle; and

an upper frame comprising a seat cushion to cover parts of the REMBOW pad; and

a vehicular control system configured to secure a safe use of a corresponding air bag based on the measured weight signal.