Technology and methods of on-board vehicle occupant accurate weighing by a simplified weighing apparatus based on weighing moderator and its applications in on-board occupant weighing systems

• US 10,245,973 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yefim G. Kriger
• Original Assignee: Yefim G. Kriger
• Inventors: Kriger, Yefim G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie
• Application Number:
  US15/430,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20170151892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 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: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• 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: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

An on-board vehicle occupant weighing technology includes a simplified vehicle occupant weighing apparatus based on the discovered horwest effect and weighing moderator. The simplified weighing apparatus utilizes a weighing unit connected to the car seat of the vehicle occupant and a further weighing moderator, which provides convenient weighing of the foot part of the occupant'"'"'s body by the same weighing unit that is connected to the car seat. The technology employs several methods of the weight measurements provided by different moderator approaches. The technology, methods, and simplified weighing apparatus are employed in on-board vehicle overweight and obesity preventing system wherein a weight trend analyzer provides predicting possibility of the occupant'"'"'s overweight or obesity in a short predetermined period of time and automatically warning a vehicle occupant and a health care provider of the condition. The technology may also provide an accurate and convenient occupant'"'"'s weight measurement in the vehicle safety devices such as seat belt and air bag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS system) to improve the Occupant Classification System to prevent possible extra force applied to the occupant'"'"'s body in case of collision.

Claims

1. A method of weighing a person sitting in a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from a weighing unit operatively coupled to the seat of the vehicle, wherein the application of the horizontal force does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the vertical surface wherein the horwest effect is defined by a rule that states that an object located in a closed system and on the weighing unit providing and applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from the weighing unit, does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the substantially vertical surface wherein said horwest effect provides an accurate weight measurement of an occupant sitting on the seat, to which the weighing unit is operatively attached, by compressing in a horizontal direction a piece that is hanging from a substantially vertical part of the vehicle and secures the foot of the occupant while being compressed by the foot of the occupant in a horizontal direction, and this compressing does not influence the accurate weight measurement of the occupant'"'"'s whole body measured by said weighing unit at the time when a switch connected to said substantially vertical part of the vehicle signals to a computing and control unit that the foot of the occupant compresses the piece and the current result of the weight measurement is correct.

2. A method of weighing a person sitting in a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from a weighing unit operatively coupled to the seat of the vehicle, wherein the application of the horizontal force does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the vertical surface wherein the horwest effect is defined by a rule that states that an object located in a closed system and on the weighing unit providing and applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from the weighing unit, does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the substantially vertical surface wherein said horwest effect provides an accurate weight measurement of an occupant sitting on the seat, to which a weighing unit is operatively attached, by the occupant compressing in a horizontal frontal direction at least one of the switches, located above the waist of the occupant on a substantially vertical part of the vehicle, conveniently lifting feet above the floor and keeping them up during the weight measurement, and this compressing does not influence the accurate weight measurement of the occupant'"'"'s whole body measured by said weighing unit at the time when said switch signals to the computing and control unit that it is compressed and the current result of the weight measurement is correct.

3. A method of weighing a person sitting in a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from a weighing unit operatively coupled to the seat of the vehicle, wherein the application of the horizontal force does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the vertical surface wherein the horwest effect is defined by a rule that states that an object located in a closed system and on the weighing unit providing and applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from the weighing unit, does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the substantially vertical surface wherein said horwest effect provides an accurate weight measurement of an occupant sitting on the seat, to which a weighing unit is operatively attached, by the occupant compressing the closest substantially vertical surface of the vehicle in a horizontal frontal direction and simultaneously lifting feet up from the floor and pronouncing a predetermined voiced command to initiate weighing the occupant by a computing and control unit through the weighing unit and keeping feet out of way during the weighing.

4. A method of weighing a person sitting in a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

applying a force in a horizontal direction of a predetermined value with respect to a substantially vertical surface of another object that is a predetermined distance away from a weighing unit operatively coupled to the seat of the vehicle, wherein the application of the horizontal force does not change a weight measurement of the object recorded by the weighing unit when the object is applying the force to the vertical surface wherein the weighing unit is configured to perform the following steps;

choosing a mode of an occupant to weigh by a “

Choose an occupant to weigh”

routine located in a computing and control unit as following;

a) choosing to weigh an occupant that is an adult or a baby or a small child or,

b) choosing of all occupants monitoring mode or,

c) choosing a correction of the measured weight of the occupant;

monitoring existence of an occupant in a car seat by the weighing unit, whose output is connected to the computing and control unit;

monitoring a state of switches of weighing moderators, whose outputs are operatively connected to the computing and control unit;

start measuring the occupant'"'"'s weight by the weighing unit connected to the seat of the occupant and memorizing the weight of the occupant while conveniently eliminating the need to separately weigh the feet of the occupant by setting said feet on a hanging pedal of a weighing moderator located proximate to the feet of the occupant above the floor or by pushing horizontally at least one of the switches of the weighing moderators, located above the waist of the occupant on a substantially vertical surface of the vehicle, conveniently lifting feet above the floor and keeping them up during the weight measurement;

processing collected data by the computing and control unit connected to the weighing unit and to the switches of the weighing moderators while receiving signals from said switches of said weighing moderators;

transmitting processed data through a wireless or wired network to an on-board occupant weighing system.

5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

weighing a passenger sitting in a separated second row single passenger seat of a large vehicle comprising the following steps;

choosing to weigh a passenger sitting in a separated second row single passenger seat;

monitoring existence of said passenger in said passenger seat by the weighing unit connected to said passenger seat;

conveniently eliminating the need to separately weigh the feet of said passenger by pushing horizontally a switch of a moderator, which is located on a substantially vertical surface of a driver'"'"'s or front passenger'"'"'s seatback that is against said second row single passenger seat and conveniently lifting feet by said passenger above the floor and keeping them lifted during the weight measurement;

monitoring state of said switch of said weighing moderator, whose output is operatively connected to the computing and control unit;

measuring the passenger'"'"'s weight by the weighing unit connected to the seat of the passenger;

processing collected data by the computing and control unit connected to the weighing unit and to the switch of the weighing moderator that is located on a substantially vertical surface of a driver'"'"'s or front passenger'"'"'s seatback that is against said second row single passenger seat while receiving the signals from said switches of said weighing moderators;

transmitting processed data through the wireless or wired network to the on-board occupant weighing system.

6. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

providing a simplified and accurate occupant'"'"'s weight measurement in a vehicle safety device comprising the following steps;

monitoring existence of the occupant in a car seat by the weighing unit connected to the seat of the occupant, whose output is connected to the computing and control unit;

conveniently eliminating the need to separately weigh the feet of the occupant by pushing horizontally at least one of the switches of the weighing moderators, located above the waist of the occupant on a substantially vertical surface of the vehicle, conveniently lifting feet above the floor and keeping them up during the weight measurement;

measuring occupant'"'"'s weight by the weighing unit connected to the seat of the occupant;

processing collected weight of the occupant by said computing and control unit while receiving the signals from switches of said weighing moderators;

transmitting processed value of the occupant'"'"'s weight to an airbag control unit to apply, in case of collision, an appropriate force to the occupant'"'"'s body, whose value will be calculated according to the accurately measured occupant'"'"'s weight.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

weighing a driver in a running self-driving vehicle comprising the following steps;

compressing by the driver in a horizontal frontal direction a switch of a weighing moderator, located on a substantially vertical part of the steering wheel or dashboard and connected to the computing and control unit or compressing in a horizontal frontal direction a closest substantially vertical surface of the vehicle and pronouncing the predetermined voiced command to weigh;

lifting feet above the floor and keeping them lifted during the weight measurement;

measuring the driver'"'"'s weight by the weighing unit connected to a seat of the driver;

processing collected data by the computing and control unit connected to the weighing unit;

transmitting processed data through the wireless or wired network to the on-board occupant weighing system.

8. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

weighing a driver automatically in a running vehicle comprising the following steps;

monitoring the state of the vehicle when it did not yet start to move from a garage, driveway, or a parking lot by checking a signal from a gear selector that it is in a Park position, that the driver is in a car seat by checking a signal from the weighing unit attached to the driver'"'"'s car seat, that the driver'"'"'s left foot is on a pedal of a weighing moderator located proximate to the left foot of the driver by checking a signal from a switch of said weighing moderator, that the right foot of the driver is on the brake pedal by checking a signal from the brake pedal, that the driver'"'"'s hands are on a steering wheel by checking the signal from a switch of a weighing moderator secured on the steering wheel;

monitoring the state of the vehicle when the driver is ready to move the vehicle from the garage, driveway, or the parking lot by checking a signal from the gear selector that it is shifted from the Park position to Drive/Reverse position;

monitoring the state of the vehicle when it starts to move from the garage, driveway, or the parking lot by checking a signal from the brake pedal that the brake is released;

weighing the driver by the weighing unit connected to the driver'"'"'s car seat and continuing to check the signal from the brake pedal and gas pedal;

receiving and memorizing driver weight measurements by the computing and control unit from the output of the weighing unit connected to the driver car seat;

processing the driver weight measurements by the computing and control unit while receiving signal from the switch of the weighing moderator, on which the left foot of the driver is secured;

continue receiving and processing driver weight measurements by the computing and control unit while monitoring the state of signals from the brake pedal, gas pedal, and switch of the weighing moderator, on which the left foot of the driver is secured;

transmitting processed data through the wireless or wired network to the on-board occupant weighing system.

9. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring existence of the occupant in a car seat by the weighing unit, whose output is connected to the computing and control unit;

monitoring state of the switches of the weighing moderators, whose outputs are operatively connected to the computing and control unit;

start measuring occupant'"'"'s weight by the weighing unit connected to the seat of the occupant and memorizing the weight of the occupant while conveniently eliminating the need to separately weigh the feet of the occupant by pushing horizontally at least one of the switches of the weighing moderators, located above the waist of the occupant on a substantially vertical surface of the vehicle, conveniently lifting feet above the floor and keeping them up during the weight measurement;

processing collected data by the computing and control unit connected to the weighing unit and to the switches while receiving the signals from said switches of said weighing moderators;

transmitting processed data through the wireless or wired network to the on-board occupant weighing system.