Seat assembly, seatbelt security system, and method

• US 10,391,972 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chengalva, Mahesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US15/956,560
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 3404571, 3405391, 34053911
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0093 Aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats

Abstract

A seat assembly comprises a seat. The seatbelt securing system further comprises a seatbelt coupled to the seat. The seatbelt comprises a first strap and a second strap. The seatbelt further comprises a latch configured to selectively secure the first strap relative to the second strap. The latch further comprises a latch sensor configured to provide a secured indication in response to detection that the latch properly secures the first strap of the seatbelt to the second strap of the seatbelt and provide an unsecured indication in response to detection that the latch does not properly secure the first strap of the seatbelt to the second strap of the seatbelt. The latch further comprises a latch indicator to provide a warning in response to the unsecured indication.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat; and

a seatbelt coupled to the seat, wherein the seatbelt comprises;

a first strap;

a second strap; and

a latch configured to selectively secure the first strap relative to the second strap, the latch comprising;

a latch sensor configured to provide a secured indication in response to detection that the latch properly secures the first strap of the seatbelt to the second strap of the seatbelt and provide an unsecured indication in response to detection that the latch does not properly secure the first strap of the seatbelt to the second strap of the seatbelt; and

a proximal indicator configured to provide a warning in response to the unsecured indication, the proximal indicator being positioned separate from the seatbelt and spatially corresponding with the seatbelt.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising an occupancy sensor configured to provide an occupied indication in response to the seat being occupied and to provide an unoccupied indication in response to the seat being unoccupied, wherein the proximal indicator is configured to prevent a warning in response to the unsecured indication when the occupancy sensor provides the unoccupied indication.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the proximal indicator is configured to produce at least one of a light, a sound, or a vibration in response to the unsecured indication.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the proximal indicator comprises a display screen configured to provide a visual warning in response to receiving the unsecured indication.

5. The seat assembly of claim 4, wherein the visual warning comprises an indication of a status of the seatbelt.

6. The seat assembly of claim 4, wherein the visual warning comprises instructions describing how to properly secure the seatbelt.

7. The seat assembly of claim 6, wherein the display screen is configured to interrupt a current active display object to communicate the warning to the user of the seatbelt.

8. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the proximal indicator on the latch comprises at least one of a light source capable of producing illumination in response to the unsecured indication, a vibration device capable of producing vibrational stimulus in response to the unsecured indication, and a speaker capable of producing audio stimulus in response to the unsecured indication.

9. The seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch sensor communicates with a computing device to generate at least one of the secured indication and the unsecured indication.

10. The seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the proximal indicator is in communication with the computing device to provide the warning in response to the unsecured indication.

11. A seatbelt security system comprising:

a seat assembly comprising;

a seat;

a seatbelt coupled to the seat, wherein the seatbelt comprises;

a first strap;

a second strap; and

a latch configured to selectively secure the first strap relative to the second strap, the latch comprising a latch sensor configured to detect that the first strap is properly secured to the second strap via the latch and to detect that the first strap is not properly secured to the second strap via the latch; and

a proximal indicator spatially proximate the seat, wherein the proximal indicator is configured to provide a proximal warning, the proximal indicator being positioned separate from the seatbelt and spatially corresponding with the seatbelt;

a computing device configured to provide an unsecured indication in response to detection by the latch sensor that the first strap of the seatbelt is not properly secured to the second strap of the seatbelt via the latch; and

a remote indicator positioned to provide a remote warning at a location separate from the seat assembly in response to the unsecured indication.

12. The seatbelt security system of claim 11, wherein the seat assembly further comprises an occupancy sensor configured to provide an occupied indication in response to the seat assembly being occupied and to provide an unoccupied indication in response to the seat assembly being unoccupied, wherein the proximal indicator is configured to prevent a warning in response to the unsecured indication when the occupancy sensor provides the unoccupied indication.

13. The seatbelt security system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is further in communication with the remote indicator, the computing device being configured to activate and deactivate at least one of the latch sensor, the proximal indicator, and the remote indicator in response to at least one of a manual input from a crew member, a turbulence status, a cruise status, and a travel transition indication.

14. The seatbelt security system of claim 11, wherein the latch further comprises a latch indicator coupled to the latch, wherein the computing device activates the latch indicator to provide a warning at the latch in response to the unsecured indication.

15. The seatbelt security system of claim 11, wherein the remote indicator comprises at least one of a central display and a mobile device, wherein the computing device activates the at least one of the central display and a mobile device to provide the remote warning in response to the unsecured indication.

16. A method for seatbelt security, the method comprising:

determining an occupancy of a seat based on a signal from an occupancy sensor;

requesting a status of a seatbelt latch in response to a determination that the seat is occupied;

receiving a latch signal from a latch sensor in response to the request; and

in response to at least the latch signal indicating that the seatbelt latch is unsecured, providing at least one proximal warning spatially proximate the seat.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one of the proximal warning and the remote warning is provided further in response to at least one of:

receiving a manual input to activate a secure seatbelt mode for the seat assembly; and

receiving a detection of at least one travel transition.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein providing the proximal warning comprises generating the proximal warning at at least one of a latch indicator and a proximal indicator.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a remote warning spatially remote from the seat in response to at least the latch signal indicating that the seatbelt latch is unsecured, wherein providing the remote warning comprises activating a central display spatially remote from the seat to display the remote warning.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing at least one of the proximal warning and the remote warning comprises activating a mobile device to display a warning.