Occupant detecting system

• US 10,457,235 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Koike, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US15/720,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20180093630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• 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 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A load detector is capable of detecting a load placed on a seat. A temperature detector is capable of detecting a temperature and located adjacent to the load detector. A correction controller corrects the load detected by the load detector in such a way as to deduct a time change amount of the load from the detected load when a time change amount of the temperature detected by the temperature detector is larger than a predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the temperature and the time change amount of the load detected by the load detector is smaller than a predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the load. A determination controller determines a sitting condition on the seat based on the corrected load.

Claims

1. An occupant detection system comprising:

a load detector detecting a load of an object placed on a seat;

a temperature detector disposed adjacent to the load detector and detecting a temperature;

a correction controller configured to correct the load detected by the load detector when (i) and (ii) are met;

(i) a time change amount of the temperature detected by the temperature detector is larger than a predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the temperature, and

(ii) the time change amount of the load detected by the load detector is smaller than a predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the load, wherein the correction controller corrects the load detected by the load detector by subtracting the time change amount of the load from the load detected by the load detector; and

a determination controller configured to determine a sitting condition of the object on the seat by using the load corrected by the correction controller.

2. The occupant detection system according to claim 1, wherein the load detector includes a plurality of load sensors, the load sensors being disposed at least at both ends of a supporting member of the seat, and

wherein the load detected by the load detector is a total value of the loads which are detected by the respective load sensors.

3. The occupant detection system according to claim 2, wherein the temperature detector includes the same number of temperature sensors as the number of the load sensors, and the time change amount of the temperature detected by the temperature detector is the time change amount of the temperature detected by at least one of the temperature sensors.

4. The occupant detection system according to claim 1, wherein a determination cycle of the time change amount of the temperature is longer than a determination cycle of the sitting condition.

5. The occupant detection system according to claim 1, wherein the correction controller does not correct the load detected by the load detector when the time change amount of the load detected by the load detector is not smaller than the predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the load, and the determination controller determines the sitting condition of the object on the seat by using the load detected by the load detector.

6. An occupant detection method comprising:

(a) detecting, by using a load detector, a load of an object placed on a seat;

(b) detecting a temperature by using a temperature detector disposed adjacent to the load detector;

(c) correcting, by using a computer, the load detected by the load detector when (i) and (ii) are met;

(i) a time change amount of the temperature detected by the temperature detector is larger than a predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the temperature and

(ii) the time change amount of the load detected by the load detector is smaller than a predetermined threshold value of the time change amount of the load, wherein the step (c) corrects the load detected by the load detector by subtracting the time change amount of the load from the load detected by the load detector; and

(d) determining, by using the computer, a sitting condition of the object on the seat based on the corrected load.