PASSENGER DETECTION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A passenger detection system comprising:
- an antenna electrode which is provided to a portion of a vehicle in front of a seat of the vehicle so as to face a passenger seated on the seat;
an oscillation means for generating a high frequency low voltage oscillation signal in order to generate a weak alternating electric field around the antenna electrode;
a current detection means for detecting a transmission current which passes between the oscillation means and the antenna electrode depending on the weak alternating electric field which is generated around the antenna electrode; and
a judgment means for judging the distance between the passenger and the portion of the vehicle based on the transmission current which has been detected by the current detection means.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A passenger detection system comprises an antenna electrode which is provided to the dashboard of a car, an oscillation circuit for generating a high frequency low voltage oscillation signal in order to generate a weak alternating electric field around the antenna electrode, a current detection section for detecting a transmission current which passes between the oscillation circuit and the antenna electrode depending on the weak alternating electric field which is generated around the antenna electrode, a phase difference detection section for detecting the phase difference between the oscillation signal supplied from the oscillation circuit and an output signal which is supplied to the antenna electrode, and a control circuit for judging the presence or absence of a passenger seated on the seat based on the detected phase difference and judging the distance between the passenger and the dashboard based on the detected transmission current. The passenger detection system is connected with an air bag unit, and the air bag unit is set at a ‘no deployment mode’ if it is judged that no passenger is seated on the seat or the distance between the passenger and the dashboard is less than a minimum allowable distance, thereby the passenger who is close to the dashboard is protected from secondary injury due to strong deployment of the air bag.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A passenger detection system comprising:
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an antenna electrode which is provided to a portion of a vehicle in front of a seat of the vehicle so as to face a passenger seated on the seat;
an oscillation means for generating a high frequency low voltage oscillation signal in order to generate a weak alternating electric field around the antenna electrode;
a current detection means for detecting a transmission current which passes between the oscillation means and the antenna electrode depending on the weak alternating electric field which is generated around the antenna electrode; and
a judgment means for judging the distance between the passenger and the portion of the vehicle based on the transmission current which has been detected by the current detection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A passenger detection system comprising:
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an antenna electrode which is provided to a portion of a vehicle in front of a seat of the vehicle so as to face a passenger seated on the seat;
an oscillation means for generating a high frequency low voltage oscillation signal in order to generate a weak alternating electric field around the antenna electrode;
a current detection means for detecting a transmission current which passes between the oscillation means and the antenna electrode depending on the weak alternating electric field which is generated around the antenna electrode;
a phase difference detection means for detecting the phase difference between the oscillation signal supplied from the oscillation means and an output signal which is supplied to the antenna electrode; and
a judgment means for judging the presence or absence of a passenger seated on the seat based on the phase difference which has been detected by the phase difference detection means and judging the distance between the passenger and the portion of the vehicle based on the transmission current which has been detected by the current detection means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A passenger detection method comprising the steps of:
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a field generation step in which a weak alternating electric field is generated by an oscillation means around an antenna electrode which is provided to a portion of a vehicle in front of a seat of the vehicle so as to face a passenger seated on the seat;
a transmission current detection step in which a transmission current which passes in the antenna electrode depending on the weak alternating electric field is detected; and
a judgment step in which the distance between the passenger and the portion of the vehicle is judged based on the transmission current which has been detected in the transmission current detection step. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A passenger detection method comprising the steps of:
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a field generation step in which a weak alternating electric field is generated by an oscillation means around an antenna electrode which is provided to a portion of a vehicle in front of a seat of the vehicle so as to face a passenger seated on the seat;
a transmission current detection step in which a transmission current which passes in the antenna electrode depending on the weak alternating electric field is detected;
a phase difference detection step in which the phase difference between an oscillation signal which is supplied from the oscillation means and an output signal which is supplied to the antenna electrode is detected; and
a judgment step in which the presence or absence of a passenger seated on the seat is judged based on the phase difference which has been detected in the phase difference detection step and the distance between the passenger and the portion of the vehicle is judged based on the transmission current which has been detected in the transmission current detection step. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification