Occupant judging apparatus

• US 20020175490A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Koji, Fujimoto, Osamu, Sakai, Morio
• Granted Patent: US 6,810,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/273
• 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 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

An occupant judging apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a load sensor assembled to a seat body, a controller for calculating a detected load value based upon an output load value of the load sensor and for performing an occupant judgment based upon a difference between the detected load value and a predetermined judging threshold value, human body detecting means for detecting a human body approximately in contact with the seat body. The controller controls the occupant judgment based upon the detected load value and the predetermined judging threshold value in response to the detecting status of the human body by the human body detecting means.

Claims

1. An occupant judging apparatus, comprising:

load detecting means assembled to a seat body;

a controller for calculating a detected load value based upon an output load value of the load detecting means and for performing an occupant judgment based upon a difference between the detected load value and a predetermined judging threshold value; and

human body detecting means for detecting a human body approximately in contact with the seat body, wherein the controller controls the occupant judgment in response to a detecting status of the human body by the human body detecting means.

2. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the human body detecting means is provided at a seat cushion of the seat body.

3. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the human body detecting means is provided at a seat back of the seat body.

4. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 3, further comprising:

the load detecting means including;

a front load sensor for detecting a load applied to a front portion of the seat body; and

a rear load sensor for detecting a load applied to a rear portion of the seat body, wherein the controller includes calculating means for calculating a ratio between an output load value of the rear load sensor and an output load value of the front load sensor, wherein the human detection is performed by the human body detecting means in response to the calculated ratio.

5. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 4, wherein the calculated ratio is a ratio of the output load value of the rear load sensor relative to the detected load value, wherein the human body can be detected when the calculated ratio reaches a predetermined value.

6. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 4, wherein the calculated ratio is a ratio of the output load value of the front load sensor relative to the detected load value, wherein the human body can be detected when the calculated ratio reaches a predetermined value.

7. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 4, wherein the calculated ratio is a ratio of the output load value of the rear load sensor relative to the output load value of the front load sensor, wherein the human body can be detected when the calculated ratio reaches a predetermined value.

8. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the human body detecting means is a capacitance sensor for detecting the human body on the seat body.

9. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 8, wherein the capacitance sensor is provided at a seat cushion for detecting the human body seated on the seat cushion.

10. An occupant judging apparatus, according to claim 4, wherein the human body detecting means is a capacitance sensor provided at a seat back.

11. A method for performing an occupant judgment, comprising:

calculating a detected load value based upon an output load value of load detecting means;

detecting a human body approximately in contact with a seat body;

comparing the detected load value with a predetermined judging threshold value; and

judging whether an occupant seated on the seat body is an adult occupant or a child occupant, based upon the difference between the detected load value and the predetermined judging threshold value, in response to a detecting status of the human body approximately in contact with the seat body.

12. A method for performing an occupant judgment, according to claim 11, further comprising:

calculating an output load value at a seat rear side based upon the output load value of the load detecting means;

calculating a ratio between the output load value at a seat rear side and the detected load value;

detecting whether or not a seat belt has been fastened; and

judging whether or not the calculated ratio reaches a predetermined value when the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined judging threshold value in a state where the seat belt has been fastened, wherein the occupant can be judged whether or not leaning on a seat back.

13. A method for performing an occupant judgment, according to claim 11, further comprising:

judging a load type to be the adult occupant when the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined judging threshold value in a state where the human body has been detected;

judging a load type to be the child occupant when the detected load value is less than the predetermined judging threshold value in a state where the human body has been detected; and

judging a load type to be a child restraint system, a booster, a carriage, or no mounting on the seat body when the human body has not been detected.

14. A method for performing an occupant judgment, according to claim 12, further comprising:

judging a load type to be the adult occupant with the fastened seat belt when the calculated ratio has not reached the predetermined value in a state where the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined judging threshold value;

judging a load type to be the adult occupant with the fastened seat belt when the human body has been detected in a state where the calculated ratio has reached the predetermined value and the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined judging threshold value;

judging a load type to be the child restraint system with the fastened seat belt when the human body has not been detected in a state where the calculated ratio has reached the predetermined value and the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined judging threshold value;

judging a load type to be a child occupant, the child restraint system, a carriage with the fastened seat belt when the detected load value is less than the predetermined judging threshold value;

judging a mounting load type of the child occupant, the child restraint system, a carriage, or no mounting load on the seat body when the detected load value is less than the predetermined judging threshold value in a state where the seat belt has not been fastened; and

judging a load type to be the adult occupant when the detected load value is equal to or greater than the predetermined judging threshold value in a state where the seat belt has been fastened.

16. An occupant judging apparatus for a vehicle, according to claim 15, wherein the capacitance sensor is provided at the seat cushion.

17. An occupant judging apparatus for a vehicle, according to claim 15, wherein the capacitance sensor is provided at the seat back.

18. An occupant judging apparatus for a vehicle, according to claim 17, further comprising:

the load sensor including;

a front load sensor for detecting a load applied to a front portion of the seat body; and

a rear load sensor for detecting a load applied to a rear portion of the seat body; and

the controller including;

calculating means for calculating a ratio between an output load value of the rear load sensor between an output load value of the front load sensor, wherein the human detection is performed by the human body detecting means in response to a relationship between the calculated ratio and a predetermined value.

15. A vehicle seat provided with an occupant judging apparatus, comprising:

a supporting flame fixed to a vehicle floor;

a lower rail supportably fixed to the supporting flame;

an upper rail disposed in a groove defined in the lower rail so as to be slidaly movable in a vehicle longitudinal direction;

a lower arm connected to the upper rail by a deformable jointing portion and supporting a seat cushion and a seat back;

a load sensor assembled at the deformable jointing portion for outputting a load value corresponding to a load applied to the seat cushion based upon a deformed amount of the deformable jointing portion;

a controller for calculating a detected load value based upon the output load value of the load sensor and for performing an occupant judgment based upon a difference between the detected load value and a predetermined judging threshold value;

a capacitance sensor for detecting a human body approximately in contact with a seat body, and

the controller for controlling the occupant judgment in response to the detecting status of the human body by the capacitance sensor.