SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OCCUPANT SENSING

• US 20020183910A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Gillis, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,487,483 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01526 using piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01542 detecting passenger motion

Abstract

A system (11) and method determine a vehicle occupant characteristic. A plurality of sensors (50) sense a parameter and output a parameter indicative signal. The sensors (50) are arranged in a plurality of groups (e.g., A-F), with each sensor of a group sensing a similar parameter value. A controller (16) utilizing only a portion of the sensors within each group to make a determination regarding the occupant characteristic.

Claims

1. A system for determining a vehicle occupant characteristic, said system comprising:

a plurality of sensors for sensing a parameter and outputting a parameter indicative signal, said sensors being arranged in a plurality of groups, with each sensor of a group sensing a similar parameter value; and

determination means for utilizing only a portion of said sensors within each group to make a determination regarding the occupant characteristic.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sensors are weight sensors.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the occupant characteristic is occupant position.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said determination means includes means for determining change in occupant position.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sensors are located in a vehicle seat.

6. A system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said sensors are distributed across a portion of the vehicle seat, each group of sensors being located at a different area of the portion of the seat.

7. A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said determination means includes means for using only one sensor from each group to make the determination regarding the occupant characteristic.

8. A system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said sensors are weight sensors, and the occupant characteristic is occupant position.

9. A system as set forth in claim 8, including means for sequentially utilizing different portions of the sensors within each group to make determinations regarding the occupant position.

10. A system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said means for sequentially utilizing includes means for utilizing one sensor within each group to each determination regarding occupant position.

11. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the determination regarding the occupant characteristic is utilized for control of an occupant protection device.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the occupant weight-related characteristic is occupant position on the vehicle seat.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said sensors are arranged in a plurality of groups, each group of sensors being located at a different portion of the vehicle seat, with all of the sensors within a group sensing a similar weight value, said portion of said sensors including at least one sensor from each group.

15. A system as set forth in claim 14, including means for sequentially utilizing different portions of the sensors to sequentially derive indications of the occupant weight-related characteristic.

16. A system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the indication of the occupant weight-related characteristic is utilized for control of an occupant protection device.

18. A system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said controller samples the output of an N^th sensor in at least one set prior to sampling the output of an N^th+1 sensor in another set.

19. A system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said controller samples the output of an N^th sensor in each set prior to sampling the output of an N^th+1 sensor in another set.

20. A system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said controller groups an equal number of sensors into each of said plurality of sensor sets.

21. A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein the sampled outputs of the N^th sensor define a subset indicative of the occupant characteristic.

22. A system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said controller samples the output of all of said sensors over a period of time thereby defining a plurality of subsets indicative of the occupant characteristic.

23. A system as set forth in claim 22, wherein said controller determines the occupant characteristic with one or more of said subsets.

26. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein the sensed occupant characteristic is occupant position.

27. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein an equal number of sensors are grouped into each sensor set.

28. A method as set forth in claim 25, wherein the sampled output of the N^th sensor in each of the sets defines a subset of the sensed occupant characteristic.

29. A method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the sampled output of the N^th+1 sensor in each of the sets defines a second subset of the sensed occupant characteristic.

30. A method as set forth in claim 29, further comprising the step of:

defining a plurality of subsets over a period of time from the sampled output of one or more of the sensors in each of the sets.

31. A method as set forth in claim 30, further comprising the step of:

updating the sensed occupant characteristic with one or more of the subsets.

12. A system for determining a vehicle occupant weight-related characteristic, said system comprising:

a plurality of weight sensors, each for sensing an applied force and for outputting a signal indicative of the sensed force, said plurality of sensors being located to sense applied force at a plurality of areas of a vehicle seat; and

means for utilizing the force indicative signals from only a portion of said sensors to derive an indication of the occupant weight-related characteristic.

17. A system for determining an occupant weight-related characteristic, said system comprising:

a plurality of weight sensors located within a vehicle seat, each of said sensors sensing an applied force and outputting a signal indicative of the sensed force; and

,

a controller that groups the plurality of sensors into a plurality of sensor sets.

24. A method for determining a vehicle occupant characteristic, said method comprising:

arranging a plurality of sensors that sense a parameter into a plurality of groups, with each sensor of a group sensing a similar parameter value and outputting a parameter indicative signal; and

utilizing only a portion of the sensors within each group to make a determination regarding the occupant characteristic.

25. A method for determining an occupant weight-related characteristic, said method comprising:

grouping a plurality of sensors located within a vehicle seat into a plurality of sensor sets, each of the sensors sensing an occupant characteristic and outputting a signal indicative of the sensed occupant characteristic; and

,

sampling the output of an N^th sensor in each set prior to sampling the output of an N^th+1 sensor in another set.