Seat load measuring system that automatically makes a self diagnosis and zero point adjustment in response to a vehicle crash
First Claim
1. An occupant protection system of a vehicle, the system comprising:
- a seat load measuring subsystem which includes a plurality of weight sensors attached to a vehicle seat, each weight sensor providing a weight signal responsive to a weight load applied to thereto;
crash sensing means, responsive to a crash of said vehicle, for outputting a magnitude of said crash;
a controller, responsive to said magnitude of said crash for providing a crash signal determined by said magnitude and, responsive to a decision that said crash signal has reached a predetermined level for providing control information on the basis of said weight signals from said plurality of weight sensors; and
occupant protection means, response to said control information, for executing a protection operation, wherein said seat load measuring subsystem further includes;
means responsive to a reception of said crash signal for automatically making a diagnosis on each weight sensor or a zero adjustment of said each weight sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An occupant protection system of a vehicle comprises a seat load measuring subsystem and an occupant protection subsystem. The seat load measuring subsystem includes a controller and weight sensors attached to a vehicle seat, each weight sensor providing a weight signal. The controller provides information determined by a weight of an occupant of the vehicle seat. In response to a detection of a crash, the occupant protection subsystem provides a crash signal determined by a magnitude of the crash. In response to a reception of the crash signal, the controller automatically decides whether a weight sensor under diagnosis is normal, abnormal or intermediate between normal and abnormal on the basis of a level of the crash signal and the weight signals obtained from the weight sensor before and after the crash.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An occupant protection system of a vehicle, the system comprising:
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a seat load measuring subsystem which includes a plurality of weight sensors attached to a vehicle seat, each weight sensor providing a weight signal responsive to a weight load applied to thereto;
crash sensing means, responsive to a crash of said vehicle, for outputting a magnitude of said crash;
a controller, responsive to said magnitude of said crash for providing a crash signal determined by said magnitude and, responsive to a decision that said crash signal has reached a predetermined level for providing control information on the basis of said weight signals from said plurality of weight sensors; and
occupant protection means, response to said control information, for executing a protection operation, wherein said seat load measuring subsystem further includes;
means responsive to a reception of said crash signal for automatically making a diagnosis on each weight sensor or a zero adjustment of said each weight sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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14. An integrated circuit for use in an occupant protection system of a vehicle wherein the occupant protection system includes a plurality of weight sensors attached to a vehicle seat, each weight sensor providing a weight signal responsive to a weight load applied to thereto;
- a crash sensor for providing a magnitude of a crash; and
occupant protection means responsive to control information from the external for providing a protection, the integrated circuit comprising;
means responsive to said magnitude of said crash for providing a crash signal;
mean responsive to said crash signal for generating said control information on the basis of said weight signals from said plurality of weight sensors;
means responsive to a reception of said crash signal for automatically making a diagnosis on each weight sensor or a zero adjustment of said each weight sensor.
- a crash sensor for providing a magnitude of a crash; and
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18. A seat load measuring system for use in an occupant protection system of a vehicle wherein the occupant protection system includes means responsive to a detection of a crash for providing a crash signal and means responsive to said crash signal for executing a protection operation on the basis of control information provided by the seat load measuring system, the seat load measuring system including;
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a plurality of weight sensors attached to a vehicle seat, each weight sensor providing a weight signal responsive to a weight load applied to said each weight sensor, said weight signal being used either as said control information or for generating said control information; and
means responsive to a reception of said crash signal for automatically making a diagnosis on each weight sensor or a zero adjustment of said each weight sensor.
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29. An integrated circuit for use in a seat load measuring device of an occupant protection system of a vehicle wherein the seat load measuring device includes a plurality of weight sensors attached to a vehicle seat, each weight sensor providing a weight signal responsive to a weight load applied to thereto, wherein the occupant protection system includes means responsive to a detection of a crash for providing a crash signal determined by a magnitude of the crash and means responsive to a detection of the crash for executing a protection operation on the basis of information provided by the integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including;
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means for providing said information that is calculated from said weight signals from said a plurality of weight sensors; and
means responsive to a reception of said crash signal for automatically making a diagnosis on each weight sensor or a zero adjustment of said each weight sensor.
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Specification