Seating condition detecting system for vehicle

• US 20030001749A1
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishida, Shoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/667
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01184 Fault detection or diagnostic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0155 sensing belt tension

Abstract

A seating condition detecting system has four load sensors, a belt tension sensor and a self-diagnostic system. The first and second abnormal ranges are set for detecting abnormal operations of the system. The upper limit of the first range is set so that a total load becomes heavier as a belt tension becomes higher. The lower limit of the second range is set so that the total load becomes heavier as the belt tension deviates from the point at which the total load becomes lightest. When the total load falls in the first range or the second range, an abnormal operation of the seating condition detecting system is determined.

Claims

1. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

a right front load sensor for detecting a load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of a vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors;

a belt tension sensor for detecting tension of a seat belt that restrains the vehicle occupant or secures a child seat; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when a total load detected by the load sensors falls into a first abnormal range that is set so that an upper limit of the range becomes higher as the belt tension becomes higher or within a second abnormal range that is set so that a lower limit of the range becomes higher as the belt tension deviates from the point at which the total load becomes lowest.

2. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

a right front load sensor for detecting load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of a vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when at least one of the loads detected by the load sensors has a negative value and its absolute value is heavier than a predetermined value.

3. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

a right front load sensor for detecting load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of a vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when differences between the right front load and left front load, and between the right rear load and left rear load, both indicating seating position of the vehicular occupant either rightward or leftward, contradict each other, or when differences between the right front load and right rear load, and between the left front load and left rear load, both indicating seating position of the vehicular occupant either forward or backward, contradict each other.

4. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

an empty seat detecting sensor for detecting presence or absence of a vehicle occupant or a child seat;

a belt tension sensor for detecting belt tension of a seat belt that restrains a seated vehicle occupant or secures the child seat;

a right front load sensor for detecting load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat on which the child seat is mounted or the vehicle occupant is seated from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected; and

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of the vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when at least one of the loads detected by the load sensors is heavier than a predetermined value although an empty seat is detected by the empty seat detecting sensor.

5. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

an empty seat detecting sensor for detecting presence or absence of a vehicle occupant or a child seat;

a belt tension sensor for detecting belt tension of a seat belt that restrains a seated vehicle occupant or secures the child seat;

a right front load sensor for detecting load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat on which the child seat is mounted or the vehicle occupant is seated from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected; and

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of the vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when the belt tension higher than a predetermined value is detected although an empty seat is detected by the empty seat detecting system.

6. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

a right front load sensor for detecting load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected; and

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of the vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when any three of the four loads detected by the load sensors are equal to or lighter than a first threshold and the remaining load is heavier than a second threshold.

7. A seating condition detecting system comprising:

a right front load sensor for detecting load to which a right front elastic body that supports a right front part of a seat from underneath is subjected;

a left front load sensor for detecting load to which a left front elastic body that supports a left front part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a right rear load sensor for detecting load to which a right rear elastic body that supports a right rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected;

a left rear load sensor for detecting load to which a left rear elastic body that supports a left rear part of the seat from underneath is subjected; and

a seating condition detecting means for detecting a seating condition of the vehicle occupant based on the loads detected by the load sensors; and

a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormal operation when any three of the four loads detected by the load sensors are equal to or heavier than a first threshold and the remaining load is lighter than a second threshold.