Method and device for detecting seat occupancy by means of a video sensor system and foot room system

• US 20030007072A1
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kocher, Pascal, Mattes, Bernhard, Lang, Hans-Peter
• Application Number:
  US09/959,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0046 Feet
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

In order to clearly distinguish between a short adult and a child sitting in a booster seat, for example, on the passenger seat of a vehicle, a video sensor system (4) detects the head height of the person sitting in the passenger seat (1). A footwell sensor (5, 6) recognizes whether a person is touching the floor in front of the passenger seat (1) with one foot or both feet. An analyzer unit (7) classifies the person sitting in the passenger seat (1) as a child for whom it causes a passenger air bag (3) present to be deactivated if the video sensor system (4) registers a head height that is less than a predefined threshold (SH) and, at the same time, the footwell sensor (5,6) detects no foot contact with the floor in front of the passenger seat (1).

Claims

1. A method of seat occupancy recognition using a video sensor system (4), which detects the head height of a person sitting in the passenger seat (1) of a vehicle,

wherein a footwell sensor (5, 6) detects whether a person is touching the floor in front of the passenger seat (1) with one foot or both feet;

and the person sitting in the passenger seat (1) is classified as a child for whom the passenger air bag (3) is to be deactivated if the video sensor system (4) registers a head height that is less than a predefined threshold (SH) and, at the same time, the footwell sensor (5, 6) detects no foot contact with the floor in front of the passenger seat (1).

2. A device for seat occupancy recognition, having a video sensor system (4), which detects the head height of a person sitting in the passenger seat (1) of a vehicle,

wherein a footwell sensor (5, 6) is provided, which detects whether a person is touching the floor in front of the passenger seat (1) with one foot or both feet;

and an analyzer unit (7) classifies a person sitting in the passenger seat (1) as a child for whom it causes a passenger air bag (3) present to be deactivated if the video sensor system (4) registers a head height that is less than a predefined threshold (SH) and, at the same time, the footwell sensor (5, 6) detects no foot contact with the floor in front of the passenger seat (1).

3. The device according to claim 2,

wherein the footwell sensor (5, 6) is a pressure sensor which detects the pressure exerted on the floor in front of the passenger seat.

4. The device according to claim 2,

wherein the footwell sensor (5, 6) is a pressure sensor which detects the profile of the object exerting the pressure when a pressure is exerted on the floor in front of the passenger seat (1).

5. The device according to claim 4,

wherein the footwell sensor (5, 6) has a plurality of pressure sensing elements.