Non-safety vehicle systems control using occupant classification
First Claim
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1. A vehicle incorporating a power conserving system comprising:
- a vehicle safety system including at least one airbag;
an occupant classification system forming part of the vehicle safety system and including at least one sensor which detects the presence of an occupant;
a safety system controller forming part of the vehicle safety system, the safety system controller in information receiving relation with the occupant classification system, and in deployment controlling relation with the vehicle safety system, including the at least one airbag;
at least one non-safety power consuming system; and
a non-safety system power controller in controlling relation to the at least one non-safety power consuming system, and in information receiving relation to the occupant classification system, the non-safety system operable to control the amount of power consumed by the at least one non-safety power consuming system based on information received from the occupant classification system.
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Abstract
Energy is conserved utilizing information collected by a vehicle safety system. Information concerning whether seats other than the driver'"'"'s seat are occupied and information concerning the size and weight of any occupants present, is transferred to a power load logic via a vehicle information data bus, or by a hard wired communication link. Power is conserved by turning off energy consuming functions which are specific to an unoccupied seat, or by modulating power consuming functions in proportion to the size and weight of the seat occupant.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A vehicle incorporating a power conserving system comprising:
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a vehicle safety system including at least one airbag;
an occupant classification system forming part of the vehicle safety system and including at least one sensor which detects the presence of an occupant;
a safety system controller forming part of the vehicle safety system, the safety system controller in information receiving relation with the occupant classification system, and in deployment controlling relation with the vehicle safety system, including the at least one airbag;
at least one non-safety power consuming system; and
a non-safety system power controller in controlling relation to the at least one non-safety power consuming system, and in information receiving relation to the occupant classification system, the non-safety system operable to control the amount of power consumed by the at least one non-safety power consuming system based on information received from the occupant classification system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of conserving power use in a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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communicating occupant presence data from a data collection system forming part of a safety system to a system capable of controlling power supplied to at least one seat specific power load;
analyzing power need of said at least one seat specific power load based on the presence or absence of an occupant in a seat in connection with the at least one seat specific power load; and
controlling the power supplied to the at least one seat specific power load in accordance with the analyzed power need of said at least one seat specific power load. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method of conserving power use in a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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communicating the magnitude of at least one variable attribute from a data collection system forming part of a safety system, to a system capable of controlling power supply to at least one seat specific power load;
analyzing power need of said at least one seat specific power load based on the at least one variable attribute in connection with the at least one seat specific power load; and
controlling the power supplied to the at least one seat specific power load so as to be proportional to the magnitude of the at least one variable attribute.
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Specification