Occupant determining device

• US 20040068356A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Daisuke, Nagae, Norihiko, Sakai, Morio, Mori, Masaki, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Izawa, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0021 characterised by the type of sensor or measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/42 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

An occupant determining device includes a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body and a controller. The controller calculates a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performs occupant determination based on the detected load value. The occupant determination state is switched to an adult determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value exceeds a determination threshold. The controller sets plural determination thresholds, and the larger each determination threshold being exceeded by the detected load value is, the shorter the delaying time is set.

Claims

1. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body; and

a controller calculating a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performing occupant determination based on th detected load value, wherein the occupant determination state is switched to an adult determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value exceeds a determination threshold, wherein the controller sets plural determination thresholds, and the larger each determination threshold being exceeded by the detected load value is, the shorter the delaying time is set.

2. An occupant determining device, according to claim 1, wherein the controller sets a first determination threshold and a second determination threshold being larger than the first determination threshold, the controller sets first delaying time corresponding to the first determination threshold and a second delaying time corresponding to the second determination threshold, and the second delaying time is shorter than the first delaying time.

3. An occupant determining device, according to claim 2, wherein the occupant determination state is switched from an child determination state to an adult determination state when the elapsing time under the detected load value being the first determination threshold or more and smaller than the second determination threshold exceeds a first delaying time.

4. An occupant determining device, according to claim 2, wherein the occupant determination state is switched from an child determination state to an adult determination state when the elapsing time under the detected load value being the second determination threshold or more exceeds a second delaying time.

5. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided at a seat; and

a controller calculating a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performing occupant determination based on the detected load value, wherein the occupant determination state is switched to a child determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value becomes smaller than a determination threshold, wherein the controller sets plural determination thresholds, and the smaller each determination threshold is, the shorter the delaying time is set.